QC Relish and Whisky Summer 2017

Summer|2017

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Relish Whisky QC Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

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WHISKY GLASSWARE | ORANGE INFUSED SCOTCH | WINE SPIRIT FESTIVAL

SINGLE MALT WHISKY

DOUBLE CASK MATURED FOR A RICH, SMOOTH TASTE.

The Glencairn Whisky Glass The Glencairn Whisky Glass

"The Glencairn Whisky Glass is a revolutionary whisky glass that really lets one savor the taste and complexity

of fine whisky. These are great to use for any of your

"The Glencairn Whisky Glass is a revolutionary Single Malt Whisky's, Irish Whiskey's, and also your whisky glass that bourbons. really lets With one savor the tastemouth, and complexity single barrel the tapered you finetowhisky.

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History Of The Glass: Champagne, Brandy, Wine... anything from tumblers to Paris goblets.most each has its hiball own glass.

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In 2001 Glencairn Crystal solved the problem of anythingthe from hiball Paris goblets. identifying ideal glasstumblers for whisky.toDesigned by Raymond Davidson nearly 25 years earlier, its In 2001 Glencairn Crystal solved the problem of development involved pulling together the master blenders identifying the ideal glass for whisky.

Designed by from the five largest whisky companies and asking them Raymond Davidson earlier,Glass its Today25 theyears Glencairn to perfect his initial design.nearly

involved pulling together the master blenders candevelopment be found at every distillery in Scotland,

from the five largest whisky companies and asking them

Ireland, as well asthe most in theGlass USA." Today Glencairn to perfect Wales his initial design. can be found at every distillery in Scotland, Ireland, Wales as well as most in the USA."

www.glencairnwhiskyglass.com

www.glencairnwhiskyglass.com

Bunnahabhain 12 year old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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Tasting Notes This whisky is the stuff tales are made of and inside the new bottle, the whisky speaks for itself. The nose offering a fresh and aromatic experience with a subtle whiff of smoke floating through the air. The taste starts with a light fruit and nut appeal that leads to a spectacular malty sweetness, finishing into a beautifully rich full-bodied, lingering experience.

Natural colour and unchill-filtered at 46.3%

bunnahabhain.com

ELEVATE YOUR SCOTCH WHISKY COLLECTION WITH AN AWARD WINNING WHISKY REHAUSSEZ VOTRE COLLECTION DE SCOTCH WHISKY AVEC CE WHISKY HAUTEMENT RÉCOMPENSÉ.

GOLD

BUNNAHABHAIN - 2016 DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR www.bunnahabhain.com | www.deanstonmalt.com | www.tobermorydistillery.com Consommez Responsablement. Please Enjoy Responsibly. Représenté par / Represented by PMA Canada | pmacanada.com

Sunsets and sea air: unofficial ingredients in every bottle.

view from shelter point distillery, vancouver island, canada

Introducing Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky Paradise isn’t necessarily a geographical requirement for making great whisky, but we managed to find it at Shelter Point. It’s here that we handcraft our 100% Single Malt Whisky, distilled batch-by-batch in traditional copper pot stills from two-row barley, and aged in American oak casks in our oceanfront warehouse. When it comes to artisanal whisky, every element matters — and in our unique, temperate rainforest climate, even the sunsets and sea air become integral.

There’s a Point to making beautiful whisky. Find out more at shelterpoint.ca

PIKE CREEK

Aged 10 years and finished in Rum barrels to create an easy-drinking and incredibly smooth whisky

GOODERHAM & WORTS A 4-grain blend that is complex yet well-balanced

LOT NO. 40

Made with 100% Canadian rye for a bold whisky with a spicy finish

Please enjoy responsibly.

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WELCOME Editor’s Thoughts Finally. We see a shimmer of hope. Summer is soon to be here again. Whether you’re relaxing at home in the city or outward bound to the cottage. Embrace your time.

If you’re fortunate, you may travel across the pond and visit the Whisky Trail in Scotland, see Ireland and share a story with a leprachaun you run across paths with one night after partaking of some spirits. You may visit Vancouver Island and have a seaside walk, and while you’re there, have a tour of Shelter Point Distillery for a dram.

Stories are best with friends and what better choice then to share some perfect whisky, experience the aroma, let it open your memories, feel the texture role over your tongue, taste the years of commitment and passion poured into this one, wee bottle you hold onto.

This summer issue of Relish and Whisky takes you into the delightful details of the drinks we love and the ones we are going to love. The inspiring recipes are perfect for the summer pace - slow and celebratory.

Most importantly, its the people that gather for the food and drink that this issue honours. A drink is more than a drink -

Ray Daniel writes, it’s a memory that transports you to a time and place of peace and imagination. The distillery is more than barrels and liquid - it’s the warmth and enthusiasm of the shop manager extraordinaire, Johanne McInnis observes.

Bourbon sits prominantly in this issue for good reason. Davin de Kergommeaux sinks into the history of the highly regarded Balconnes label to uncover the dedication and work put in by it’s interesting founders. Fred Minnick reveals the depth and breadth of the tasting notes found only in those rare single barrel bourbons. Each description more enticing than the last.

We come together in this issue to celebrate summer, the drinks, the food, the craft and the creative imagination that connects us all, as enjoyers and creators.

If the angels seek the spirit, then its no wonder we mere mortals find it a heavenly cup of gold.

Enjoy our pages this summer relaxing with a dram.

Robert Windover

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Editorial Director | Editor Artistic Director | Photographer National Advertising Sales Director Robert Windover | QC Magazine Publisher QuintessentiallyCanadian4Group Toronto Canada QC Magazines are published quarterly Enjoy all our publications online at issuu.com Advertising Inquires please contact quintessentiallycanadian@hotmail.ca

Special Thanks to our Contributors: Brilynn Ferguson Mandy Ryan http://brilynnferguson.com Colleen Thomas Jessica Blaine Smith Laura Sorkin http://jbsmithphotography.com Harpercollins Ltd. Mike Brisebois Cindy Bray Amandalin Ryan Malcolm Triggs Miguel de Medeiros Kentucky Bourbon Trail Urban Bar Luxury Glassware and Harpercollins Ltd. Barware Glencairn Whisky Glass Laura Sorkin The Distillery District Toronto D i s c l a i m e r Quintessentially Canadian Magazine makes no arran ties of any kind ritten or implied regarding the con tents of this magazine and e pressly disclaims any ar ranty regarding the accuracy or reliability of information contained herein. The vie contained in this magazine are those of the ritters and advertisers they do not necessarly reflect the vie s of Quintessentially Canadi an magazine and it s publisher. Quintessentially Cana dian assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.

Quintessentially Canadian assumes no responsibility for content of or reply to any ad. The advertiser assumes complete liability for the content of and all replies to any advertisement and for any claims made thereof.

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Interests 11 Editor’s Thoughts

34 The Kentucky Bourbon Trail

14 QC RW Interests

40 The Marvel Of Bourbon

20 Wine and Spirit Festival Sugar Beach Toronto, Wine, Spirits, Beer, Cider, Food and Live Music

30 Glassware

Options to Try your Favourites

Itinerary and Trail Map

Travel Kentucky through Rolling hills of Farmland

43 Food Recipes and Drink Cocktails

Saucy Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Burgers and a French Tale

58 World Whisky Day

Try a Dram and Celebrate the Water of Life

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Relish C Whisky Q Esteemed Davin de Kergommeaux Balcones: Distilling Texas Style Studying and volunteering still left time to explore Waco, and it wasn’t long before Himstedt had struck up a friendship with a local named Chip Tate. If you know whisky, you know Tate.

22 36 Ray Daniel Creating the cocktail Over the course of the last couple of issues and competitions I’ve had a lot of readers and people within the drinks industry ask me about something which - to be perfectly honest I have never really put a huge amount of thought into myself.

Writers

32 Fred Minnick Single Barrel Bourbons Single barrel bourbons are all the rage these days. They present a unique tasting experience and allow for the enthusiast to hunt special barrels. A single barrel is just that, a single barrel.

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Johanne McInnis Mary McGregor – Shop manager extraordinaire!

So far in this series we have visited the actual process of making whisky, but what happens once it’s ready and bottled?

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Writers

Davin De Kergommeaux is the author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, the definitive guide to Canadian whisky. An independent whisky expert, de Kergommeaux has been writing about, talking about, and teaching about whisky for more than fifteen years. He is the founder, and head judge for the Canadian Whisky Awards, and publishes comprehensive notes about Canadian whiskies on canadianwhisky.org. His writing and tasting notes appear regularly in Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate magazine, and various lifestyle publictions. De Kergommeaux has also contributed to or co-authored three other books about whisky, and spirits and cocktails. Follow him on twitter and instagram@Davindek.

Johanne McInnis, aka Whiskylassie, is an aka Whisylassie, is an

international spirits freelance writer who has a deep passion for whisky.

She has been a judge, panelist as well as a presenter at Spirits Festivals around the world.

Johanne loves to write about her adventures, distillery visits or help people discover the world of whisky.

Ray Daniel is an award winning bartender who Ray Daniel brings with him nearly two decades of experience behind the bar from Europe to Canada and is currently the Chief Mixologist at Char No.5 Whisky Bar - Toronto. Hailing from Ireland he has a huge range of knowledge of whisky as a category and whisky cocktails specifically and has performed at whisky masterclasses, festivals and cocktail competitions in both the US and Canada.

Fred Minnick is the author of four books: Whiskey Women, Bourbon Curious, Camera Boy and the Certified Angus Beef history. Whiskey Women earned a Gold Medal at the ForeWord Reviews Book Awards and a Silver at the Indie Publisher Awards. Camera Boy became a Wall Street Journalbestselling eBook in May 2012. Fred Minnick is the “Bourbon Authority” for the Kentucky Derby Museum.

Since October 2013, Minnick has taught bourbon classes at the museum and hosted private bourbon tastings for convention groups. Louisville.com named Minnick’s popular “Legend’s Series” one of the top events in all of Bourbon Country.

Autumn | 2016

QC

CANADA’S

FIRST

WHISKY

STORE +15 LEVEL 333 5th Ave SW

(West of the Petroleum Club)

Calgary, AB 587-956-8511 coopwinespiritsbeer.com

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Wine and Spirit Festival Tickets are $25 in advance and include 5 sample vouchers with entry. Additional vouchers are available for sale on site.

Date & Time: Friday, June 16th, 6:00pm-11:00pm Saturday, June 17th, 2:00pm-10:00pm Location: Sugar Beach (Lower Jarvis & Queens Quay) We’re back at Sugar Beach for the 9th year of the Wine & Spirit Festival!

The Wine & Spirit Festival is a national, 2-day destination event showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned wine, beer, cider & spirit producers along with chefs and culinary personalities. From wine samples, craft beer, and pairing seminars in our Wine & Spirit School, to some of the world’s finest spirits, live music and a waterfront breeze, the Wine & Spirit Festival, presented by Sobeys, is the perfect event to kick off the summer season and welcome Summer at the beach! Come try, sample and indulge in different wines, spirits and all the summer has to offer!

Drink Inc. is passionate about Music Therapy and a portion of all ticket sales from the Wine & Spirit Festival goes directly to the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund. www.musictherapytrust.ca

This is a Beck Taxi sponsored event. Beck Taxis will be on hand to get you home safe.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. About Drink Inc. Events: The Wine & Spirit Festival is operated by Drink Inc. Events. www.drinkinc.ca Drink Inc. has been involved with many other major events across Canada such as The Juno Awards, National Home Shows and Golf & Travel Shows. As founder of the Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival and co-founder of Toronto’s Festival of Beer, we have operated consumer shows and festivals in markets across Canada in the Alcohol category for almost two decades. With our company’s industry contacts, we build and run events that cater to thousands of people, while also executing smaller events focused on a more intimate crowd. Much of Drink Inc.’s success is built on knowing the consumer market and understanding our partners’ needs, goals and objectives.

Balcones: Davin de Kergommeaux

Distilling Texas Style

Jared Himstedt is an intriguing man.

Raised by Southern Baptist missionaries, the Texas distilling pioneer spent 10 childhood years in Brazilia before moving to Waco, Texas to attend Baylor University.

Both of his parents had graduated from Baylor; it was a family tradition. So, was helping others, and it wasn’t long before Himstedt was volunteering with an urban ministry for the homeless. “We’d hold church under a bridge,” he comments, “the person sitting next to you might be a prostitute or a drug addict.”

Not long after college, Himstedt struck up a friendship with an ex-pat Virginian named Chip Tate. If you know whisky, you know Tate.

“Over drinks, we’d talk about our dreams of bringing whisky making to Texas,” he recounts, “and slowly the idea of Balcones began to take form.” Himstedt and Tate bought a ramshackle old electrical shop and began fashioning stills from sheets of copper. Bit by bit, a distillery emerged from the jerry-rigged tangle of pipes and plates.

Balcones early distillations were richly flavourful and they quickly found favour with whisky drinkers in Texas and beyond. As word of Balcones spread, head distiller, Tate, set out on the road to promote their whisky while Himstedt, as production manager, ran the distillery.

With each success came another, and it wasn’t long before serious investors took notice. As a result, Balcones has now relocated to new quarters. The jerry-rigging

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is gone and four large pot stills from Forsyth’s of Scotland serve as the centrepiece of a spacious new facility.

There was a downside, though. Sometime, during the scaling up Tate and the new owners had a difference of opinion and parted ways. Whisky making passed entirely into Himstedt’s hands, and many feared that the end of the partnership and the influx of big money spelled the end of Balcones quality.

“The spirit was going to change anyway,” Himstedt opines. “We have all new stills and all new condensers.”

Although the new stills were designed with unusual coiled lyne arms to keep the ratios the same as on the original hand built set-up, Himstedt is right. The spirit has changed – for the better. And, this is not the sudden lurch some had feared. Rather, it is a logical evolution, and the Balcones house style remains.

One production improvement comes with the switch to standard-sized bourbon barrels. Small barrels give faster extraction, and that seemed like a benefit as the distillery would have product ready for sale quickly.

However, it turns out their thinking was naïve. What Balcones had not accounted for was just how many barrels it would take to make a batch of whisky. Ten five-gallon barrels hold about as much whisky as one 53-gallon barrel, but each one has to be moved, dumped and sampled individually.

That is a lot of work.

Jared Himstedt

Journalists and distillers mingle on the steps of Balcones distillery in Waco, Texas.

Back: Keith Bellinger, CEO and president, Jared Himstedt, distiller, Thomas Mote, brewhouse manager, Winston Edwards, brand ambassador, Fred Minnick Front: Laura Foster, Zack Pilgrim, distiller, production manager Davin de Kergommeaux, Colin Hampden-White, Emily Harris.

Like all things Texan, Balcones whiskies are big, bold and bodacious.

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When we visited, Himstedt had set out seemingly hundreds of sample bottles of mature whisky and was in the process of nosing and sorting them to find the right combination for a new batch of whisky.

Each sample represented an individual 5-gallon barrel.

Although Himstedt’s focus is on single malt whisky – Texas style – Balcones is best known for its blue-corn whiskies. True Blue 100 revels in a mustiness reminiscent of cooked corn cobs seasoned with toffee, hot peppers and loads of wood. To this, True Blue Cask Strength adds molasses, earthiness and something almost horsey, refreshed with a breath of mint. Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon brings a sharp fresh lushness with restrained vanillas and whispers of milk chocolate to the mix.

LCBO does not yet carry Balcones whiskies, but they should. So, let’s cross our fingers and hope their buyers soon join the growing throngs of avid Balcones aficionados. Like all things Texan, Balcones whiskies are big, bold and bodacious.

Mary McGregor –

Shop Manager

Extraordinaire!

Johanne McInnis

So far in this series we have visited the actual process of making whisky, but what happens once it’s ready and bottled? One of the first places the whisky travels is usually across the distillery yard - straight to the visitor center. Running the shop takes one very organized, customer oriented and business savvy individual.

Likely the best example I can think of is on Islay, Scotland and that would be at

Bruichladdich (pronounced Brook-Lah-Dee).

The history date backs to 1881, but the distillery we know today happened because a group of private investors, led by a well-known wine merchant, Mark Reynier, who purchased the rundown site for the sum of £6.5 million in December of 2000. Mr. Reynier hired legendary whisky maker Jim McEwan and in less than 6 months, the spirit flowed once more.

Mark and Jim developed a philosophy that promotes provenance, terroir and authenticity that has led to many award winning and innovative whiskies.

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One of the highlights of visiting Islay is their yearly whisky festival known worldwide as “Feis Ile”. This is an 8 day festival that takes place in late April. Each distillery on the island participates by hosting one of the days. Traditionally, Bruichladdich is one of the very first days of Feis Ile and it is the most attended day by the locals, as well as people visiting from all over the world. In 2015 when I attended, I participated in one of the largest tastings put on during the festival.

I and four hundred other Bruichladdich fans all streamed into the warehouse and tried whiskies the rest of the world will likely never see.

You can imagine with 2,000 people on that day alone, the logistics that are necessary in keeping the distillery shop running smoothly are mind boggling. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mary McGregor, distillery shop manager, an intricate and important member of the Bruichladdich team. I had the chance to sit down with Ms. McGregor and asked her a little about herself.

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What is your favourite whisky word?

What achievement are you proudest of?

Slainte

Passing on knowledge and experience to the future generations.

All the new innovative ideas that keep coming out.

What sound do you love the most about whisky?

The sound of a cork popping or the noise our wonderful old mill makes.

If you could have attempted any other profession what do you think you would have chosen?

Caring for animals or a musician.

Most favourite whisky place in the world?

Bruichladdich and Islay of course!

Mary McGregor

Former Master Distiller Jim McEwan

What do you hope people will remember the most about you at Bruichladdich?

Stories, my smile and selling a bottle or maybe three!

What does a day in the life of a shop manager look like?

Feis Ile – total organized mayhem but so much fun, non Feis Ile, my day starts at 9:00am, then I take it from there because you never really know what exciting things happen from one day to the next at the shop.

Most distilleries that have a visitor center and/or shop are the first point of contact for tourists visiting the site. It’s where people book their guided tours, it’s the meeting place once they arrive and it’s one of the last places they visit to purchase whisky or other items available at the distillery. Mary and her staff are some of the most well-known and loved on Islay. They have greeted thousands of visitors over the course of the last 16 years, and it’s hard to fathom how many bottles they have sold over that timeframe. More and more distilleries are incorporating a visitor center and for good reason. It only makes great business sense, really.

After you’ve smelled the still house, visited the warehouse and then watched as the bottling staff carefully packs the whiskies, why wouldn’t you as a consumer slip into the shop, have a discussion with Mary and let her pour you a few drams. Guaranteed that once you are done, she will have sold you a bottle or three.

In our next issue, we will look at the importance of the brand ambassador and how whisky shows are the best place to sample whiskies before you buy them.

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What still excites you about the whisky industry?

What do you see Half empty

Half full Eternally The Optimist

www.glencairnwhiskyglass.com

www.urbanbar.us

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World Whisky Day Guide To Glassware

The tulip-shaped glass Also known as a ‘dock glass’, this drinking vessel was based on the copita, the traditional Spanish glass for sampling sherry. Used by spirits merchants nosing and sampling the wares along the dockside, this global glass has become the choice of distillers, blenders and nosers the world over, since its long stem prevents the drinker’s hand (and its polluting smells) from coming too close to the nose while the bowl shape concentrates aromas through the slightly narrowed rim. A connoisseur’s glass, it can be easily cradled, meaning the spirit can be warmed if desired.

The Glencairn Created to be the ultimate whisky glass, the Glencairn is the only glassware designed with the experience of drinking whisky in mind. Its short, solid base makes for a stable glass, popular amongst those who don’t favour stems, and it’s often made of slightly thicker glass, meaning it’s more substantial for convivial drinking. Its size makes it the ideal glass

for learning how to swirl whisky – the practice of opening up the aromas of whisky and showing off the spirit’s ‘legs’.

The tumbler

The NEAT glass

The most common of all whisky glasses, the tumbler – also known as a rocks glass, an Old Fashioned glass or a lowball – isn’t ideal for nosing, but it doesn’t need to be. This vessel is best filled to the brim with ice and a whisky of your choosing, or for serving up a classic cocktail like an Old Fashioned. Its wide and robust base makes it ideal for muddling cocktail ingredients, while its plain design lets simple drinks stand out and speak for themselves.

A happy accident, the NEAT glass was born of a mistake made in a glass blowing factory. Subsequent testing of the oddly shaped glass found that it was perfectly shaped to project harsh alcohol vapours away from the nose. The NEAT glass, standing for Naturally Engineered Aroma Technology, squeezes the lighter molecules of ethanol out of its opening, leaving behind the heavier, more enticing molecules within whisky. The unusual shape means that drinking from it may take some getting used to, but this glass is suited both for appreciation and for people new to the spirits category in general due to its ability to negate harsh aromas.

The highball The tumbler’s big brother, this glass is associated with simple serves such as the Scotch and Soda or whisky and ginger. Its size allows for plenty of ice, spirit and mixer, allowing for a long and relaxing drink. Shape doesn’t really have much of an impact on a highball, but it probably wouldn’t do to serve a Scotch and Soda in a dimpled pint glass.

The snifter Although this glass is associated with brandy – a legacy of the glory days of gentlemen’s clubs – it’s a decent vessel for the consumption of any kind of dark, aged spirit. Designed so that, when held partially horizontal, the spirit doesn’t spill out, its design isn’t actually very complimentary for whisky, as the snifter’s wide body and tight rim can encourage the release of harsh ethanol vapours which can overpower other aromas.

Panel 1 Taking place on the last Saturday in May each year, World Whisky Day celebrates whisky wherever it may be or however it’s being drunk. If you’d like to get involved then head to the World Whisky Day website to find an event near you. Can’t find one? Feel free to host your own! All you need is whisky and a few pals to enjoy it with.

Panel 2 Want to hear more about World Whisky Day? Get city guides, features and exclusive interviews with figures from the world of whisky with our weekly Whisky Wednesday email – or start mixing your drinks cabinet together with some of the delicious cocktail recipes shared every other Friday with the Whisky Weekender mailing. Sign up at: www.worldwhiskyday.com/email.

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World Whisky Day, the global celebration of all things whisk(e)y, embraces the water of life in all its forms – and we’re convinced that, just as there’s a whisky for everyone, there’s a glass for everyone too. So whether you’re after time- honoured traditional whisky vessels, globe-crossing glassware, or a technologically perfected receptacle, this whistle-stop tour of whisky glassware will help you to find your perfect drinking vessel

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Fred Minnick

Single Barrel Bourbons Single barrel bourbons are all the rage these days. They present a unique tasting experience and allow for the enthusiast to hunt special barrels.

A single barrel is just that, a single barrel. Most brands are marked with a barrel number. A few are not, but almost all vary in flavor profile. One of the more mysterious and fascinating aspects of bourbon is two barrels filled with the same exact recipe on the same day can age side-by-side in the same warehouse and will taste drastically different. Maybe the airflow to the barrel is different or perhaps the one barrel’s oak is more porous than the other, but there can be a definitive difference between two barrels.

That’s why the single barrel concept was not a commercial endeavor until the 1980s. Prior to the great George T. Stagg Distillery’s master distiller Elmer T. Lee implementing the Blanton’s Single Barrel in 1984, distillers merely dumped barrels in the batch tank. Depending on the taste mark for the brand, the good barrels were mixed with the bad ones. The executives would select special barrels for their friends and families, and they often privately bottled single barrels for important consumers. But until the George T. Stagg Distillery (now Buffalo Trace) launched Blanton’s, the normal consumer could not purchase a single barrel.

Now, they’re everywhere.

In fact, single barrels have become so prevalent there are essentially three categories of single barrels: private selections, meaning a liquor store, individual or bar purchased the barrel and had it privately barreled; limited edition, which are hard to find because there’s so little of it; and the everyday single barrels, a style that is slightly more consistent than they used to be.

Limited Edition

Because a bourbon barrel loses 3 percent to 5 percent a year to evaporation, a single barrel limited edition bottling is reduced the higher the proof, because the bourbon isn’t cut with water, and the older it is, because there’s not as much.

Two of my favorite recent limited editions are Michter’s 10-yearold and Elijah Craig 18-year-old.

Michter’s 10 Year Old, 94.4 Proof, Barrel No. 15J829, MSRP $120 Color: This is the deepest amber color of a 10-year-old you’ll ever see.

Aroma: There’s a back-and-forth of spice and floral with hints of a macaroons and caramel.

Palate: The gorgeous taste profile offers a lot right off the bat, with notes of spice, toffee, praline, caramel, and a resounding citrus that ranges. The finish is long with caramel.

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Elijah Craig 18-year-old, (no barrel identifier) 90 Proof, MSRP $199 Color: Tawny rose.

Aroma: Vibrant nose offers rose petals, roasted nuts, caramel and vanilla.

Palate: This is a surprisingly fruity taste with notes of pecan pie, caramel chew, vanilla and a hit of chocolate. The spicy finish is long and wonderful.

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Four Roses Single Barrel, 100 Proof, Warehouse AN, Barrel No. 43-6V Color: Dark caramel.

Aroma: Toasted marshmallow, campfire smoke, canned pear, dried apricot and cinnamon.

Palate: Caramel and vanilla, followed by heavy spices and fruits. Long finish rewards you with cinnamon, caramel and vanilla.

Blanton’s, 93 Proof, Barrel No. 599 bottled May 21, 2014.

Color: Deep amber.

Nose: Caramels, vanillas, spices, dried apricot, cherry-flavored pipe tobacco, cigar box, saddle leather and oak.

Palate: It’s a beautiful fruit-forward palate with the essence of everything found in the bouquet. The creamy, almost like dripping butter, mouthfeel coats the tongue with notes of cinnamon, crème brulee, pumpkin pie and delicious mashed yams with brown sugar and butter. Finish is long, spicy and delightful.

Private Selection

Anybody can purchase their own barrel of bourbon. Just ask your retailer to set up a tasting for you with the major brands that do this. These are two of my favorites right now.

Old Scout Jawbreaker, 11-years-old, 122 proof Private selection for: a group of individuals. You cannot find this bourbon... legally.

Color: Medium brown.

Aroma: Wonderful smoked corn notes with caramel, vanilla, spice and apple pie.

Palate: This is drastically more smooth than you’d expect for a 122-proof product. The palate offers similar notes to the nose with resounding corn bread and caramel notes leading the charge. The medium finish gives off a vanilla note.

Knob Creek Big Red Liquors, Indianapolis, 120 Proof, 10 years old, $40 Admittedly, this bottle no longer exists in my home. I consumed every drop, so these notes are from memory, and I’m told bottles still exist if you’re in Indy.

Color: Amber.

Aroma: Smoky, caramel, vanilla, spicy and fresh-baked cornbread.

Palate: Candied corn, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and watermelon juicy fruit.

Long candy corn finish.

Everyday Single Barrels

This used to be a burgeoning category, but supply became so constraint that there is really only two single barrels you can consistently find on the market and that’s Four Roses and Blanton’s.

These are my two favorite recent picks and are abbreviated notes from my book, Bourbon Curious.

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THE KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR® TAKES YOU FURTHER INTO THE UNRIVALED CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE KENTUCKY BOURBON INDUSTRY. Barrel House Distilling Co. 1200 Manchester St. • Lexington, KY 40504 859.259.0159 • www.barrelhousedistillery.com Bluegrass Distillers 501 W Sixth St.• Lexington, KY 40508 859.253.4490 • www.bluegrassdistillers.com Boone County Distilling Co. 10601 Toebben Dr • Boone County, KY 41051 859.282.6545 • www.boonedistilling.com Corsair Distillery 400 East Main St. #110 • Bowling Green, KY 42101 270.904.2021 • www.corsairdistillery.com Hartfield & Co. 108 East 4th St. • Paris, KY 40361 859.559.3494 • www.hartfieldandcompany.com Kentucky Artisan Distillery 6230 Old LaGrange Rd. • Crestwood, KY 40014 502.822.3042 • www.kentuckyartisandistillery.com Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company 120 North 10th Street St. • Louisville, KY 502.566.4999 • www.kentuckypeerless.com Limestone Branch Distillery 1280 Veterans Memorial Highway • Lebanon, KY 40033 270.699.9004 • www.limestonebranch.com MB Roland Distillery 137 Barkers Mill Rd. • Pembroke, KY 42266 270.640.7744 • www.mbroland.com

Now you can explore the rich tradition and

New Riff Distilling 24 Distillery Way • Newport, KY 41073 859.261.7433 • www.newriffdistilling.com

proud history of America’s only native spirit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour, featuring ten distilleries nestled among the most beautiful scenery the Bluegrass has to offer.

Discover the art and science of the Master Distiller... savor the distinct, mellow flavors... and see how Kentucky’s perfect natural mix of weather and pure limestone water produces the classic taste and deep amber color.

Wilderness Trail Distillery 4095 Lebanon Rd. • Danville, KY 40422 859.402.8707 • www.wildernesstraildistillery.com Willett Distillery 1869 Loretto Rd. • Bardstown, KY 40004 502.348.0899 • willettdistillery.com For more information on distillery tours, hours and events visit

www.kybourbontrail.com

FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS, KENTUCKY’S

ITINERARY While the

The Old Pogue Distillery 716 West Second St. • Maysville, KY 41056 www.oldpogue.com • email: tours@oldpogue.com

is more of a quest with no true start or

,

LEGENDARY DISTILLERIES HAVE CRAFTED THE WORLD’S FINEST BOURBONS, USING SECRET RECIPES AND A TIME-HONORED PROCESS PASSED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

an illustrative idea of how to experience a full Passport of distillery tours and

is listed below. Keep in mind,

three to four days is recommended so you won’t miss a thing…

From Louisville, the

,

begin Day 1 with a tour of the

KENTUCKY BOURBON trail® experience

at historic

Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Then head over to Whiskey Row in downtown Louisville for a tour of

and

1

ANGEL’S ENVY ! DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE

2

BULLEIT FRONTIER WHISKEY EXPERIENCE ! LOUISVILLE EVAN WILLIAMS BOURBON EXPERIENCE ! DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE

3 4

.

5

Day 2 starts with the scenic drive toward Lebanon and

and then on to beautiful Bardstown and

Head back toward Shepherdsville and

.

. If you have time,

is a short drive away to see their

and bottling.

FOUR ROSES DISTILLERY/ WAREHOUSE & BOTTLING ! LAWRENCEBURG/COX'S CREEK HEAVEN HILL BOURBON HERITAGE CENTER ! BARDSTOWN

6

JIM BEAM AMERICAN STILLHOUSE/ URBAN STILLHOUSE ! CLERMONT/ LOUISVILLE

7

MAKER’S MARK DISTILLERY ! LORETTO

8

TOWN BRANCH DISTILLERY ! LEXINGTON

9

WILD TURKEY DISTILLERY ! LAWRENCEBURG 10 WOODFORD RESERVE DISTILLERY ! VERSAILLES 1

BARREL HOUSE DISTILLING CO. ! LEXINGTON

2 3

Then head toward Lexington for a full day of

BLUEGRASS DISTILLERS ! LEXINGTON BOONE COUNTY DISTILLING CO. ! BOONE COUNTY

4

CORSAIR DISTILLERY ! BOWLING GREEN

and

5

HARTFIELD & CO. ! PARIS

6

KENTUCKY ARTISAN DISTILLERY ! CRESTWOOD

7

KENTUCKY PEERLESS DISTILLING COMPANY ! LOUISVILLE

8

LIMESTONE BRANCH DISTILLERY ! LEBANON

tours starting at followed by

in Lawrenceburg and

.

10 3 NEWPORT 11

Maysville

2

LOUISVILLE

MB ROLAND DISTILLERY ! PEMBROKE 10 NEW RIFF DISTILLING ! NEWPORT

9

You should have 10 stamps and a

complete

Passport—which

you can redeem immediately for a commemorative gift at many of our fine tourism partners.

3

6 CRESTWOOD

7

6

PARIS

LAWRENCEBURG 6 4 9 5 13 4

CLERMONT

11 THE OLD POGUE DISTILLERY ! MAYSVILLE 12 WILDERNESS TRAIL DISTILLERY ! DANVILLE

5

1

BARDSTOWN

LORETTO

7

2 1 LEXINGTON 10 8 12

8

DANVILLE

Lebanon

13 WILLETT DISTILLERY ! BARDSTOWN

4

VISIT www.kybourbontrail.com

9

Bowling Green

Pembroke

®

PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL , BOURBON TRAIL™ AND KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL CRAFT TOUR® ARE TRADEMARKS/SERVICE MARKS OF THE KENTUCKY DISTILLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

404 South 4th Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 502.855.8392 jimbeam.com

3860 Fitzgerald Road Louisville, Kentucky 40216 502.810.3800 bulleitexperience.com

65

526 Happy Hollow Road Clermont, Kentucky 40110 502.215.2295 jimbeam.com

SHEPHERDSVILLE

265

1311 Gilkey Run Road Bardstown, Kentucky 40004 502.337.1000 bourbonheritagecenter.com

65

500 E. Main St. Louisville, Kentucky 40202 502.241.6064 angelsenvy.com

264

COX’S CREEK

DISTILLERY 1224 Bonds Mill Road Lawrenceburg, Kentucky 40342 502.839.2655

3350 Burks Spring Road Loretto, Kentucky 40037 270.865.2099 makersmark.com

fourrosesbourbon.com

WAREHOUSE & BOTTLING 624 Lotus Rd. Cox’s Creek, KY 40013 502.543.2264

64

528 West Main Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 502.272.2611 evanwilliamsbourbonexperience.com

71

DANVILLE

1417 Versailles Rd Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 502.839.2182 wildturkeybourbon.com

7855 McCracken Pike Versailles, Kentucky 40383 859.879.1812 woodfordreserve.com

5 1 60 44 28 61 76 57 60

Evan Williams Experience Four Roses Distillery Heaven Hill Distilleries Jim Beam Distillery Maker’s Mark Distillery Town Branch Distillery Wild Turkey Distillery Woodford Reserve Distillery

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Approval by the Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet of the reproduction of a portion of the Kentucky Official Highway map should in no way be construed as promotion of any product advertised herein.

— Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

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Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company 401 Cross Street Lexington, Kentucky 40508 859.255.2337 townbranchdistillery.com

Angel’s Envy

Miles Between Distilleries

75

CREATING THE COCKTAIL Ray Daniel

Over the course of the last couple of issues and competitions I’ve had a lot of readers and people within the drinks industry ask me about something which, to be perfectly honest, I have never really put a huge amount of thought into myself. What is the process behind creating a great cocktail?

It’s a tough one to think of because like everything in our lives, we gradually discover for ourselves what works for us.

That process evolves over the years and eventually, we just do it. Right? It’s kind of like someone asking you what thought process you use to walk. You don’t think about it, you kind of just do it!

So anyway, because of this I’ve been spending a lot more time thinking about what I do when I need to create a cocktail for something (festival feature, cocktail competition, magazine etc.) and I thought I would use this space to try and shed some light on what works for me. Hopefully, it will be helpful to any budding bartender or already active bartender out there.

For the sake of this article, I’m going to walk through 3 cocktails that I have worked on lately. One, an award winning cocktail, one that was featured in a Cocktail Week, and one for a new cocktail menu.

My schooling was in music, so as when beginning to write a song, I try to draw on past experiences or feelings and try and recreate that moment with the liquid in the glass. When I’m training bartenders I like to use the analogy of the liquid being the paint, the glass your canvas and the outcome, your vision.

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The first cocktail is currently being featured in the joint venture between Corby Spirit & Wine and Station Cold Brew for their Cold Brew Cocktail Week. Obviously, there were some requirements, in that it had to contain J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe and Station Cold Brew. When using something like cold brew, I mean, it’s going to have a massive coffee influence but I really wanted to stray away from the normal of say, adding a cream liqueur, going for a hot drink, or using lots of baking spice to draw off the natural flavours. Instead, I wanted something different, something out of the normal. Now I’m not a coffee drinker, at all, to be completely honest, but I do enjoy the massive amount of flavours that coffee can lend to a cocktail.

For some reason, the thought of coffee reminds me of Spain. Maybe it’s from years of making Spanish Coffees behind the wood, maybe it’s a memory I can’t recall fully, but that’s what it reminds me of. So I decided to use that. When I think of Spain I think of a song called “Holiday in Spain” by my favourite band, Counting Crows. So right there I have my inspiration. I wanted to recreate the feeling I get when I hear the song. There’s a certain brightness to it, a hopeful feeling almost, but there is a darkness behind it also. When I think of bright I think tropical, guava, passion fruit, mango, pineapple etc. I’ve always enjoyed the combination of pineapple and coffee so right there, that’s my base. That along with the whisky that must be used and all of a sudden the identity is starting to take shape.

Once I have my base, then it’s all about doing what we do as bartenders and trying to find a way to pull it together and round it out. By adding a bit of Demerara syrup and some Bitters I’m starting to see it take shape. Take a sip, nope not quite there, it’s the mouthfeel, it’s not right. Add some cream, nope! Egg white….bingo.

There is a great flavour note now starting to develop itself within the cocktail. It’s a soft dark chocolate which is starting to represent the dark notes and tones in the song I’m basing it off. So just to add slightly to that but not to go over board I’m going to garnish with a little bit of grated dark chocolate.

“Holiday in Spain” 2oz J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe 2oz Pineapple Juice .5oz Demerara Syrup .5oz Station Cold Brew .5oz Egg White 2 dashes Angostura Bitters Dry shake all ingredients and then reshake over ice. Fine strain into a coupe and garnish with grated dark chocolate

Next up is the latest one I’ve worked on. Preparing for the release of my new menu at my bar, Char No.5 Whisky Bar, I set out to create some great summer cocktails. Thinking of summer, I’m always just transported back to my early childhood in Clane, Ireland. A small village with lots of farmland and little sun led to fairly uneventful summers, but there was always those couple of weeks in July/ August when the sun would come out in full force. It’s crazy, I don’t really remember the way it looked too much but I remember the smell. There’s something about the smell of farmland during the summer that’s amazing. It’s so floral and fresh. Blackberries start to pop up everywhere along the side of the country roads (leading to picking them for jam being a huge event). This was my inspiration. But how do I get it to where I want it. Obviously, blackberry was going to play a part but I didn’t want to just smash loads of blackberry in a glass with some lemon and whisky and let ‘er off. It was the farmland feel I wanted, the floral smell, the sweetness in the air from drying hay bales. Most importantly, I wanted to bring back the memory of going for little wanders as an 11 year old kid in the field behind our house during the summer months, playing on the hay bales pretending they were army forts or something and building makeshift tree houses in the ditches and trees surrounding it, full with bright violet and red flowers.

It made for a lot of tasting of different liqueurs but here’s what I came out with:

“The Field” 2oz Old Forrester Bourbon 1.5oz Lemon Juice .25oz Tocaine .3oz Crème de Violette .5oz Passionfruit Syrup .5oz Egg White 1 drop Blackberry tincture Dry shake all ingredients and then shake over ice. Strain into coupe and garnish with blackberry tincture design For the blackberry tincture, soak 1 tub of mashed blackberries in soft vodka (I used Proof Vodka for this) and leave sit refrigerated for 1 week. Strain through cheesecloth and you’re ready to go.

“The Black Hall” Finally, we have a personal favourite, the Ontario Region Manhattan Experience Award Winner for 2017. For this, I again used the old childhood stomping ground. In Clane, my road was called Blackhall Road, a 3 mile long cul de sac lined each side by fields full of cows, sheep, barley and wheat. One memory I love going back to was a farmer’s land two houses over. There was this big hay barn out back that, even though we were told not to (sorry Mom), we would hang out in all the time. There’s nothing quite like the smell of drying hay, the smell of small fires in the farm burning off, well whatever, we never asked. The apple tree over by the main gate. Wonderful sensory memories that I really hope I never forget.

With this cocktail I really wanted to bring as much of those sensory memories through as possible, to bring as much of that wonderful memory to as many people as possible, to hopefully create a memory just as enjoyable to everyone who sips on the cocktail. The base is Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, an amazing, truly amazing, Bourbon with huge sweet flavour and beautiful woody notes. I can’t say I hated having to taste and retaste it to get all the flavour notes out so I had a base profile to work with. Every ingredient in the main mixture is designed to bring about the flavours of the memory, the taste of hay in the mouth, the ‘maybe’ stolen apple or two from that tree I mentioned and the flowers. The extra flavours which admittedly take a long time to prepare, but are totally worth it, are designed to bring around the smells, the true memory of a wonderful countryside childhood.

2oz Woodford Reserve Double Oaked .5oz Lairds Applejack .5oz Amaro Nonino .15oz Coffee infused Amaro Lucano Spritz Old Barn Tincture 1 Dash Carroll & Co Cherry-Masala Chai Bitters Stir all ingredients, except the tincture, over ice and strain neat into a small, lidded, vessel. Smoke ingredients with applewood for 45 seconds and pour over ice sphere in a rocks glass. Finish with a spritz of Old Barn Tincture and garnish with a lemon curl.

For the tincture I used Woodford Reserve Rye as the base and added buttered popcorn, chilli pepper, jalapeño and toasted applewood. Leave sit for at least 2 weeks. This may take a few tries but is well worth it.

So there you have it. That’s my process anyway. Break down the memory into flavours. Sometimes just sitting in silence and thinking about the surroundings will help a lot. You’ll remember the blackberries growing on the side of the streets, the colours of the flowers, the smell of the small burned out fire on the walk up the driveway, the apple tree. Whatever it may be, you will be able to find a flavour to go with it. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but please, if you decide to use flowers, shrubs or berries, or anything for that matter, that you don’t normally find around, please do your research and make sure you are not about to ingest something that will make you sick. Ask your local mixologist or doctor if you are unsure as to whether or not something is safe to ingest.

As always, get creative, get experimenting, get studying and start remembering your good moments in life.

Happy bartending and stay safe!

Cheers.

R|W

The Marvel Of Bourbon Colleen Thomas Cruising down the winding ribbon of US150 towards Bardstown, Kentucky through the rolling hills of farmland and misty pastures dotted with hay bales, a serenity descends on the mind. Just as the car crests a hill, a group of rickhouses comes into view, silent on the hill top, their grand stature dwarfed by the infinite landscape of green and gold. Inside these massive structures, wooden ricks cradle thousands of Kentucky Bourbon barrels aging to the rhythms of time and nature.

The proof at which the product enters the barrel is another variable that can be changed to manipulate flavor. Proof is determined by the ratio of alcohol to water in the distillate. The more alcohol present, the higher the proof. Alcohol and water molecules interact differently with the individual compounds in the wood. A distillate put into the barrel at 125 proof will have a different flavor profile than one put in at 110, even if the grain recipes are the same.

Pastoral Americana aside, the elemental make-up of the spirit itself is enough to fuel the fire of Bourbon’s passionate and ever-growing fan base. Much like a novel, every bottle of Kentucky Bourbon depends on years of careful character development.

The recipe of cereal grains and the barrel in which the juice ages are arguably the main characters, however, it is the cast of supporting players that enhance the rich depth of flavor and add complexity to the product.

Kentucky Bourbon is a prodigy of natural elements influenced by certain controllable variables during its manufacturing. Bourbon, by law, must be made from at least 51 per cent corn, though most widely known brands are generally between 65 and 78 percent. The rest of the mashbill is made up of the flavoring grain, most commonly wheat or rye, and malted barley, added more for its enzymatic properties than for its toasty, chocolaty flavor. Bourbon cannot be distilled higher than 160 proof, and water must be added so that the distillate is 125 proof or lower when it is put in the barrel. The law states that Bourbon must be aged in a charred, new oak container, barrels being the container of choice for distillers. Nothing can be added to the product other than water or more Bourbon. No coloring or flavoring agents, and certainly no other spirit.

With these standards in place, perhaps it would seem that all Bourbons would be quite similar in flavor and structure.

However, there are variables throughout the manufacturing process that are adjusted to create the desired flavor profile. In addition to the ratio of grains used in the recipe, the environment of the fermentation process is a huge influence on flavor. Yeast are complex organisms that, simply put, consume sugars and produce alcohol. In fact, yeast produce many compounds, each with its own unique flavor. If the fermentation is too hot or the yeast are stressed by the presence of bacteria (yeast and bacteria are long-established adversaries), they will produce undesirable compounds that will show up in the flavor of the final product.

The success of fermentations hinges on the ability to maintain happy, hungry yeast.

While time in the barrel will have the biggest impact on the flavor and structure of the final product, the aging process, too, has a considerable amount of variables that can be altered to obtain the desired effect.

The species of oak, the method used to season the wood, the amount of toasting, if any, and the depth of char all determine the types of changes that occur inside the barrel. The stoic display of a Kentucky Bourbon barrel in repose belies the bustling activity inside. Heat causes the Bourbon to expand into the wood. Water and alcohol molecules escape through evaporation. Cold causes retraction and sucks oxygen into the barrel.

The distillate is pulling flavors from the wood while the char layer removes undesirable notes from the product. Oxygen replaces evaporated liquid and causes chemical reactions in the bourbon. This evolution of the product continues for as long as the Bourbon is in the barrel.

Yet, with all of the controllable variables influencing the final product, so much of the outcome is left up to nature itself. Each barrel of Bourbon is unique; regardless of the meticulous process and attention to detail, no two will taste the same. This is the elemental mystery that captivates the audience and cultivates most ardent fans.

This is the marvel of Bourbon. Every sip tells the story.

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It’s a scene from literature, almost purposely composed to arrest the reader and influence emotion. Romantic, picturesque narratives are not new to the marketers of fine American whiskey. Tradition and heritage are the hallmarks of Bourbon brand stories across Kentucky.

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Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

F L A V O U R

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BBQ LAMB SHOULDER Recipe from True North, Canadian Cooking From Coast To Coast, by Derek Dammann and Chris Johns © 2015 Published by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cooking this lamb at a low temperature in an immersion circulator and finishing it over charcoal yields an amazing result. You get the best of both worlds: pull-apart tender meat that is cooked to a perfect medium right through to the bone, with a barbecue-crusted glaze and that distinct BBQ flavour. This is our standard charcoal BBQ glaze; it’s stupidly simple, but there’s something about the way it works in combination with the salted meat that picks up the grill flavour so well. Normally, whole lamb shoulder cooked medium would never be shreddable, but the long cooking breaks down the protein structure, leaving you with succulent meat. Don’t rush out and buy an immersion circulator just to make this recipe, though (although it would be worth it). You can easily go the traditional route and either slow roast it or cook it slowly for a few hours over low coals. It will still be delicious.

FOR THE BBQ GLAZE Stir all the ingredients together. (Glaze keeps, refrigerated, for up to 6 weeks.)

FOR THE LAMB SHOULDER In a mortar, combine half of the kosher salt, the orange zest, garlic, thyme, star anise, peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and lavender flowers. Pound with a pestle until you have a fragrant spice mixture. Stir in the rest of the salt. Rub the spiced salt liberally all over the lamb shoulder. Place the lamb on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 hours.

FOR THE BBQ GLAZE 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) cider vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped fresh rosemary

Rinse the lamb well to remove the salt mixture and pat dry. Place the lamb in a vacuum bag and vacuum seal.

Heat a water bath or immersion circulator to 135°F (57°C). Drop in the lamb, tightly cover the cooking vessel with plastic wrap, and cook for 36 hours.

Remove the lamb from the water bath and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. If you are going to finish it later, plunge it into ice water to chill it completely. Reheat it in a water bath at 135°F (57°C) for 1 hour before continuing.

Have your grill ready, with the coals pushed slightly to one side and very casually glowing hot. You don’t want full on animal mode on the grill here; slow and steady will render you the tastiest finished result.

FOR THE LAMB SHOULDER 1 cup (250 mL) kosher salt Zest of 1⁄2 orange 2 cloves garlic, peeled 6 sprigs fresh thyme 4 star anise 2 tbsp (30 mL) black peppercorns 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin seeds 1 tsp (5 mL) coriander seeds 1 tsp (5 mL) dried lavender flowers 1 bone in lamb shoulder (3 lb/1.35 kg) TO FINISH THE DISH 1 cup (250 mL) chicken jus 12 charred onion petals Flaky sea salt and black pepper 2 tbsp (30 mL) cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 tsp (5 mL) torn fresh lavender blossoms 1 tsp (5 mL) torn fresh chive blossoms 1 tsp (5 mL) torn fresh anise hyssop blossoms

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TO FINISH THE DISH Remove the lamb from the bag, reserving the juices. Place the shoulder on the slowest part of the grill, baste it with the BBQ glaze and close the lid. After a few minutes you will start to see a steady stream of smoke, which signals that everything is working. Every few minutes, turn and baste the meat until only 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the glaze remains and the shoulder is caramelized. Remove the meat from the grill and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

While the meat rests, in a small saucepan, combine the chicken jus and the reserved juices from the vacuum bag and gently reduce to sauce consistency. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) BBQ glaze, then strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan.

Transfer the shoulder to a serving platter and scatter the charred onion petals over and around the meat.

Gently reheat the sauce and season with sea salt and pepper. In a small pan over medium high heat, cook the butter, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter is browned and smells nutty. Slowly whisk the brown butter into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over and around the meat. Garnish the dish with the lavender, chive and hyssop blossoms.

S

AUCY SLOW-ROASTED PULLED PORK BURGERS WITH CREAMY COLESLAW MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS • When I left Nashville, of course I was obsessed with re-creating its fried chicken, but the other thing that kept me busy was mastering perfect pulled pork. The studio where my band spent our days and nights recording was just down the road from a local BBQ joint, the site of my baptism into all things Southern BBQ. We spent almost every lunch loving on their daily special, and three days a week it was an intoxicating variation of pulled pork.

On nachos, on a potato roll, in a taco, or by itself, pulled pork = heaven. This recipe is my version of a classic. The combo of fall-off-the-bone pork and slaw is seriously out-of-this-world, next-level sandwiching.

As with anything slow roasted to perfection, this recipe takes a little extra time to prepare, so it’s best to plan ahead.

PULLED PORK 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 tablespoons brown sugar 11/2 teaspoons smoked paprika 11/2 teaspoons garlic powder 11/2 teaspoons onion powder 1 tablespoon kosher salt 11/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper 1 (5-pound) bone-in pork shoulder 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup cola 1 recipe Spicy-and-Sweet BBQ Sauce COLESLAW 1 cup prepared mayo 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 4 cups shredded red cabbage 2 cups shredded green cabbage 2 carrots, grated on a box grater FOR SERVING 10 to 12 burger buns 2 cups of your favorite sliced pickles Your favorite hot sauce 1. Make the pulled pork: In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Massage the pork shoulder with half of the olive oil, then coat it all over with the spice rub. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Let the pork come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes prior to cooking.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Pour in the cola and transfer the pork to the oven. Immediately decrease the oven temperature to 325°F and cook for 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours, or until the pork is basically falling apart and easily shreddable and the kitchen smells like heaven.

4. Rest the cooked pork on a board for 10 minutes.

5. While the pork is resting, make the coleslaw: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cabbages and carrots and mix until smooth. Add the cabbages and carrots and mix until the vegetables are coated and the coleslaw is creamy and delicious.

Set aside.

6. Shred the pork with two forks, discarding any bones or excess fat. Toss the pulled pork in the pan juices, then pour over as much BBQ sauce as your heart desires and toss.

7. Serve on a bun with the coleslaw, the pickles, and the hot sauce. Delicious.

Recipe from Eat Delicious By Dennis The Prescott ©2017 Published by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PARFAITS

MAKES 8 TO 12 SERVINGS If you love salted caramel and apples (so, basically everyone), this is your dessert. Jacked fall flavors with an extra heaping helping of sticky, salted heaven.

Salted caramel is far easier to prepare than the Interwebs will lead you to believe. Just be extra careful when stirring, as it is hotter than the sun. And best to keep any young ones away from the stove, just in case.

The number of parfaits that this recipe will make will depend on the glass size you use. I prefer smaller glasses or jam jars but have also prepared this recipe using large wineglasses. This is the essence of dinner-party friendly. Mix it up, put your spin on it, have fun, eat dessert. Win/win/win.

Recipe from Eat Delicious By Dennis The Prescott, ©2017 Published by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved

SALTED CARAMEL 1 cup sugar 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon sea salt MAPLE SAUTEED APPLES 2 tablespoons butter 11/2 pounds Cortland (Honeycrisp or Sweet Tango are also delicious here) apples (4 large), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup QUICK PAN GRANOLA 11/2 cups rolled oats 1 cup pecan halves, chopped 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

WHIPPED CREAM 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1. Make the salted caramel: In a high-sided nonstick pan, heat the sugar over medium heat, stirring continuously.

It will turn into strange rock-ish pieces—it’s all good, fear not! Slowly but surely, the sugar will melt and turn into a gorgeous amber color. When the sugar has melted entirely and is now golden brown in color, carefully stir in the butter and let it melt. It will bubble like crazy. Stirring continuously, slowly pour the cream into the pan in a slow and steady stream until it has been incorporated into the caramel. Let the mixture bubble away for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and sea salt and very carefully pour it into a medium heatproof bowl. Set aside.

2. Make the apples: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the apple chunks and cinnamon and cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are very soft. Add the maple syrup and give the pan a toss to coat the apples. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Make the quick pan granola: Heat a large, dry skillet over medium heat and add the oats and pecans. Cook, turning every minute or so, until the oats are fragrant and have started to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

4. Place the pan back on the burner and melt the butter and maple syrup. When the syrup is simmering, remove from the heat and stir in the oats and pecans. Mix thoroughly to evenly coat the oats, then transfer to a plate and set aside.

5. Make the whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or armed with a whisk and ambition, whip the cream until thick and glorious and fold in the vanilla.

6. Time to go to parfait town. Build each parfait with 2 tablespoons of the salted caramel, 2 tablespoons of the apples, and 2 tablespoons of the granola. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, then repeat. Finish with a final drizzle of caramel and serve.

HOISIN CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS • I have a major soft spot for extra-saucy, BBQ-style anything. These Hoisin Chicken Drumsticks are a wicked weeknight meal option, and fit that bill to a T. Hoisin is a bit like a Chinese BBQ sauce and pairs wonderfully well with chicken or beef or tossed with egg noodles. A weekly recipe staple in our home when Leanne and I were first married was her classic BBQ chicken, an extra-saucy chicken dish spooned over rice. This is my pimped-out version of that old-school Prescott family staple.

Chicken drumsticks are an inexpensive protein option and, in my opinion, far more flavorful than their boneless, skinless cousin. After flavor brine in the fridge, this recipe will be ready and on the table in under an hour. Awesome.

CHICKEN AND BRINE 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup kosher salt Juice of 1 lime 1 garlic head, halved horizontally 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns 10 skin-on chicken drumsticks 2 tablespoons peanut oil SAUCE 1/3 cup hoisin sauce 1/3 cup chicken stock, store-bought or homemade 3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups chicken stock, store-bought or homemade 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed 7 ounces baby bok choy, trimmed, leaves separated 3 scallions, finely sliced, for serving 1 or 2 red chiles, finely diced, for serving 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (see below), for serving 1 lime, halved, for serving

1. Brine the chicken: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, and 8 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice, garlic, and peppercorns. Let cool to room temperature, then submerge the chicken in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Chicken time! Preheat the oven to 425°F. 3. Drain the chicken and discard the brine. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels and transfer to a large bowl. Massage the drumsticks with the peanut oil.

4. Heat a large high-sided oven-safe pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes.

5. While the chicken is getting its crispy on, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients.

6. Pour the sauce into the pan and toss to coat the chicken on all sides. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the meat easily pulls away from the bone and has reached an internal temperature of 165°F as measured on an instant-read thermometer.

7. While the chicken is roasting, bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the rice and cook according to the package directions. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

8. Add the bok choy leaves to the pan with the chicken to wilt.

9. Spoon the cooked rice onto a serving tray, top with the chicken and bok choy, and pour the saucy pan juices on top. Sprinkle the chicken with the scallions, chiles, and sesame seeds, and serve with the lime halves.

Toasting sesame seeds couldn’t be easier. Simply heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast, tossing often, for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Done! Awesome.

CHAMOMILE JULEP When I was growing up in London, Ontario, my grandparents had a giant chamomile bush in their front yard. The smell of chamomile always brings back a rush of memories. It’s an ingredient that I use frequently, and one that never fails to elicit an emotional response—a kind of longing, a feeling of nostalgia. The mint julep, a classic drink from the Deep South, is, in itself, an evocative, nostalgic creation. It’s so simple and yet it accomplishes exactly what it’s meant to: refresh. In this case, I used chamomile to accentuate the notes of vanilla and toasted almond in the bourbon, and Chartreuse to add a certain spice to the proceedings. A note for those curious about the choice of glassware: Pewter does an excellent job of maintaining temperature—a necessity when dealing with crushed ice, which melts faster because more of its surface area is exposed to liquid and air.

Glass: pewter julep Makes 1 serving 1½ oz (45 mL) bourbon ½ oz (15 mL) Green Chartreuse liqueur 1¼ oz (35 mL) chamomile syrup ¼ oz (5 mL) chamomile and fennel bitters 1 sprig fresh mint, to garnish To Build In shaker, combine bourbon, Chartreuse, chamomile syrup, and chamomile and fennel bitters. Add ice and stir to chill. Strain into pewter julep glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint.

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Relish C Whisky 48 Q

FRENCH TALE Star anise, or black licorice, pairs wonderfully with orange, which is why I’ve combined Herbsaint, an anise-flavoured liqueur from New Orleans, and my orange-infused scotch. Amaro, the earthy, herbal Italian liqueur, is the bitter, viscous component that lends depth to the finished product.

Makes 1 serving

Orange-Infused Scotch Makes 60 oz (1.75L) Rind of 2 medium-sized oranges 60 oz (1.75 L) blended scotch In glass jar with tight-fitting lid, place orange rind and top with scotch.

Seal tightly and shake to mix well. Set aside at room temperature, away from sunlight, for 1 month to allow the orange rind to thoroughly infuse the scotch. Will keep indefinitely. Strain with fine-mesh sieve before serving.

Rosemary Syrup Makes about 35 oz (1 L ) 4 cups (1 L ) water 2 cups (400 g ) granulated sugar 1 bunch fresh rosemary (about 15 sprigs)

Glass: coupe 1½ oz (45 mL) orange-infused scotch ½ oz (15 mL) sweet vermouth ¼ oz (5 mL) Herbsaint liqueur ¼ oz (5 mL) Amaro Montenegro liqueur ¼ oz (5 mL) rosemary syrup 2 4-inch (10 cm) sprigs fresh rosemary, divided 1 orange zest, to garnish To Build To chill coupe glass, fill with ice and water and set aside.

In shaker, combine orange-infused scotch, sweet vermouth, Herbsaint, Amaro Montenegro and rosemary syrup. Add ice and stir to chill.

Discard ice and water from coupe glass and gently rub rim of glass with rosemary leaves from 1 sprig; discard leaves. Strain prepared cocktail into glass. Garnish with orange zest and remaining rosemary sprig.

In saucepan, combine water, sugar and rosemary. Shimmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, until sugar has completely dissolved and syrup has thickened slightly. Set aside till syrup cools to room temperature, then strain with fine-mesh sleve.

Transfer to airtight container. The syrup will keep for up to 5 days, refridgerated.

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Relish C Whisky 49 Q

The Four Seven Two has been on the cocktail list at my bar— BarChef—since we opened. I’m particularly partial to it, given that it’s an adaptation of my go-to drink, bourbon and Coke (three parts bourbon, two parts Coke).

With the addition of mint syrup, things approach mint julep territory (and it’s hard to go wrong with mint juleps). The cola bitters add nice depth with their lingering notes of cinnamon, fennel, clove and anise.

Makes 1 serving Glass: rock 1¾ oz (50 mL) bourbon ½ oz (15 mL) cola bitters 1 oz (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice 1¼ oz (35 mL) mint syrup 2 sprigs fresh mint To Build In rock glass, combine bourbon, cola bitters, lemon juice, mint syrup and mint. Muddle. Add ice and stir to chill.

FOUR SEVEN TWO

It can safely be said that gin and cucumber is one of the most perfect flavour pairings in history. It immediately conjures bright summer days and crisp white linens. Visually, it’s a highball full of sophisticated fun: the fresh, clean flavour of the cucumber is echoed in the drink’s lovely green hue. The elderflower liqueur and basil are used to exaggerate the slight floral notes in the gin, and add overall complexity.

Makes 1 serving

Glass: highball 1 oz (30 mL) London dry gin 1 oz (30mL) St-Germain elderflower liquer 1 oz (30 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice 1¼ oz (35 mL) vanilla syrup 5 leaves fresh basil 5 cucumber wheels (½ inch/1 cm thick) 1 oz (30 mL) soda water 1 5-inch (12 cm) sprig fresh basil, to garnish To Build In shaker, combine gin, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, vanilla syrup, basil leaves and cucumber wheels.

Muddle. Add ice and shake to chill.

Strain over ice into highball glass and top with soda water. Garnish with basil (sprig should protrude slightly from glass).

THE ENGLISH Drink Recipes Frankie Solarik The Bar Chef

SMOKE AND MIRRORS I was a theater geek in high school. In general, high schoolers are always putting on different faces and trying out the different sides of their blossoming personalities. On the stage all that posturing was sanctioned. I especially loved how the lighting made everything more seductive or more foreboding just by a simple switch of the color and angle of the beam. For a short time we all looked better than our insecure, pimply selves. It was smoke and mirrors, of course, but in a play you knew exactly what to say which, as a teenager, was such a relief.

I still love setting a scene. Decorating a nice table, putting out candles and lowering the lights to have friends over for dinner makes me look more together than I actually feel most of the time. Consider this cocktail a helpful prop in setting the right mood for a gathering. The rye and pear juice are remarkably complementary and adding the Pimm’s inserts a tawny element that keeps it from being too sweet. The ginger and Pecan Wood Smoked Maple Syrup are what really give this drink interest and will put you into Cool Mixologist category. Go ahead and use these props to make yourself look more suave or more creative than you otherwise may feel. We all need a little smoke and mirrors sometimes.

1 oz rye whiskey 2 oz pear juice ½ oz Pimm’s ½ tsp Pecan Wood Smoked Maple Syrup 1 thick slice of fresh ginger Ice Put the first five ingredients in a glass. Muddle the ginger a bit with a spoon. Stir and add ice. Makes one showstopper of a drink.

Drink recipes by Laura Sorkin Runamok Maple

With regard to our little region of the world, the availability of locally made or grown food is astounding. Even given the fact that the ground is frozen for six months of the year and the soil is acidic and rocky, you can eat almost entirely from vegetables, meat, cheese, fruit, and bread that were raised or produced locally. We also have both a winery and distillery, and a maker of fine chocolates. We even produce our own sugar (ahem). This uber-locavorability is made all the more remarkable in that the population of our town is about 3,600.

This cocktail from our friends over at the Hearth and Candle Restaurant, in the Smuggler’s Notch Resort is a good example of how easy it is to use local ingredients to make magic. The ice cider is from a producer in Eden, just north of us and Urban Moonshine Bitters is out of Burlington. Smuggler’s Notch Distillery Bourbon and, of course, our Cardamom Infused Maple Syrup are made right here. Okay, you may have me on the cherry, but my friend Dave grows them so it may just be a matter of time before those are sourced locally too.

This is the ideal cocktail for a cold winter’s night. It is mildly sweet with a hint of spice from the cardamom and bitters.

THE DOORYARD 1 oz Eden Northern Spy Ice Cider 2 oz Smuggler’s Notch Distillery Bourbon 1 tsp Runamok Cardamom Infused Maple Syrup 2 dashes Urban Moonshine bitters Amerena cherry garnish* Stir all the liquid ingredients together and garnish with a cherry

REDEFINING MAPLE FROM TREE toTABLE Runamok Maple is redefining maple from tree to table. From our innovative line of barrel-aged, infused and smoked maple syrups to our best of the season Sugarmaker’s Cut, we are completely obsessed with quality. All of our products are certified organic and made with the absolute best ingredients available.

Please visit our website to peruse our collection of creative food pairings and chef-curated recipes using all of our unique syrups in dishes both sweet and savory. Enjoy!

RUNAMOKMAPLE.COM

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STRONG AS THE WHISKEY. For more than 136 years, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association has stood strong in supporting America’s distilled spirits industry – and the nation’s only native spirit, Bourbon. And the business has never looked better.

The KDA welcomes visitors to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and the Bluegrass state to celebrate our signature industry.

Kentucky Distillers’ Association PROMOTING & PROTECTING KENTUCKY BOURBON SINCE 1880.

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World Whisky Day invites everyone to try a dram and celebrate the water of life. Events are taking place all over the globe. If you can’t find an event happening near you why not host your own World Whisky day event? All you need is a bottle of whisky to share with your friends. World Whisky day celebrates all types of whisky/whiskey and encourages everyone to enjoy whisky responsibly.

World Whisky Day is all about making whisky fun and enjoyable. It’s not about being exclusive or prescriptive. You can drink it however you enjoy it (ice, water, mixer – whatever works for you). We want to be all inclusive and that means any kind of whisky/whiskey from anywhere in the world.

SATURDAY MAY 20th 2017

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