Drinks World Asia | Singapore #7

THE MAGAZINE FOR MANAGERS, SOMMELIERS AND BARTENDERS SINGAPORE NO. 7

Bruichladdich Master Distiller HANGS UP HIS VALINCH

James Halliday LEGENDARY WINE CRITIC AND VIGNERON

An Absolut Elyx Experience

YOUR PREMIUM MIXER EDITION SEOUL’S BAR SCENE

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Welcome It’s our third birthday and we’re celebrating. It feels like only yesterday that the team at Drinks World joined the thriving Singapore bar scene and got amongst it. Now it seems like we have always been here – reporting on the best restaurants and bars, bartenders and sommeliers, new products to play with and tips on how to incorporate them into your everyday repertoire.

During the last three years we’ve seen the industry grow and some awesome talent emerge with many of the best competing in the range of bartending competitions now gracing Singapore. We’ve seen the emergence of the Singapore Cocktail Week and the Singapore Bar Awards, both great initiatives helping to make our industry better. We like to think we’ve been a part of that growth linking the region together through Drinks World Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai. Next up it’s time to head down under – Drinks World Australia is linking the bartenders across the region starting in 2016; with regional T25 Bartender Awards.

I hope you all enjoyed the recent Singapore T25 Bartenders; each year we celebrate the best in our industry nominating a selection of the top bartending talent in Singapore, keep up to speed with who’s hot this year at www.drinks.world. On this site you’ll see a number of changes as Drinks World brings you news and features from across the region.

Want to be a part of it? Well you can. You can join the team by logging in and becoming a part of ‘THE EXCHANGE’. Just sign up at our new look website and submit your news, your views, enter competitions and have your chance to get published. After all, who knows more about our industry than the people at the coalface?

Cheers!

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Credits CREDITS Publisher Ashley Pini ashley@hipmedia.com.au EDITORIAL Editor Sasha Falloon sasha@hipmedia.com.au Editorial Assistant Mary Parbery DESIGN Art Director Evelyn Rueda Senior Designer Racs Salcedo ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Sasha Falloon SALES Sales Director Marc Rodrigues National Sales Manager Chris Wheeler chris@hipmedia.com.au PHOTOGRAPHY Photographer Elden Cheung CONTRIBUTORS Writers: Neal Cameron, James Halliday, Ken Gargett, Richard Gillam, Zachary de Git, Chris Middleton Publication MCI (P) 131/05/2015

FEATURE: A Rise in Fever. Premium mixer feature on page 12

Produced and published by

Editorial Enquiries: If you, your bar, or your brand and company have news or events you would like to share with Drinks World please contact: ashley@hipmedia.com.au and/or sasha@hipmedia.com.au Although Hip Media Asia endeavours to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information and drinks trade and drinkstrade.com.au, we do not accept any liability or responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions. The views expressed by authors of publications or event presentations, published drinks trade, do not necessarily represent the views of Hip Media Asia. Decisions or actions based on the information and publications provided by Hip Media Asia are at your own risk.

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Singapore & Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong & Macau, Dubai, & Australia

Drinks World is a premium drinks industry publication dedicated to the Asian beverage industry, its people, marketplace and brands.

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Contents News

10 16

10

What’s Happening

Feature

22

28

34

12 16 34 38 44 47

A Rise in Fever

The Five Categories of Scotch Whisky Rum Production

How Beer is Made

Tasting and Rating Wine

History of Champagne

Meet

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38

43

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Jim McEwan Hangs Up His Valinch Absolut® Elyx Experience Seoul’s Bar Scene Has Gotten Lowder James Halliday

Profile

28

Absolut® Elyx Profile

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What’s HAPPENING NEW MEMBER OF THE DRINKS WORLD FAMILY – WELCOME TO DRINKS WORLD AUSTRALIA While you’ve been enjoying Drinks World Asia – Singapore and KL edition, your fellow members of the sommelier and bartending communities have been looking on in envy (well, we like to think so). No longer. Drinks World Australia and the regional T25 Awards will be hitting the Australian shores in 2016 – so we look forward to extending the family ties, bar swap opportunities and the chance for the whole region to exchange ideas through drinks. world. Cheers!

LOGAN DEMMY TAKES THE REIGNS AT 28 HONGKONG STREET

NEWEST RECRUIT AT THE GIBSON, RHYSE BORLAND The latest recruit to join the team at Gibson is Rhyse Borland. All the way from his home land Australia, Rhyse has a wealth of industry experience. Starting his cocktail career at the Reviver cocktail bar, before moving over to the revered establishment Eau de Vie where he continued to perfect his craft. On a recent trip to Singapore, Rhyse instantly was hooked on the vibrant cocktail scene and amazing people he encountered. Rhyse has taken on the position at Gibson as their senior bartender.

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The latest recruit to join the 28 HongKong Street family is Logan Demmy. All the way from Columbus, Ohio, Logan has taken on the role as Head Bartender and Man of the House. Logan’s focus will be to work closely with the talented team at 28 HongKong Street to develop their skillsets and elevate their knowledge of craft cocktails and spirits. A man of many talents we hear Logan can make a pretty good coffee as well. Beginning his liquid journey with coffee, where he honed his craft at national barista competitions.

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NEW VENUE, SMOKE & MIRRORS Smoke & Mirrors, a stylish cocktail rooftop bar, has opened atop the National Gallery Singapore, one of the city’s most historically and culturally significant icons as well as the world’s largest public display of modern Southeast Asian art. Situated on Level 6, Smoke & Mirrors offers a stunning panoramic view of Singapore’s skyline. More details at drinks.world.

BAR AWARDS – SINGAPORE 2016 Moving into its third year, the first phase of The Bar Awards – Singapore 2016 will be kicking off on 7 December 2015. The Bar Awards is growing to become one of the most legitimate and respected accolades in Singapore that honours the bar industry’s best. The 2016 edition will see awards presented to 10 established and emerging industry stars through three rigorous rounds of voting. Winners will be announced at The Bar Awards – Singapore 2016 party on 13 March 2016.

MICHTER’S OFFICIAL LAUNCH AND MASTERCLASS Michter’s American Whiskey — with its cult following amongst bartenders worldwide — will finally launch in Singapore. To celebrate this, 28 HongKong Street will be hosting a BBQ and guest bartending shift on January 16 with famed bar chef Leo Robitschek visiting from the United States. Also in attendance will be Matt Magliocco, a partner in Michter’s, who will conduct a masterclass.

AN ABSOLUTE ELYX EXPERIENCE In celebration of all things first-rate, the topnotch team at Gibson have partnered with Absolut® Elyx to create a crowd-pleasing cocktail. Served in an Elyx Pineapple cup, ‘My Next Mistake’ moves away from traditional glassware to produce a new drinking ritual for Absolut® Elyx – read on to find out more about this exciting collaboration! Turn to page 28 for more details.

Product launch, masterclass, new venue opening or some really exciting news to share? Please send through to our editor sasha@hipmedia.com.au and we will see what channel (print, online or social media) we can spread the news with the industry.

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A RISE IN FEVER WORDS ° Richard Gillam

B

ubbles are a big topic these days, but for once I’m not talking about our old friend Champagne.

No, this discussion is about soda, well, mixers in general. I’m sure that if you’re reading this, in a trade magazine, then you’re no stranger to the rise of the premium mixer, but how much of an influence are they, and why?

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It’s very similar to a Champagne level of carbonation with very small bubbles which give Fever-Tree its velvety feel and lingering character.

When pouring it does actually resemble the mousse from a fine vintage…

We can even start on a more basic level and yet more advanced at the same time. Cocktails! If you’re living in the South East Asian region then you’ve probably, at some point, had the ‘lime’ issue. I’m not going into depth on this, but to summarise, the native limes to this region have pips, less juice, much stronger flavour, sourness and extra bitterness than the western Tahitian lime. This makes them unsuitable for many of the classic cocktails such as mojitos and daiquiris as they are just too overpowering.

Progressing to the stalwart, the Espresso Martini. Coffee culture has exploded and become entwined with modern bartending, so preferences range from cold brew usage in this iconic cocktail to specific Nespresso capsules, yes we know how geeky we can all be, no surprises there.

Now, fresh fruit is the mantra we all chant, but juices are important too. I for one always insist on ‘no added sugar’ type, which mean in Singapore I favour supermarket brands over the artificially flavoured juice or the radically increased preservatives and E-numbers products you come across.

Brand calling on fruit juice is yet to hit the big time although Ocean Spray, even though unfortunately it’s a Monsanto underling, is I find the best consistent cranberry available that still has the cranberry taste, unlike many incarnations which have far too much sweetness and generic red-berry flavours.

I’m sure the above have all impacted at least a fair majority of us, if not all, but there’s way more to come.

Have you noticed the Thai invasion into your bars lately? The lion has been creeping evermore

through the storerooms across the island…

Singha soda, the rocket soda! Those cute, stubby glass bottles containing what appears to be nuclear pressured soda water have been charging through bars across town. And we all seem to love it. I believe it’s truly a functional reason too. I’ve not met anyone yet who praises the quality of the liquid alone, not saying it’s bad, just it’s effervescence which is the kicker.

And I for one agree. With a global push on the Cointreau Fizz (Cointreau, lime & soda) for me getting enough bubbles to elevate a simple drinks appeal is a big factor, not to mention that added CO2 adds perceptible sourness to a soda, which helps balance against the sweetness of the liqueur.

But it’s not just the Thai soda, it’s also the cola.

Have you also noticed those tall, slender bottles in the fridges? That’s Thai Coca-Cola. According to the experts (bartenders!), it is all about the sugar.

A brief search online quickly reveals that there is a big difference. Thai Coke has the lowest amount of sugar of all editions globally (32g per can against a global high of 39g) and it’s also natural cane sugar, not the ‘poison’ HFCS sweetener in most versions. So, contents,

flavour, percentages all matter along with the most important matters for a bartender: knowledge/expertise and of course, bragging rights!

I did actually contact Coke a few times for comment, but it seems that the company who invented PR & Marketing are no longer able to respond for comments! Oh well, corporations huh? The lockdown they have on any helpful information leaving the press office is up there with GitMo. No information is available on any of their helplines, or 18 extensions in their marketing dept. of which the official word from the office is that they don’t have one.

It’s a shame as I also had a few questions about the sister company Schweppes. This global icon of tonic and mixers must surely be feeling the slightest of pinches from the rise of the new tonic and mixer scene. This new surge, started by Fever-Tree a few years back now seems to have sparked a whole new premium industry.

Before the rise of Fever-Tree, I can only really remember Schweppes, F&N, Britvic and supermarket brands of tonic. Now I can find Fever-Tree, local player East Imperial, Fentiman’s, Thomas Kemper and ‘Q’ to name but a few.

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And I guess the question that we all want to know is does this new element of premium mixers make a difference to the business and is it going to continue? Well. Fever-Tree really kicked it all off with its launch back in 2005, so that’s a decade of better G&T’s already. Before that we also had Redbull, a different beast but still changed the boozin’ world as we know it. So they’re pretty much here to stay I reckon.

But what are they all about? Speaking to the APAC Brand Director for Fever-Tree, Andy Gaunt, he assured me it’s belief in a quality product and finished beverage. When ¾ of your drink is mixer you cannot underestimate its influence.

And it’s not simply just about the basic quality of the tonic either. With Indian (more robust) and Mediterranean (lighter and floral) tonics available you can balance the flavour with your selected spirit. With a range of further flavours such as elderflower and lemon tonics you can truly give the G&T a new lease of life.

But as we pointed out earlier, carbonation is also important. Andy explained what is different in Fever-Tree’s method. It’s an ingredient and temperature thing that gives them the edge.

By using all natural ingredients, and a much researched method of chilled carbonation, you not only get a decent amount of effervescence but also a different style completely. It’s very similar to a Champagne level of carbonation with very small bubbles which give Fever-Tree its velvety feel and lingering character. When pouring it does actually resemble the mousse from a fine vintage… a high accolade indeed for a humble supporting role in today’s progressive beverage industry.

Of course I haven’t gone into great detail about the natural spring waters, hand sourced ingredients and all natural flavours found in Fever-Tree, but I guess it’s a credit to the industry that this should be the case anyway… we’re so over the saccharine sweet, HFCSloaded chemical drinks we demand better quality. And not just the global scene. Our South East Asia cocktail scene is probably the best in the world right now, expanding rapidly from its heart in Singapore. Yep, I said it, we’re leading the region here and I’m damn proud of it - to Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam all building off the scenes already developed in Malaysia, Jakarta, Bali and Manila. We’ll also tip our cap to Hong Kong also as they really had a big push in the scene in the early 2000’s but the focus moved over to the Lion City for the past 5 years.

Anyway, I digress. Such as it is, it’s only fitting

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that East Imperial has rapidly made its way out of our city state and can already be found in Manhattan and London.

It’s hard to call Fever-Tree a small brand with a reported $90M listing last year on AIM, but against the monster that is Coca-Cola, Schweppes and a US soft drink market or $100B this year, they’re planning on pushing further inwards, and make a dent they will, especially with the launch of the new all natural Cola that should be hitting bars by the time you’re reading this. Discerning bars that is!

But with Fever-Trees following and range growing along with more boutique brands being sourced or even manufactured by the industries finest, we’d better get used to being interrogated about our sodas and the what, when, wherefore and why’s that we’d normally face by some craft-spirit toting brand ambassador (if that’s what they’re still called – I’m one and I’m not sure).

Anyway, I’m off for a handcrafted, locally sourced botanically laden, scientifically carbonated tonic. And I may add a bit of gin, too.

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WILLIAM PRAVDA

BAR MANAGER OF BREAD STREET KITCHEN, MARINA BAY SANDS DRINKS WORLD ASIA: What sort of focus do you put on mixers in your bar? Does it compare to the knowledge and focus put on premium spirits?

WILLIAM PRAVDA: We put the same focus and attention on mixers and spirits. The mixer plays a key part of a good cocktail, and we take into consideration the taste, fizziness and the way it is presented.

We are always on the lookout for suitable mixers for our bar to complement the flavours in our drinks.

There are several brands of premium mixers and they offer different taste and textures. At Bread Street Kitchen, we found a nice consistency in Fever-Tree, a premium brand of tonic water. It has the right amount of sweetness and has perfectly balanced flavours. The Fever-Tree Lemonade pairs nicely with vodka, while the Fever-Tree Soda Water is perfect for premium whiskies.

DWA: What do you serve as a mixer for a regular G&T call?

WP: We serve Fever-Tree Tonic Water for the regular Gin and Tonic because the fizziness and flavour is perfect for the drink.

DWA: Does this change if the customer requests a specific Gin (for example)?

WP: We are offering different variations of the classic drink with fresh herbs and fruits using modifiers such as rosemary, thyme or passion fruit.

Bread Street Kitchen’s version of the Gin and Tonic is called the Tio Abuelo, and it is a combination of dry gin with Spanish dry sherry and passion fruit. Fever-Tree Tonic Water is the perfect mixer with balanced dry, bitter and herbal taste. The nicely carbonated spring water, citric acid and a bit of sweetness from the sugar cane gives our cocktail a unique taste.

DWA: Do you have customers requesting premium mixers?

WP: As the product knowledge of our customers is growing, we do see more guests requesting for different types of mixers.

ANDY GAUNT

MD SOURCE AND ACTING BRAND DIRECTOR FEVER-TREE APAC DWA: How do premium mixers fit into the bar experience today?

ANDY GAUNT: If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from the way that high quality spirits have grown in popularity it’s that the taste and experience are equally important. Consumers are looking for that premium experience and more than ever they know their quality spirits. The mixer in that drink plays such a significant part in the taste and ultimately influences the customer experience of the entire drink – if you’re aiming to make that a premium experience then you need to be using a premium mixer. It’s why we know there’s a place for premium mixers such as Fever-Tree.

Customers are now brand calling their favourite spirit and deserve to have it mixed with a high quality liquid that isn’t full of artificial sweeteners, preservatives and has the right carbonation levels to let the spirit shine through. ¾ of the drink is a mixer, and with such attention being paid to the ¼ part (being the base spirit) we think that sometimes the mixer is the forgotten part of the experience.

Consumers are becoming more and more interested, and careful, in what they are putting into their bodies. This is only going to become of more importance in years to come; so artificial flavours and sweeteners are not the way to go.

Fever-Tree mixers have been developed with three key elements in mind; purity of flavours, no artificial sweeteners and improved levels of carbonation, all specifically done to partner the great spirits, giving rise to endorsements from respected chefs such as Ferran Adria from El Bulli – many times voted best restaurant in the world. In fact, you’ll find Fever-Tree used in seven of the top 10 worlds’ best restaurants (as per the San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants Awards). In fact, in a survey of Drinks International’s 250 Best Bars in the World, Fever-Tree is not only the number one selling tonic, it is also the number one trending.

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THE FIVE DIFFERENT

CATEGORIES OF

WHISKY WORDS ° Zachary de Git

I

have been working with Monkey Shoulder now for slightly shy of two years, and it is by far the best job I have ever had the pleasure of working for. Monkey Shoulder is a fun loving brand for the young at heart, and is an incredibly tasty whisky that carries no airs about it.

A versatile whisky that can be appreciated neat or in a cocktail, Monkey Shoulder often gets mistaken for a blended whisky. In fact, throughout my tenure as Monkey Shoulder’s Regional Brand Ambassador, I have come to realise that people often confuse one category of whisky with the other, with some even mislabeling their products.

At the recent Camp Monkey in Sweden, Don Lee from Cocktail Kingdom spoke on the topic of Bullshit and the negative effects on any industry. In a generation where bullshit is commonplace – a tolerable trait as long as the line between hogwashing and a blatant lie is not blurred – we seldom recognise the damage it can cause such as the relaying of incorrect information, misinterpretation of situations, and the inability to discern right from wrong.

While seemingly pedestrian, the flippant or exaggerated delivery of information can often turn into fabricated news which, as we all know by now, is not ideal and can be extremely misleading. Preventing such distortions from happening would entail limiting the amount of absurdity that comes out of our mouths.

However, I digress.

For a change, the rest of the article will be informative as I distill the many categories of whiskies (see what I did there?) into bite-sized and comprehensible news nuggets for all to understand.

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Without further ado, I present to you THE FIVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF SCOTCH WHISKY: 1. SINGLE MALT Single malt whisky is arguably the most revered category in Scotch production. This tasty little beverage is a connoisseur’s dream, with each brand of whisky taking on tasting notes that are unique to its distillery only. But what exactly is it that makes this liquid so special?

Like Champagne houses, which only produce a certain style of wine, the flavours of single malt whisky vary according to the distillery it was produced in. With over 100 distilleries producing single malt whiskies in Scotland, the market is not only abound with whiskies of different flavour profiles, but also with distilleries offering whiskies of multiple age statements and various special releases.

For this category, the “single” in single malt refers to the fact that the whisky comes from a single distillery, while “malt” alludes to the use of 100% malted barley to create the wort used for fermentation. So, just how are single malt whiskies made?

The five steps to producing malt whisky can be simplified as follows: • Malting – Activating enzymes to break down the starches • Mashing – Converting starches into sugar and extracting them • Fermentation – Using yeast to turn sugar into alcohol • Distillation - In copper pot stills, at least twice to separate and strengthen the ABV • Maturation – Aging the fluid in any type of oak cask for a minimum of 3 years When you break it down to these steps it makes a long technical process much easier to digest.

Some examples of single malt whiskies made in the process listed above include The Balvenie and Glenfiddich.

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2. SINGLE GRAIN Single grain whisky is the lesser known cousin of single malts that you only get to meet on a special occasion. Initially produced with the purpose of adding it to a blended whisky, single grain whisky’s origins stem from around the time Column Stills (also known as the Coffee Still, Patent Still or Continuous Still) were invented.

Unlike single malts, single grain whiskies need not be made with 100% malted barley; single grain whisky can be produced, in any amount, from the following: • Wheat • Rye • Barley (malted or un-malted) • Corn or Maize While not extensive, these listed items are the most commonly used grains for production. This, combined with the use of the Column Still (which distills the spirit to a higher ABV), creates a grain whisky with a flavour profile that is light, floral and delicate.

Examples of grain whiskies include Haig Club and the Girvan Patent Still.

3. BLENDED WHISKY Before Glenfiddich first introduced the single malt whisky category, the majority of all whisky exports to the world was blended whiskies (and still is till today). A blended whisky is the simple marrying of one or more single malt whiskies, or one or more single grain whiskies.

Some blended whiskies may contain up to 70% grain whisky. While the result is a whisky that is more balanced, it however lacks the distinct characteristics found in a single malt.

Examples of blended whiskies include Great King Street, Grant’s, and Chivas Regal.

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° FEATURE °

There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.

RAYMOND CHANDLER

4. BLENDED MALT WHISKY Blended Malt is a very small category, and can be easily confused with a blended whisky. While both contain the magic word “blended”, blended malts contain no grain whisky. Instead, it is a blend of two or more single malt whiskies. Similarly, as these malts come from different distilleries, it cannot be named single malt.

Producing whiskies from such a method creates a liquid that is consistent and balanced, yet with all the intense and robust flavours of a single malt.

Some examples of blended whiskies include Monkey Shoulder and Sheep Dip. 5. BLENDED GRAIN WHISKY The smallest category by far, blended grain whiskies are created by blending two or more single grain whiskies together and marrying them before bottling. I personally have never tried this. However, a known whisky writer once commented that blended grain whisky is like “blending different spring waters; what’s the point?”

Hopefully this clears up any confusion. I think I’m starting to run out of words. Keep on keeping on friends! Here’s a friendly quote from a guy that was way smarter than I’ll ever be.

“There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.”

Raymond Chandler

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A

fter over 52 years making some of the finest whisky to come out of Scotland and garnering countless awards, Bruichladdich Master Distiller Jim McEwan has finally hung up his valinch and retired. For over a decade he has overseen the rebirth of Bruichladdich and pioneered the idea of terroir in the Single Malt Whisky category. As this iconic character in the industry is set to pass on the duties to the next generation we ask him about the personal touch in this spirit. Richard Gillam Regional Channel Manager for Remy Cointreau caught up with the Master Distiller and here is what he had to say.

Bruichladdich Master Distiller

JIM MCEWAN hangs up his valinch

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RICHARD GILLAM: Bruichladdich talk about how people matter, yet whisky is a huge industrialised business. Can you really taste the impact of a person in the whisky?

JIM MCEWAN: Correct, whisky is a huge industrial business, however there are still some traditional distilleries out there plus there is a raft of micro distilleries that have opened in the last five years.

At Bruichladdich we are 100 per cent traditional apart from doing our own floor maltings, which will happen within the next few years I believe. The mashing and distilling is done exactly as it was in 1881 by real live people who understand exactly what is expected from them and they deliver time after time.

Likewise the warehouse maturation, vatting and bottling of the spirit is all done in-house which is very rare, so we are with the product throughout its journey to the consumer.

Yes you can really taste the hand of man in our products. As we do not use artificial colouring or chill filter our spirit we have to get it absolutely perfect from the farmer to the retailer and this requires constant attention from the guys in every department, every day, there is no room for error.

We realise that the consumer has a choice and so at all times that is foremost in everyone’s mind.

RG: You’ve no doubt had a huge influence on the rebirth and growth of Bruichladdich, was it a difficult decision to take on the challenge to reopen it?

JM: My decision to join Bruichladdich was not difficult at all! I knew the distillery well, having spent many happy weekends repairing their casks for them as they had no cooper. Of course I spent time with the crew at the distillery and tasted the spirit many times straight from cask, it was a beautiful spirit with no peat smoke to mask the purity and finesse of the flavours; this was the art of distillation in its purest form and I was hooked.

When the distillery closed in 1994 the soul of the local community died as did the jobs of many traditional distillers. It should never have happened but when you get people who don’t understand or care what life is like on a remote island and it becomes a financial issue rather than a quality issue, people don’t matter. When the opportunity came to reawaken this sleeping beauty there was never a doubt, so I crossed Loch Indaal with my heart set on reawakening this sleeping beauty and restoring the spirit I had fallen in love with many years before and bring back some pride to the people who had given their all for generations.

RG: Islay is a small place, with eight or so other distilleries on the island, most bigger than Bruichladdich; surely their impact on the island carries more weight or contributes more to the local scene?

JM: Sure, almost every distillery is bigger that Bruichladdich and when did that matter? On my first day at Bruichladdich there were two men and a dog called “Spot”, today there are 83 people on the books plus 12 local farmers who supply us with our barley, haulage companies who transport empty bottles in and full bottles out, we support numerous charities on the island. I don’t know what other distilleries contribute nor do I care, it’s what we do that counts and I feel we are doing our very best for both our staff and the island. If other distillers are doing more, then that is a bonus and I would thank them.

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° MEET °

RG: I see the team at the distillery all seem quite… young. Not what I expected from a single malt whisky company. I expected more beards and pipes. Has it helped you having such a youthful team?

JM: 50 per cent of our staff are under 35 and some have been with us from the start like our distillery manager Allan Logan who joined me at the age of 20 and he now runs the distillery superbly. Not all young people wish to leave Islay, many wish to stay and raise their families on this beautiful island free from car-jacking, house-breaking, mugging etc. The schools are excellent as are many classes that provide adult education whether it be the Gaelic language, music, art or lots more.

For kids growing up it’s perfect. They are at one with nature and have beaches on the doorstep that are incredible. We attract young people to a traditional distillery because it’s interesting and exciting and not some factory that is operated by a few hardy souls who never enjoy the pleasure and enjoyment that comes from working towards a quality product with a management team that actually respect and care about you and your family.

RG: Single Malt Whisky has this gravitas which seems steeped in tradition. Bruichladdich seems to enjoy disturbing the accepted notions that surround it, sometimes with big steps away from the norm.

JM: Of course we respect tradition, it’s how we make the spirits we do, but we do not do “The lonely piper in the highland glen who played a sad tune and today as you drink the whisky made in said glen then you can

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hear the piper play.”

We listen to our customers and the message is clear, “Tell us about the quality, the people, what makes you different, why do you create such different styles” and so on.

Kilts and pipes are very much part of our heritage and we are very proud of the image they create on a global scale. Add whisky to that list and it’s those three items that make this tiny nation know about us, the Scots, and we never have used the images of all three to promote our products.

We have enough faith in ourselves as distillers to let the spirit carry the message.

Having a young team does neither help nor halt the sale of our products; it’s like saying young guys make cool whisky! Now that is marketing BS! RG: You’ve mentioned Scottish, Islay, bere and organic barley alongside innovation, how are they linked?

JM: We have been experimenting for eight years with various types of barleys and we know now the flavour profile of what is available from the growers and what works best in our 1881 Mashtun in terms of yield and also in flavour from the spirit so we are well down the track on that one.

For the last three years we have been working with individual farmers in the eight different regions of Scotland where barley is grown, from Aberdeen to the Borders and from Islay to East Coast and the different soils are producing different flavours in the new spirit as we expected. We will continue with this idea and after 10 years we will know how these

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° MEET °

flavours react to the Bourbon casks. The Islay grown barley now plays a major part in our program and this year it will equate to almost 25 per cent of our production. The rest will come from Scotland not from another country.

RG: So, a tough one. Which is your favourite expression, do you have one?

JM: My favourite dram at the moment is Black Art 4.1 or Port Charlotte 12 year old or Octomore 7.1 or 8 year old Islay Barley or 10 year old Organic or any of the other products we produce, like my family, they are all special.

RG: You’ve just announced your retirement, just about a decade or so later than expected, what are your thoughts about your time at Bruichladdich?

JM: My thoughts on my time at Bruichladdich are all very positive and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been part of this amazing story. I was given the freedom to create two new world class malts in Port Charlotte and Octomore and also the Botanist Gin. We distilled whisky 4

times and it was, and is, awesome. We reintroduced Islay barley which had not been distilled since the outbreak of war in 1914, we’re maturing all our stock on Islay and use Islay water to reduce the spirit. I was the kid in the candy store and I have to thank my co-directors for allowing me the freedom to go where no malt had gone before. That was all well and good, but to see so many fellow Islanders going about the business of making sure we deliver on all fronts and that they do it with passion and pride knowing that the future looks bright, that is the absolute best feeling in the world. We are a family and it’s been amazing to be part of it.

RG: Your innovative spirit and character will surely live on in Bruichladdich and as you said, it’s very much a team effort. Who’ll be continuing to take Bruichladdich further on the path you’ve forged?

JM: Taking over from me are Allan Logan and Adam Hannett who I mentioned earlier, both have been outstanding in all aspects of the production including the vatting of the spirit and cask management, they have earned not only my respect and that of our Directors, they also have the respect of the team which is more important. Both are natural leaders

Allan Logan, Production Director and Adam Hannett, Head Distiller.

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and they have walked the walk with me so I am in no doubt that going forward it can only get better if that’s possible.

On the bottling side we have another brilliant guy who comes from Oban, but we don’t hold that against him. Jonathan Carmichael is the man with the plan on the bottling, distribution, quality control etc. Getting our products to market in the best condition possible is not without its problems when you live on an Island, but he makes it happen time after time regardless of what problems arise, such as if a ferry does not sail for two days.

So Bruichladdich is in good hands and is set to continue its unconventional path for a long time to come. The new Octomore 7.1 is now available and has trumped the previous 6.1’s 167ppm with an all new 208ppm count!

The future’s bright (blue) and also sometimes very smoky!

Slainte!

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° PROFILE °

A

BSOLUT® Elyx is the super-premium result of manual processes, authentic craftsmanship and human supervision through every detail of production.

28 °

ABSOLUT® ELYX is one of few types of vodka that is able to capitalise on copper distillation and the characters of which it infuses.

Under the watchful eye of Krister Asplund, Vice President of Operations, the copper still is manually operated by a select few who inherited the knowledge and skills of vodka making from the generations before them.

While this old-time process is lengthy and time-consuming, its reward resides in the super-premium labels highly refined taste.

Recognised by its character and elegance, ABSOLUT® ELYX is clear and bright with a pure and silky texture. It has a well-rounded aroma of fruit and aniseed, a luxurious soft taste and a smooth, clean finish.

A perfect blend of substance and style, ABSOLUT® ELYX is best enjoyed when served in a rocks glass over hand-chipped ice.

Garnished with fresh cut lemon zest or star anise, this simple expression should be sipped and savoured.

If it’s a classic cocktail that you long for, then fear not as ABSOLUT® ELYX perfectly aligns.

Created for those who value integrity, ELYX Krister Asplund, Vice President of Operations

Since its inception in 2013, the exceptional purity and silky smooth texture of ABSOLUT® ELYX has brought new meaning to the definition of luxury vodka.

Taking its ‘one source’ concept to the next level, ABSOLUT® ELYX is made entirely from single estate wheat from the Råbelöf Castle in Sweden.

As terroir isn’t something that vodka makers usually focus on, the production of single estate vodka is fairly uncommon and so this makes ASBOLUT® ELYX unique.

Honouring the roots of Swedish spirit making traditions, ABSOLUT® ELYX is manually distilled in a 1921 still with columns, pumps and pipes made of solid copper.

This takes place at the Åhus distillery, nearby the Råbelöf estate, where the copper works to attract the sulphuric elements that give ABSOLUT® ELYX its highly prized texture and taste.

When the alcohol vapors come into contact with the copper still, an interchange called copper catalyzation occurs and purifies the vodka.

Given that these stills are no longer made,

From seed to bottle, everything is done within a twenty kilometer radius of the distillery, ensuring quality control and perfection in every detail.

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makes any vodka martini silky smooth, just the way the individual who invented the glorious glass intended.

The finest expression of expertise, creativity and passion, ABSOLUT® ELYX is available in a 700ml, 1500ml, 3000ml and 4500ml copper inspired bottle – perfect for any and every occasion.

A unique combination of traditional craftsmanship, copper distillation and cuttingedge design, ABSOLUT® ELYX was recognised as ‘Best Vodka’ – the highest title in the spirits category – and received a double gold medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

ABSOLUT®’s answer to the ongoing craft spirits movement, the ELYX single estate has certainly set the standard for the high-end side of every respectable bartenders shelf.

ABSOLUT ELYX ®

ON THE ROCK INGREDIENTS: Large measure of ABSOLUT ® ELYX vodka GARNISH: Star Anise GLASSWARE: Rocks Experience the ultimate expression of ABSOLUT® ELYX real and untouched – neat ABSOLUT® ELYX poured over a block of solid hand chipped ice, then slowly sipped and savored.

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° MEET °

AN ABSOLUT ELYX ®

I

n the world of premium spirits opulence, quality, luxury and attention to detail are all characteristics that separate the mediocre from the elite.

Ask any alcohol enthusiast about Absolut® Elyx and they’ll undoubtedly tell you that it is one of the best premium vodkas for creative cocktails, a simple mixed drink or simply served neat.

In celebration of all things first-rate, the top-notch team at Gibson have partnered with Absolut® Elyx to create a crowd-pleasing cocktail.

Served in an Elyx Pineapple cup, ‘My Next Mistake’ moves away from traditional glassware to produce a new drinking ritual for Absolut® Elyx – read on to find out more about this exciting collaboration!

DRINKS WORLD ASIA: What was it like to create a cocktail for the Elyx Pineapple Cup? AKI EGUCHI: It is always great working with different glassware and serves as it allows me to be more imaginative in my presentations and sometimes, even inspirations for the cocktails. The Elyx Pineapple Cup is iconic and grand, yet with a versatility that allows me to inject some imagination into it, so it has been fun working with this.

DWA: Is there a special name for this Absolut® Elyx craft cocktail you have created? Can you share with us the inspiration behind this cocktail and why you have worked with these flavours?

AE: The name of the cocktail is “My Next Mistake” (a bit of tongue-incheek humour). The Gibson menu is categorised into 4 sections – Finding Comfort, Forging Friendships, Sharing Happiness, and Reserves. “My Next Mistake” falls under our “Sharing Happiness” section, where cocktails are light-hearted, fun, and cheeky. The flavour profile should not be too complex, so I used a mix of orange and raspberry to create a light and fruity flavour, then added beetroot to infuse some earthiness in the cocktail for balance.

DWA: Share with us what you like about Absolut® Elyx?

AE: Absolut® Elyx has a very clean taste with a silky texture, which gives me a great template to re-create classics as well as opportunities to build on new creations.

DWA: When using a premium spirit such as Absolut® Elyx, what premium mixer would you use so the spirit really shines through?

AE: I would say Fever-Tree Tonic – it does not disturb or clash with the spirit’s natural flavour characteristics and really complements it instead.

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DWA: How would you describe Gibson in three words? And how do you envision this partnership with Absolut® Elyx in this coming year?

AE: I would describe Gibson as classic, sexy, and cheeky. Here, we have a very classic and timeless interior décor that transports you to another era. With the beautiful marbled bar and tables, the stained windows at the back-bar, and a bit of swing and jazz playing in the background - the mood is just sexy. Yet, we do not take ourselves too seriously here and try to add a bit of cheekiness into the whole experience.

Elyx’s brand personality exudes warmth and hospitality – vital components of Gibson’s philosophy, which is why I believe these two brands greatly complement each other and will be enhanced through the coming year’s partnership.

Absolut® Elyx has a very clean taste with a silky texture, which gives me a great template to re-create classics as well as opportunities to build on new creations.

DWA: How do you feel about being the first to launch this famous Elyx Pineapple Cup drinking ritual in Singapore?

INDRA KANTONO: We are very excited. I think our guests will truly find the presentation unique as soon as the Elyx Pineapple Cup arrives at their table. In turn, that will increase their curiosity about the cocktail and we will get the chance to share the story about the drink and the products.

The cocktail that we are serving in this cup is cheekily called ‘My Next Mistake’ and is part of our ‘Sharing Happiness’ menu. Cocktails in this section are described as fun, at-times silly and celebratory. I think the fit with this grand vessel is perfect.

DWA: What bar food do you suggest to pair with “My Next Mistake”?

IK: Absolut® Elyx has a rich silky mouthfeel and the cocktail we created complements that with earthy, fruity notes of beetroot, raspberry and orange. I think it will be perfect for our Crab & Kobe Steak Tartare with Oyster Aioli.

DWA: You’ve successfully opened many food & beverage hospitality venues and most recently Gibson. Tell us a little about your new establishment and how Absolut® Elyx can complement your venue?

IK: Gibson has the most ambitious cocktail program in our group, but that doesn’t mean there is no room for fun. We think you can combine the most beautiful timeless décor, high level of craft and a fun, don’t-takeyourself-too-seriously attitude into a memorable hospitality experience.

Absolut® Elyx is a great complement to the bar. Vodka has at times been vilified by the cocktail culture, but here we have an exceptionally wellcrafted product, served in a one-of-a-kind vessel that will make guests remember why they come to a cocktail bar – it is delicious and lots of fun!

In addition, Elyx’s brand philosophy of hospitality, integrity, luxury, and playfulness ties in with what we believe here at Gibson, which is why I believe these two brands complement each other tremendously.

AKI EGUCHI Head Bartender at Gibson

DWA: For the “My Next Mistake”, it’s important for consistency in execution, flavour and presentation. How is this ritual trained to the bar team?

IK / AE: There are three key steps to this serve. The first is to consistently craft the drink each and every time, and present it to the guests in that celebratory Elyx Pineapple Cup. Pineapple is the international symbol of hospitality so it’s always a pleasure to put one in front of a guest.

The second step is having the knowledge to share the story with guests who are curious. We want to share why this cocktail uses Absolut® Elyx, and why we chose this recipe combination.

Thirdly, we will always be on the lookout for opportunities to create a moment for the guests. That’s what they will remember at the end of the night. The Signature Serve is one of our means to that end.

The Elyx Pineapple Cup adds a level of opulence and sophistication to cocktail service, and also reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.

It’s important to remember our guests are at Gibson to have a good time, and the Elyx Pineapple Cup is certainly a crowd pleaser that creates those ‘photo’ moments.

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° MEET °

CHRIS WITH THE ADDITION OF

SEOUL’S BAR SCENE HAS GOTTEN

LOWDER A

n international sensation and respected team-leader, Chris Lowder is Head Bartender at the Four Seasons in Seoul, South Korea and it is from this position of prestige that he curates cocktail menus and manages beverage service at the hotel’s six unique restaurants and bars.

Having joined Four Seasons in 2015, Lowder previously worked at the Michelin-starred NoMad Hotel in New York City, where his bar team was awarded a James Beard award for America’s Most Outstanding Bar Program (2014), as well as spirited awards for World’s Best Hotel Bar (2013) and America’s Best Restaurant Bar (2014).

An innovator and artist that is dedicated to the cocktail craft, Lowder has also been recognised as NYC 30 Under 30 by Zagat (2015) and one of America’s Best New Mixologists by Food & Wine Magazine (2014).

As success appears to follow this creative genius wherever he goes, Drinks World sat down to chat with Lowder about the dynamic bar scene that is South Korea.

DRINKS WORLD: You have taken on the position as Head Bartender at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. How has the transition been and what are you enjoying most about the role?

CHRIS LOWDER: As Head Bartender I am responsible for creating all of our cocktails, curating our spirits and beer lists, training our bar teams, and generally setting the tone for what our guests experience when they visit our bars. In total, Four Seasons Seoul has five unique bar programs, not including private events. The task of defining and maintaining five unique concepts has been a thrilling, creative challenge for me.

It’s definitely a lot of work, but I get a deep sense of satisfaction from walking throughout the hotel and watching the bar teams that I have trained execute all of these different menus and service styles – and, of course the team at Four Seasons is incredible, I’m having a blast.

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DW: You mentioned that you have been living in China and Japan from 2008-2011 and also lived in New York for a few years. Are there any similarities in the cocktail culture?

CL: I moved to Japan as a 19-year-old student and I’m very lucky to say that I have lived in a number of cities and countries since then. Every time I move I am able to experience a brand new breadth of flavours and traditions, and Seoul has been no different.

In my travels I have seen two major models of cocktail bars in East Asia.

First, there’s the Japanese model, which has very dapper bartenders making a small selection of classic cocktails with exacting techniques for an extremely small number of guests. There’s a lot of emphasis on technique and ice, and service is extremely subtle and personalized.

When this model is done right, guests feel incredibly special, cocktails are incredibly precise, and the whisk(e)y selection is jaw dropping.

Then there’s the International model, which is a bar opened by someone with some international bar experience who typically caters towards the local expat crowd. When this model is done right, these bars can be world-class with all of the creativity, energy and hospitality of a great bar anywhere in the world.

I’m always of the opinion that you can learn something from everyone, and so I tend to cherry-pick things that I like from both models. I feel so lucky to be living in Seoul and spending time with so many amazing bartenders out here. The knowledge exchange has absolutely been a twoway street.

DW: You were previously Bar Manager and Head of Bar Education at world-renowned cocktail bar NoMad in New York. Tell us a little about your time working at NoMad and your most memorable moment?

CL: The NoMad is an incredible place to work. The team is amazing and everyone is always challenging one another to do a better job for their guests. During my time tending and managing those bars, we were lucky enough to win a number of awards, and that was so humbling. My most memorable moment was making an announcement to the team minutes after we became the third bar program in the world to ever win a James Beard Award. It was on Cinco de Mayo and the after party was insane.

DW: You’ve lived in Asia for over three years, how are you finding the move to Seoul and what are you enjoying most about the bar scene?

CL: Seoul is incredible. The community is vibrant, the city is green and well maintained, there are mountains and trees everywhere, the markets have incredible produce and the prices are reasonable. What more could you want?

All of my experience living in Asia has definitely prepared me for this move, and so the culture shock has actually been pretty minimal. When I was a student in Beijing, a lot of my classmates were Korean, and so I came here already knowing a bit of the language and the culture.

The bars here are terrific. Koreans love a good drink with great company, and so lots of socializing happens over soju and makgeolli (unfiltered rice beer). The cocktail bars are very Japanese in style with massive lists of extremely rare whisk(e)y bottlings, and so I have been enjoying a lot of amazing malts that you just can’t find in the United States.

DW: What’s trending in Seoul at the moment?

CL: Cocktail bars in Seoul are pretty conservative, but there is a lot of emphasis on creativity and so bartenders are pushing a lot of boundaries as the scene expands. Most cocktail lists have a similar selection of classics like the Manhattan or Rusty Nail, and also some more obscure classics that you wouldn’t expect like a Charlie Chaplin. There are a lot of ‘speakeasies’ with hidden entrances and passwords. There’s also a huge emphasis on single malt scotch selections. I have walked into bars and seen 1950’s Macallan and single cask bottlings of WWII-era malts. One restaurant I went to had a full vertical Glenfarclas collection from the early 1970’s just to decorate a hallway. If you don’t know what that means, it will suffice to say it’s really rare and really expensive.

DW: What can we expect to see from the Four Seasons in the next three months?

CL: Our cocktail bar Charles H. is going to be the bar to watch. Charles H. is an ode to history’s greatest expat bon vivant Charles H. Baker.

Charles was a drinks writer who circled the world on steam ships in the early 1900’s and wrote about all of the amazing cocktails that people in different countries were drinking during that time. Unfortunately, a lot of these rich drinking traditions have been lost since Charles enjoyed them in the 1920’s. Charles H. will be the bar where those cocktails and flavours are revived for the first time in almost 100 years. The bar is absolutely stunning, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.

DW: Who has been your biggest influence in the industry?

CL: Definitely Sother Teague. Sother mentored me when we worked together for two and a half years at Amor y Amargo in Manhattan. Sother and I both have kitchen backgrounds and so we are both hard-wired to value cleanliness, discipline and ground-up education. I learned to make drinks at a bartending school in Philadelphia, but Sother taught me how to bartend.

DW: What’s your go to drink after a long night behind the stick?

CL: I like a neat bourbon and the biggest glass of water that I can find.

The water is because bartending is a real workout and so bartenders are usually terribly dehydrated by the end of a shift. And the whiskey? Well, I don’t know what to say; I’m just not a huge beer drinker and whiskey is delicious. Buffalo Trace is my go-to.

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° FEATURE °

WORDS ° Chris Middleton

M

aking rum may look easy, but the craft requires technical skills, deep pockets and a lot of patience. The next few pages offers a look into the basics of rum making, what it involves, and the different types of rum.

If you leave a dish of cane juice or diluted molasses in the open air, things will start to happen almost immediately: first of all, wild yeast will settle on the dish and begin the process of reproduction before they convert the sugar to alcohol. If left for a few days, subject to climate and yeast type, the liquid could be up to 3% alcohol by volume at this stage. Don’t be tempted to drink this ‘beer’; the yeasts will secrete some unpleasant esters and byproducts. Continue by vaporising it repeatedly in a kettle to capture the alcoholic vapours before the water begins to boil, and you’ll be left with cane spirit. If you’re patient, you can put this spirit in a cask for at least two years and you’ll have yourself some homemade rum. Rest assured it won’t be enjoyable rum, and drinking it will make you very, very sick or even kill you.

34 °

While making rum appears to be a relatively simple process, making a good, potable rum takes a lot of knowledge, money and care.

If you do decide to make rum you can be proud of, here’s how to go about it - I won’t include the half-million dollar plant and equipment or hundreds of thousands of dollars in working capital it takes to manufacture rum, or all of the red tape to avoid arrest as an illicit distiller. Before you can sell the rum, you must buy bottles, closures, labels, cartons, pay for a bottling line, pay for excise tax, shipping, distributors and marketing expenses. Hang on – this is all getting too complicated, let’s just head to the local liquor store and drink some great value rums for a very reasonable $30 to $80 a bottle.

Rather than venturing across the globe to

make good quality rum, it is just as enjoyable to sit at home and make it in your mind. Start by picturing tall fields of sugarcane swaying in a warm breeze under blue skies. Now you’re ready to become a virtual distiller.

SUGAR CULTIVATION & REFINING Sugarcane: As you know, rum begins with sugarcane. Inside these long, grass-like stalks is the sweet cane juice we call sucrose. When processed, sucrose becomes the white sugar crystals you buy at the supermarket.

Something of a resilient species, sugarcane has acclimatised and hybridised to a wide range of temperatures, disease resistances, soil conditions, varying climates and rainfalls, harvesting methods and sugar yields. In fact, 123 countries in the tropical zone grow

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sugarcane. Australia has 24 sugar mills that process over 30 million tonnes of cane, producing 4.5 million tonnes of sugar; sounds impressive doesn’t it? But this is actually only two and a half per cent of worldwide production. Still, it is a large figure and it leads to about 1.3 million tonnes of molasses that could be distilled into 300 million litres of rum, which is enough to keep Australia drinking for a quarter of a century, although Queensland cattle help themselves to most of our molasses.

Even in Australia, growing conditions and different varieties of plant create slightly different flavour components in sugar sap.

Typically, canes are cut annually and cane stems are left to ‘reshoot’ as new stalks for 18-24 months. Cut cane must be processed quickly, which prevents deterioration from bacterial infestation that is chronic in tropical climates, so much so that the industry has an old dictum “from kill to mill in 24 hours”. Before milling and juice extraction, the stalls are washed and cut into shorter lengths.

Sugar milling: To extract juice, canes are crushed in rollers, and 96 per cent of the sweet liquid is extracted with 10-15 per cent sugar content; at this stage, mostly sucrose, some fructose and glucose are present. Following this,

the cane juice is immediately sent to have the sugar extracted, as yeast and bacteria quickly start spreading through the juice. Rum agricole distillers immediately ferment the cane juice, this is a more costly process than molasses, as the raw material is not being used to extract sugar first, producing two sources of income.

Cane juice produces a different distillate that is more floral and fruity because it has not been concentrated and caramelised into the molasses by-product. In fact, less than 3 per cent of rum is distilled from cane juice, molasses being much cheaper and more plentiful.

Sugar processing & molasses: In this process, the juice is heated and clarified as it still contains cane fibres from milling, as well as waxes and other soluble impurities. The juice is then heated and lime is added to clarify and remove these impurities. More heat is then applied, allowing the juice to boil down to syrup and repeatedly centrifuged through vacuum evaporators. During this stage, the syrup changes from golden treacle to dark molasses, while the light brown, unrefined sugar crystals show the presence of some molasses. Once the product has become molasses, most of the sugar has been liberated and it is not necessary to extract more.

The most desirable molasses is referred to as grade A, as this has the highest concentration of sugars to ferment into alcohol. Most sugar refineries will evaporate and centrifuge a second extraction, or even a third to extract as much of the sugar as commercially possible; each extraction produces grades B, C & even D grade molasses. Some refineries classify the stages as light molasses, dark molasses and backstrap, when it is no longer viable to continue extracting sugar from the molasses concentrate. At this point the molasses has no further value to the sugar refinery and it is either sold to make rum, or as livestock feed for cattle.

It is a little known fact that molasses can be kept for years without spoiling or any other detrimental effects, meaning it can be shipped and stored for extended periods of time before it is made into rum. Many Caribbean countries no longer produce sufficient domestic molasses, and import molasses mostly from Brazil, as well as Venezuela and Surinam, which is not surprising as Brazil is the world’s largest sugar producing nation.

MAKING MOLASSES & CANE BEER To start the fermentation process, molasses is diluted in water and made into a wash, which

SUGAR BEET The Napoleonic Wars of 1799 - 1815 forced the French to find an alternative sugar source after the British took control of their colonies in the West Indies. Sugar beet, a cool climate root, proved to be an alternative source of sucrose so Napoleon invested in beet production in 1811 and banned sugar imports in 1813, thus protecting France’s foreign reserves. Beet sugar now makes up 25 per cent of the world’s sugar production, however it is not ideal for distilling into a spirit.

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° FEATURE °

creates a medium for the introduction of yeast, while the pH level is adjusted to 4.5, allowing the yeast to survive. Yeast can be wild, naturally occurring in the environment, or specifically cultured. Different yeast strains produce different fermentation periods and different flavour profiles.

Wild yeasts, of which many have been identified in the Caribbean, tend to take longer to act, and some fermentations last for weeks instead of days. Wild yeast converts the sugar into alcohols and carbon dioxide. Cultivated distiller’s yeasts are developed to tolerate different fermentation temperature ranges, alcoholic yields, speed of fermentation and differing types of flavour profiles that distillers wish to create. Distiller’s yeast has proven the most popular and manageable of all; over days or weeks, sugars are converted into alcohol, with acids producing in esters, aldehydes and other compounds that are flavour builders for rum. A small amount of secondary bacterial infection will add another set of flavour components to the mix.

When the fermentation is finished, the wash will be between 7-10% alcohol by volume, and is also referred to as beer. White rums seek a short fermentation period of 24-36 hours and therefore produce less esters and flavour congeners to keep the beer light and maintain a lower alcohol content of 6-7% alcohol by volume. Dark rums will ferment over many days, or even weeks if wild yeast is used. The longer the fermentation, the more esters and bacterial activity will affect the acidity and improve the flavour development while risking spoilage. Long fermentations can result in an alcohol content of up to 10-13% alcohol by volume.

As a guide to ester production, the West Indies distillers have an indicative time formula based on ester counts: COMMON CLEANS

less than 150 esters

24-26 hours

PLUMMERS

under 200 esters

2 days

WEDDERBURNS

over 200 esters

4 days

CONTINENTAL FLAVOUR

over 500 esters

5-10 days

Dunder: When producing dark rum, extra flavour can be developed by the use of dunder, which is a sort of flavour bomb. Dunder is the remaining stillage, the slops at the bottom of the still after distillation; it can also include scummings left over from boiling in the sugar making process.

Dunder may not sound at all appealing, being

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full of dead yeast cells and esters, but the mix is rich in flavour compounds. After distillation, the remaining dunder is deposited into a pit and left to decay for months or sometimes years, and when added to a new fermentation batch it adds consistency, as well as enriching the flavour.

MAKING THE SPIRIT Distillation: Hundreds of flavour compounds called congeners are suspended in the beer, and it now sits at around 8% alcohol by volume and 92 per cent water. As we know, alcohol evaporates before water and it is crucial to reach the correct temperature range of 72-78 Co to liberate the alcohol and the aromatic volatiles in the congeners. There are two types of still used to liberate the spirit: batch pot still and continuous, or column, still methods.

Pot still distillation: More flavoursome rums are made using this method, as it captures more congeners (mostly esters and acids).

These flavour volatiles, along with the alcohol, are sent as vapour through an onion-shaped still and across the Swan’s Neck head to be turned back into liquid by a condenser. Pot still distillation involves two distillations: in the first, beer is increased from 8% alcohol by volume to low wines of about 25% alcohol by volume, while the second distillation takes it to between 70-75% alcohol by volume. During the second distillation, the heads and tails are cut to ensure the undesirable and dangerous alcohols are removed, and only the desirable flavour congeners or volatiles are captured. The resulting spirit, or distillate, is also called newmake, or marc in French.

While this is highly effective, there are also numerous hybrid pot still designs that allow vapour to be sent from the initial first pot through a series of retorts or doublers to fractionate the spirit at each receiving vessel.

This extra distillation step from the connected retorts can raise the distillate to about 85% alcohol by volume. Like yeast strains and fermentation processes, every distillery has slightly different still technologies and shapes that give its distillate signature flavours.

Continuous distillation: The continuous method is the industrial workhouse of distilling in that it never stops, and produces a finished spirit that can be up to 94.5% alcohol by volume..

While a batch still may only produce a few thousand litres every charge of 8-10 hours, the continuous still produces an impressive 15,000 litres or more per hour and produces a

light, near flavourless and vodka-tasting spirit by continuously stripping the beer of its alcohol through rising steam, and the alcohol evaporates as the wash falls down through a series of plates or trays. Continuous still technology was introduced to rum production in the second half of the nineteenth century and led to the development of lighter styles of rum. By the twentieth century, the French modified the British Coffey still with their double and triple column stills known as Savalle.

Both Bundaberg and Beenleigh distilleries conduct first distillation in a column, followed by pot distillation, they also use dunder to improve flavours in the rums.

MATURING SPIRIT INTO RUM The product that is discharged from the still is high-proof crystal clear spirit that is hot and fiery to taste, not only due to the burn of ethyl alcohol, but also due to the rawness of the new spirit. Time in wood, or resting the spirit, turns it into a smoother, mellower and more complex tasting rum, even though the alcohol remains quite strong. The term OP, Over Proof, means there’s more alcohol than water in the rum; whereas Under Proof means more water.

Before the spirit is put into large vats or casks to mellow and mature, some are reduced from 7585 per cent alcohol by volume to the lower 60s in the hope of finding the ‘bliss point’ of water and spirit’s solubility in the cask wood.

Maturation: Many distilleries rest spirit in large wooden vats to mellow; white rum can be left in stainless steel tanks, while other distilleries mature in oak casks. Oak is the ideal medium to mature spirit because its porous qualities also impart flavours and allow the contents to breathe, permitting slow oxidation to add more complexity to the resulting spirit. Wood adds between 60-70 per cent of the flavour, especially in big flavoured rums. During this time new esters form, small chain esters escape and tannins and caramelised sugars in the charred or toasted wood add colour and flavour.

A hot tropical climate results in faster flavour extraction from the casks, and high humidity also results in greater evaporation of spirit vapour (ethanol), at about 7-10 per cent compared with cool climate whisky maturation that brings an annual loss of 2 per cent on average. This loss is called the Angel’s Share.

Even barrel filling affects maturation with different headspace and entry proof; for example, Trinidad enter its distillate at 80%

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alcohol by volume, Grenada at 60% with more water solubility, while others are in the mid-80s.

Rums have optimum time in casks before over extraction unfavourably affects the flavour, and careful inventory management of selected casks can see ageing well beyond 10 years. Different types of barrels and cask sizes have a significant impact on flavour development; ex-bourbon barrels are the most popular and cheapest, ex-brandy casks are often used in French-style rums, new oak and ex-sherry, wine and port casks are also employed to add flavour variants to expressions.

In Australia, distillers mature in huge white oak or kauri vats for at least two years and finish premium rums in ex-bourbon, port or other casks to add more flavour complexity.

Blending: Before the rum can be bottled, batches of rum are blended and married together. Dark and gold rums are rarely from a single barrel or from a single year; they are blended from dozens of multiple casks from different years to add depth and, most importantly, consistency of flavour so the consumer finds their brand is always similar year after year. One of the first blended rums was developed by the British navy in 1810 to ensure consistency standards, and rum labels using this recipe today blend five or more different types of rums from different British islands in the Caribbean and Guyana to make naval rum.

The natural colour of rum can vary enormously, it is affected by container size, years spent in wood and how many times the wood has been filled with new spirit. It is common practice to add burnt sugar caramel E 150 to colour the rum before bottling, meaning many gold and dark rums have been tinted, coloured with the very same raw material the rum started out with - sugar. This process ensures a pleasing, consistent colour to the rum each time you venture to the shelf to buy a bottle (burnt sugar and E150 are one and the same).

RUM TYPES BY COLOUR White rum: Also known as light, blanco, plata and silver, this rum is clear in colour. In some countries they are matured in wood for a few months to allow them to mellow, while some is stored in stainless steel tanks. To make the rum clear, it is filtered through charcoal filters to remove any colour. The combination of the fast fermentation that produces less congeners, the further stripping out of remaining congeners through column distillation, and the shorter time

in vat make this rum lighter flavoured and near neutral in colour.

Gold rum: Also called amber and oro, molasses-based gold rum often gains much of its yellow copper colour as a result of maturation in wood and is usually medium bodied. Caramel colour is added to gold rum to enhance appeal and consistency between blended batches.

Dark rum: Tending to be richer in flavour, heavybodied molasses rums are rested in wood to achieve a more intense maturation of character in flavour and colour. Again, these rums can be misleading, as many brands will add caramel to enhance the appeal and perception of age; and this practise is evident in black rums.

Understanding the time, money and effort it takes to make a bottle of rum should give a new appreciation to this fascinating industry. Of course, at the end of the day, it is monumentally easier to walk into a liquor store and choose a bottle of rum from Queensland, Barbados, Guatemala, Guyana or Cuba. It may be white, gold or dark; and it could be young, or aged 20 years in wood.

What a romantic distraction it is to visit these exotic countries in your mind, then take the spirit home to be enjoyed with friends and family‌ Not to mention that you’ve saved yourself a cool $750,000.

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HOW BEER IS MADE BARLEY – HOPS – YEAST - WATER WORDS ° Neal Cameron

O

ne could be fooled into thinking that a process needing so few ingredients must in itself be simple. But you would be wrong. Ever since Louis Pasteur peered down his leather-bound microscope and became the first person to actually see yeast cells – the tiny powerhouses of fermentation – we have been striving, scientifically, to fully understand what is happening during the brewing process.

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Nowadays we know a lot, but not everything.

Even the greatest brewers, with a myriad of technology and techniques, still cannot control the brewing process completely. The creation of a perfect beer therefore still contains a degree of mystery that makes the experience even more special. As one understands more and more about the brewing process, there emerges a breathtaking synergism in the confluence of these four simple ingredients; between them they contain everything that is needed to create beer and very little that is not.

Dare one even suggest that if ever there could be a poster boy for the anti-science of creationism, beer brewing might just be it?

Could it be that a divine hand was at work in the creation of a humble grain, a sticky flower and a tiny single-celled organism such that they could later be brought together to create the miracle that is beer?

WHAT MAKES A GREAT BEER Socrates, Plato, Kant, Steven Wright – all great philosophers who have bent their considerable intellects and wills on some of the great questions of life. But if one adds up the legion of lesser intellectual horse-powers of the many men in the street who have debated the relative merits of a beer, one could postulate that more hours have been spent on the question ‘what makes a great beer?’ than any other. Ergo, perhaps by answering this question, we may find ourselves closer to the meaning of life.

However, there is no one thing that makes a great beer. Everything must be perfect – a great brewer with good equipment, great raw materials, a knowledgeable consumer in a great frame of mind; every detail must be right even down to a clean glass. Only then can a beer be great. So when you find yourself in the rare and treasured moment of enjoying a great beer, think of the entropy defying control that has occurred to bring you to that moment.

THE BREWING PROCESS Malt + Yeast + Hops + Water = Ethanol + Carbon Dioxide + Flavour MALT Has it ever crossed your mind how a seed has the energy to drive its sprout up through the soil and into the sunlight? The answer is in the starchy bulk of the seed or grain. Upon the signal of moisture, the self-reliant grain releases enzymes into this starch to break them down into their component sugars. It is these sugars

It is the job of the brewer to create the perfect environment for yeasts to do their job; after all, happy yeast means great beer.

that the seedling uses to power itself until photosynthesis takes over and it is these sugars that are extracted from barley to feed yeast in the brewing process.

In the classroom this is called germination, but in the process of fooling our hapless grains into believing it’s spring and adding a few procedures here and there, the process’s name changes to malting. Hence, brewers use malted barley or just malt to brew beer.

THE MALTING PROCESS Steeping – Grain is put into tall silos full of water for 36-48 hours and kept on the move with columns of air bubbles running through them.

Water and oxygen get the sprouting process moving.

Sprouting – The adolescent malt is spread on a large floor and continually turned with a rotating rake to keep the grains aerated and stop them tangling. The grain is already starting to ‘modify’ in a typically complex biological process. All we need to know is that the starchy flours are beginning to be converted into sugars that are more accessible for brewing.

Drying – At this point the maltster (as they are known) has many choices that are of great importance to the brewer. Always though, he must stop the germination or conversion by drying or kilning the grain. Hot air is generally used and a gentle approach to this step results in a very pale malt – the workhorse of the brewing industry.

But by keeping the heat on, a spectrum of darker and darker malts can be produced, up to the point of roasting them in drums like coffee.

These darker or roasted malts go into stouts and porters with their characteristic inky black appearance.

The maltster has other tricks up his sleeve and a look at some of his creations starts to help us in building our knowledge of the flavours of beer. There are literally hundreds of different malts created around the world with each country having variations that are dear to the hearts of their brewers, often generating the key character for the nations best-known beers.

THE MALT SPECTRUM Pilsner malt – The palest of malts, first created in Pilsen, in what was then Bohemia and now the Czech Republic. Clean and pale, it produces the golden hue and bready malt characters of the best lagers.

Munich Malt – A touch more heat and a little more colour generates some rounded toasty character. Much used in pale ales, amber lagers and German dunkels.

Crystal Malt – Stewed before kilning, sugar crystals are formed that later caramelise. From light to super dark, they add reddish brown colour, and caramel and toffee flavours. Much used by the English in bitters and the Americans in pale ales.

Chocolate Malt – With the dial in the kiln turned way up, this dark malt really does give

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palate. A staple in Asia and the USA, where the need for volume seems to outweigh most other considerations.

YEAST Saccharomyces cerevisae – Ale Yeast Literally: Fungus that eats sugar to make beer.

Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis – Lager Yeast Literally: Fungus that eats sugar, named after a well known brewery.

a chocolatey and coffee flavour to beer. Porters and stouts are the main beneficiaries.

Black Malt – Drum roasted, black malts are distinctly burnt toast to taste, but stouts would be a lesser pleasure without their ashy astringent palate from black malt.

BUT THERE’S MORE...

Rye – this cold climate malted grain is becoming the darling of the brewing world as the malt that has everything – a gentle spicy aroma, a bittersweet flavour and lovely reddish hue.

Oats – high in protein and oils, this cheap and plentiful grain adds a silky smooth texture and full mouthfeel to beer. Used un-malted in many stouts to create an unctuous creamy palate.

Rice – plentiful and cheap but a nicely made lager with a hefty portion of rice is quintessentially refreshing and easy on the

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YEAST STRAINS & THEIR CHARACTERISTICS YEAST

BEER CHARACTERISTICS

KNOWN STRAINS

Ale

Soft, smooth palate Fruity aroma Malty (sweet) body

**********

Lager

Crisp, cleansing palate Clean, neutral aroma, some sulphur Dry, light body

********

Wheat

Highly aromatic, fruity or spicy Dry, almost acidic palate Highly carbonated, fluffy head

****

Belgian Wit

Highly aromatic, spicy, cloves Light, acidic palate

**

Belgian Ales

Highly complex fruity aroma High in ethanol and other alcohols

****

Kölsch

Wine-like complex aroma Delicate soft, clean palate

*

Wild Yeasts

Highly complex, spicy, medicinal aroma Woody, musty and sour palate Dry, astringent body

***************

Asterixes indicate the relative number of strains known

While barley is the king of malts, geography, economics and a search for flavour have pushed and pulled brewers into using a myriad of other sources of sugar in brewing, collectively known as adjuncts. Other grains in this category include rye and oats, particularly in colder northern climes where these grains flourish. Rice is big in Asia and the USA, as well as maize. Wheat is particularly favoured in Germany, and in the search for lightness of palate and, more sadly lightness of flavour, sugar and corn syrups are a staple in our bigger brewers’ diets. And while we’re on the subject of diet, we must talk about low-carb beers. Good, glad that one’s out of the way.

The translations may not actually be literal but they work for figurative purposes and only the pedants will complain. It gives us our first way of dividing up the bewildering variety of beers that are available into lagers and ales – more on that later.

Saccharomyces yeasts are dynamic singlecelled organisms that come in hundreds of marginally varying forms. Bakers use them to create bubbles of carbon dioxide in their bread, winemakers use them to turn sweet grape juice into wine and, of course, brewers use it to turn malt derived sugars into beer. There cannot be a more loved, nurtured and revered being anywhere in the universe.

It is the job of the brewer to create the perfect environment for yeasts to do their job, after all happy yeast means great beer. Yeast needs

simple sugars – glucose and maltose – to live on, alongside a wide array of micronutrients and amino acids. And there again the perfect symbiosis of brewing ingredients comes to play – all these essentials are found in barley.

Yeast leads a simple life. It consumes sugar to feed its need to grow, divide and populate its environment. In doing so, it excretes mainly ethanol and carbon dioxide, but it also produces a myriad of other flavour and aroma compounds that makes the drinking of beer such a sensory pleasure.

The many different slight variations in yeast are much treasured by brewers. Some breweries have been using the same strains of yeast for centuries, carefully storing them to ensure they never die out. Old English breweries, like Timothy Taylors in Keighley in Yorkshire, use a yeast with a number of different strains that they pitch from ferment to ferment over decades. The yeasts, like any living thing, evolve and change over time but generate extra subtleties and great depth of flavour.

Here in Australia the taste of Coopers beers, particularly their Pale Ale, is hugely dependent on their own strain of yeast – a strain that has again evolved over decades to survive, and thrive, in the high temperatures of South Australia. Even with modern fermentation, Coopers run their fermentations pretty warm (24 degrees Celsius) generating that distinctive

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fruity, appley, almost solvent-like character.

Before these cosseted and cared for yeast strains were known or understood, ancient brewers would allow natural yeasts in the air around us to ferment their beer – the results would be at best haphazard, giving curious and sour tastes to their beer. It’s a technique still used in Belgium today to produce Lambic beer and the more adventurous modern brewer is relearning how to make great beers with these techniques.

Whatever strain or type of yeast a brewer uses it adds great character to the beer, and in some cases, it is the yeast that defines the beer style as can be seen to the right

HOPS If there is one part of brewing that excites the brewer as much as the drinker, it has to be the hops. And no wonder – these are exciting plants, deeply bitter and resinous, oozing aromatic oils and pungent sticky resins, capricious in their willingness to share their spoils and multitudinous in their variety and geography. If wine and beer philosophy ever touch, it is in the care of the hop and the vine to ensure their terroir and nature are contained, so as to be fully captured in the final beer.

While hops have not always been used to flavour beer, balancing the sweetness of malt sugars to create a harmonious whole, there’s no doubt that hops are king. Bog myrtle, pine needles, nettles, juniper berries and gruit just don’t cut it when it comes to cutting what would otherwise be a sweet and sickly brew down to size.

Hops do two things. When boiled with the sweet malt wort, they impart bitter alpha acids

to the mix. A few hops sometimes, just to avoid a beer being cloying as in a scotch ale, or at other times by the bucket-load, to impart a vicious, eye-wateringly addictive bitterness in a mighty triple IPA. Measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU), beer can range from a delicate, whywould-you-bother 10 IBU to a searing, mind and tongue numbing 1000 IBU (claimed by the famed Danish brewer Mikkeller in his logically named 1000IBU beer).

But more than the pleasure/pain of bitterness that hops add to beer, it is the aromas and flavours that can be wrought when these plants are used wisely and well in a brew. The range of oils and resins present often mimic flavours found in nature – fruits (like citrus, blackcurrant, passionfruit, lime), herbs (like mint, aniseed, basil, sage), woods (like pine, cedar, sandalwood), and florals (like camomile, grass, rose, violet).

COUNTRY

HOP CHARACTERS

EXAMPLE HOP

EXAMPLE BEER

AUSTRALIA

Fruity, citrus, bitter

Galaxy

Stone & Wood Pacific Ale

ENGLAND

Earthy, herbal, honey

Styrian Goldings

Timothy Taylor’s Landlord

USA

Citrus, resiny, grapefruit

Cascade

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

NEW ZEALAND

Herbal, spicy, peppery

Motueka

8 Wired Hopwired IPA

GERMANY

Fresh, grassy, minty

Hallertau Mittelfrüh

Jever Pilsner

CZECH REPUBLIC

Grassy, herbal, complex

Saaz

Pilsner Urquell

As one would imagine, to both generate and keep these delicate and complex flavours in a beer takes great skill and attention to detail.

Alternatively, you can just keep adding more and more hops into your beer – it might not be a graceful technique but it’s one that seems to be currently in favour and it keeps the beer geeks happy.

Hops survive best in temperate climes in both the north and south hemisphere and there’s no doubt that, like grape vines, terroir – the impact of the local soils and climate – plays a big part in the characteristics of each country’s hops.

MAKING BEER Now that we understand the materials that go into making beer, there follows a process to make it that, in essence, has changed little for centuries. The tanks may get shinier, the control panel flashier and the packaging more automated but it’s all there to put yeast to work and reap the benefits.

MILLING Choose your malts and choose the right quantity, remembering that more malt gives you more sugar, which gives you more alcohol.

Crush the grain gently, just enough to let the water in but leaving the husks complete to act as a filter during lautering.

MASH Mix thoroughly with water into the mash tun to create a loose porridge and now it’s all about temperature. You need the water hot enough to gelatinise the starch and make it soluble, but not too hot that you kill off the enzymes that are going to break those now soluble

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There’s no doubt that, like grape vines, terroir plays a big part in the characteristics of each country’s hops.

starches into component sugars. Between 63 degrees Celsius and 71 degrees Celsius, depending whether you want a dry beer (lower temperature) or a malty sweet beer (higher temperature). Leave for about an hour and then increase the temperature above 75 degrees Celsius to stop the enzymes working. Your mash will now be sweet and syrupy and smell divine, but you need to get that sugar solution nice and bright and clear and away from all the husks and other bits and bobs.

LAUTER Pump the mash over to the lauter tun, essentially a big strainer, where the husks are used a bit like a filter. The now clear wort is pumped away from the spent grain and into the kettle. Hot water is sprayed or sparged on top of the grain bed to wash the sugars out for a couple of hours until the correct amount of wort is in the kettle. It’s a tricky process and requires a fair degree of skill to ensure the wort is sparkling and bright.

FERMENT Add your yeast of choice – about one billion to 10 billion yeast cells per litre of wort will do nicely – and a lick of pure oxygen to make them feel at home. Almost immediately your yeast will start to multiply until they’ve used up all the oxygen, and after 6-12 hours they’ll start to chew on the sugars, excreting alcohol and carbon dioxide. The early starters will also begin to fall by the wayside and ride the bubbles up to the surface of the fermenting beer, causing a thick foaming, bubbling white/brown head. After four to seven days the yeast will begin to run out of puff and sugar and fall or flocculate down in the bottom of the tank. Not all the sugar will be consumed, some of the longer chain sugars or dextrins produced during the mash will remain in the beer giving it a richer, rounded mouth-feel – without these dextrins, all beer would taste thin and watery.

MATURATION/LAGERING After all that hard work, the yeast is left for a couple of days to clean up some of the less savoury flavours it has produced, such as diacetyl and sulphur, and then it’s crash cooled to around zero degrees Celcius and left. For an ale we might need just a couple of days, for a lager, and especially a pilsner, this might be a matter of months before the flavours have

rounded and developed enough. Unsurprisingly, this extended cold maturation is often referred to as lagering from the German word lagern – to store. It’s an expensive and space consuming exercise and is often minimised for economic reasons. Do lagers really require such an extended period of maturation? Yes they do, but a great label and a largely unknowing public will let the pretenders sneak through unnoticed.

FILTERING/CARBONATION/PACKAGING Most of us like our beers sparkling and bright and we can either use various filtration methods to achieve this, or do as the English do and add dried fish bladders to their beer to make it settle out quickly. Yum. An appropriate amount of carbon dioxide is injected into the beer to give it a fizz and then there’s a choice to be made. If all beer was drunk straight from the keg just down the road from the brewery, we could package the beer as is, but as we know, this isn’t the case.

With beers being transported sometimes across continents and sitting for long periods on shelves and in warehouses, like any food, it needs to be stabilised. Choose either sterile filtration (best for the beer but risky), flash pasteurisation (not as good for the beer but safe-ish) or bottle pasteurisation (very safe but not that great for the beer).

BOIL Add bittering hops to taste, and boil vigorously for an hour or so. Boiling extracts bitterness, coagulates cloudy proteins and sterilises your wort. Add some more hops through the boil as you wish – the later you add, the more flavour and less bitterness you’ll get. Once the boil has finished, the bitter wort is spun in a whirlpool to remove much of the solids – made up of hop matter, protein and probably a little grain. The wort is now ready for fermentation, apart from the fact that it’s still nearly boiling which would kill all the yeast. Cool it through a heat-exchanger and into a sparklingly clean and sanitised fermenter. From now on, great care is needed. You’ve created a beautiful, tasty, sweet, nutrient rich liquid, the perfect home for brewing yeast – along with every other bug and bacteria that you can think of. Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation is now your imperative.

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° MEET °

JAMES HALLIDAY Legendary Wine Critic and Vigneron D

rinks World is a little excited to be collaborating with one of the world’s leading wine critics – James Halliday.

Throughout each Drinks World edition we will feature wine reviews, opinions and insights into the fascinating world of wine. Read on and get to know James Halliday and his first piece on the structure of the wine and winery rating systems.

BEING JAMES HALLIDAY Respected wine critic and vigneron James Halliday AM has a career that spans 45 years, but he is most widely known for his witty and informative writing about wine. As one of the founders of Brokenwood in the Lower Hunter Valley, New South Wales, and thereafter of Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, James is an unmatched authority on every aspect of the wine industry, from the planting and pruning of vines through to the creation and marketing of the finished product. His winemaking has led him to sojourns in Bordeaux and Burgundy, and he has had a long career as a wine judge in Australia and overseas. In 1995 he received the wine industry’s ultimate accolade, the Maurice O’Shea Award. In 2010 James was made a Member of the Order of Australia. James has written or contributed to more than 70 books on wine since he began writing in 1979. His books have been translated into Japanese, French, German, Danish, Icelandic and Polish, and have been published in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as in Australia. He is the author of Varietal Wines, James Halliday’s Wine Atlas of Australia and The Australian Wine Encyclopedia.

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TASTING AND RATING WINE WORDS ° James Halliday

I

n the lead up to this year’s Wine Companion, I had cause once again to think about the structure of the wine and winery rating systems, a journey without an obvious end point…

Stripping the process of rating wines back to ground zero may help explain the seemingly magical/arbitrary/subjective selection of a numeric signpost. It may be a 5-star system, usually with half stars permitted; it may be points out of 20; or it may be points out of 100. I have happily worked with all three systems, and still use the 5-star approach to vertical tastings of a particular wine, and 20 (less and less) or 100 points for general tastings or the occasional wine show I still get talked into.

The star system is used to emphasise that I am focussing on the quality of each vintage in the context of the particular wine. It says little about how many points the wine might receive in a normal tasting with a far broader scope of region, vintage and/or variety.

THE MECHANICS OF TASTING Common to all situations is the mechanics of the way I taste. First up, provided the light is good, I pay particular attention to the wine’s colour, be it white or red, young or mature.

Clarity is a prime requirement, not to be sacrificed on the altar of the no-fining, nofiltration nostrum that goes hand-in-glove with murmurings of ‘hand-crafted with passion’, or other similar gibberish.

I make a written note of the colour, but space may mean it has to be dropped once the full

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... much of the process is, or should be, objective. But there is an element that is subjective, and can be extremely difficult to quantify. It is one of the areas of wine show judging that gives rise to the most interesting debate, and is best explained as STYLE.

note has been written. Next, I carefully smell the bouquet, swirling (and assessing) the wine at least twice; sometimes more. If a clear message is delivered, I will write a description there and then; if it is less emphatic I will take the first sip, most probably without actively predetermining how substantial this may be.

If, large or small, it builds coherently on the message of the bouquet, I will combine the description of the aromas and flavours as if they are one and the same. Where the palate delivers additional flavour information, or has noteworthy texture or structure, I separate the commentary on the two components.

Having written as much as is needed, I then return for a final smell and taste, with only one purpose in mind – to decide how many points (or stars) the wine should receive. There is already a storehouse of information that has led to a general feel about the wine – outstanding, very good, good, mediocre or poor – and the final analysis is simply pinpointing where, within the broader classification, the wine sits.

THE WINEMAKER’S IMPRINT That much of the process is, or should be, objective. But there is an element that is subjective, and can be extremely difficult to quantify. It is one of the areas of wine show judging that gives rise to the most interesting debate, and is best explained as style. How obvious are the winemaker inputs? Do they serve to amplify the inherent quality of the wine, or rather the imprint of the winemaker’s thumbs? Does this imprint open up new horizons that should be further explored, or is it (perhaps cruelly) simply a testament to the winemaker’s ego?

These considerations are most obvious in red wines and barrel-fermented and matured white wines, least obvious with stainless steel fermented and early-bottled white wines.

Taking two examples will serve to explain the dynamic nature of the evolution of style.

First is the treatment of cool-grown chardonnay within the larger context of the buttercup yellow, overtly oaky, wines that the UK found irresistible

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in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s (and which still live in the memory of those who haven’t caught up with the fundamental changes of the past 10 to 15 years).

This is not the place to launch into a lengthy dissertation on all of the new approaches and choices in making high-quality chardonnay other than to say elegance, balance and understated power is the broad aim, with oak, extract and alcohol all under tight control, allowing the sense of place maximum opportunity to express itself. The principle bone of contention is ultrarefined, low-alcohol versions that threaten to cross over into sauvignon blanc territory.

The situation with whole-bunch fermentation of red wines is very different. Here there are many schools of thought, with advocates of zero whole-bunch in the blue corner, total wholebunch in the red corner, the fight still in the early rounds (and plenty of sub-choices to play with).

Pinot noir and – increasingly – shiraz are the main battlegrounds.

Wine show judging brings these issues of style into focus, and helps the journey to reach some conclusions. Sommeliers are taking an ever-increasing role, with style weighing more heavily than in all other courts of opinion.

Natural wine is a prime example of this, making conventional wine assessment superfluous.

THE POINT SYSTEM I will finish with a few comments on the points for the 8958 wines in the 2016 Wine Companion. 76% of the wines scored 94 points or less, 28% received 89 points or less. Thus, those who regard my points as excessively generous only see 24% of the story; when I write each Weekend Australian Magazine article, I am conscious that there are fewer than 50 articles per year. I take the view that it is of greater interest to read about wineries producing excellent wines, particularly if there is a story attached, leaving another 2766 wineries to make their play in the Wine Companion database.

Wine show judging brings issues of style into focus, and helps the journey to reach some conclusions. Sommeliers are taking an ever-increasing role, with style weighing more heavily than in all other courts of opinion.

CHANGES TO THE SCORING SYSTEM There has been a progressive adoption of the 100-point system in wine shows and in reviews by other commentators. The majority follow the system outlined below, which I used in precisely this form in the 2016 Wine Companion. Space means that only 3859 notes are printed in full in this book, with points, drink-to dates and prices for a further 2629 wines. Tasting notes for all wines receiving 84 points or above appear on winecompanion.com.au GOLD

EXCEPTIONAL. Wines that have won a major trophy or trophies in important wine shows, or are of that standard.

SILVER

Wines on the cusp of gold medal status, virtually indistinguishable from those wines receiving 95 points.

BRONZE

RECOMMENDED. Wines on the cusp of silver medal standard, the difference purely a judgement call.

SPECIAL VALUE Wines considered to offer special value for money within the context of their glass symbol status.

ACCEPTABLE. Wines of good commercial quality, free from significant fault.

OUTSTANDING. Wines of gold medal standard, usually with a great pedigree.

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Wines of silver medal standard; wines of great quality, style and character, and worthy of a place in any cellar.

Wines of bronze medal standard; well-produced, flavoursome wines, usually not requiring cellaring.

OVER TO YOU. Everyday wines, without much character, and/or somewhat faulty.

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History of

WORDS ° Ken Gargett

T

he story of Champagne as a wine falls firmly into the category of tales stranger than fiction.

Like a number of the great wine regions, the monks played a crucial role, the Benedictines in this case. Vineyards were largely the preserve of the monasteries and the wine from them consecrated. There was much more to it, of course.

As they say in the world of property – location, location, location. In 496 AD, Clovis was crowned as the first King of France. It took place in the Cathedral at Reims, as did so many subsequent coronations. The bishop anointing Clovis lived near Epernay, amidst the vines. Consequently, the wines used for the

Consecration were from Champagne. A tradition commenced and a region was born. The link was strengthened, several centuries later, when the Countess of Champagne married the then King of France. Champagne, again, was used for the consecration, served at the celebrations and given to Royal visitors. Its reputation grew and it began to be enjoyed far beyond its boundaries.

It remains the wine of celebration for the world, no matter the event – weddings, christenings, coming of age, sporting victories, international treaties, launching ships and so much more. It is claimed that in the last moments of his life as he awaited execution in the Concièrgerie prison, Philippe d’Orléan’s last request was for Champagne – truly the wine of kings.

Of course, in its earliest form, Champagne was not the sparkling, crystal clear gem we enjoy today. It was a weak, pinkish wine, devoid of any

fizz, and the vignerons of the day fought hard to keep it that way, though they did want more colour. One devastating description of the wine was “grey”. There are even tales of winemakers in Champagne adding elderberries to improve the colour of their wines. Champagne’s location, north of Burgundy, always meant that the wines would be lighter, more acidic and with less body than the wines emerging from their southern neighbour. There was a fierce and enduring rivalry between the two regions, with Burgundy holding an advantage as it was able to get far better colour in its wines. Champagne however, returned serve with its location, especially as the trade route from Paris to Burgundy went directly through Champagne, enabling the locals to offer cheaper alternatives to the wines of Burgundy. Over time, many local winemakers moved to making the less popular white wines,

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Britain has been crucial in both the development of Champagne as a style and its popularity around the globe.

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but they found the best examples of white wine came from red grapes, such as Pinot Noir.

Pressure within the bottle was also causing a problem; if the cold weather in winter had stopped the fermentation, as often happened, there was the danger that as spring brought warmer days, fermentation would kick off again in the bottle. This would leave unsightly dead yeast cells in the bottle and cause unwanted fizz through the carbon dioxide created from this fermentation – the bubbles were considered a fault in those days (contrary to popular myth, the monk, Dom Perignon, worked hard to prevent his wines from having any bubbles – hardly what one would expect from someone alleged to have “invented” Champagne, though his contribution to the development of Champagne was extensive) – and most dangerously of all,

greatly increase the risk of exploding bottles.

The problem was exacerbated in Champagne cellars as if one bottle exploded, it was not uncommon for it to set off a chain reaction. A House could lose a significant percentage of its production in the blink of an eye.

Inevitably, where barrels or bottles of these wines were transported long distances, there was an increased possibility of these problems, to French dismay. In one market, however, this was not an issue. The British were developing quite a taste for bubbles in their wines. It was a taste especially enjoyed by royalty and, after the death of Louis XIV, adopted in France. Louis XV lifted the restrictions on transporting wine in bottles, which had held back sales until then.

Now, the aim of the vignerons was to create wines with sparkle. Unfortunately, most had no

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clue how to do this and even if they did, there was still the problem of exploding bottles – not a big positive for sales!

Britain has been crucial in both the development of Champagne as a style and its popularity around the globe. This dates back centuries; the earliest record of wine from Champagne landing in England is a shipment of wine from Aÿ, received in 1518 by Henry VIII’s chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.

The British preference for bubbles is traced back to the exile of the popular Marquis de Saint-Évremond, a well-respected epicurean, to London. He was a devotee of Champagne, and tireless promoter, though his preference was typically French at the time – for the still version. As local nobility adopted his passion for the wines of Champagne, orders increased

and large quantities of wooden barrels of Champagne were soon crossing the Channel.

Local merchants bottled the wine in London but they still faced the same issue of weak bottles exploding where fermentation had kicked off again in warmer temperatures. But what was successfully bottled often had that inimitable sparkle.

It was this time that some of the major problems facing these wines were overcome, most notably exploding bottles (it still happens in the Champagne cellars today, though it is much, much rarer and consumers need have no fear that it will happen to any Champagne they buy). English glass makers were using coal-fired ovens, while the French persisted with woodfired ovens. The difference was that the English could produce stronger glass bottles, just what

was needed to prevent unplanned explosions.

The English also revived and improved the use of cork as stoppers. It meant that when Londoners opened their Champagne, it sparkled.

They loved it. The English scientist, Christopher Merret, conducted various tests and prepared a report on this phenomenon, as far back as 1662.

It is believed that British merchants were adding sugar to the wine, before bottling, in order to create ‘sparkling Champagne’, even before the French had cottoned on. References to foaming Champagne appear reasonably regularly in writings – poems and plays – of the day.

Back in France, after Louis XIV passed and Philippe II became the Regent of France, sparkling Champagne enjoyed a huge boost to its popularity as Parisians followed the Duke’s lead. Even with this, it is estimated that by the

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end of the 18th century, at least 90 per cent of the region’s production was still, slightly pink and fairly unexciting wine.

It was now that we began to see the emergence of some of the Champagne Houses we know today. 1729 saw Ruinart open its doors. Gosset had been making still wine since 1584 and they also moved to sparkling. In 1743, Claude Moët established what was to become the most famous House of all. Other household names with long histories include Taittinger in 1734, Veuve Clicquot in 1772, Louis Roederer in 1776 (though it did not take its current name until 1833), Heidsieck (in its initial incarnation) in 1785, Perrier-Jouët in 1811, Mumm in 1827, Bollinger in 1829, Krug in 1843 and Pommery in 1858.

The major advance, and without it Champagne would likely be little more than a curiosity today, was riddling/remuage, which solved the issue of removing dead yeast from the bottles. This happened in 1818, at the hand of Madame Clicquot and her kitchen table, or more likely her cellar master, Antoine Muller, depending which account one wishes to believe. In 1836, the invention of a device to measure the level of sugar in wine allowed winemakers to add

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the amount of sugar necessary to create the fizz, but not so much as to induce the bottle to explode. This was crucial, although it took some fifty years before these calculations became commonplace. Then came the legendary Louis Pasteur and his discovery of the role yeasts played in fermentation. In 1854, the national railway system finally connected Reims with the rest of the country, most importantly the ports. Champagne was now linked to the world and production reached the dizzy heights of 20 million bottles annually during this decade, up from a mere 300,000 bottles in 1800.

It was the beginning of a golden age for Champagne, but the region has certainly had its ups and downs since then. Some of the more difficult events include two World Wars, phylloxera, the economic devastation caused by events such as the Russian Revolution, the Great Depression (and the GFC) and Prohibition, and the riots in 1911.

The railways were to have an unforeseen impact, as large quantities of much cheaper grapes from other regions could now be shipped in, made in the region and passed off as Champagne. With tough economic times upon them and the scourge of phylloxera, many

Champagne growers were in deep financial trouble. The 1910 vintage, beset by hail and floods, saw the loss of 96 per cent of the crop.

The riots of January 1911, were inevitable.

They led to the government passing legislation which defined where Champagne must come from, but they excluded the Aube region, ensuring further future turmoil, not least from the growers in the Marne who were dismayed that the Aube was eventually included as part of Champagne. Then came the utter devastation of WWI, where the region lost half its population, not to mention the damage caused to wineries and vineyards. In 1919, the government passed legislation to bring about the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, often referred to as the AOC – which enshrined boundaries and also established and regulated winemaking practices.

Through the unbeatable combination of sheer quality and brilliant marketing, Champagne has become a household name and the immediate choice for celebration. There are many great sparkling wines around the globe, but none which can match Champagne in all its glory. In 2014, 308 million bottles were sold, at a value of 4.5 billion Euros.

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