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Old School New
Exploring Bourbon and Whiskey Cocktail Paradigms
Some believe whiskey to be on the forefront of the cocktail
revolution. In the United Kingdom, this is perhaps true, but here in
the United States, where sweet and fruity is king, whisk(e)y cocktails
often are still just a niche item.
However, savvy and creative mixologists and bar operators are making
waves and turning heads with their tasty creations. If slow and steady
wins the race, whiskey could take the prize as the ultimate mixer and
recapture its former crown atop the
cocktail world.
In truth, white spirits cocktails are relatively new. Grab a drinks
recipe book from a century ago and you will find a great majority of
these libations to be based upon either whiskey or brandy. As brown
spirits improved in both quality and stature, a trend toward using
these drams as solo performers grew. Today, many consumers find it
blasphemous to get these spirits near ice and a shaker.
Particular Palates
Setting aside, for the moment, any concerns of whiskey cocktail
acceptance, creating tasty and memorable whiskey cocktails is no simple
task. Whiskey comes to the party with a whole range of flavors and
aromas. A clumsy hand can trample all over these flavors, resulting in
a drink that has masked its star performer.
Whiskey cocktails seek harmony. Mike Miller of Chicago’s whiskey Mecca
Delilah’s (which offers an impressive 350-plus whiskeys from 11
countries) says, “Brown spirits are already drinks, while white spirits
are waiting for something to mix with. Whiskey is not only the base, it
is the primary flavor of a good whiskey cocktail.”
Kieran Walsh of Solstice Lounge in San Francisco prefers the innovative
to the classics, and his approach has been successful. Like Miller in
Chicago, Walsh insists that the mixologist’s task is to highlight the
flavor of the primary spirit. He uses a wide range of whiskeys.
Everything from blended Scotch whisky to single malts from Scotland,
Ireland and Japan, as well as bourbon, is all fair game.
A growing trend among distillers, and now merchant bottlers, is to use
unique wood casks for finishing whiskey. Cleverly, the whiskey
producers are creating a sort of cocktail by adding a foreign flavor,
via a freshly used barrel, to their mature spirit. From this philosophy
springs forth a cocktail Walsh calls the Rising Sun, which features
Yamazaki 12-year-old single malt with fresh pinot noir juice, dry
vermouth and orange bitters.
Mike Miller prefers fine tuning the classics. He scrutinizes each step
and each addition, being careful to never disturb the core, whiskey.
When making his Manhattan, he first places a raw sugar cube on a napkin
and carefully doses it with two types of bitters. “What soaks through
to the napkin is left behind,” he says. “Too much bitters kills a good
Manhattan.”
In an environment swirling with brightly colored and licentiously
sugary concoctions flowing without effort, why would an establishment
venture into the arena of whiskey cocktails? First, in a climate of
fickle loyalties, being a pacesetter always attracts a flock. American
consumers eventually abandoned their wine coolers and white zinfandel
for dry and sophisticated wines. Cocktail preferences are trending on
the same ascension.
The iron is hot, and suppliers are keen to broaden whiskey’s appeal.
The big whiskey brands, importers and usual suspects offer a wealth of
knowledge and support. Take advantage of
it. NCB
Sean Ludford is a spirits expert and contributor to Beverage Experts, an online resource located at www.beverageexperts.com.
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