Tim was recently interviewed by Time Out Chicago about tonic water. Read it here.

Congratulations to the Vegas team and Tad. It was a lot of fun. Hot and sweaty, but a lot of fun.

At first I bypassed the RAW tasting room for being too crowded and headed for the Zacapa tasting. (It doesn’t take much of an arm twisting to get me to taste me some Zacapa. Good news if you haven’t heard: They’re launching the XO in the States later this year.)

After laying down a decent foundation of Zacapa, and being told by Neyah to check out Eric Seed’s rum, we headed over to the RAW tasting, a room chock full of delicious. The tasting was designed to showcase producers pet projects that haven’t come to market just yet.

I need to apologize in advance for the lack of detailed tasting notes. It was far to crowded to take much in the way of notes.

Eric and the Haus Alpenz table was mobbed, so I said hi to Brian Ellison from Death’s Door Spirits and had a quick taste of the maple whiskey he’s working on with our good friend, Adam Seger. The mash is a blend of wheat and barley to which they add maple syrup. There was some nice woodiness to it and it drank very easily and had a ton of color for only a year in barrel.

Haus Alpenz couldn’t wait any longer. There was no way to know what they would be pouring (the program said they didn’t know what they’d have), there was no doubt that it would be good. Dear Mr. Seed doesn’t have a very large portfolio, but it’s fantastic and full of things geared directly towards cocktail nerds. First up was Aperitivo Cocchi Americano, essentially Kina Lillet, what Lillet was before they changed up the formula in 1986 and pulled out the quinine. Very nice with a finish that went on for miles. Also on hand was a red version, Borral Gentiane Quina from the Chartreuse mountains.

It’s been a couple of years since I first met Eric. At that point he was just launching his Batavia Arrack and had a rough version of Swedish Punch. (For the non-cocktail geeks, Batavia Arrack is a rum made in Java with a touch of red rice added to the sugar cane in the mash. Swedish Punch is Batavia Arrack that’s been spiced up a bit.). Now he’s making a Swedish Punch that’s fantastic, all full of sweet, spice and smoke.

The Haus also has a pot-distilled Jamaican rum that drinks far smoother than the 114 proof it carries (Neyah’s advice was well heeded), and Rothman and Winter has added a cherry liqueur to its line up.

Also worth noting was Tuthilltown’s Hickory Rye whiskey: a rye with the addition of hickory extract, lending it a piney, resiny note. Very interesting.

All in all, the pet projects session had some fascinating spirits. Hope to see them on the market soon.

When you approach Latrobes on Royal Street, it’s difficult not to smile a bit as you are filled with the very essence of New Orleans. An incredible bit of history, built in 1822 as a bank, the space provided the perfect back drop for my first event at Tales this year.

Hosted by Benedictine, we weren’t sure what to expect as we passed through the entryway greeted by robe-clad gents. Each guest was handed small burlap pouch with two wax coins- one would tell your fortune, one would get you cocktail….ok, we’re off to a good start.

Models painted as statues flanked the interior as more “Brothers” worked the bars, doling out cocktails prepared with the classic spirit. The dichotomy of indie dance music and groups of roving monks set the tone.

After imbibing a few drams of the secretive spiced spirit and being designated as “nobility” by a vampire-nailed clairvoyant, we thought it best to jump venture to visit our friends at Cure- we chose wisely.

Not having been back to NOLa since last summer, this was my first trip to the new-ish venue. Well worth the short cab ride up to Freret Street, this lounge is a must do location. An open corner location, exposed brick and simple, clean design punctuate the space. Three bartenders, including Kirk Estopinal (formerly of Chicago), skillfully slung the sauce- not forgetting to have a good time in the meanwhile.

I recommend trying a few drinks off the menu (Loved the El Paraiso- Miller’s gin, Damiana Mayan liqueur, lemon, & fee aromatic), but the real fun begins when you grab a copy of the book the crew has put together. “Rogue Cocktails” is a compilation of 40 drinks, classic and contemporary, this is sure to peak your interest. Cocktails with 2 ounces of bitters, inordinate amounts of Amaro, and more read like a train crash but somehow emerge as balanced culinary creations. I’ll work my way through the book in future blogs when I’m back on home turf, but for now I have a Cynar flip to attend to.

One of the most anticipated spirit and cocktail events of the year kicks of today in New Orleans. Tim and I arrived in the Big Easy Tuesday evening, welcomed back by the thick air that could only be NOLa. We’ll be covering all of the action this week, attending seminars and events and doing our part to imbibe our way through Tales all in the name of research. These are the sacrifices we make for our readers- don’t say we never gave you anything. Check out the official website.

A couple of months ago Camper English wrote a piece for Imbibe about modern day moonshiners. I found out on Sunday that some may be coming my way. Last night a plastic Barton’s vodka bottle showed up. Thankfully, it held something far cooler than vodka.

It was distilled in a custom made copper and silver(!) still from a 100% corn mash and weighed in at 131 proof. I generally make it a point to taste everything neat first, looking for the perception of heat. I’ve tasted cask strength whiskeys that drink with far less heat than some 80 proof whiskeys. So, at 131 proof it had the highest alcohol content of anything I’ve tasted. (Except that time Charles made that tincture with grain alcohol and we tasted it. I was going to cut it with a little water, but he didn’t and I didn’t want to look like a little girl. I should have looked like a little girl.) For all the alcohol in there, it didn’t burn on the nose. Even my wife, who doesn’t have the acquaintance I do with high test booze, agreed. There were definitely the aromas of alcohol, but none of the fire. There was a nice, rounded sweetness that I’ve noticed in other white dogs.

It was when I went to taste it that the proof made itself known. I had to close my eyes against the sting. On the palate, though, not a huge burn. Certainly not enough for this kind of booze. There were, not entirely unpleasant notes, of dirt and slate.

Cutting it with about an equal measure of water rounded out the nose, at which point it reminded me of a grappa without the juvenile delinquent attitude. The dirt and slate were still there, but there was also a distinct apple note.

With a little time in wood, this could be a passable whiskey. It’ll certainly be better the the bottles of rotgut that wind up on the bottom shelf of the liquor store.

They’ll be starting the next batch soon and maybe even tackling a peach brandy. In the meantime, they’re looking over their shoulders, waiting for the revenuers.

“He has equal parts passion and whisky running through his veins,” with only a slight smirk and undeniable reverence, U.S. Glenfiddich ambassador Freddy May said introducing us to the guest of honor.

Mr. Ian Miller, Master Distiller and Global Glenfiddich Ambassador, took the floor at Branch 27 on Monday evening. The night was to be an “insiders look” at Glenfiddich 15yr Solera, with the unique opportunity to try each of its components unblended and at cask strength.

The room was filled with a select group of industry celebs and scotch lovers- including the venerable Mike Miller of Delilah’s and Bottom Lounge and Bret Pontoni, buyer for Illinois spirit juggernaut, Binny’s Beverage Depot. A light atmosphere, pointed with sarcastic jabs, one-liners, singing, and cheers of “up yours” didn’t detract from the subject at hand- artisanal, finely balanced whisky.

The Spirit
The process behind this particular whisky is definitely worth getting into. The finished product is a combination of three individually aged spirits that are then blended and barreled using the “solera” method (more on that later).
The three parts are:
1) Whisky aged in used American oak casks for 15 years at about 111°. These will be reused 2-3 times before being repurposed.
2) Whisky finished in new, toasted American oak casks at about 120.2°.
3) Whiskey aged in used, Spanish sherry casks for 15 years.

These three spirits are then combined in a solera vat (the exact blend is a proprietary secret. It’s one of those “if they told you, they’d have to kill you” kind of things) that holds 5 ½ to 6 thousands gallons of delicious single malt. At no time is more than ½ of this vat drawn off for bottling, leaving a large portion for newly matured barrels to be added. This brings us to the solera method.

Solera in Short: Trickle down blending
The “solera” style of aging is most closely associated with sherry, but can also be found throughout the spirit and food world in brandy, wine, vinegars and more.
In a word, this method of aging and blending is used for one reason: consistency.
Although the Scotch industry is not bound by the strict laws enforced by the sherry industry when it comes to solera, the idea is the same.

The bottom layer, or the solera, contains a blend of the oldest spirits. It is from these barrels that the whisky is drawn off (never more than half in this case) and sent off for bottling. The empty portion of the barrel is filled with the next oldest spirit and so on, all the way to the top, with the youngest barrels receiving new distillate. The result is a recipe for an incredibly consistent product with an average age considerably older than the 15 year minimum for this Scotch.

In The End
It was incredibly interesting to taste through each portion of the blend- sherry cask, new American oak, and used oak- as there was no polite place to spit, I wasn’t rude, I drank my drink.

As fate would have it, work called an early end to my evening with the gents from Glenfiddich. Judging by the company at the event, I trust my Chicago brethren continued to show them a warm, Midwest welcome. If anything is right in the world, they needed a pinch of hair of the dog in the morning.

Tasting Notes:
I couldn’t get over the honey finish in this whisky. It lacked the more aggressive, spirited finale of the 12yr label. This makes for a nice “session” sipper and should find the American drinkers palate quite well.

Other notes include a bouquet of spices, pepper, bitter citrus peel, hints of sulfur aroma at times, and mocha highlights.

Here’s what the Beverage Tasting Institute says.

Cost: 35.99-44.99$

Official Glenfiddich Website

Welcome to Angel’s Share Mixology! You’re joining us at a very exciting and busy time, as we launch both our beverage program consulting company and blog. Both sites will be evolving resources, so check back often for the latest news, recipes, and updates. You can follow us here, at angels-mixology.com, on facebook and twitter. With frequent travels, lots of experimentation, and constantly trying to expand our knowledge, we hope to offer relevant, interesting insight in to all the happenings in the beverage and hospitality industry.

So does the world need another cocktail consultant and spirits blog??? Well, Tim and I think it does and hope you agree with us. We have been working behind the stick at the Drawing Room together for a bit over a year (with 25+ years in the industry between us). Although we express our craft in different styles, we share a common end goal: to create unique, balanced cocktails and provide a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere that invites our guests to feel at home and raises the expectation of what a cocktail can be. We seek to welcome folks into the world of fresh ingredient, hand crafted cocktails by education rather than intimidation. We are in the midst of a cocktail renaissance launched and being nurtured by a generation of extraordinarily dedicated service industry professionals (there are too many great names to list, we’ll have links to other great blogs and websites ASAP) , I couldn’t be more proud to have been exposed to the movement over the past several years. Tim and I are looking to do our part to spread the word and share what we have learned with the public, bartenders, venue operators, and spirit companies. We hope to play a part in the growth of this movement and help quality drinks be an expectation not the exception.

Thanks stopping by and please check back soon! If there’s a topic you’d like to hear about, don’t hesitate to shoot us a note. If you’re in Chicago, let us know, we’ll have a glass chilling for you.

All the Best,

Tim & Charles