Some New Whiskeys

I sometimes find the recent, non-stop onslaught of new, better, rarer, more precious and more prestigious whiskeys to be somewhat overwhelming. But the whiskey industry does not really care about my dizzy spells, so they keep on coming out with new versions of their dark amber product. Chuck Cowdery, who has an estimable blog about American whiskey, was good enough to round up the a list of Yankee-born coming attractions. See if you can keep them straight:

Parker's Heritage Golden Anniversary. A limited edition bourbon to commemorate Parker Beam's 50 years as master distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery. 100° proof, $150, out now.

Jefferson's Presidential Select. A McLain & Kyne bottling of 17-year-old Stitzel-Weller wheated bourbon. 94° proof, $90, out now.

Four Roses Mariage 2009 Limited Edition bourbon. Four Roses is unique because it makes ten different bourbon recipes. This is a mixture of two of them, one at 19-years-old, the other at 10. 112.4° proof, $70, out mid-September.

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2009. This is actually five limited edition whiskeys: William LaRue Weller Wheated Bourbon, Eagle Rare 17-year-old Bourbon, George T. Stagg Bourbon, Thomas H. Handy Rye, and Sazerac 18-year-old Rye. Various proofs, prices $60+, out October.

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 2009. Two releases, both double-barreled. The 1993 vintage spent 8-years in a new barrel followed by 8 more in another new barrel. The 1997 vintage spent 8-years in a new barrel follwed by 4 more in another new barrel. If you want to experience what that tastes like, buy both. If you just want the one that tastes good, buy the 1997. Proof and price unknown. Out October.

Rittenhouse Very Rare 25-year-old Single Barrel Rye. Heaven Hill has done something very interesting here, they have sold this same batch of whiskey at 21-, 23-, and now 25-years-old. Proof and price unknown. Release date unknown.

Mad Men and Drinking, Season Three, Part I

"Mad Men"'s third season is two shows into its run, so perhaps it's time to look at some of the specifics of the AMC series' depiction of the substantial drinking life of Americans in the early 1960s, and Madison Avenue ad men in particular.

The time is spring 1963. There have been some fun alcoholic cameos so far. Roger Sterling, one of the chiefs of the ad agency Sterling Cooper, sent home some contraband Stolichnaya vodka while on vacation in Greece with his new, young wife Jane. Stoli did not become available in the U.S. until 1972, when PepsiCo forged a landmark barter agreement with the then government of the Soviet Union, in which PepsiCo was granted exportation and Western marketing rights to Stolichnaya vodka in exchange for importation and Soviet marketing of Pepsi-Cola. So Stoli in 1963 was an exotic beast. Roger treats it as such, only letting executives of his rank sample it.

Otherwise, in Episode One (titled "Out of Town"), there's the usual parade of Martinis and Old Fashioned. Nobody is cutting down. There's an interesting scene at the end of the episode where Bert Cooper, who usually abstains from drinking, indulges in a brandy after a hard day.

In Episode Two ("Love Among the Ruins"), Sterling takes some Bailey's Irish Cream early in the day, and pours his ex-wife Mona some Sherry. Copywriter Peggy Olson is bought a Stinger by a young lothario in an Irish pub. "It's called a Stinger," he says. "I don't know what's in it." (Thus, we don't know if Peggy got one with brandy or the more trendy vodka.) An old cocktail, it was nonetheless in the public eye at that time, featured in the 1957 film "Kiss Them For Me," starring Cary Grant and Jayne Mansfield, and the 1960 film "The Apartment" starring Jack Lemmon.

Art director Don Draper and his wife Betty are taken out to eat by Lane Pryce, the new Limey overlord of Sterling Cooper since it merged with a British company. Pryce makes a big show of ordering a bottle of Lafite-Rothschild 1949. This is perhaps the most significant appearance of a specific wine on the series since it began, and is a signifier of class. The British were much more deeply schooled in fine wine than Americans at that point. Mrs. Laine, a picture of snobbery, tells the waiter, "I'm very impressed that you have this." Betty's only reaction (and he drinks while pregnant) is "That's delicious." I don't doubt it.

The Beer That Tastes Like a Manhattan

Last week, I took Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver up on a long-standing invitation to tour the Williamsburg brewery.

I chose a good time to visit. As many have read recently, Oliver—inspired by the bartender Don Lee's bacon-infused bourbon Manhattan at PDT—is in the process of trying a create a bacon-infused beer. Like Lee, he is employing the ballyhooed bacon of Allan Benton. So, when I arrived, the entire brewery on 11th Street smelled of breakfast. Oliver allowed me a whiff of the special, smokey-smelling malt he's using for the beer, as well as the Benton's derived bacon fat, explaining that the two, put together, will create the illusion of bacon.

I'm hoping to tasted some of this Frankenstein creation when it's ready, but that may be a long shot. Oliver explained that he's only making 25 cases and it won't likely be made available to the consumer.

But, that's OK. Oliver is constantly inventing new potions, and many are available to the thirsty masses. The rate of creation is due mainly to the Brewmaster's Reserve series. Oliver comes up with a new beer every two months (that's six times a year), which is released in limited qualities in keg form and available at select bars.

Oliver is apparently currently obsessed with making beers taste like things that they are not, because the next Brewmaster's Reserve, called The Manhattan Project and due out on Sept. 15, is being made to taste like a Manhattan Cocktail.

Let's say that again. It's a beer that tastes like a Manhattan Cocktail.

Oliver said this is the first time he's used a cocktail (his favorite cocktail, FYI) as a model for a beer. (Cocktail expert David Wondrich is providing some counsel and advice.) Here's the plan. Thirty percent of the mash will be rye. Thirty percent of the beer will be aged in rye barrels from Rittenhouse. The wash will also be infused with a variety of herbs commonly found in vermouth. Also, some cherry juice many be involved in there somewhere.

Sounds delicious to me.

Bad Liquor Advertising

After years of surveying liquor advertising in subways car and stations, on the sides of buses, on bus shelters and telephone booths, and on the side of huge buildings in Times Square, it is my general contention that most liquor advertising is mind-numbingly, sense-offendingly bad. The approach of most campaigns appears to be to play to the sense of screamingly bad taste that apparently living in the core of us all.

Vodka is the greatest offender. I can think of few vodka ads right now that don't cause me to involuntarily turn away in revulsion. Gin is usually on the more dignified side. Take this Tanqueray ad. There are no trashy women in sight, no tattooed men. And I can live with the slogan "Resist Simple," even is the word "Simple" is reverse mirrored version of itself.

But, "Depth Your Mouth Can See"? It's a sentence any self-respected English major (as I am) would rebel against on sight. That phrase has a few miles to go if it's going to see the city limits of clever. And, somehow, the word "see" and "mouth" in the same sentence makes my stomach flip a bit. If resisting simple means the embracing of incomprehensible sentiments, I'll take simple.

Drink What "21" Drinks

Want to drink what the swells at the "21" Club drink, but at home? Here's your chance. The famed New York eatery is offering up some choice blocks of its overstuffed wine cellar holding for auction. The sale will take place at Christie's on Sept. 12. (The day after my birthday. Hint, hint.)

more than 630 bottles from the "21" cellars will be on the block.

What's available? Well, you know what those bigwigs like. Bordeaux and Burgundy. Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Mouton-Rothchild, Cheval-Blanc, Haut-Brion, as well as some slightly lesser bottles. Much of this is from the 2005 Bordeaux vintage, which has been heralded as hot stuff. There's also some from 2000, another big deal vintage, and '88, '85, '82, etc. I also saw some Rothschild, Latour and Haut-Brion from 1945 on the roster. Oldest? Some Romanee-Conti from 1934. Bring along $8,000 is you want a bottle.

You could get two bottles of Screaming Eagle 2006 for $3,500, a price that would make any eagle scream. Estimated prices in general range from $300 to $40,000 (1 jeroboam of Latour 1959), $45,000 (a jeroboam of Latour 1949) and $60,000 (three magnums of Cheval-Blanc 1947).

Don't have that much to spend? Go for the six half bottles of Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2003. Only $100. Poor riesling. Always undervalued.

When asked why they were getting rid of so much good wine, a spokesperson for "21" cited housekeeping. They've only got so much space in the basement, and they have to bring some new bottles in.

Manhattan Cocktail Classic Fleshes Out Seminar Line-Up

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, the new New York City-based, cocktail-centric industry event, has released a detailed run-down of its seminar line-up. Some of this information has already been announced—though the Sasah Petraske event appears to be a new addition—but the following capsule write-ups give you a better idea of what to expect in October.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

“Have Cocktail Shaker, Will Travel” with Charlotte Voisey & Simon Ford
Once the last legal cocktail was served on the eve of Prohibition in New York City, things would never be the same again. ‘Have cocktail shaker, will travel’ was the mindset of many a passionate barkeep in the 1920s when their craftsmanship turned criminal. Join Charlotte Voisey, Simon Ford, and other assorted friends for a jovial discussion on how New York has been influencing cocktail culture around the world for many years. Liquid refreshments will be served.

“Cocktails for Your Home Cocktail Party” with Sasha Petraske
Famed (and oft-elusive) owner and proprietor of Milk and Honey Sasha Petraske will demonstrate the basics of creating cocktails in the home. He will go over how to set up and stock home bars of varying degrees of seriousness, as well as cover different scenarios of cocktail entertaining – from temporarily taking over your friend’s kitchen
for a house party, to grabbing the reins at a fully-equipped bar. And of course, Sasha will teach you how to prepare some basic, ever-pleasing libations for these occasions. Participants will leave armed with a no-fail recipe list and a short set of directions for preparing basic cocktails with block ice and fresh juices.

“The Agave Session: The Magical Elixirs of Mexico” with Steve Olson and Special Guests
There is a heritage and culture associated with Tequila and Mezcal that dates back well over a thousand years, when the agave plant – also known as the maguey – was utilized by Mexico’s native peoples for virtually everything: from food and drink, to sugar, to shoes, soap, building supplies, and even medicine. Join us for an exciting tasting of this exotic elixir, each by artisan producers, as we pay homage to the heritage, history and culture of Mexico’s national spirit. It is also likely that agave-based libations will be consumed.

“The Many Faces of Cognac & Armagnac” with Julie Reiner, Charlotte Voisey & F. Paul Pacult
This one-time-only, comprehensive seminar joins celebrated master mixologists Julie Reiner and Charlotte Voisey with America’s spirits guru F. Paul Pacult on an extraordinary excursion deep into France's legendary AOC grape brandies, Cognac and Armagnac. Participants will first be taken on a guided tour of tasting a half-dozen remarkable brandies to see how these distilled and oak-matured cousins compare and contrast. Then, they will be treated to a Cognac cocktail, made by Julie, and an Armagnac cocktail, made by Charlotte. A rare opportunity to spend 90 minutes with three of America's most engaging spirits and cocktail personalities.

“History of the Cocktail in New York, 1810-1920” with Dave Wondrich
Among all the classes of American mixed drinks—the Cobblers, Sours, Fizzes, Coolers, Juleps and all the rest—the Cocktail stands as first among equals. If there’s something about a quick jolt of ice-cold, mixed-up boozy deliciousness that’s essentially American, then it’s quintessentially New York. And indeed, while many other cities have made key contributions to the Cocktail’s development, none has done so much as to shape it as Gotham. This seminar will attempt to track the interventions the city’s mixologists made in the idea of the Cocktail during the 110-odd years between its first documented appearance here and Prohibition. Liquid exhibits will be served.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

“Audrey and Gary’s Unparalleled Gin Palaver” with Audrey Saunders & Gary Regan
Audrey Saunders, Libation Goddess from New York’s Pegu Club, and perhaps the bartender most responsible for the resurgence of gin in the 21st century, will join Gary “gaz” Regan, author of The Joy of Mixology (2003) and The Bartender’s Gin Compendium (Fall 2009), to present gin-based cocktails, old, new, borrowed, and, well, you get the picture. They will wax lyrical on all things juniper; they will pontificate endlessly about the attributes of the Martini and of the MarTEAni, and they will display the splendor of cocktails made with dry gin, genever, Plymouth gin, and a most peculiar Old Tom. It’s probable that Saunders and Regan will flirt shamelessly throughout the workshop. The throwing of rotting fruit or vegetables will not be permitted.

“Glasses & Tools: How Do You Choose the Right Glass for a Drink?” with Dale DeGroff
The choice of glass can mean the difference between a successful and elegant drink, or a glass of booze. In a commercial operation, the choice of glass can impact dramatically on the bottom line. At the home bar, the choice of glass can have an impact on the success of your cocktail party, and the well-being of your guests. Explore the classics with Dale DeGroff as he culls his glass collection to find the perfect glass for well-known classics and the tools to make them successfully.

“Call of the Rye” with Allen Katz
Ryes, Ryes my beloved,
Meet me down by The Bowery.
There will I give you my love.

By history and culture,
With song, per chance dance,
A Savor to be kissed by kisses.

O, my dear, come…
Ryes at the day break.

As the shadows enter over Astor.
Awake.
Inhale.
O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly,
O, beloved.

“Sherry: The Cobbler and Beyond” with Andy Seymour
Sherry has long played an important role in the world of mixology and has emerged in this new age of the cocktail more popular than ever. Join Master Mixologist and U.S. Sherry Ambassador Andy Seymour for a fascinating look at one of the world’s most cocktail (and food) friendly wines. Taste five of the finest Sherry, representing its many styles, and sample cocktails that show off Sherry’s traditional side and what it is up to today. Come ready to shake, as Andy will lead the group in building their own version of the Sherry cobbler!

Every event seems to end with the line, "drinks will be served," don't they? And what exactly is a "cocktail personality"?

Now, That's Good Liquor Advertising

While the vodka and liqueur companies are busy selling their product through the use of bizarre robots, dissolute drunken celebutantes and off-putting hillbillies, Johnnie Walker has come up with an ad that is simultaneous entertaining, education, classy and atmospheric, and actually works beautifully as a short film. It's six-and-a-half minutes long (actually, five minutes, if you skip the credits), and stars Scottish actor Robert Carlyle narrating the history of the brand as he walks down a road in the Scottish highlands. It's thrillingly shot in one single take, a la Orson Welles.

Now, I watched this video last night. But this morning I can't find it. Everyplace I look, I find the disclaimer, "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Bartle Bogle Hegarty Limited." Sorry for the tease, but I honestly don't know where this video went.

UPDATE: Someone helped me find it. Here you go.