BourbonBlog.com joins our friends from Brugal Rum, which is the #1 Rum in the Caribbean, poolside at Tales of the Cocktail. At this event, Brugal releases Brugal 1888, a world class rum and first of its kind expression!
Brugal 1888′s artisanal crafting starts with a double distillation, followed by a careful selection of the best rums that undergo a double aging process. During the initial stages, these rums are aged in medium roasted American white oak casks (quercus alba), and then aged in European oak casks (quercus robur) that have previously been used for aging Sherry wines. The same casks that would aged for the Macallan Scotch Whisky.
The name of this Rum marks the year Brugal was founded (in 1888) and this special expression was launched to celebrate the expertise and rum-crafting skills of the Brugal family passed down through 5 generations of Maestros Roneros, Rum Masters.
During the pool party, we speak with Gustavo Ortega Zeller (5th generation Rum Master of the Brugal family), Marc Bromfeld, Director of Brugal Rum, Juan Campos Brand Development Manager.
We also sample Ron Brugal Blanco, Ron Brugal Añejo, Ron Brugal Extra Viejo and cocktails which have been masterfully created by mixologists with each rum.
Brugal Rum Pool Party at Tales of the Cocktail 2011, atop the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, LA
Wild Turkey Associate Distiller Eddie Russell, BourbonBlog Host Tom Fischer, and Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell Give the Bird to order you a Wild Turkey Bourbon
Give ‘em the Bird! If you’re wondering why BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer along with Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell and Associate Distiler Eddie Russell are all giving the finger, then perhaps you haven’t seen the new Wild Turkey commercial (watch the video at the bottom of this story).
“Give ‘em the Bird” is a new slogan at Wild Turkey Bourbon describing a way to order yourself or someone else a Wild Turkey Bourbon…It seems to accompany a few other “spirited” messages too.
We had several Wild Turkey Bourbons and Wild Turkey 81 cocktails during Tales of the Cocktail and talked with Eddie about his new creation Wild Turkey 81, which we were the first to bring you a review of in June.
Eddie tells us he created the 81 proof expression of Wild Turkey with the mixologists in mind for creating new Bourbon cocktails like the ones below created for Tales of the Cocktail 2011.
The Black Demure
Jimmy Russell Wild Turkey Bourbon Master Distiller
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Massenez Creme de Mure
1/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
2 oz Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon
Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain in Old Fashioned Glass over fresh ice.Garnish with a Blackberry.
Three Way
1/2 oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1/2 oz Cinzano Bianco1 oz
Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon
1 Dash Bitter Truth Xocolatl Mole Bitters
1 Dash Orange Bitters (1-1 Fee’s & Regan’s)
Stir all ingredients over ice.Strain into Coupe.
81 Old Fashioned
Eddie Russell Associate Distiller Wild Turkey Bourbon
Bourbon Street became a misty meadow for a midnight block party right outside the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans during Tales of the Cocktail 2011. ZU Vodka created this environment to compliment their brand and gave guests the opportunity to ride what they called the “World’s ONLY Mechanical Bison.”
There has been a great deal of interest and buzz surrounding ZU Vodka, read our review of it here. Mixologists at Tales of the Cocktail used this 600-year-old spirit to create follow recipes below.
Szarlotka
2 oz. ZU
3.5 apple juice
Combine and serve cold.
ZU Orleans Punch (Zu Orleans)
2 oz. ZU
0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz. St. Germain
5-6 fresh mint leaves
angostura bitters
4 oz. fever tree ginger ale
Combine all ingredients and serve.
Bison Tales Punch
1.5 oz. ZU
0.5 oz. Laird’s Applejack brandy
0.25 oz. Cointreau
0.25 oz. fresh lemon juice
4-5 fresh mint leaves
1 strand of fresh thyme
a pinch of: nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice
peychard bitters
dash of agave syrop
3 oz. apple cider
lemon & orange peels
Combine all ingredients and serve as punch
Photos by David Watson, Avi Glick and courtesy ZU Vodka.
Special thanks to Ana Jovancicevic and Shannon Fischer of Handcrafted PR
As BourbonBlog.com recently told you, Tom Fischer was among the first to sample the forthcoming the new Parker’s Heritage Cognac Finished Bourbon. Watch the new video interview with Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam and Alain Royer, Master Blender of Cognac from France at the Tales of the Cocktail 2011 grand unveiling.
This special tasting was so rare and early that there was only this picture bottle present at the Tasting Room.
Parker Beam tells us this is a 10 year old Bourbon with the same Evan Williams Single Barrel recipe which has been aged for six months in 2 to three year-old Limousin oak casks from France, in which Grande Champagne Cognac has been aged.
The herbal quality along with the oak and sweet Cognac flavors are sure to make this another Parker’s Heritage Collection that you won’t want to miss. However, we may take another opportunity to review this Bourbon once it is released and we aren’t on the run at Tales of the cocktail.
This is bottled without chill filtering, proof will be approximately 100. Parker says it will be around $85 a bottle and out in October 2011.
Filmed and edited by Avi Glick. Photos by David Watson
BourbonBlog.com tastes the new premium expression DRAMBUIE 15 at the Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans as we interview Anthony Caporale, DRAMBUIE U.S. Brand Ambassador. Anthony shared several of his original cocktail creations using the original DRAMBUIE with us, which we’ve included below.
DRAMBUIE 15 is a refined, drier expression of DRAMBUIE which bring the whisky more to the forefront of the flavor.
This is achieved by the careful selection of 15 year old Speyside malts with soft, complex fragrance and flavors to compliment the aromas of the secret DRAMBUIE recipe. DRAMBUIE 15 will soon be available nationwide for around $56 (1 liter, 43% ABV).
DRAMBUIE Highland Tea
In a mixing tin with ice, add:
2 oz. DRAMBUIE
2 oz. Fig Infused Black Tea*
1 Orange Peel, zest only (squeeze to extract oils and drop in tin)
Shake until the tin is frosted, double strain into a martini glass, float: ½ oz. Lavender Infused Cream (thicken in shaker with Dried Lavender Blossoms and double strain over bar spoon)
* steep 8 oz. hot water with loose-leaf Black Tea and 2 sliced dried
figs for about 5 minute
DRAMBUIE Golden Nail Very accessible flavor profile, easy to prepare, and ingredients carried by every bar.
In a mixing tin with ice, add:
1 oz. DRAMBUIE
1 oz. Dewar’s White Label
½ oz. Barenjager Liqueur
Juice of ½ Lemon
Shake until tin is frosted, strain into a martini glass, Garnish with 1 sprig fresh Lavender.
DRAMBUIE Burns Cocktail
A variation on a Robert Burns Cocktail with Drambuie added. Most RBC recipes call for presentation in a martini glass, but rocks gave it more of a Rusty Nail feel. Lowland Scotch is used since that’s where Robert Burns was born.
In a well-chilled highball glass, add:
1/4 oz. Absinthe
Swirl to coat inside of glass, discard excess, fill glass with ice.
In a mixing tin half-filled with ice, add:
1 oz. DRAMBUIE
1 oz. Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth
Shake until tin is frosted, strain into prepared highball glass, add:
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Garnish with an orange twist.
DRAMBUIE English Rose (The Royal Wedding Cocktail) Created for Drambuie to celebrate the Royal Wedding of William and Kate.
In a Champagne flute, add:
1 Sugar Cube
3 drops Orange Bitters
1 oz. DRAMBUIE
Slowly top with:
4 oz. chilled Blanc de Noirs Champagne
Splash Campari
3 drops Rosewater
Garnish with a thinly-sliced strawberry fanned and floated on top
All cocktail creations above created by mixologist Anthony Caporale using the original Drambuie
Video filmed and edited by Avi Glick.
BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer joins Hollis Bulleit and Tom Bulleit atop the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana for a tasting of Bulleit Bourbon the and Bulleit Rye during Tales of the Cocktail 2011. They all compare and review the Bulleit Bourbon and Rye and also learn more about how mixable both the Bulleit Rye and Bourbon can be in mixology from Josh Durr, Director of Research & Development, Hawthorne Beverage Group & Molecular Bartending LLC.
Three new Bulleit cocktail creations with Bulleit below..
Cupped Lightning : Bulleit Rye, Lemon, Apple, Firelit, Maple
2 Bulleit Rye
1/2 Lemon
3/4 Apple Juice (fresh pressed)
1/2 Firelit
1/2 Grade B Maple Syrup
Instructions : Shake/strain/Collins glass, Over ice
Glassware : Collins
Garnish : None
By. Dominic Venegas
Pres·ence: Bulleit Bourbon, East India Solera Sherry , Cynar, Orange
No matter where you’ll find us, at BourbonBlog.com we are open to dabbling and tasting spirits from across the globe. However, usually you’re more likely to find Tom’s nose in a glass rather than his fingers…hmm.
With an invitation like this one from Flor de Caña Rum and Ed Hamilton and The Ministry of Rum, we had to visit this “Rum Experience Like No Other,” which was led by Ed Hamilton, one of the world’s top authorities on rum. This Tasting Room and short seminar gave Tales of the Cocktail guests the chance to discover one of Nicaragua’s best kept secrets in Flor de Caña.
We tasted some rare expressions of Flor de Caña like the Centenario 21, Commemorative Edition, while Latin dancers move to the rhythm of Salsa and Merengue. Some talented mixologists were mixing up Daiquiris and serving The Macuá made with the 7 year old Flor de Caña, recipes below…
Flor de Caña Daiquiri
2 oz Flor de Caña 4 Year Rum
3/4 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Instructions:
Combine over ice in shaker tin, shake and strain.
Ed Hamilton of Ministry of Rum and BourbonBlog.com's Tom Fischer
The Macuá
1 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Rum
1 oz guava juice
1 oz orange juice
½ oz lemon juice
1/3 oz simple syrup
1 orange slice
1 cherry
Instructions:
Fill _ of a cocktail shaker with ice and add Flor de Caña rum, guava juice, orange juice, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake well and pour over ice into a highball glass. Garnish with orange and cherry
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Two first ever’s from Four Roses Bourbon at their Tasting Room at Tales of the Cocktail 2011. The first is the chance to sample all ten of the Four Roses unique recipes at barrel proof. The only other time this opportunity is presented is during the Four Roses Private Barrel Selections.
The second first ever is the chance to taste these same recipes right off the still in their “white dog,” un-aged, clear whiskey form.
This Four Roses Tasting Room became one of the most popular and packed Tasting Rooms we’ve ever seen at Tales of the Cocktail 2011.
In this video, BourbonBlog.comtakes you inside these tastings with Master Distiller Jim Rutledge, Brand Ambassador Al Young while we also have a drink with and interview Hideki Horiguchi President/CEO of Four Roses.
Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge and BourbonBlog.com's Tom Fischer next to the 10 Unique Recipes of Four Roses in their "White Dog" un-aged form to sample
Four Roses_Brand Ambassador Al Young holds a bottle OBSK, one of the Ten Unique Recipes of Four Roses Bourbon, all ten were sampled for the first time ever at Tales of the Cocktail 2011
Video segment filmed and edited by Avi Glick. Photos by David Watson.
During Tales of the Cocktail 2011, we’re seeing many of our whiskey friends like Raj Bhakta, Founder/ CEO of WhistlePig Rye Whiskey. BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer does a tasting an interview with Raj Bhakta and learns that in the next 6 months a new 5-7 year old version of the WhistlePig along with a “White Dog” right of the still called “White Pig” could be released.
To learn more about WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey, 10 Year Old, 100 Proof 100% Rye hand bottled WhistlePig Farm in Shoreham, Vermont, read our review here.
Raj Bhakta Founder/CEO WhistlePig Rye Whiskey with BourbonBlog.com's Tom Fischer
Video filmed and edited by Avi Glick. Photography by David Watson. Special thanks to Spa Aria, Hotel Monteleone for giving us a quiet corner to interview and sip some rye.
We escape from Kentucky to get high with our Bourbon friends from the “The World’s Highest Distillery” which is in Breckenridge, Colorado (at 9600 feet above sea level). Fortunately for us, they have Bourbon whiskey.
Again fortunately, they’re in New Orleans this week for Tales of the Cocktail 2011. BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer joins friends Breckenridge Distillery at the “Meet the Craft Distiller” event. One of our favorite discoveries was both the Breckenridge Bourbon and the Breckenridge Vodka. Watch the video segment above, read our reviews below and go find these spirits in Colorado, Illinois, and coming soon to Texas, Arkansas and other markets.
Watch BreckenridgeDistillery.com for more updates on their continued roll out and we’ll continue to keep you posted too.
Notes: Bronze Medal San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2011. Natural snow-melt, drained through acres of mineral rich soil and stone from 14,000 ft elevation.
Nose: Soft sweetness of the grain and mildy floral.
Taste: Whoaa..I’ve drank a lot vodkas by every distiller from those who have been in the business hundreds of years to those who just got started last year. This vodka stands in it’s own class with character, depth and flavor. What’s even better is that it is not a flavored vodka. So for the rest of you vodkas that have nothing but alcohol, heat and grain to show, go home.
Breckenridge Vodka brings it for the mixologist with clear, clean and creamy flavors lemon and mild coconut due to a slow filtration over strips of charcoaled coconut shells.
Notes: Silver Medal at the 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Nose: Bit of sweetness, vanilla with moderate touches of oak.
Taste: Light entry gives way to pleasant oak complimented by a slightly creamy and delicious Bourbon whiskey. The taste is down to Earth, literally because the water source from this snowmelt is reflected in the light mouthfeel and texture. Hints of apple pie and baking spices.
The “Highest Distillery in the World” is more great slogan, it is clear that the fine Breckenridge snow-melt water contributes to flavor in this Bourbon and helps to make it one of this one of most deliciously straightforward Bourbons we’ve found in a while at BourbonBlog.com.
Finish: The high rye recipe gives some bold spice as you near the finish
Review by BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer. Video Filmed and edited by Avi Glick. Photo below by David Watson
Tom tastes Breckenridge Bourbon for the first time at Tales of the Cocktail 2011, yes this face means he is impressed
BourbonBlog.com joins our friends from Brugal Rum, which is the #1 Rum in the Caribbean, poolside at Tales of the Cocktail. At this event, Brugal releases Brugal 1888, a world class rum and first of its kind expression!
