A Delightful Evening with WhistlePig at WardIII!

Last Monday at WardIII Women Who Whiskey presented WhistlePig's new release, The Boss Hog.

WardIII is one of my favorite bars in the city--we've hosted several wWw events there--and they were delighted to have us back once more. There was a good crowd for a Monday night, and everyone was excited about getting to try the new WhistlePig! 

Michael Hodge, WhistlePig's Steward of the Brand

We kicked off the evening at 8pm with a tasting of WhistlePig Straight Rye--a classic favorite--and then moved onto serving The Boss Hog. 

Michael Hodge, WhistlePig's Steward of the Brand, introduced the new whiskey and gave us a little bit of background.

Nereyda, Erin, and Slater 

The Boss Hog is a single barrel, barrel-strength rye, and being single barrel, it's a limited edition--with only 900 bottles in NY! We were lucky enough to have one of those bottles, and it definitely went fast. 

Most whiskeys are diluted down to about 40% alcohol by volume before being bottled, both to produce a more palatable product for consumers, and to amplify the amount of whiskey produced. 

Manny, enjoying his drink

Some whiskeys, however, are bottled at cask strength--or barrel-strength--at the original 60% abv or so. This results in a richer, but also much much stronger, whiskey. 

Joanna, Sarika, Alex, and Michael

The Boss Hog, being barrel-strength, definitely put some hair on our chests! 

And people weren't just interested in drinking it, they were interesting in learning about it too! We kept Michael occupied for the better part of the tasting, teaching us about his delicious new whiskey.

Alex, Nereyda, Cheryl, Erin, Julia, Mike leaning in to hear more about The Boss Hog

 After the tasting ended at 9pm, the talented WardIII bartenders had a variety of WhistlePig inspired cocktails waiting for us to try.

I had my usual Manhattan, which was especially delightful with WhistlePig, and thanks to Mikey's magical mixologist's touch. Ryan defied the laws of wWw and ordered a glass of red wine. For shame! 

Ryan and Julia

The launch, which was supposed to only run until 10, was still going strong at almost midnight. But eventually, it being a school night and all, we wrapped it up and took ourselves home. 

A huge thanks to WardIII for having us, and to WhistlePig, for sharing its delicious new Rye. 

If these smiling faces are any indication, it seems like the event was a hit! 

Matt, Kim, Joanna, Sarika, Alex and some new friends! 

Salt Your Cocktail

{via Booze Nerds}

Any baker worth his salt (sorry, couldn't help it!) will tell you that adding salt to sweets is one of the most basic elements of baking.

If you can actually taste the salt--with the exception of purposely salty confections, like salted caramel anything--you've added too much. The goal is to add just enough salt that you can't actually taste it, but that it manages to accentuate the existing flavor notes and heighten the nuances.

The delightfully inventive people over at Booze Nerds ingeniously applied this concept to cocktails:

"We first found out about salt in cocktails at an Irish whiskey tasting. The host said that mixing with Irish whiskey is challenging because it’s a subtle spirit, however he felt salt could help accentuate the flavors of the whiskey in drinks. Naturally, we were intrigued and started noodling with salt in drinks when we got home."

I was doubly intrigued when I saw that their test cocktail, The Spaniard in the Rye, used WhistlePig Rye, which we happen to be doing a joint event with next Monday at Ward III.

"The Spaniard in the Rye We first mixed up The Spaniard in the Rye, a cocktail that we developed a while ago that calls for a bit of salt to brighten the flavors of the drink.

• 1 1/2 oz Spanish brandy
• 3/4 oz rye
• 1/4 oz Cointreau
• Tiny pinch of salt

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. 

No Salt:

• Nose: Raisins, figs, candied orange peel, little bit of rye, clove and black licorice.
• Palate: Sweet orange at the front, supported by strong rye spiciness. Dried fruit and nutmeg (kind of like fruit cake) along with sweet sherry notes on the mid-palate. A bit more rye spice on the close, but a somewhat flat finish. Probably why we added salt to this recipe when we were putting it together.

Salt:

• Nose: Pretty much identical to the no salt version with maybe a little bit less of the raisin notes.
• Palate: Semi-sweet, almost pickled orange at the front, kind of like chutney. More orange, bitter chocolate and black pepper on the mid-palate, less fruit cake notes. The raisin-y dried fruit is still there, just more subtle. Perks up the finish with more spice, barrel, and orange notes. Has a slightly smoother mouth feel. Overall, more of the complex flavors pop, and all of the flavors are a little bit brighter. Shaun felt it was less bitter and a bit sweeter than the one without salt, whereas Christa felt the opposite, that it was slightly more bitter and less sweet."

With the exception of Spanish Brandy (which I'm sure is easy to come by), I have all of these ingredients at home, so I'll definitely be testing it out, both with and without salt. 

For more innovative cocktails that use salt to enhance flavor, including the Ritz Sidecar--which, with Ritz being my family name, I'll definitely be testing out as well--check out the rest of Booze Nerds post, Salt. 

You're Invited! Women Who Whiskey Presents WhistlePig's "The Boss Hog" Rye at Ward III

Save the Date: Women Who Whiskey Launching Whistlepig's New Rye Whiskey at Ward III

Stay tuned for more details, coming soon! 

What: Women Who Whiskey Presenting Whistlepig's New Rye Whiskey

When: Monday, November 18, 2013 at 6:30pm

Where: Ward III, 111 Reade Street (and West Broadway)

Women Who Whiskey: Ward III Monday Night Whiskey Tasting

At the beginning of October my friend Samantha and I took a little trip to Ward III to check out their Monday Night Whiskey Tasting, which was a splendid evening.

So last week I planned an official wWw Monday Night Whiskey Tasting at Ward III for the rest of the ladies to come check out the event. 

We got there around 7pm to enjoy the requisite cocktail at the bar before the tasting started at 8pm. 

I had my signature spicy ginger bourbon bespoke cocktail, which is always a delight.  

Amanda had them whip up a bourbon apple cinnamon version, with a twist of orange. 

And Mary wanted something similar to Amanda's, but with a bit more citrus and fruit.

All our bespoke cocktails were quite delicious, and I even indulged in a Maker's Mark Manhattan before we moved on to the tasting.

This time there were two tastings set up--both whisky--each sampling four different kinds, so we were quite spoiled! 

Compass Box Whiskey Co. 

The first was Compass Box Whiskey & Co, a boutique Scotch Whiskeymaker & Craft Blender. 

Compass Box isn't a distiller, so they don't make their own whiskey, but they produce a variety of whisky blends. 

Great King Street Blends: Artists Blend and New York Blend

The first two were the Great King Street Blends: the Artist's Blend and the New York Blend.  Normal blends are about 70/30 grain/malt, but Compass Box uses a 55/45 ratio, which gives the whisky a much smoother more palatable taste. 

Both were extremely drinkable and almost a bit fruity. 

Flaming Heart, Peat Monster, Flaming Heart

Next up were two single malt blends: Peat Monster and Flaming Heart, which won the blend of the year award with a score of 95.5/100.

Neither of these uses caramel coloring or chill filters--steps taken to improve the aesthetic of whisky, often at the cost of taste. 

The result is a clean, smooth, rich taste, both neat and with a bit of water, which is how it's meant to be had. 

Myself and Robin, posing with giant bottles of whisky

Robin Robinson, the Compass Box brand ambassador who curated the tasting, gave us some excellent advice about how to properly savor a good whisky.

You pour it onto the "dead spot" of the tongue, letting it slowly spread over the rest of the tongue, "chewing it," as the Scottish say.

He also explained that to really taste the different layers of flavor, diluting it with a little water is ideal, as the higher the alcohol content, the more the alcohol numbs the tongue to the flavor nuances. 

Bringing it down to 25% alcohol--about half water, half whisky--allows you to perceive the balance and flavor of the malt. 

Lark Tasmanian Whiskey

Lark Tasmanian Whisky--which not being produced in Scotland, can't be called Scotch--is a single malt from Tasmania. 

Though regulations now prohibit many new foreign whiskys from calling themselves Single Malt, Lark, being over 20 years old, was grandfathered in.

Lark is produced in three strengths: 86 proof, 92 proof, and 116 proof. It's aged in Port barrels sourced from the producer of Grange wine.

Scott's Selection

We also tasted three rare single malts from Scott's selection. 

We started with the 1977 Bunnahabhain (right), a 92 proof Single Islay Malt with more of a briny than peaty taste. There are only ten cases of this whiskey left in the world.

Second we had the 1989 Macallan (center), an 104 proof Single Highland Malt, aged in bourbon barrels, of which there are only 3 cases left in the world.

Finally we tried the 1978 Glen Mhor (left), a Single Highland Malt from a "silent distillery," no longer producing Scotch. There are only two cases of this left in the world.

All three has distinct textures and flavors, and among the group we all had different favorites. But as Richard, the brand ambassador, put it, "Whisky is all a matter of taste. Like the company you keep, the music you listen to, even the people you marry."

Well said, Richard. 

***

Ward III

11 Reade St.

(corner West Broadway)

212.240.9194

Monday Night Whiskey Tastings

Mondays 8-10pm

Free with the purchase of a cocktail at the bar

***

WWW Homework: Whiskey Tasting at Ward III

One of the best parts of being the founder of Women Who Whiskey is getting to plan future wWw events. And one of the best part of planning for the events is doing the homework.

I never plan an event in a place I haven't personally tested out myself--I'd be remiss if we showed up and our expectations weren't met.

Last night Samantha and I went on a recon mission to Ward III.

Indeed, we have already been to Ward III for an event, Women Who Whiskey: Graduation Edition.

But last night was special: Whiskey Mondays at Ward III, where booze reps come in and host a free tasting of a selection of liquors.

It's a recurring Ward III evening I'm hoping to plan a Women Who Whiskey event around, and I'm pleased to say that it was a delightful and educational experience.

We tried three different alcohols: rum (light and dark), whisky, and absinthe. Below are my photos and notes from the tasting.

Banks Blended Rum

Banks Rum is a blend of 21 different rums from a number of different countries, which gives it an even, spiced flavor that isn't too sweet. Both the dark and white rum has a butterscotch bouquet, but the flavor was far from syrupy--which is what I usually dislike about rum, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Florent, the charming and handsome (and French) brand manager told us all about the different rums they blend together--from Indonesian rum to Jamaican rum--and gave us a booklet of Banks rum cocktails. 

Banks Negroni

2 oz. Banks 5-Island Rum

.75 oz. Luxardo Bitter or Campari

.75 Lustau East India Sherry or Martini Sweet Vermouth

Add all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a tumbler over ice, or unto a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist. 

Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch

Monkey Shoulder is different from other blended scotches because it's a blend of only single malt whiskys. Most blended scotches use a single malt to cover up the taste of grain alcohol, which makes up most of the volume.

Monkey Shoulder is a Triple Malt Scotch--a blend of three single malts--which is why it has a smooth taste, superior to other blended scotches like Johnnie Walker or Dewars. 

It was started by David Stewart, the oldest serving distiller in Scotland--who's been doing it for more than 50 years. It's called Monkey Shoulder, after the common injury that malters use to get from turning the malted barley by hand.

 

 

Freddy, the brand rep, taught us how to make the Jam Old Fashioned, a cocktail he came up with consisting of a couple of ounces of Monkey Shoulder Scotch, two dashes of bitters, a couple of splashes of lemon juice, and a dollop of whatever jam you have on hand. Shake it with some ice and strain over ice in a tumbler.

La Clandestine Absinthe

Having French and Italian parents, I grew up with Pastis and Sambuca--both with strong anise/black liquorice flavors, which I love--so it's no surprise that I love Absinthe as well. 

I was delighted to find La Clandestine Absinthe on the tasting menu, and it was fun to watch Alan, the brand rep, pour us the traditional Absinthe and water cocktail with a fancy little thingamajig--called a Broulliar--to slowly drip the Absinthe into a glass of ice water. 

The goal is to bring the alcohol content of the absinthe down to the same strength of a glass of wine--about 13 or 14%--from it's original 53%. Normally this is about 3 parts water to 1 part absinthe.

La Clandestine is an old school no brand absinthe, which was started in 1935 by Charlotte Voucher. It was a bootleg recipe that only recently became an official brand.

We also tried La Clandestina, a deliciously crisp and refreshing cocktail.  Mix equal parts simple syrup, lime juice, and La Clandestine. Shake with ice in a mixer and strain into a chilled glass.

***

It was a wonderful evening--with lots of delicious free samples--and I wholly intent to make a future Women Who Whiskey event out of it. 

In the mean time, I highly recommend checking it out. It's every Monday at Ward III, on Reade St. and West Broadway in Tribeca.

***

Ward III

11 Reade St.

(corner West Broadway)

212.240.9194

Monday Night Whiskey Tastings

Mondays 8-10pm

Free with the purchase of a cocktail at the bar

***

Women Who Whiskey: Graduation Edition - Ward III

This last semester of graduate school--after which many WWW members graduated--was a bit crazed, and so Women Who Whiskey took an unintentional break from any official events between January and May.

But WWW was back in May with Graduation Edition at Ward III, a charming little cocktail bar in Tribeca known for its delicious bespoke cocktails.

Rachel and Julia

The staff was absolutely delightful, and the food was delicious. 

I had lamb tacos and tasted someone else's duck nachos. Yum!

A Manhattan

I had my signature Manhattan, which was delicious, while Rachel tried the Ward III, the bar's eponymous summer cocktail, made with Bourbon and strawberries.

The Ward III

We started off as a small group of six or so, but people kept filing in for late happy hour drinks before we all ran off to a splendid rooftop graduation party in Chelsea.

Emma and Jon

Rachel and Keenan

Overall it was a splendid place to close out our graduate school careers.

***

Ward III

11 Reade St.

(corner West Broadway)

212.240.9194

***