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.

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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.

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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

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Pierre Hotel - Fall 2012 Cocktail Launch

September 25, 2012 was the official launch of the Pierre Hotel Fall 2012 Cocktail Launch, where E Lounge--the hotel bar--debuted it's new line of cocktails for autumn.

I was the lucky recipient of a call from my new friend Christine, asking me to be her plus one to this exclusive PR event. 

When I arrived, fashionably late by 15 minutes, Christine was already there, making the acquaintance of the two other PR girls at our table. They had ordered their drinks but were waiting for me to get mine before trying them and comparing. 

The cocktail menu was crafted to reflect the Taj Hotel's transition from the 19th to the 21st century, with remixes of classics like the Whiskey Sour, the Gimlet, and the Sazerac, as well as original concoctions, such as the My Fair Lady of Cafe Pierre and the Star of Taj (a real showstopper, as you'll later see). 

Star of Taj

The Pierre Sparkle

Rotunda's Whiskey Sour

Cheers! Me and my Whiskey Sour

My Fair Lady

Christine with the Pierre Sparkle

 

With a jazz trip playing in the background and subtle lighting the mood was intimate and friendly as we chatted over our drinks and took notes. 

The entire evening was comped by the hotel as a promotional event, and so the drinks and food were plentiful, in an effort to sweeten our experience and elicit sincere positive reviews. 

They then invited us to view the making of two of the cocktails, the Gimlet and the Star of Taj--a spectacular drink that involved setting fresh Indian herbs on fire and pouring the flaming mixture into a fruity cocktail.

Indian Spices

Making the Gimlet

JP Getty's Gimlet

This was accompanied by a delicious tasting menu spread of tiny versions of their new fall menu.

Infusing the Indian Spices

Mixing the Star of Taj

 

Lighting the herbs on fire

When we'd tried everything on new menu, they brought out their regular bar menu and encouraged us to try some of their regular cocktails and restaurant menu appetizers, in case we were still hungry.

Beef Carpaccio

The Antique Fashioned

 

 

Charles' Sazerac

Christine and I were impressed by the skill and speed with which the bartenders were mixing gorgeous and elaborate cocktails, so we went up to the bar to watch, as they explained what they were making and how. 

Vintage Stolichnaya Lemon Vodka--one of a limited number of bottles

A glass of Balvenie, neat, to finish off the night. Courtesy of a Nigerian business man who insisted on buying.

I have to say, this may have been a night where my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and on the cab ride home we were quite a bit tipsy. But it was more than worth it--the staff were delightful, the cocktails divine, and the food delicious. 

I highly recommend both the E Lounge at the Pierre Hotel for a vintage evening where no detail has been forgotten.