wWw Holiday Edition at Flatiron Room

Last Wednesday we decided to host an impromptu event to have one last drink together before we all went our separate ways for the holidays. 

We chose the Flatiron Room, for it's cozy ambiance, live music, and well-crafted cocktails. 

The bartender pouring a flaming drink

Flatiron Room is famous for its "Bottle Keep" service.

Good whiskey is meant to be enjoyed at your leisure and preferably in the company of good friends. We created our “Bottle Keep” program for this very reason. Most of our whiskeys can be purchased by the dram or by the bottle. If you come across an expression you really like then you might consider purchasing the bottle. 

It works like this: You purchase your favorite bottle and enjoy as much as you’d like at your table. When you’ve had enough, we’ll tag it with your name and store it safely in our Bottle Keep. 

You’ll also receive some “Entitlement Cards”. These cards give the holder authorization to drink off the bottle (so be careful who you give them to!). Next time you come by simply give the server your Entitlement Card and we’ll fetch your bottle. It’s a lot of fun and it makes a great gift. 

 The bottles are kept in beautiful, softly lit lockers that line and decorate the length of the bar. 

The "Bottle Keep" Locker

We started off the evening with a round of Old Fashioneds at the bar, while we waited for our table, and perused the menu of Tasting Flights and Classic Cocktails.

An Old Fashioned

When we finally sat down we got a round of Templeton Manhattans, straight up, and waited for our food--truffled mac and cheese, mushroom pizza, and beet salad. We were starving! 

The Flatiron Room's standard is a Perfect Manhattan (made with half sweet and half dry vermouth) and served with a twist. Personally, that how I prefer it--something about the citrus aroma really opens up the flavors--but Kim was a little disappointed that they didn't have brandied cherries. 

Templeton Manhattans

Given the last minute nature of the invitation, we had a small group, but it gave us the chance to catch up with each other and share an intimate evening over delicious drinks and tasty snacks.

Mary and Julia

Julia and Andrea

Kim and Elizabeth

The live jazz was a delightful addition to the cozy, timeless atmosphere. 

The Flatiron Room is the perfect place for a quiet evening with friends, or a romantic, intimate evening with a lover. 

At around $15 each, the cocktails are a little on the pricy side, even for Manhattan, but they're impeccably mixed and the service is flawless, so it's worth the little extra, especially if you want to impress.

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The Flatiron Room

37 W 26th Street

(6th Ave)

212.725.3860

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wWw at the WhistlePig Holiday Party!

After hosting a wildly successful event with Whistlepig in November, launching The Boss Hog--WhistlePig's new Single Barrel Barrel Strength Rye--I was delighted to hear back from the folks at WhistlePig with an invitation to their annual Holiday Party.

Hosted at Webster Hall--in the 126-year-old speakeasy below that used to be frequented by Al Capone and his cronies--the party was already in full swing when we arrived at 8:30.

The band--bedecked in festive holiday attire--was singing a mix of old tunes and 1920s renditions of contemporary pop songs. A great mix that got everyone in the mood to drink and dance! 

As soon as we walked in we were handed a glass of Whistlepig and photographed.

True VIP treatment! 

Caitlin, Kim, and Julia

The WhistlePig Stewards of the Brand--our new friend Ben and our old friend Michael--were gracious hosts and answered all of our questions about the tasty whiskey we were sampling. 

Ben and Michael

Behind us, some rambunctious guests were getting up to some shenanigans! 

And others were sporting festive 1920s getups--vests, furs and pearls, and suspenders--imbuing the whole evening with a vintage vibe. 

The dapper WhistlePig gentlemen.

Back in the speakeasy bar, the bartender was secretly pulling pranks,

 and we were grinning with glee, after discovering the event was open bar!

Which meant a celebratory glass of champagne was in order!

Before we called it a night, we finally managed to track down Michael for some photos!

Thank you to Michael, and the whole WhistlePig family for inviting us to be part of such a delightful and festive evening! We had so much fun, and it was a the perfect kick off to the holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

{All photos courtesy of WhistlePig}

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! 

Portland Launch Party a Success!

Last week, Women Who Whiskey's Portland chapter celebrated its launch! We held the launch at the Pope House Bourbon Lounge, a fantastic whiskey bar in a beautiful old Victorian house in northwest Portland. 

Cassandra, Laura, and I arrived early in time for Pope House's happy hour. Sierra, a bartender at Pope House, started us out with the Half Man, bourbon, vermouth, rocks, twist, basically a sweet manhattan without the bitters. It was delicious and the price--$5--even more so. The wonderful cocktail server Sarah took care of our four tables for the rest of the evening, helping us choose whiskeys to taste and doing an impeccable job dividing the tab at the end. 

The fabulous Cher and Emily. Emily, ever the champion of whiskey, came out even though she wasn't feeling well and didn't drink a drop. We love the dedication!

Laura, Cassandra, and other students from Willamette University's School of Law toast with High West Double Rye, because nothing makes legal briefs and case studies more tolerable than whiskey.

Aura, Eileen, Catherine, Hilda, and Megan.

You know it's a serious whiskey bar when this is how the water is served. 

Fall was in full swing for the launch.

Samantha led a toast with Buffalo Trace Private Reserve, a batch brewed especially for Pope House. It's very spicy and peppery compared to normal Buffalo Trace and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We're so glad such an awesome group came out for this launch and we thank the Pope House for being so accommodating to this rambunctious, whiskey-loving group of women! Stayed tuned for Portland's next event in mid-December!