You're Invited! wWw NY: Cheers to Spring!

You are cordially invited to toast to Spring's very belated arrival! 

When:

Friday, March 28, 6 pm - 9 pm

Where:

Revival Bar, 129 East 15th Street (between 3rd Ave and Irving Place)

Why:

To celebrate the end of the cold (fingers crossed) with a stiff drink in a beautiful backyard garden with your favorite whiskey-loving ladies! 

Come with warm weather optimism, but bring a sweater, just in case. 

Looking forward to seeing you there! 

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! 

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)

The Best Manhattan in Manhattan

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a reached a new milestone in our search for the best Manhattan. 

Elsa's Barrel-Aged Perfect Manhattan is hands down the best Manhattan I've had in New York to date. 

They blend rye whiskey with sweet and dry vermouth, and age it for a month in wooden barrels. Every thirty days they uncask and bottle the Manhattan, which is then ready to be mixed with bitters, stirred with ice, and strained into a glass with a homemade brandied cherry and a twist. 

Perfection. 

Elsa itself is a delightful little cocktail bar with a Parisian atmosphere and beautiful decor. 

Candles, vintage light bulbs, and roses give the bar and romantic feel. 

The staff is hip, friendly, and easy on the eyes.  

It was a great location for a hugely successful Women Who Whiskey evening with an impressive turnout! We were even joined by a few gentlemen for this 2013 inaugural event. 

While the bitter cold wind whistled outside we kept warm with hot toddies, whiskey, and lively conversation. It was a splendid evening and I'll definitely be going back soon.  

***

Elsa

217 E 3rd St
(between Avenue B & Avenue C) 
917.882.7395

***

Whiskey & Chocolate Pairing

It's starting to get chilly out--perfect for Whiskey--and the impending holiday season just screams chocolaty goodness, so why not pair the two? 

From smoky Scotch to smooth milk chocolate to syrupy Bourbon to sharp dark cacao--a few combinations are tasty enough to get you salivating. 

{via}

In a piece for Liquor.com, Jacques Bezuidenhout--a national cocktail and tequila ambassador for Partida Tequila and the master mixologist for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants--explains how to perfectly pair up these two tasty treats. 

"I originally thought that most chocolate would pair easily with most whiskies. That turns out not to be the case. Too many variables—wood, peat, age, proof and grain—have to work with the array of different styles and flavors of chocolate available. Hours into it, with a liquor buzz and a sugar high, I still felt like I had only scraped the surface.

Pairing chocolate with whiskey is an interesting exercise, since it is an assault on all your senses. Chocolate coats the mouth and tongue, blunting your taste buds, and whiskey’s complex aromas overwhelm the nose. But it’s worth the effort, because when the combination is right, it really sings."

Here's what he discovered:

70-PERCENT-CACAO DARK CHOCOLATE & REDBREAST 12-YEAR-OLD IRISH WHISKEY:

This Irish powerhouse is fantastic with the dark bitterness of a high-cacao chocolate. The bitter notes are balanced by that hint of sweetness from the whiskey. It is pure happiness.

MILK CHOCOLATE & RITTENHOUSE 100-PROOF BOTTLED-IN-BOND STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY:

I really love how these two play together. All the new-American-oak flavors clash a little with dark chocolate, but with milk chocolate it makes the spice in the rye explode.

MILK CHOCOLATE WITH ALMONDS & THE MACALLAN SHERRY OAK 12 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY:

All the rich sherry-cask notes that come through in this Highland malt pair wonderfully with the almonds and rich creaminess of the milk chocolate.

50-PERCENT-CACAO SPICED CHOCOLATE & THE GLENLIVET NADURRA 16-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY:

Oak does not overwhelm this Scotch, so it allows for the hints of fruit to come through. Those notes, combined with the high proof of the spirit and the spicy bitterness of the chocolate, are an intensely cheeky experience.

SALTED HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE & BOWMORE 15 YEARS OLD DARKEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY:

A salted truffle perfectly complements the notes of the sea and peat smoke in the Bowmore. And the sweet nutty chocolate loves the sherry-cask flavor. I could imagine myself sitting at the distillery on Islay enjoying both and having no worries in life.

SNICKERS BAR & RUSSELL’S RESERVE 10-YEAR-OLD BOURBON:

This bourbon actually pairs well with many of the chocolates above, but one cannot always enjoy only fancy confections. I love how the peanuts and caramel react to the beautifully aged whiskey.

Read more here.

Super Strong Spirits

Super strong spirits--above the average 70 to 90 proof--are becoming increasingly popular.

"In general, alcohol levels have been creeping northward for a few years, as distillers aim to please bartenders and enthusiasts who thirst for a more potent dram — 50 percent has become the new 40 percent. But a goodly number of bottles are now speeding past even that mark, weighing in at anything from 51 to 70 percent, and beyond. 

True to the name “cask-strength,” these liquors are bottled uncut, at the same concentration they possessed in the barrel. (Yes, most spirits are diluted to render them palatable, a fact that comes as a shock to many otherwise savvy drinkers.) 

Flavien Desoblin, who owns the Brandy Library in TriBeCa, guessed that one out of every dozen new Scotches he encounters is high octane. The number of bourbons is fewer but still substantial, including barrel-strength expressions from Wild Turkey and Four Roses.

“We’ve got lots of people asking about cask-strength,” he said."

Read on for more information about cask-strength spirits.