October 2018

With cooler temps and cozy nights in with friends on the horizon, give these Ketel One Botanical Fall cocktails a mix.

Mystically Mint

Mystically Mint

Courtesy of Kate Van Horn

Herbaceous, fresh and delicate, this mint-forward cocktail awakens the palate with its subtle yet sweet, earthy avor.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Ketel One Botanical Cucumber & Mint
• 1/4 oz. Elderflower Liqueur
• 3 oz. Fever Tree Soda Water
• 3-4 slices Lime
• 1-2 sprigs Mint
• 1-2 sprigs Basil

Preparation: Combine first three ingredients in a wine glass over ice. Garnish with sliced lime wheels, mint and basil.

Peach Clean

Peachy Clean

Courtesy of Lily Kunin

A true crowd pleaser, this crisp, fresh tasting, fruit-forward cocktail is the perfect addition to any celebration.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom
• 3 oz. Fever Tree Soda Water
• 1 tsp. Raw Honey (Optional)
• 4-5 slices Peach
• 4-5 slices Lemon
• 1-2 sprigs Mint

Preparation: Muddle peach and lemon slices in a cocktail shaker to combine. Add Ketel One Botanical Peach and Orange Blossom, honey (optional) and ice, shake well. Pour contents of shaker in a wine glass over fresh ice and top with club soda. Garnish with peach and lemon slices as well as a sprig of mint.

Rosy Glow

Rosy Glow

Courtesy of Claire Fountain

Slightly spicy, zesty and aromatic, this cocktail seamlessly transitions from summer to fall.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 2 oz. Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Beer
• 7-8 Raspberries
• 1-2 slices Ginger
• 1-2 slices Lime

Preparation: Lightly muddle raspberries and combine with the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain contents into a wine glass over fresh ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with fresh ginger and lime.

For more information, visit KetelOne.com/Vodkas/Botanical.

The post 3 Must Mix Ketel One Botanical Fall Cocktails appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

West Hollywood’s Norah restaurant, La Fete Cocktail Lounge, Skybar at Mondrian Los Angeles, and sbe’s Cleo Third Street are all featuring delicious Halloween inspired cocktails.

Additionally, the newly opened Rock & Reilly’s at USC and Sin City’s Camden Cocktail Lounge at PALMS Casino Resort are also celebrating the holiday with their one of a kind themed cocktails.

Carmel Apple Martini

La Fete’s Carmel Apple Martini

Courtesy of La Fete Cocktail Lounge

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Vodka
• 1 oz. Apple Liqueur
• Garnished with apple slices drizzled in caramel and topped with crushed peanuts.

Pumpkin Spice Sour

Pumpkin Spice Sour

Courtesy of Norah Restaurant

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Bourbon
• 1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz. Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
• 3/4 oz. Egg White
• Topped with pumpkin spice.

Midnight Margarita

Midnight Margarita

Courtesy of Skybar at Mondrian Los Angeles

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Espolòn Blanco
• 1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz. Agave Nectar
• Rim glass with black himalayan sea salt. Garnish with lime and black cherry cross.

Smashing Pumpkin

Smashing Pumpkin

Courtesy of USC Rock & Reilly’s

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Cream
• 2 oz. Pumpkin Liqueur
• 2 oz. Vanilla Vodka
• slice of Orange
• dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 Graham Cracker

Devil’s Touch

Devil’s Touch

Created by Master Intoxicologist Eric Hobbie. Courtesy of Camden Cocktail Lounge

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Hendricks Gin infused with Jalapeno and Sage
• 1 oz. Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice
• 1 oz. Amarena Cherry Juice

Ginger Spice

Ginger Spice

Courtesy of sbe’s Cleo Third Street

Ingredients:

• Makers Mark Bourbon Whiskey
• Almond
• Fig
• Walnut Bitters
• Garnished with a Luxardo cherry and an orange disk.

Blackberry Abyss

Blackberry Abyss

Courtesy of sbe’s Cleo Third Street

Ingredients:

• Grey Goose Vodka
• St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• Blackberries
• Lemon

The post 7 Easy to Mix Halloween Cocktails appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

The first in the Master Blender Collection bridges the flavors and terroir of Barbados and Islay.

Mount Gay Rum Distilleries, the makers of the world’s oldest rum, has launched the first edition of the Master Blender Collection with the launch of XO The Peat Smoke Expression, a unique and unconventional limited edition blend crafted by Mount Gay Master Blender Allen Smith. The expression is a complex blend marrying the aromas of ripe bananas and toasted notes of Mount Gay XO, with the salty and smoky notes coming from peated whisky casks.
For centuries, Mount Gay Rum has continuously explored the boundaries of the rum category through innovation. XO The Peat Smoke Expression embodies the meeting of two exceptional lands: the island of Barbados, the birthplace of rum, and the island of Islay, the homeland of peated whisky.

To produce this unique batch of only 6,120 bottles, Allen Smith carefully selected and combined column and pot still rums, matured for 8 to 15 years in American oak barrels. The blend is then finished in peated whisky casks from the Isle of Islay, Scotland, for an additional 6 months resulting in a complex array of salty and smoky notes.

“For this limited edition blend, I have worked to capture the perfect balance of elegant rum overtones and mellow, peated whisky undertones. This one-of-a-kind blend is sure to please the most discerning of palates with its unconventional character, freshness and aromatic complexity.”
– Mount Gay Master Blender, Allen Smith

Each bottle features vintage-style labels and is individually numbered, adding to the rarity of this valuable collection. This edition is bottled at cask strength, 57% alcohol by volume (ABV), to reveal its true intensity. Offered in 750 ml, 1,200 bottles XO Peat Smoke Expression will be available in the United States from select premium retailers and e-commerce merchants for a suggested retail price of $250.

Mount Gay Releases Limited Edition XO The Peat Smoke Expression

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Crystal clear, brilliant coppery hue. Slow running lanky legs develop when swirled

Aroma: distinct old oak aroma, stewed fruit and sweet caramel interlaced with warm chocolate, bourbon vanilla and smoke

Mouthfeel: Initially delicate on the palate with a velvety texture, followed with a powerful freshness that culminates in a long opulent finish

For more information, visit MountGayRum.com.

The post Mount Gay Releases Limited Edition XO The Peat Smoke Expression appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Putting meaning behind every Manhattan the entire month of October.

Like many pre-Prohibition cocktails, the Manhattan is supposed to be made with rye whiskey. Thanks to modern interest in “them old-timey ways,” it often is nowadays. Often, but not always.

This is because rye whiskey never regained its place as a peer of bourbon in post-Prohibition America, and by the late 1980s had become a moribund category. Until relatively recently, ordering a Manhattan most often yielded a cocktail made with bourbon, not rye. Sometimes it still does and some drinkers actually prefer it that way. Those facts raise a question that ought to concern anyone keeping a bar, whether it’s a chic cocktail establishment or a modest home affair: So, what kind of bourbon suits the Manhattan best?

I decided to find out, using the basic Manhattan recipe as a baseline: two parts bourbon whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, two or three dashes of bitters, a slice of orange peel, and a cocktail cherry. I tried four distinct styles of bourbon: one with a normal mash bill (Old Forester 100), a cask strength (Booker’s), a wheated mash bill (Maker’s Mark), and a high rye mash bill (James E. Pepper). All four are common sights on bar and store shelves, and all save Booker’s have similar price points and alcohol contents.

I used the same bitters—Scrappy’s Aromatic—and the same cocktail cherries across the board. For the latter, I went with Traverse City Co. Premium Cocktail Cherries. In a peculiar twist, the big bourbon companies have left the cocktail and bourbon cherry business altogether, leaving the field wide open for craft outfits.

Here’s what I found:

Old Forester 100

Old Forester 100 (Normal Bourbon)

This was the choice that yielded the Manhattan so typical of times prior to the mixology boom and the revival of rye whiskey. The bourbon itself has a solid profile of brown sugar and vanilla, which when blended with the vermouth and fruity garnishes, leaves you with something sweeter and not as full-bodied as a Manhattan was meant to be.

Booker’s

Booker’s (Cask Strength)

What taking that normal bourbon flavor profile and beefing it up did was make the bourbon a bright, shining presence in the cocktail. Booker’s is a big, ballsy bourbon, and it comes forward and nearly overpowers all the other ingredients. Although not particularly balanced, the oak-driven spices that Booker’s brings with it make for a nice presence.

Maker’s Mark

Maker’s Mark (Wheated)

Wheated bourbons are supposed to be softer and more floral, and this carried the cocktail entirely off in the wrong direction. Whatever spice one derived from the oak barrel aging or the rye content of normal bourbon was lost, resulting in something too sweet and light to be of much interest.

James E. Pepper

James E. Pepper (High Rye)

I suppose it shouldn’t be too surprising that the bourbon best suited to what was originally a rye whiskey cocktail is the one with the highest rye content. Whereas Old Forester has an 18% rye content, James E. Pepper is billed as “over 38% rye,” and it shows, making for a cocktail only a little sweeter than most rye Manhattans.

Of course, if one wants to develop a signature Manhattan and needs a sweeter or softer base, perhaps a normal or wheated bourbon is the way to go. But if someone asks you for a bourbon Manhattan and you want it to come out close to the way it was meant to be, go for a high rye bourbon like James E. Pepper, Old Grand-Dad, or Basil Hayden’s.

To participate in Manhattan Month, visit ManhattanMonth.com.

The post What Kind of Bourbon Suits the Manhattan Best? appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Edgewater Spirits founders Rich Roberts and Daniel Undhammar, the guys behind the revival of Wódka vodka, announce the launch of Harleston Green Scotch Whisky.

With Scotch in particular being close to their hearts, Rich Roberts & Daniel Undhammar both previously worked for Seagram’s International on fine whiskies from American, to Canadian to Irish and Scotch.

As they started looking at innovative and interesting avenues of creating a unique and outstanding whisky, they wanted a Scotch that could easily stand on its own: neat, on the rocks, or with water, as well as “the house preferred scotch” in leading bars and establishments. Harleston Green Scotch Whisky is also ideal for any Scotch cocktails.

Harleston Green Scotch Whisky

This blended Scotch Whisky commemorates the moment in 1786 when a group of Scottish merchants gathered with some sticks and balls at Harleston Green, America’s first golf club, and introduced America to one of Scotland’s two greatest exports.

Harleston Green was created with fine and carefully selected Scotch single malts, aged between four and five years, matured in oak barrels predominantly from The Highlands & Speyside, and of course, aged and selected from fine Scottish grain whiskies. The heart of the blend is carefully selected, distilled, and aged with single malts from the heart of the Highlands.

For more information, visit HarlestonScotch.com.

The post Harleston Green Scotch Whisky Launches appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

All Natural Mixmasters with Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur Autumn in New York is special for many reasons, one being the amazing varieties of apples grown in the state.

My favorite is the Honeycrisp, and I wanted to show how this sweet and refreshing apple compliments the deep flavor of the Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur. Also, a drop in temperature pairs deliciously well with bourbon. Together these rich flavors, brightened with a little lemon make this the perfect drink to usher in the crisp New York fall weather.

The Honey Crisp

The Honey Crisp

By Justin Biaggi

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz. Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
• 1/4 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 oz. Apple Brandy
• 1 oz. Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon
• 3-4 diced pieces of Honeycrisp Apple

Preparation: Muddle apples, lemon juice, Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur, and simple syrup in a shaker tin. Add brandy and the Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon, then shake and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an apple slice on lip of glass.

Meet Justin Biaggi

CHILLED 100 Member, New York

Justin Biaggi, a Bronx native, started his cocktail journey by making Negronis for his uncle’s social club in Brooklyn. His attraction to wine and mixology led him to bartending for extra cash in between touring as a musician across the country. He now has 10 years experience in the hospitality/food and beverage industry.

From dive bars to rooftop lounges, Justin has been a key player at every type of establishment across NYC. He was also fortunate enough to train under world renowned mixologist, Julie Reiner. You can now find him creating new, seasonal cocktails at Bar 54, the highest hotel rooftop bar located at Hyatt Times Square.

Justin Biaggi – Chilled 100 Member, NY

The post Chilled Drink of the Week: The Honey Crisp appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Featuring Challo Schott from The O.G. In Delray Beach, Florida.

All of us who make a living working behind a bar crafting specialty cocktails have probably wondered at one time or another how our lives would be different if we stopped living off tips and were the keepers of the till. (By this, I mean the register, if you aren’t familiar with bartending lingo.)

Challo Schott

Of course, there are a whole new set of responsibilities when it comes to owning an establishment. Challo Schott of The O.G. in Delray Beach, Florida, has given us some insight on what it takes to make that jump from bartender to bar owner.

O.G. Delray Beach

Talk to us a bit about your background in the industry.

You know, I suppose the industry was always there—we didn’t have much money, so I was always working even before I was legally able to. I remember riding my bike across town to wash dishes at the Knights of Columbus Hall—I think I made $10 for the afternoon. Later, I was able to find the same job at the edge of my neighborhood, washing dishes next to teenagers working the grill at the neighborhood steakhouse, listening to their stories, ogling their street machines, just working for a “buck.” When I was in college, I’d been working at a keg and head shop that sold used CDs, bongs, beer, and everything in between when a new bar came to town that only hired team members with no experience. The interview went well and I was given a choice of position, at which point I became a 19-year-old bartender learning to pour pints and mix disgusting concoctions (albeit delicious at the time), like a Scooby Snack, made with Malibu, Midori Melon, and coffee creamer.

What made you decide to become a bar owner?

I don’t know that I chose it as much as I grew into it. I’ve always been a bit of a wolf, a bit control-obsessed, and I’ve worked hard to master most areas of the business. So even when I’d come on board in a marketing or operations role, I’d take over, bring in my own team, and time after time, the owners would realize they weren’t needed and soon disappear, leaving the bar in my hands.

O.G. Delray Beach

Any regrets? What were some of your biggest obstacles?

Oh, yeah, there are regrets. Missing countless weekends with my daughter. Working incessantly and never learning how to leave work at work. I’ve never married; I rarely even date because any time not committed to the bars, I commit wholly to my daughter. And there are so many obstacles—you can make bad deals, get screwed, poorly time the concept, place it in the wrong spot … hell, you can have a new construction issue arise, blocking access to your spot and forcing you to go out of business. The team you hire is everything, and that can be the biggest challenge. If you find passion, nurture it, and if you see strength and honesty and grit, find a way to reward it.

What is your advice for bartenders who’d like to open their own bar?

This advice is easy, but most people won’t get it. I moved here in 2005 with $1,000 and no car. I’d walk to work, eventually buying a bike; a year later, a car. A year after that, I was running the business alone. I put my everything into anything I do, and I move fast, talk fast, and rarely stop to chat. I refuse meetings from people who are “time vampires” and fill their days with meetings that could be accomplished via email. I go out to dinner maybe five times a year; I go out to lunch maybe less.

I eat on the go and I’m always on the go. I sacrifice family time, friendships, and relationships for business because I am fully committed to giving my daughter opportunities I never had, and I’m fully committed to proving my worth to this industry. I’ve got a voice and I have something to say, and I want to ensure people get to hear it. When people ask why I don’t stop, why I keep going day in and day out, I give them one singular reason for it all: I’m gonna die someday and I refuse to float around like these folks who act like they’re gonna live forever.

O.G. Delray Beach

Give us your top three tips for bartenders to do now if they’d like to someday own a bar.

Learn the financial and accounting end; learn to do projections, learn how to monitor and gauge results of your events, programming, and efforts. Learn the true cost of labor, talent booking, operations, and make decisions based upon those numbers. Understand that if you lack knowledge or passion about an area of the business, you need to find someone to join your team who has both. And when you find the right people, keep them, but help them grow. Do not look at them like a number.

When you think about each and every aspect of the business, remove yourself and your needs—think about the guest experience; think about their needs and what they want. If you can find a way to do both, you may be on your way to something special.

Talk to us about The O.G. What was the inspiration for the space and the name?

The O.G. (Oceanside Grocers) is a blending of culture and style throwbacks and nostalgia molded, shaped, and repackaged for today’s market. The O.G. meets both worlds head-on—historic and urban Delray Beach and its evolution into an arts and entertainment district for the masses. Old ideas of neighborhood bars and local markets are still relevant to many Floridians, so we don’t discount them. Instead, we pay homage to that imagined person who governs the neighborhood from their yard, offering advice and dropping knowledge. The O.G. is a fictional character in spirit and is personified in the retail and apparel we create. We’re a future lifestyle brand that doesn’t just claim to be local as the trend is, but says we were here first and the old way doesn’t go away.

O.G. Delray Beach

What are some of the other interesting cocktails on the menu?

Oh, we’ve got a few. We have “Choose Your Own Adventure” Moscow Mules, which offer spirit options in the form of 50ml airplane bottles that float on top of the drink in the spirit of a “bulldog.” We also bottle the best Old Fashioned around and make frozen ICEE drinks. Our Space Wizard Sangria, which is served in a pouch, is best described as an adult Capri Sun and was recently chosen to be featured in Men’s Health magazine. Another favorite is our Hillbilly Martini, which uses Well’s Nitro Brew Coffee infused with whiskey, chili liqueur, kahlua, and cinnamon syrup, which we keg and pour on tap from a 60-year-old General Electric fridge. (We also sell the nitro brew by itself in the same manner.)

Talk to us about creating a one-of-a-kind experience for your guests.

Building a bar that stands alone as a simple, yet bold design statement wasn’t just a decision; it was an obsession. I really compromised smart decision-making at times to ensure what I was doing wasn’t something I’d seen before. Too many owners are simply grabbing plane tickets to New York, Chicago, Austin, and Portland to borrow ideas and come back here and regurgitate them into their own concepts. I’ve always prided myself on showing people what they haven’t seen before, even if it doesn’t generate the same kind of instant revenue by maximizing every inch of the space to generate money, and treating guests like dollar signs. I believe it’s more honest, and we have a genuine chance at a long life span when people can see the effort and care put in—when they know I built it with my own hands and it’s not just a cookie cutter design or another copy of something else. The bars I open are like stories written; I write the introduction and provide a voice, but after opening, the stories are for others to join in and for others to tell.

Visit OGDelray.com.

The post Making the Move from Bartender to Bar Owner appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

A Taste of Fall with Catskill Provisions New York Honey Rye Whiskey

Catskill Provisions Gift Pack

When I think of honey, that adorable chubby bear we grew up with comes to mind. I wanted to make a simple, yummy cocktail that is super refreshing with a sweet cherry to finish it. It features the flavors of fall but can be enjoyed all year round and will remind you of that cute little bear we love.

Pooh Bear Cocktail

Pooh Bear Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Catskill Provisions NY Honey Rye Whiskey
• 1/2 oz. Apricot Liqueur
• 1/2 oz. Lemon
• 1/4 oz. Ginger Syrup*
• Spooned out Brandy Soaked Cherry

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake vigorously then strain on top of the cherry into a chilled coupe.

*Ginger Syrup

Cut fresh ginger root into small pieces and compress in an automatic juicer. For 1 liter of ginger juice add 12 oz. of white sugar and stir until dissolved.

Meet Tracey Eden

CHILLED 100, New York

Tracey is a born and raised New Yorker who has been in the hospitality industry for over a decade, working in all kinds of places and in every capacity. When the opportunity was presented to her to transition from a server to bartender early in her career, she dove right in and taught herself all the classic cocktails using flashcards (because smartphones didn’t exist yet). After years of doing musical theater and dance, she has found her spotlight behind the bar where she provides a fun filled experience to each and every guest.

She has helped to create and correct more than a few cocktail programs, led plenty of wine and whiskey tastings and has trained numerous bartenders to succeed. She loves educating people and spreading her positivity and passion for the industry. She is an active member of the USBG NY Chapter and took home the win for New York in the Drambuie Modern Classics Competition in 2017.

She currently bartends and leads tastings at American Whiskey in Midtown Manhattan.

Tracey Eden – Chilled 100 Member, New York

The post Must Mix: Pooh Bear Cocktail appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Ming River Inc.’s chief marketing officer, Simon Dang, and educational director, Derek Sandhaus, sat down with Chilled for a Q&A about baijiu.

Baijiu is a very popular spirit globally, but may be misunderstood here in the states. What do bartenders need to know about baijiu?

Baijiu (pronounced “bye-j’yo”) means “white spirits” in Mandarin. It’s a diverse drinks category that includes all traditional Chinese grain spirits. The techniques deployed in baijiu production vary greatly by region and style, and different styles of baijiu can be as distinct as whiskey is to tequila. Most baijiu is distilled from sorghum, but it can also be made from other crops. The secret ingredient in baijiu is qu (pronounced “chew”), a naturally harvested culture of airborne yeasts and other microorganisms. It makes the taste and scent of every baijiu highly specific to the place it was created. Qu also allows Chinese distillers to ferment and distill grains in a solid state, which creates incredible complexity of flavor.

As a clear but decidedly non-neutral spirit, in mixed drinks, Ming River’s bold aroma and flavor can be called upon to perform like a rhum agricole, Jamaican pot still rum, or a Batavia arrack, effortlessly finding a home in tiki drinks while also opening a new world for sours and aperitifs. Additionally, many classic recipes can be enhanced by incorporating Ming River baijiu in a split base or even just as a rinse.

Talk to us about DrinkBaijiu.com.

Derek: DrinkBaijiu.com is an interactive online platform dedicated to the study of Chinese spirits, or what we’re calling “bai-ology.” Really, it’s just an extension of the writing and research I’ve been conducting of Chinese spirits for the past seven years.

I got into baijiu when I was living in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, from 2011 to 2013. Sichuan province is famous for its cuisine, and soon after I moved there, I learned that its spirits were equally famous. I’d been writing and editing books about Chinese history and culture for a few years at that point, and when I started looking into baijiu, I realized it was one of the great untold stories in global spirits (at least in the West).

I traveled round the country visiting distilleries and blogging my findings in real time, and eventually published the first English-language guide to baijiu, Baijiu: The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits. My next book is called Drunk in China, and it will deal more with the sociohistorical aspects of Chinese drinking culture and my own experiences of falling in love with Chinese spirits.

With DrinkBaijiu.com, we’re hoping to create a public forum where anyone with any level of knowledge can start their own baijiu journey. We provide all the tools a reader might need: histories, production guides, cocktail recipes, even where to find baijiu in the wild. We also publish original writings about baijiu and profiles of bartenders and venues working with baijiu in innovative ways. And if you don’t find what you need there, you can ask the “bai-ologist” (me) any question you like. We think it’s turned out really well, and in addition to written baijiu knowledge, it features the work of some truly exceptional artists that help bring the topic to light.

Drink Baijiu is also an offline program. As part of our work, we travel to each market, working with Ming River, and host free master classes on the baijiu category to help better educate bartenders, media, and consumers. We try not to promote our own baijiu on the expense of others, because we believe that one can’t appreciate a specific baijiu without understanding the context into which it fits.

What are some of the best ways to enjoy baijiu?

In China, they drink baijiu neat and at room temperature. It is always served with food, and usually consumed in a series of shots.

Baijiu is considered part of the Chinese culinary cannon, so as a rule, it’s paired with the style of food popular in its region of origin. In the case of light-aroma baijiu, this means hearty, salty foods. Strong aroma pairs well with spice. Rice aroma goes well with seafood and more delicate flavors, and sauce aroma works well with spicy-sour flavors.

We’ve also found that the Chinese approach to blending flavors works exceptionally well with cocktails.

What are your hopes for the category here in the United States?

We want Chinese spirits to find a place among the family of global spirits. By introducing this category to new audiences, we believe that we can open bartenders up to a world of flavors and aromas that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, and create exciting new drinks as a result.

It’s important for us to eliminate misconceptions about baijiu and present a fairer and more informed picture of Chinese spirits than has been done in the past. We want people to know and appreciate baijiu as we do, and to change the common understanding of what a grain spirit can and could be. We also want people to know about the deep cultural connection between alcohol and Chinese food, which spans thousands of years.

Ming River

Talk to us about the Ming River Baijiu launch.

We’re very excited to be launching a new baijiu brand. Ming River is the first brand formed in partnership with a major Chinese distillery that specifically targets both mainstream U.S. and European markets.

In the past, baijius that have attempted to target mainstream markets in the United States and Europe sourced their spirits from undisclosed distilleries and filtered or watered down the baijiu before selling it to consumers. Although some of these baijius taste great, we’re proud that Ming River is a totally authentic baijiu produced and bottled by one of China’s oldest continuously operating distilleries, Luzhou Laojiao.

Ming River only arrived in the United States less than two months ago, and we are currently available through Park Street in California and New York and through Mystic Vine in Louisiana.

Tell us about the Ming River distillery.

Ming River is distilled at the Luzhou Laojiao distillery, one of China’s oldest continuously operating distilleries, dating back to 1573. It uses the same traditional baijiu techniques that have passed from master to apprentice for over 20 generations. It’s located in Luzhou in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, a city with a winemaking tradition that spans nearly 2,000 years. Our distillery is credited with creating the “Sichuan” strong-aroma baijiu style, the most popular spirit style in China.

Each batch starts with locally sourced red sorghum grain and waters from protected wells. It’s fermented in earthen pits with naturally harvested cultures of airborne yeast and microorganisms native to Luzhou. These cultures impart the complex aromatic compounds that form the distinctive terroir of Sichuan style baijiu. After two to three months, the fermented mash is unearthed and distilled in small batches using a traditional Chinese pot still. The spirits age for up to two years for a clean finish before the master blender balances them into Ming River’s distinctive flavor.

Baijiu connoisseurs say that the longer a fermentation pit is used, the greater the complexity of the resulting spirit. Luzhou’s fermentation pits are considered mature after being in continuous use for at least 30 years. Luzhou Laojiao currently operates 1,600 old pits, more than 1,000 of which are at least a century old.

The post Baijiu 101 for Bartenders appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Following the successful launch of their signature rosé in spring of 2018, Yes Way Rosé announces a new wine release, Yes Way Rosé Bubbles, now available in stores just in time for the holiday season.

Like Yes Way Rosé’s first wine, the inaugural sparkling rosé from the female-founded lifestyle brand is made in the south of France using classic winemaking methods and is imported by Prestige Beverage Group.

Nikki Huganir and Erica Blumenthal

With YWR Bubbles, co-founders Nikki Huganir and Erica Blumenthal set out to make a special wine to pop whether celebrating momentous occasions or everyday triumphs. The duo worked with French winemakers to perfect the crisp and effervescent, 100% Grenache dry sparkling wine that epitomizes everything they love about rosé bubbly (aka bubblé). The pink sparkler features complex notes of white flowers, fresh stone fruit, and citrus along with refined, long-lasting bubbles. The stylish bottle, designed by Nikki, showcases their bold logo overlaid with pink polka dotted bubbles in the signature Yes Way Rosé shade of blush.
A match for sweet and savory flavors alike, Yes Way Rosé Bubbles pairs with everything from crudité to soufflé.

Yes Way Rosé Bubbles

Central to Yes Way Rosé is its celebration of relationships between friends and how the brand encourages anyone who thinks pink to embrace rosé with a sense of humor and playfulness. Best friends themselves since childhood, co-founders Blumenthal and Huganir met growing up in Baltimore. Sharing a background in fashion, Erica was previously a Styles section columnist for The New York Times and Nikki served as an in-house graphic designer and art director at Madewell and T: The New York Times Style magazine. The two applied their respective backgrounds to the @YesWayRose Instagram account they co-created in 2013, launched originally as a hobby and creative outlet to share their love for rosé wine.

Yes Way Rosé’s passionate following grew quickly thanks to their fresh voice, modern aesthetic, and a case of good timing as rosé sales were booming nationwide. Blumenthal and Huganir soon introduced their own rosé-focused home goods and apparel, and in March of 2018, added their first wine, the Yes Way Rosé signature rosé.

Yes Way Rosé Bubbles retails at $14.99.

For more information, visit YesWayRose.com.

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Source: Mixology News