July 2021

Boston based bartender Rory Caviness crafted two cocktails using French Spirits in honor of Bastille Day.

As part of our countdown to Bastille Day with importer and distributor Heavenly Spirits, Bartender Rory Caviness created two cocktails using French spirits. Caviness was sent bottles of Rétha Oceanic Gin and Armorik Single Malt Whisky Classic, which he used to create Nectar D’Or and the Grande Avion.

Crafted at the Rétha Spiritueux micro-distillery in Île de Ré on the coast of the cognac, Rétha’s Oceanic Gin is a truly unique expression that needs to be on your drink menu this summer. All of Rétha’s spirits are hand-distilled using traditional methods borrowed from Charentais distillers. Each ingredient in the gin is carefully chosen to help build a flavor profile that transports the drinker to their own seaside stroll.

Using hand harvested fucus algae, juniper, ginger, pepper, and a hint of lemon the spirit is macerated before distillation. The brand uses a water bath to allow for a slower and higher-quality distillation process. Once distilled, the spirit is filtered at room temperature to prevent any loss of aromas or texture.

Based in Lannion, Brittany, the Warenghem Distillery has been crafting high-quality liqueurs and spirits for more than 100 years. In 1900, founder Leon Warenghem created a distillate using a blend of 35 plants called the Elixir d’Armorique, which won numerous awards and built the base for the distillery’s long history of success. In 1987 the distillery began producing their first blended whiskey and in 1998 launched France’s first single malt. The Warenghem distillery was the first and only producers to make double-distilled whiskey in France.

Lannion has a very similar climate to the Scottish Highlands but with a warmer temperature which creates the perfect environment for aging whisky. The brand uses 100% French malted barley and water from Rest Avel – known for its pure granitic water. Thanks to its location under six miles from the coast, the whiskey has light notes of seaside and iodine.

Nectar D’Or

Nectar D’Or

By: Rory Caviness of Boston, MA

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 oz. Rétha Oceanic Gin
• 1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
• 1/2 oz. Claque-Pepin Calvados Organic Vieille Reserve
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino

Preparation: Stir in a mixing glass with ice until cold. Strain up into a chilled coupe and garnish with a slice of dehydrated pineapple.

Grande Avion

Grande Avion

By: Rory Caviness of Boston, MA

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 oz. Armorik Single Malt Whisky Classic
• 1/2 oz. Mint Infused Honey Syrup
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 Dash Fee Brothers Peach Bitters

Preparation: Add everything to a mixing tin and shake over ice and double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a slapped mint leaf. 

The post 2 Must Try French Cocktails For Bastille Day By Bartender Rory Caviness appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

As the temperature rises, you’ll want a cocktail to cool you down.

Not only does this Drink of the Week cocktail perfect for all those sweet tooth lovers, but it also contains coffee. This pick-me-up Caramel Macchiato is a great treat to make for a post-dinner sip. The flavors and swirls of vanilla and caramel will be a well-deserved libation.

Sip on this all summer long.

Caramel Macchiato

Caramel Macchiato

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Disaronno Velvet
• 2 oz. Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz. Tia Maria Cold Brew
• 2 scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream

Garnish: Caramel

Preparation: Add Disaronno Velvet, Tia Maria Cold Brew, and Vanilla Vodka to a blender with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Blend, garnish with a caramel drizzle, and enjoy with a straw.

The post Drink of the Week: Caramel Macchiato appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

This weekend marks National Piña Colada Day, National Mojito Day, and World Rum Day.

What better way to celebrate than with some delicious cocktails?

Sit back and relax this weekend. Enjoy the sunshine and sip on one of these three summer classics that you can make at home. These national drink days are a great excuse to make some of your favorite summer cocktails.

Here are three cocktails to make in celebration of National Piña Colada Day, National Mojito Day, and World Rum Day!

National Piña Colada Day (7/10)

Nothing screams warm weather like a Piña Colada. Celebrate this beloved cocktail on National Piña Colada Day. The frosty combo of rum, pineapple juice, and coconut is a match made in heaven. You can even add frozen pineapple chunks instead of ice for an even frothier texture.

Colada Nueva

Colada Nueva

National Mojito Day (7/11)

Mojitos are a summertime classic. With muddled fresh mint and lime juice, you really can’t go wrong. There is nothing better than a classic Mojito. If you are feeling frisky and want to make a riff on this cocktail, add basil instead of mint. Or go the extra mile and make fresh blackberry syrup to add. Here is our classic version.

Classic Mojito

Classic Mojito

World Rum Day (7/11)

Celebrate World Rum Day with a delicious rum cocktail. The Liquid Aloha instantly transports you to a tropical island. With notes of coconut, pineapple, and the bright blue color, you’ll immediately feel the spirit of summer.

Liquid Aloha

Liquid Aloha

The post Must Mix: Summer Sippers appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

French importer and distributor, Heavenly Spirits, challenges six bartenders across the country to develop unique cocktails to celebrate Bastille Day.

To showcase the versatility and variety of the spirits of France, the team at Heavenly Spirits sent each bartender two different bottles to create a cocktail. Bartender Zev Glesta of New York created his Martin By The Sea using Retha Gin and Guerin Blanc Vermouth. Luke Nevin-Gattle of Chicago created his Castor & Pollux by blending Artez Arvani Vanilla Armagnac Liqueur and La Muse Verte Absinthe for a complex, easy to drink mix.

Before we get into the cocktails, let’s take a closer look at the four spirits used.

Artez Arvani Vanilla Armagnac Liqueur is a unique liqueur made by adding Madagascar vanilla beans to macerate in barrels of young Bas-Armagnac for several months before adding a touch of sugar. The pure vanilla spirit is a fantastic tool for bartenders as it has pure vanilla flavor and can be used in endless cocktails as well as served neat or on the rocks.

Using a family recipe from the 1900’s, Absinthe La Muse Verte is made from a delicate blend of eight plants including fresh cut baby wormwood leaves that are used within five minutes of being harvested. The brand grows wormwood on their property and the unique harvesting method causes the spirit to take on a luminescent jade color.

Inspired by the riches of the sea, Rétha Gin uses hand harvested fucus algae from the Île de Ré to create their spirit. Juniper, ginger, lemon, and black pepper round out the flavor profile for an invigorating flavor palate that opens and closes with salty, iodine notes reminiscent of an ocean breeze.

A base of white wine caramelized grape juice, two-year-old white Pineau des Charentes, and a blend of herbs and spices are blended and aged in cognac casks to create Guerin’s Vermouth Blanc. The golden hue of the spirit matches the sunny, bright, and warm opening that leads to notes of white peaches, acacia, and angelica for a floral and fruity finish.

Castor & Pollux

Castor & Pollux

Luke Nevin-Gattle of Chicago, IL

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 oz. Artez Arvani Vanilla Armagnac Liqueur
• 1/4 oz. La Muse Verte Absinthe
• 3/4 oz. Tennessee Rye Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Dry French Vermouth
• 2 dashes Cocoa Bitters
• Garnish of a bed of mint leaves

Preparation: Chill two cognac tulip glasses. In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients (except garnish) and stir gently over ice. Place glasses on a bed of mint leaves and strain cocktail evenly into glasses.

Martin By The Sea

Martin By The Sea

Zev Glesta of New York, NY

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Retha Gin
• 1 1/2 oz. Guerin Vermouth Blanc
• 1/2 oz. Maraschino Liqueur infused with Furikake and Bay Leaf
• 2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Preparation: In a mixing glass add ice and all of your ingredients and stir until cold. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and finish with a bay leaf and massive orange swath.

Zev explained that his furikake (a Japanese condiment made of seaweed, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and sugar) and bay leaf infusion was meant to help bring out the essence of the seaside gin and to promote the caramelized notes of the vermouth. He added bay leaf for its floral, herbal notes that blends with both spirits.

The post These Cocktails Need To Be On Your Special Menu This Bastille Day appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

As bars begin to open, more and more consumers are spending their weekends out and about.

Different establishments are welcoming guests after a year of no face-to-face experiences. When guests sit down at a bar, they often want to enjoy their cocktail with a snack or two. So what is the best bar food to serve? Consumers are either looking for the classic French fry order or something to expand their palette. Therefore, creating a bar food menu can propose a challenge. There is also the factor of wanting to make sure the food pairs well with the cocktails.

If you are opening a new bar or want to give your already existing bar some sprucing up, here are our tips and tricks for creating a bar food menu.

Spice it Up

Often a patron sitting at the bar is looking for some to snack on. Foods like wings and French fries tend to be on almost every bar menu so instead, try offering something different. Instead of doing traditional chicken wings, maybe try duck wings or crispy cauliflower wings. To spice up a basket of fries, add truffles and parmesan.

How to Create a Bar Food Menu

Utilize Instagram

A mouth-watering photo will definitely get people to sit at the bar and order something. Before going to a bar, consumers tend to check it out on Instagram or other social media platforms. Get good angels of the food, add garnishes, and create content to get people in the door and order off the bar menu.

Utilize Instagram

Create a Theme

Instead of just adding random bites and snacks to the menu, come up with a theme for the bar menu. Whether that coincides with the rest of the restaurants or the bar is its own little oasis, a theme can keep things consistent and clean. For a tequila bar, mini tacos or nachos can make for great bar eats. For wine bars, tapas and charcuterie boards are the perfect thing to snack on while sipping on wine.

Pair with Cocktails

If your bar already has a cocktail menu, add food that pairs well with it. Classic cocktails like Negronis go nicely with flatbreads, whereas a seasonal cocktail like a fruit-forward one in the summer is best with seafood options like crab cakes. Spicy cocktails need something to balance the heat, so a fruit salad like melon and Prosciutto can be a real hit.

Pairing Wine and Cheese

The post How to Create a Bar Food Menu appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Dewar’s Scotch Whisky brings home a host of awards from the International Whisky Competition and the International Spirits Challenge.

Along with a range of awards or the brands many expressions, Dewar’s Double Double 32-Year-Old and Master Blender Stephanie Macleod were awarded ‘Best Blended Scotch’ and ‘Master Blender Of The Year’ for the third consecutive year. In 2019 Macleod made history as the first woman to win the accolade.

“At Dewar’s we aim to push the boundaries of what is expected from the whisky category and have a long-standing commitment to innovation, so we are delighted with our success in the 2021 competition, and it is an honor to be named again Master Blender of the Year”
– Shared Macleod

Adding, “I accept this award on behalf of the whole team at Dewar’s who have shown relentless hard work and dedication, despite the challenges this past year has held. It is incredibly rewarding indeed to see these efforts appreciated.”

Dewar’s Double Double 32-Year-Old was launched two years ago and is one of the crowning jewels in Macleod’s career with the brand. An innovative four-step aging method, called ‘double-double-aging’ was created just for the ultra-premium blended scotch, which won ‘Whisky of the Year’ in 2020. 

International Whisky Competition Complete Awards List:

BEST BLENDED SCOTCH

• 1st Place Double Double 32 year old, Best Blended Scotch – 95 pts
• 2nd Place Double Double 21 year old, Best Blended Scotch – 93.6 pts
• 3rd Place Double Double 27 year old, Best Blended Scotch – 92.37 pts

BEST NEW SCOTCH RELEASE

• 2nd Place: Dewar’s Portuguese Smooth – 8 Year Old – 90.23 Pts

BEST BLENDED SCOTCH 10 YEAR & UNDER

• 1st Place: Dewar’s Port Cask 8 Year Old Port Cask – 90.23 pts
• 2nd Place: Dewar’s 8 Year Old Mizunara Cask Finish – 87.97 pts
• 3rd Place: Dewar’s 8 Year Old Mezcal Finish – 87.60 pts

BEST BLENDED SCOTCH 12-15 YEAR OLD

• 1st Place: Dewar’s 12 Year Old The Ancestor – 89.60 pts
• 2nd Place: Dewar’s 15 Year Old – 88.20 pts

BEST BLENDED 16-20 YEAR OLD

• 1st Place: Dewar’s 18 Year Old The Vintage – 90.40 pts

BEST BLENDED 21-24 YEAR OLD

• 1st Place: Dewar’s Double Double 21 Year Old – 93.60 Pts

BEST BLENDED SCOTCH 25 YEAR  OLD & OVER

• 1st Place: Dewar’s Double Double 32 Year Old – 95 pts
• 2nd Place: Dewar’s Double Double 27 Year Old – 92.37 pts
• 3rd Place: Dewar’s Double Double 25 Year Old The Signature – 90.03 pts

International Spirits Challenge Complete Awards List:

GOLD

• Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth
• Dewar’s 15 year old
• Dewar’s 18 year old
• Dewar’s 25 year old
• Double Double 21 year old
• Double Double 27 year old
• Double Double 32 year old

The post Dewar’s Scotch Whisky and Master Blender Stephanie Macleod Win Big appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

There are plenty of drinks you can enjoy by the pool, but if you’re looking for something complex, tropical, and different, small batch rum should be in your glass.

Ciuatan Cinabrio

Made in El Salvador, Ron de Cihuatan’s Cinabrio bottling is a delightful and versatile expression that can be sipped alone or in simple cocktails. With tasting notes of plum, pistachio, caramelized orange peel, starfruit, toasted oak and fresh guarapo. Cinabrio is named after the mineral Ancient Mayans used to create red pigment, the rum itself is aged in American Oak ex-Bourbon barrels for 12 years.

Ciuatan Cinabrio – Mango Punch

Mango Punch

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Cihuatán Cinabrio
• 3 mango slices
• Sparkling water

Preparation: In a shaker, add the mango, lemon and rum, crush the ingredients well, then add ice and shake well. Strain the mixture into a glass with fresh ice and add the sparkling water. Decorate and serve.

Boukman Botanical

This Haitian rhum is made from freshly juiced sugarcane to create a dry and complex spirit that can be sipped neat, on the rocks, or mixed into classic cocktails like an old fashioned. Infused with flavors of bitter orange peel, clove, allspice, vanilla, bitter almond, cinnamon, and a blend of wood and bark essences native to Haiti.

Parliament of Owls

Parliament of Owls

Cocktail by Ty Williams at Sisters Brooklyn

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Boukman Rhum
• 1/2 oz. Pasubio Vino Amaro
• 1/4 oz. Tamworth Tamarind Cordial
• 1/4 oz. Demerara syrup

Preparation: Stir over ice, strain into rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a Thyme sprig or Kumquat.

Diablesse Golden Rum

Diablesse Golden Rum

Rum from three different parts of the Caribbean are blended and aged in American Oak ex-bourbon barrels that add depth and flavor to this award winning eight year old rum. Using a traditional pot column still, Diablesse is gentle on the palate with gentle fruity notes of banana, butterscotch, and peppery oak.

Diablesse – Mama Dlo

Diablesse Mama Dlo

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 oz. Diablesse Caribbean Golden Rum
• 1/2 oz. Créme de Peche
• 1/2 oz. Vanilla & Black Pepper Honey Syrup
• 3/4 oz. Pressed Apple Juice
• 3/4 oz. ml Lemon Juice

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a boston tin and shake with ice. Fine strain into a martini or coupe glass and garnish with a flower and sliced vanilla pod.

For Vanilla & Black Pepper Honey Syrup: make a one to one ratio honey syrup adding a vanilla pod and one teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.

Kasama Small Batch

This Philippine made golden rum is distilled from freshly pressed cane juice before being aged in American oak barrels. The result is a semi-sweet rum with notes of pineapple, vanilla, and a hint of sea salt.

Kasama – Pom Pom

Pom Pom

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Kasama Rum
• 4 oz. Sweetened Hibiscus Tea
• splash of Sparkling Water
• Pineapple Chunk

Preparation: In a mixing tin muddle pineapple add ice, rum, and tea. Shake until cold, strain into a coupe glass and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a hibiscus or hibiscus stamen.  

The post 4 Rums To Sip By The Pool appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

For a brief period a few years ago, shiso could be found in craft cocktail bars across the country.

While its initial popularity was short-lived, the herb itself deserves far more attention, especially with the growing popularity of the highball.

As a relative of the mint family, shiso has a complex flavor palate with notes of anise, citrus, cinnamon, and cloves that give it a flavor a little like a cross between mint and Thai basil. It’s traditionally used in a range of food and drink across Japan, Korea, and in parts of Southeast Asia. When used in cocktails, it can pair with a wide range of spirits and be used either to flavor a drink by being included in the mix or to add a bright and refreshing aroma when used as a garnish.

Shiso in a Yuzu Cocktail

While there are numerous species of shiso, only two varietals (red and green) are commonly used for consumption. Red shiso is used less frequently but can be used to create a natural food coloring. While harder to find in the US, red shiso is a unique way to add some color to your drinks. Green varietals are more common and more frequently used fresh in cocktails as an herb.

Why should shiso make it back to your cocktail menu? For one, it’s impossible to deny that the herb is still complex, dynamic, and refreshing and worth re-exploring. Additionally, with the boom of mezcal, Japanese-inspired spirits, and the Japanese Highball, shisho is the ideal compliment. Shiso’s unique flavor pairs well with a range of spirits, especially the bold and smoky flavors of mezcal. It’s also ideal for pairing with yuzu – one of this year’s favorite flavor trends. Likewise, the Japanese whiskey highball has been making its way to American drinkers. The refreshing whisky cocktail is amplified, and the notes of the whisky complimented when garnished with shiso.

The post Global Sip: Bringing Shiso Back Behind the Bar appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Countdown to Bastille Day as six bartenders across the country mix up cocktails with a taste of France with help from Heavenly Spirits. 

In celebration of the versatility of French spirits and to honor Bastille Day, Heavenly Spirits sent six bartenders around the country two bottles of different French spirits to use to create a cocktail. Bartender Kristopher Taylor of Eagan, Minnesota received bottles of Yu Gin and Jahoit Créme de Cassis which he used to create three different drinks.

The beautiful purple hue of Jahoit Créme de Cassis is a stunning addition to any cocktail before you even get to its tasting notes. All of the black currants are grown exclusively on the Jahiot estate. Fruit is picked at peak ripeness and macerated in alcohol as quickly as possible to preserve the best quality and flavor. The end result is a complex liqueur that’s sweet, tangy, jammy, and slightly savory that makes for a versatile and show-stopping cocktail ingredient. Taylor paired it with both a Cognac and Gin to showcase just a few of the ways it can be used in a cocktail.

Taylor’s second bottle was Spiritique’s Yu Gin, a hand-crafted French gin inspired by Japanese tradition. The stunning gin is made by distilling juniper berries enhanced with yuzu, Szechuan pepper, licorice, and coriander for a citrus gin with savory, peppery, and botanical notes. Taylor played up the blend of spice and citrus by creating an orange ginger syrup made with chili flakes for an intense kick.

Dragon Eternal

Dragon Eternal

By: Kristopher Taylor of Minneapolis, MN 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Camus VSOP Cognac
• 1/2 oz. Jahoit Cassis
• 1/2 oz. Mint Syrup
• 1/4 oz. Orange Blossom Water
• 3/4 oz. Lime Juice

Galick Gun

Galick Gun

By: Kristopher Taylor of Minneapolis, MN 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Yu Gin
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse
• 1/4 oz. Jahoit Cassis
• 1/4 oz. Orange Ginger Syrup
• 3/4 oz. Lime Juice

Genki Dama

Genki Dama

By: Kristopher Taylor of Minneapolis, MN 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Yu Gin
• 1 oz. Butterfly Pea Tea
• 3/4 oz. Orange Ginger Syrup*
• 3/4 oz. Lime Juice

*Orange Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:

• 2 qt. Sugar
• 1/2 qt. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 qt. Water
• 4 Ginger Bunches, Sliced
• 10 Oranges, Sliced
• 1/2 tbsp. Chili Flakes

The post Check Out These Bastille Day Cocktails Made By Bartenders appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Barfly Mixology Gear by Mercer gifted three Chilled 100 Bartenders with their stunning deluxe mixology sets.

Making great drinks is easier when you have great tools like those from Barfly Mixology Gear by Mercer. Better tools make every step of your shift easier! To help spread the good word of Barfly, the brand sent three of their kits to bartenders. Seattle based Abigail Gullo opted to receive the kit in a gold finish, check out what she thought about her Deluxe Mixology set!



What was your impression of the Barfly Deluxe set?

It was well made and very well appointed.  Just about everything I need to grab and go to an event.

What tools are you most excited to use?

Upping my garnish game with the three garnish tools.

Did you have a favorite tool in the kit?

I use the tweezers for everything.  It is used all the time and adds an elegant flair.

Dad Cocktail

Recipe by Abigail Gullo

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice with left over expressed lemon half
• 1 oz. Sweet Tea Syrup
• 2 oz. Catskill Rye Whiskey
• 3 Fresh Cherries (muddled)
• 1/2 bar spoon brown sugar 

Preparation: Shake all ingredients with ice. Double strain up into coupe glass. Garnish with horse neck orange peel.

What’s inside the bag?

• Cocktail Shaker Set
• Fine Mesh Strainer
• 9 3/8” Precision Plus Straight Tong
• 11 13/16” Bar Spoon with Muddler End
• Heavy-Duty Spring Bar Strainer
• 1 x 2 oz. Jigger
• 13 3/16” Bar Spoon
• Y-Peeler, Black
• Channel Knife
• Composite Muddler
• Japanese Ice Pick
• Cast Aluminum Juicer
• Orange Peeler
• Citrus Zester
• Waiter’s Corkscrew
• 4.3″ Bar Knife, Rounded Tip, Wavy Edge
• 4″ Bar Knife, Pointed Tip, Plain Edge
• Bar Zester
• Barfly® Mixology Bag

The post Bartender Abigail Gullo’s Favorite Bar Tool in her Barfly Deluxe Mixology Gear Bag by Mercer appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News