March 2022

In 2018, well-known bartender Masahiro Urushido opened craft cocktail bar Katana Kitten on Hudson Street in NYC’s West Village.

His Highball program has perfected the art of making the classic cocktail constantly and as it should be, extremely cold and exceedingly bubbly. His expertise in Highball making along with his minimalist cocktail philosophy has led to his art being imitated globally.   

In his relatively short time as a bar owner, Urushido won some noteworthy awards and accolades including being named Best New American Cocktail Bar at the Spirits Awards at Tales of the Cocktail and landing on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. He also co-authored a book titled The Art of the Japanese Cocktail. Chilled chatted with Masa about the best way to make the perfect Highball, every time. 

Tell us about the Highball program at Katana Kitten.

It’s everyone’s everyday bar. It’s a place that combines Japanese culinary and drinking culture in an American dive bar setting. We have a minimal menu, it’s a conceptual menu and always has a Highball highlighted, using different or seasonal ingredients in the recipe.  

What makes a perfect Highball? 

At Katana Kitten, we use a quality base spirit, very highly carbonated soda water and a garnish we want to profile. I recently made a Japanese Whisky Highball using Dewar’s Japanese Smooth, hand cut ice, quality carbonated soda water and garnished with a Nashi pear. I thought the aroma of the Asian pear, like any orchard fruit, would pair well with the Japanese component in the whisky. We keep the Highball recipes simple. 

Talk to us about making a Highball with Dewar’s Japanese Smooth. 

I was asked to try Dewar’s Japanese Smooth, which is a part of its series of experimental cask releases. Japanese whisky is so popular now and Japanese Smooth finishes Dewar’s Scotch whisky in Mizunara oak, which is found in Japan and is a very rare and special tree, making these casks much more expensive and scarcer than other casks.  When I tasted Japanese Smooth and made a Highball with it, I thought it was so unique and it really reminded me, very delicately but very distinctly, of Japan and Japanese Whisky.  

Please share with other bartenders a few tips for making the perfect Highball. 

A Highball like a Martini has minimal ingredients. So, if it’s done right, it’s like art, simple and beautiful. You can make an amazing drink, perfectly stirred, and diluted. But when you have a drink with minimal ingredients you can’t hide it when something goes wrong. As simply as things can go so right, they can also go so wrong.  

At Katana Kitten, we make our Highball consistently the same, exactly the same, every time. Our Japanese Smooth Highball is absolutely freezing cold from the moment it leaves the bar to the time it’s delivered to the guest to the very last sip. The glass is freezing. We use great ice, but also chill the glasses, we might keep the whisky in the fridge, along with the soda water. Everything must be kept very, very cold. 

As far as the soda water, we use highly carbonated soda water from a bottle not the guns, which could be flat. Keep it cold because the low temps will help retain the carbonation which is important. The soda must be bubbly like a champagne with bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass for the entire duration of the drink. The strong bubbly, effervescence needs to last until the very last sip.  

Any kind of ice is fine. If your ice is white with frost on it, let it sit in the glass and melt for a little bit to help chill the glass. Use absolutely freezing whisky and ice-cold soda water. Just give it a gentle little stir to combine ingredients together. As you drink the Highball over time the ice melts and dilutes giving more flavor to the drink.

The post The Art of the Japanese Highball with Masahiro Urushido appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Crafted at Balmenach Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, Gin Master Simon Buley created Caorunn Highland Strength at a bold 54% ABV to enhance the traditional Scottish botanicals that distinguish Caorunn Gin.

We spoke to Burley, along with Stuart Baxte Caorunn’s brand ambassador, and brand manager Lynne Buckley about mixing cocktails with Highland Strength.  

“Caorunn Highland Strength lends itself well to mixed drinks and complex cocktails as the higher ABV holds up to dilution well, allowing Caorunn’s unique flavors to shine through,” says Buley.  

This stronger version of Caorunn Gin utilizes Scotland’s unique natural resources by infusing five locally foraged Celtic botanicals and six traditional gin botanicals in the world’s only working Copper Berry Chamber. To create a flavor that deserves to be savored, gin master Buley uses the world’s only working Copper Berry Chamber to create Caorunn Gin and Caorunn Highland Strength. The botanicals used in Caorunn are first spread on four large trays; as the vapor passes through the trays it picks up the flavors of all the botanicals in a long, slow process. When it cools and returns to liquid, now gin, the botanical flavors are firmly embedded in the spirit. 

“Working with a higher strength ABV gin allows the flavors to be carried through stronger and for longer,” says Baxter. “This helps ensure a more prominent drink with a wider range of dilution and therefore a wider range of flavor profiles.” 

Highland Strength enhances the dry, crisp, taste of Caorunn to create a peppery, fruity, and herbaceous gin with a strong juniper character. “Consumers told us that they’d love to see a gin at a higher strength so, we’re very pleased to have introduced Caorunn Highland Strength to our range of gins,” remarks Burley. “The strength of this gin enhances the unique flavor of Caorunn to create a fragrant and herbaceous gin that tastes both peppery and fruity and leaves a luxurious and satisfying finish.” 

The higher ABV percentage of Caorunn Highland Strength lends itself to enhancing mixed drinks and cocktails. Caorunn recommends cocktail lovers enjoy the new gin with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, built over ice, and garnished with red apple slices and orange oil twisted over the surface or with Dry Vermouth and Cocchi Americano, garnished with fresh lemon zest to create a Pale Highland Negroni. 

“Many UK gin brands are exploring Navy Strength or higher ABV expressions due to their versatility for mixing and enhanced botanical flavor. Our striking hand-picked botanical gin recipe is at its most efficacious at a powerful 54% ABV in Caorunn Highland Strength,” explains Buckley. “Its bold flavors make it the perfect sipping gin, or a fragrant addition to any cocktail, sure to enhance its flavor. As consumer interest in cocktails continues to grow alongside their quest for new flavors, there will be opportunity for high ABV gins which maximize the botanical experience.” 

Pale Highland Negroni

Ingredients: 

• 25ml Caorunn Highland Strength 
• 25ml Dry Vermouth 
• 25ml Cocchi Americano 

Preparation: Build in a mixing glass, stir until chilled and diluted. Garnish with lemon zest. 

Highland Blush C&T

Ingredients: 

• 50ml Caorunn Highland Strength  
• 150ml Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters 

Preparation: Build ingredients over ice. Garnish sliced red apples.

The post Mixing with High ABV Gin appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

We are debunking 6 absinthe myths on National Absinthe Day.

We’ve all heard the myths, urban legends, and fake news when it comes to Absinthe.  A.K.A. The Green Fairy, La Fee Verte, the Green Muse, Absinthe has as many nicknames as it does legends. The reality is that the high-proof spirit is an important part of cocktail culture—past, present, and future.  

Still, numerous misperceptions exist, so in preparation for the 15th anniversary of the repeal of the ban on the sale of absinthe in the United States, here are some debunks to the “Fake News” when it comes to absinthe.  

Absinthe is not illegal.   

Authentic absinthes are legal. The sale of absinthe was banned in the United States for nearly 100 years for a variety of reasons, but that ban was repealed in 2007.  

Absinthe does not make you hallucinate.  

Absinthe is a botanical distillate that contains a mixture of anise, fennel, and a type of wormwood called Artemisia Absinthium. This wormwood imparts a minute amount of thujone into the spirit, but there is more thujone from sage in a box of Stove Top Stuffing than in a bottle of absinthe. Moreover, distillation renders the wormwood perfectly safe.  

Real absinthe is made in the United States.

Until 2007, this myth had some truth to it, as absinthe was banned in the United States. Today, however, there are several absinthes made in the states from local ingredients that harken back to authentic recipes. That means they’re made with Artemisia Absinthium, aka grande wormwood, the herb that gives the liquor its name and its flavor. Another clue? Authentic absinthes don’t have sugar.   

Absinthe should not be served with a (flaming) sugar cube.  

The classic method of serving absinthe involves slowly dripping cold water into a glass of the spirit. During the process, the spirit will louche, which means it turns cloudy and opaque. Somewhere along the way, sugar cubes were added—likely to cover for poor quality ingredients and in some circles, that the sugar is first soaked with alcohol and lit with a match. Though impressive, the “fire ritual” is designed to distract from the fact that a cheap and artificial product will not louche. Again, authentic absinthes don’t have or need sugar.  

Absinthe is wildly versatile and belongs in cocktails.  

While absinthe’s high proof has scared off many a bartender, those who experiment with the spirit have found how wonderfully versatile absinthe can be. Try replacing the vodka in a Bloody Mary with absinthe or substituting absinthe for the gin in a classic Negroni.

The AbsiGroni

Ingredients:  

• 1 oz. Absinthia Absinthe Verte 
• 1 oz. Campari 
• 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth 

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Stir and strain over a large cube. Garnish with an orange peel.

The post 6 Absinthe Myths Debunked on National Absinthe Day appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Rodiono & Sons Private Distillery, makers of POLUGAR Vodka is made in Poland.

Sure, vodka comes to mind when you think of Russian. To be sure, with the current situation in the Ukraine and the boycotts of Russian products, many spirits brands are shining a light on the heritage and history of their brands. 

Interestingly, the type of vodka historical figures like Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Push- kin, Dostoevsky or Chekhov sipped on was something very different from the vodka you are familiar with today.  

Before rectification technology was invented for the chemical industry in Western Europe, ethanol could not be used as it is nowadays. The vodka was made from grain and distilled in copper pot stills, rather like single malt whisky, and was called Breadwine or Polugar.  

When rectification (distillation columns) reached Russia in 1870, alcohol started being produced using the more efficient modern technology and the old recipes of grain distillates used by the nobility were slowly phased out.  

It was then in 1895, when the Tsar introduced a state monopoly, that the production of Polugar was completely forbidden and all the traditional distilleries with their copper pot stills were destroyed.  

As a result, the Rodiono family was chased from Russia forced to make their product in Poland. Rodiono & Sons set out to build a distillery not far from Warsaw, Poland where their Polugar was made using historical methods.  

Over the next century, Rodionov and his sons dared to recreate their vodka the way it was produced in Russia prior to 1895, when Russian banned private distilleries.  

Rodionov & Sons Polugar is, to this day, manufactured in Poland, not Russia, using the same traditional methods.

Its range consists of two lines: a tasting line for Connoisseurs and a line for bartenders called the Mixology & Gastronomy line.  

For is Connoisseurs range, only one type of cereal is distilled, which can be enjoyed in taste and flavor.  

For the Mixology & Gastronomy range of products, each expressions’ natural ingredients are added to the pot-still during third distillation, without any artificial extracts it gives truly revolutionary taste and flavor to the drink.  

Henry Preiss, founder of Preiss Imports, importers of Rodionov & Sons Polugar concludes, “Truly a stellar pot distilled spirit to rival anything you have ever tasted.”

The post Distillery Refugee, Polugar Vodka, Made in Poland appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Mulled wine, or heated and spiced wine, is usually made with red wine and a variety of spices, served warm.

This traditional winter drink dates to the 16th century when wine was flavored with sugar and spices. Mulled wine is surprisingly easy-to-make and is a delightfully soothing and satisfying sipper. 

The hardest part will be choosing the bottle of red wine. We like dry varieties like Cab Sav, Malbec, or Merlot. Once you have your bottle of red, warm it up and combine it with some orange slices and warm spices like cloves, ginger, anise, cinnamon, or cardamom, then add some honey, and that’s it! 

Check out this Mulled Wine, created by Derek Kwong of Barkeep SF, crafted with CK Mondavi and Family’s 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, a rich and velvety wine that brings the mulled flavors to life.  

Mulled Red Wine

Serving Size: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle of CK Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2 blood oranges
• 5 whole cloves
• 3 star anise
• 3 Vietnamese Canela Cinnamon Sticks
• 2 tablespoons Wild Mountain Brand Raw 100% Pure Honey 

Preparation: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all dry ingredients. Slice 1 blood orange into thin wheels and place in saucepan. Slice the second blood orange into wheels and set aside. Bring to a simmer just before boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Serve immediately with caution as contents are hot – and delicious! Garnish with additional blood orange wheel, cinnamon stick, and a star anise.

The post Easy-to-Make Mulled Wine appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Women of the Vine & Spirits hosts “Raise Your Glass for Equality” Toast in Celebration of International Women’s Day. 

Being held virtually March 8 from 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM PST, on International Women’s Day, uplifting this year’s theme #BreakTheBias.  

Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer, and spirits industry toward a more diverse equitable and inclusive era has announced program details for its annual free and public event, Raise Your Glass for Equality Toast, to be held virtually on International Women’s Day.  

This Annual WOTVS celebration will be filled with music, fun and dedications from around the globe in support of equality and International Women’s Day (IWD). 

“As an organization working year-round to further diversity, equity and inclusion in the alcohol beverage industry, we want to take a moment to celebrate and honor the incredible achievements that have been made,” says Founder and CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits, Deborah Brenner. “While we have so much more work to do, join us on March 8th as we raise a toast to acknowledge how far we’ve come and re-commit ourselves to taking action. Collectively, we can all #BreakTheBias.”  

All are invited to register for the FREE EVENT on the Women of the Vine & Spirits website. Register here today. www.womenofthevine.com/rygfe  

Registration closes 11:59 pm PST on Friday, March 4. 

About Women of the Vine & Spirits

Women of the Vine & Spirits is an all-encompassing global organization, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive era that supports business development and innovation, empowering all to thrive. Our members connect through our global network and collaborate across all industry sectors. We provide our members with benefits that include education, training, mentorship, and networking as well as tools, services and resources toward DE&I, and personal and business development. For more information, please visit womenofthevine.com.

The post WOTVS Virtual Toast to International Woman’s Day! appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

International Irish Whiskey Day is celebrated on March 3rd—two weeks to the day before St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th.

The date 3/3 is said to have numerical significance, in that the number three is the amount of leaves a Shamrock has, the Irish flag contains three colors (green, white, and orange) and three represents the types of Irish whiskey—Single Malt, Single Grain, and Irish Single Pot Still. In keeping with the theme, Irish Whiskey is traditionally triple distilled and matured for three years.  

Check out our Drink of the Week made using Jameson Black Barrel, triple distilled, twice charred whiskey, the brand’s tribute to coopers, who work tirelessly with additional charring of bourbon barrels to coaxing out untold richness and complexity.  

This Old Fashioned riff will have you celebrating International Irish Whiskey Day in as easy as 1-2-3. 

Black Barrel Old Fashioned

Ingredients: 

• 2 Parts Jameson Black Barrel 
• 3/4 parts simple syrup 
• 2 dashes orange bitters 
• 1 dash Soda Water 
• Orange peel (for garnish) 

Preparation: Fill a glass or jug with ice, add ingredients. Stir until ice cold. Squeeze the oils from the orange peel over the glass. Garnish with the orange peel.

The post Celebrate National Irish Whiskey Day with Black Barrel Old Fashioned Cocktail appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Each month, Chilled is bringing you five essential cocktails based on our National Drink Day Calendar. Don’t forget to reference it so you can prepare for the upcoming holidays.

March is the perfect time to give your cocktail menu a refresh. Consumers are ready to go out to bars and restaurants now that the weather is looking up! Nevertheless, no matter the season, there are always delicious cocktails to be made. There is a little something for everyone with these five essential cocktails for March. From the whiskey drinkers to the vodka lovers—this list has it all.  

Here are five essential cocktails you should make for March.

Rainbow Cocktail  

Calling all peanut butter lovers—this is for you! This Rainbow Cocktail is incredibly simple to make yet something that you’re going to love. Celebrate National Peanut Butter Lovers Day (3/1) and indulge in this whiskey-based cocktail. It’ll instantly transport you to your childhood with the use of fruity cereal milk.  

Pascale Espresso Martini

Last year, Chilled declared the day after Daylight Savings National Espresso Martini Day! So when you are feeling a little sluggish from the time change and need a pick-me-up on March 14, give this recipe a go. While we always love a classic cocktail, this riff on the Espresso Martini is a must-try. 

Cucumber Gimlet 

The start of the Spring Equinox (3/2)  calls for a cocktail! Cucumber pairs beautifully in this gin cocktail. Its refreshing flavor makes it the perfect sipper for the start of the warm weather. This cocktail can easily be elevated as well. Add in fresh mint sprigs or muddled strawberries to give a different flavor profile that is still tasty for spring.  

Americano 

Vermouth Day falls on March 21, and while this day may seem a little random, don’t forget the power vermouth brings to cocktails. In the last few years, low ABV aperitifs have been all the craze. It doesn’t just belong in martinis either this spritz is great for those imbibers who want a pre-dinner cocktail.  

On The Edge  

Of course, we’re providing you with a whiskey cocktail to make for International Whisk(e)y Day on March 27! This cocktail is creamy and indulgent and perfect for those looking to get into the rye/whiskey world but need help to guide their palette. The mixture of Amaretto with rye plays nice in this drink.

The post 5 Essential Cocktails for March 2022 appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Japan’s oldest distilled alcoholic beverage and best-selling spirit is called shochu. 

Not to be confused with Korean soju, shochu is distinctly Japanese, highly regulated, and has umami essence—an easily recognized flavor profile found in Japanese foods like miso and soy sauce. 

“Shochu’s rich flavor yet light structure and smooth finish makes the spirit really fun to play with in cocktails,” says Eric Simmons, bar director at Chicago’s Maple and Ash. Simmons creates the Strawberry Blonde cocktail at his bar. The popular drink is a play on a Sidecar, that is a clarified milk punch style cocktail combining cognac, strawberries, lavender, citrus, and coconut cream with iichiko shochu.  

“Once cool, bonded and finely strained this clarified strawberry Sidecar is the perfect sipping cocktail all year round,” says Simmons. “As a fan of the Sidecar, we always try to create different riffs on it for all of our seasonal menu changes.”  

Simmons says the flavors of the strawberry lavender syrup made at Maple and Ash and his obsession for clarified cocktails inspired the drink. “iichiko is our secret ingredient,” he adds. “Splitting it with cognac in the Strawberry Blonde creates a balanced and crisp symphony of flavors that get better and better with each sip.” 

iichiko Shochu (pronounced EACH-ko) is made from 100% two-row barley, fermented with koji. Koji is the traditional secret behind umami. Crafted in Oita Prefecture on Kyushu iichiko stays true to its natural environment. In 1979, iichiko debuted its premium class of shochu known as honkaku shochu. Today, iichiko is the leading brand of barley shochu in Japan. Iichiko Saiten is crafted specifically for the modern bartender, as a full-flavored expression of shochu at 43% ABV and perfect for cocktails. The more traditional expression, at 25% ABV, iichiko Silhouette is lighter and pairs well with a wide range of foods.  

“iichiko Saiten is supremely mixable,” explains Simmons. “Its savory flavors and umami-like character creates unique, dynamic, and delicious cocktails.” 

Learn More About Shochu 

Shochu is believed to have originated around the 16th century, initially being produced throughout the southernmost Japanese main island, Kyushu. This region is famous for its clean air, lush greenery, dense cedar forests, mountainous terrain, and geothermal springs.  

Distilled only once, Shochu is highly regulated by the Japanese government with no flavorings or additives allowed. During the distillation process, its normal ABV can be 20%-25%, but can reach as high as 43%.  

Shochu can be made from ingredients such as rice, potatoes, buckwheat, grains, molasses, or other ingredients that are heavy in starch.  

Traditionally Shochu can be enjoyed neat, hot, or on the rocks, but the spirit is versatile enough to create a wide range of cocktails.  

Bartenders like Simmons enjoy riffing on their favorite classic cocktails by splitting the base with shochu. When mixing cocktails with shochu, the spirit should not be mistaken for vodka or soju. They are not the same. The Koji in shochu creates an umami flavor.  

Importantly, bartenders need to remember most shochu is around 50 proof, so classic cocktail recipes will need another base spirit to make up the difference in proof. Or use a higher-proof, full-bodied option like iichiko Saiten.  

Experiment with the different styles and flavors found in shochu. Taste it neat and or try it swapping out with the base spirit in your classic cocktail recipes. It’s versatility and uniqueness in cocktails make shochu a must-have behind the modern bar.

The post Why Use Shochu in Cocktails with Bar Director Eric Simmons appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

The new El Luchador Tequila Collection, created by tequilero David Ravandi, founder of 123 Organic Tequila, is a distinctive artisanal collection of tequila expressions that certainly packs a punch.

It pays homage to and is inspired by the lucha libre; wrestlers known for their colorful masks and rapid acrobatic techniques in Mexican culture. The original amalgamation of Mexico’s two most valued cultural institutions, blue-agave tequila and lucha libre, was generated in 2013 when Ravandi first introduced El Luchador Overproof Organic Blanco Tequila. It will be replaced by the new collection comprised of Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and Distill-Proof tequilas.

El Luchador Tequilas are made from the blue agave that thrives in the iron-rich volcanic soils of the highlands of Los Altos de Jalisco. It is grown at a very high altitude of 6,500 feet, which directly affects the flavors present in the tequila.  

“Agave grown at this altitude is stressed and constantly seeking water. The more fibrous it becomes, the more concentrated the flavors in our tequila will be,” says Ravandi. 

It is here where El Luchador Tequilas are distilled using artisanal methods and produced and packaged in a way that treads lightly on the environment.  

Ravandi was one of the first tequileros to adopt and perfect the innovative process of aging in French oak barrels rather than bourbon barrels in the late ‘90s. The Reposado and Añejo expressions rest in such barrels that previously held the wines of Puligny Montrachet.

Get to know the tasting notes of the collection here:

El Luchador Blanco Tequila (40% ABV) is favored as the foundation for creating cocktails by mixologists. With notes of fresh agave and citrus combined with a saline finish, it can also be enjoyed as a fine sipping tequila.

El Luchador Reposado Tequila (40% ABV) spends four to six months in the French white-oak barrels and is as complex as it is refined. The prominent notes for this expression are roasted agave, bright citrus, and vanilla, with white pepper through the finish.

El Luchador Añejo Tequila (40% ABV) guarantees to bequeath increasing layers of complexity, with notes of deeply roasted agave, caramelized citrus, and dark vanilla. The Añejo expression will arrive in the U.S. in late 2022, and an Extra Añejo is an anticipated addition by 2025.  

El Luchador Distill-Proof Blanco Tequila (55% ABV) boasts a robust and intricate profile with notes of fresh agave and bright citrus, and a smoky, saline finish. It is best suited as the base for cocktails or to enjoy as a digestif.

The post Tequilero David Ravandi Pays Homage to Lucha Libre appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News