Whisky bar

Will Whiskey Bring Us Together?

by David Klemt

A letter penned by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and signed by a bipartisan group of senators shows that we’re capable of coming together.

There’s seemingly no escape from messages that America is divided like never before. And, when inundated with that message, it’s easy to believe. Sadder, when we believe that message it’s too easy to plunge into despair.

However, 17 senators, Democrats and Republicans, are coming together in support of American whiskey.

These senators are seeking the permanent removal of tariffs on American spirits and wine by the European Union. That 25 percent tariff, first imposed in June of 2018, is in retaliation over a dispute over aluminum and steel. This was a response to the US imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel imports, and ten percent on aluminum.

Unfortunately, after a suspension in 2021, the tariffs on American whiskey will jump to 50 percent on January 1, 2024. So, Sen. Cortez Masto and a bipartisan group of senators are urging the Biden administration to work with the EU to permanently suspend or otherwise eliminate tariffs on American whiskey.

If Ambassador Katherine Tai and the White House are unable to broker a deal with the EU, the tariffs would be catastrophic for many American whiskey distillers. In turn, their whiskeys would become more costly for restaurant, bar, nightlife, and hotel operators. And, of course, for consumers.

Here’s to hope. Hope that a deal can be reached, and hope that somehow, some way, our elected officials will engage in more bipartisan efforts moving forward.

Bipartisan Support in the Senate

Below, the text of the letter that Sen. Cortez Masto (D-NV) sent to Ambassador Tai and the White House.

The following senators signed this letter in a show of bipartisan support:

Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Katie Boyd Britt (R-AL)
Mike Braun (R-IN)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Bill Hagerty (R-TN)
Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Roger Marshall (R-KS)
Rand Paul (R-KY)
Gary Peters (D-MI)
Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Todd Young (R-IN)

If only restaurants and bars, venues where American whiskey is bought and sold, had received this type of support when seeking RRF replenishment.

The Letter

“Dear Ambassador Tai,

“We write today to request an expedited agreement with the European Union (EU) to secure the permanent removal of retaliatory tariffs on spirits and wines. While we applaud the Administration’s efforts to suspend retaliatory tariffs for five-years on spirits and wines in the WTO Large Civil Aircraft Dispute and the two-year pause on American Whiskeys in the steel and aluminum dispute, we are deeply concerned that a lack of a permanent fix risks the re-imposition of tariffs. As of now, a 50 percent tariff is set to hit American Whiskeys on January 1, 2024.

“Spirits have had a significant cultural impact in our country, and currently have a profound impact on the U.S. economy. In 2022 alone, U.S. distilled spirit exports reached $2.06 billion. But the impact of the retaliatory tariffs was devastating. For the American Whiskey industry, exports decreased from $702 million to $440 million, a loss of 20 percent between 2018 and 2021. In 2022, American spirits exports rebounded over 2017 pre-tariff levels – the last full year before retaliatory tariffs – due in large part to the suspension of retaliatory tariffs. For many in the hospitality industry and others such as retailers, grocers, importers and distributors, many of which are small, locally-owned businesses, the impact was severe, compounded by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“While we understand that you continue to negotiate towards a deal to settle the dispute related to steel, we believe that the targeting of spirits is extraneous. Likewise, a permanent fix is needed as the two-year pause on American Whiskey tariffs is set to snapback soon.

“Understanding that tariffs are a ‘tool in the toolbox’ in negotiating a deal, the imposition of additional tariffs on this industry would be detrimental. There are mutual benefits in finding a path forward, and our belief is that spirits and wines are a point where there can be consensus to limit the damage for all parties.

“We look forward to your support in finding a permanent fix for retaliatory tariffs on spirits and wines.”

Image: Daniel Norris on Unsplash

Blasphemy! National Scotch Day Cocktails

by David Klemt

Psst! Don’t tell the purists but this article encourages the adulteration of Scotch by combining it with other ingredients to make *gasp!* cocktails.

Now, I jest…mostly. To be fair, I don’t often encounter purists who scoff or outright lost their minds if someone doesn’t enjoy their favorite spirit neat. However, it does happen every now and again. Seriously, it shouldn’t really matter how someone decides to order and enjoy their drinks. Want to order Johnnie Walker Blue Label with soda? Go for it.

So, below you’ll find cocktails rather than bottles for National Scotch Day. Sure, you can contact your reps, incur costs, and bring in some boast-worthy bottles. However, you can also spotlight what you already have on hand with revenue-generating Scotch cocktails.

No, you won’t find Scoch & Soda or the Rusty Nail among the recipes below. I would hope you and your bar team already have those down since they’re essentially two-ingredient drinks.

Also, I’ll award bonus points to anyone who locks eyes with a Scotch snob as they gulp down a Glenmorangie Signet Penicillin. Sure, that’s petty of me; it’s also fun. What are the bonus points good for? Hey, why are you asking so many questions?

A quick note: If you’d rather go with food on this holiday, check out our Scotch and cheese pairing article.

Penicillin

So, I’m going to start with my personal favorite Scotch cocktail. If you’re a KRG Hospitality regular, you already know this is one of my favorite drinks in general.

This is a modern-day classic—the Penicillin dates all the way back to the early 2000s. Operator, bartender, and cocktail creator calls for two types of Scotch to make this delectable drink.

2 oz. Blended Scotch
0.75 oz. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
0.75 oz. Honey-ginger syrup (1 cup honey, 1 cup water, 1 6-inch bit of peeled and thin-sliced ginger)
0.25 oz. Peaty Islay Scotch to float
Candied ginger to garnish

Prepare a rocks glass with ice. Add first three ingredients to a shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled. Strain into the rocks glass and float Islay Scotch on top. Then, garnish and present.

For the syrup: Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce, simmer for five minutes, and set aside overnight in refrigerator. The next day, strain through cheesecloth.

Rob Roy

If you want to be flippant about it, the Rob Roy is a Scotch Manhattan. Of course, it’s easy to make that argument as cocktail historians believe the Rob Roy is an homage. At any rate, both are true classics, dating back to the late 1800s.

One of the fun elements of the Rob Roy is creating a signature version. Obviously, the Scotch and vermouth selection will impact the flavors of this drink. So, come up with a combination all your own to make this one of your bar’s specialties.

2 oz. Scotch
0.75 oz. Vermouth (equal parts sweet and dry vermouths to make a Perfect Rob Roy)
0.75 oz. Angostura Bitters
Brandied cherries to garnish

You’ll want to ensure you have chilled cocktail or Nick & Nora glasses on hand before starting this build. Combine the first three ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir unti well chilled and strain into chilled glass. Spear cherries, garnish, and serve.

Bobby Burns

Interestingly, some believe this cocktail is a riff on the Rob Roy. So, why not have Rob and Bobby on your National Scotch Day drink menu?

Now, the drinks are similar, but the flavor profiles are vastly different. After all, the ratio of Scotch to vermouth is 1:1, and the recipe uses Bénédictine rather than bitters.

1 oz. Blended Scotch (supposedly, this should be at least 12 years old)
1 oz. Sweet vermouth
0.5 oz. Bénédictine
Lemon peel to garnish

Of course, this is where the argument that the Bobby Burns is a version of the Rob Roy gets stronger. See the build instructions for the Rob Roy above? Do the same, but garnish with a lemon peel.

Blood & Sand

Oddly enough, we don’t know the creator of this drink. We do know it appears in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book, published in 1930. However, we don’t know for certain that he’s the inventor.

At any rate, we do know this 1:1:1:1 cocktail is delicious and a hit with whiskey fans.

0.75 oz. Scotch
0.75 oz. Cherry Heering
0.75 oz. Orange juice, freshly squeezed
0.75 oz. Sweet vermouth
Orange peel to garnish

Again, make sure you have chilled glassware to build this cocktail. In this case, coupes and cocktails. Combine all ingredients but the garnish in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Next, strain into the glass, then garnish and present.

Rusty Compass

So, this build is a bit different from the others in that it calls for a particular Scotch and two specific liqueurs. Also, this one is bold as the Scotch you’ll use is rather powerful.

Obviously, this is a bit like a Rusty Nail, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with the recipe.

2 oz. Compass Box The Peat Monster
01.75 oz. Drambuie (for making Rusty Nails, too)
0.5 oz. Cherry Heering (which you have on hand for making Blood & Sands)
Orange twist to garnish

As you’re probably already guessing, you combine all the ingredients but the garnish in a shaker with ice for this build. Shake it, strain it, and garnish it. Oh, and you’ll want to present this in a coupe.

Image: Ambitious Creative Co. – Rick Barrett on Unsplash

Will Whiskey Bring Us Together?