Bottles | KRG Hospitality

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January 21, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Stories Sell: Whiskey Maturing and Aging

Stories Sell: Whiskey Maturing and Aging

The whiskey emoji in real life.

When it comes to tempting a guest out of their comfort zone or introducing someone to a new spirit, telling a compelling story is key.

Now, when we’re talking about whiskey, there are several directions the relevant stories can take.

We can focus on a distillery’s heritage and legacy. There are the histories of master distillers and master blenders. And there are innovations that pertain to maturing and aging.

Look, it’s been a heavy week. The National Day of Action to Save Restaurants took place on Tuesday. Half of this week’s KRG Hospitality were focused on that crucial campaign.

So, I think we need to end this week with something fun. Remember, when your guests are having fun at your venue, they’re more apt to order that second or third drink. Of course, a fun experience also encourages first-time guests to convert to loyal, repeat guests.

You know what’s fun? Checking out how distillers are innovating and crafting special releases. Many limited-run expressions leverage attention-grabbing maturing and aging techniques to stand out.

Below are a few unique expressions. Sometimes, short and snappy is the best sales approach. Quickly sharing how a particular bottle was matured or aged can sell a dram quickly and effectively.

Jefferson’s Ocean

This bottle, a “very small batch” blend of straight bourbon whiskeys, goes on journey before arriving in your guest’s glass.

How great a journey? According to Jefferson’s Bourbon, Jefferson’s Ocean barrels travel on the deck of a ship 25 ports across five continents. During this aging process, the barrels also cross the equator twice.

The result is a unique bourbon with hints of salted caramel popcorn, tropical fruit, and brine. In short, the salt air of the sea is captured in each barrel that takes this impressive trip.

Starward Two-Fold, Nova, and Solera

David Vitale, the founder of Starward Whisky, is the guest on episode 63 of the Bar Hacks podcast.

During his episode, Vitale explains that Starward matures in Australian wine barrels. And to make sure the Australian distillery gets the most out of these barrels, Starward sources them from wineries that are within a day’s drive.

Vitale calls Two-Fold the “Swiss Army knife of whiskies.” Working well neat, on the rocks, in cocktails (like a Two-Fold & Tonic, says Vitale), and with food. Nova, also matures in barrels once filled with Australian red wine. The result is a whisky that Vitale says makes the world’s best Manhattan.

For Solera, Starward takes a slightly different approach. The distillery utilizes the Spanish Solera method for this expression, as the name implies. However, to really deliver a dram that embodies its home, Solera is matured in former Apera barrels. Apera, an Australian fortified wine, is similar to sherry.

Starward Ginger Beer Cask

If ocean aging and wine barrel maturation doesn’t grab your attention, this bottle may at least get an eyebrow raise out of your and your guests.

Now, before I proceed, this is a highly allocated Starward expression. During his podcast interview, Vitale told me even he, the founder, only gets one of these bottles when they come up for release.

The 2022 Starward Ginger Beer Cask is the seventh bottling of this experimental expression. To craft this rare spirit, Starward brews alcoholic ginger beer (Vitale comes from the craft beer brewing world in Australia) and finishes their single malt whisky in those ex-ginger beer casks.

Expect strong, spicy, warm notes of ginger, along with candied citrus, dark chocolate, vanilla, and pineapple.

American Highway Bourbon

When country music superstar Brad Paisley went on tour in 2019, he brought along something unique. That special something? A world first: 90 barrels of whiskey inside a 53-foot trailer.

That “rolling rickhouse” traveled coast to coast across 25 states. The 90 barrels toured and aged with Brad Paisley for more than 7,300 miles.

When the tour concluded, the trailered whiskey was blended with three Kentucky bourbons to create Batch One: one three year, one 13 year, and one 15 year. American Highway Reserve, in collaboration with Bardstown Bourbon Company, was born.

Batch Two is coming in 2022. For this expression, the rolling rickhouse followed Paisley’s 2021 tour.

Each of the bottles above tell a unique, tempting story. Better yet, these stories can be told to guests quickly. Upselling is an art, and these bottles make it easier.

Image: Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash

Red and black gift boxes and bows on black background

December 7, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

2021 KRG Holiday Bottle & Can Guide

2021 KRG Holiday Bottle & Can Guide

by David Klemt

We’re bringing you new products and gift ideas for the 2021 holiday season for your specialty menus, raffles, and employee incentives.

Whether because they’re unique or leverages eye-catching bottling, labeling and packaging, you can’t go wrong with the bottles below.

In fact, you should probably consider adding some of these to your inventory and seasonal menu. A number of these bottles will attract attention from guests when they spot them on your back bar.

And, hey, we won’t tell anyone if you decide to treat yourself to one of these gifts. You’ve earned it.

Brandy

Few spirits shine more during the holiday season and winter months than brandy.

Château de Breuil Réserve Du Château 8 Year

This is the first entry in Château de Breuil’s “Hors d’Age” range, which means this Calvados is older than six years. The youngest Calvados in this release is eight years old, and there’s plenty of warming, comforting apple on the nose, palate and finish.

Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège x Julien Colombier

This striking bottle, adorned with an original design by Julien Colombier, definitely stands out from the standard V.S.O.P Privilège.

Hine Cigar Reserve XO

This blend of 20 eau-de-vie is intended specifically to be enjoyed with a fine cigar. In particular, a fine Cuban cigar. A Cognac meant to help unplug, slow down, and enjoy the moment.

Gin

There is an incredible array of gins available that can sway even the staunchest “I don’t drink gin” drinkers out there.

Glendalough Rose Gin

The Glendalough distillery operates via three mantras: Wild foraged. Fresh distilled. Stand apart. Glendalough Rose Gin hits all those marks, particularly standing apart from other gins.

Hardshore Original Gin

There are a few ways to approach crafting a gin. Hardshore Distilling Company’s approach is to be simple in order to be complex. Just five botanicals are used in the production of Hardshore Original Gin: Tuscan juniper, coriander, rosemary, mint, and orris root.

Junipero Gin

With it’s striking new appearance, Junipero Gin’s bottle is now as bold as the liquid inside.

Mezcal & Tequila

The growth of the agave spirit category doesn’t seem like it will stop anytime soon. In particular, luxury mezcals and tequilas seem to be benefitting from consumers interested in spending more to drink higher-quality spirits.

Código 1530 Artesanal & Ancestral

As discussed on episode 57 of Bar Hacks with Collin De Laval, Código 1530 recently released two mezcals, super-premium Artesanal and ultra-premium Ancestral.

Sombra Reposé

This unique mezcal represents a world first: A mezcal aged in Bordeaux wine casks. It doesn’t hurt that the bottle is also attractive.

Tanteo Navidad

There are just 5,000 bottles of Tanteo Navidad, an ultra-premium añejo tequila infused with the flavors of the holiday season: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cocoa beans, ginger, and pequin chilis.

RTD

With so many hard seltzer and canned cocktail brands hitting the market, it’s difficult picking just a few standout RTDs.

Karbach Brewing

When it comes to RTDs, Ranch Water was basically destined to end up in cans. As a blend of Topo Chico, tequila and lime, Ranch Water has a legitimate claim to the hard seltzer throne. Karbach Ranch Water is available in Original, Grapefruit, Meyer Lemon, Prickly Pear, and Watermelon. It’s also produced by a brewery in a state that knows a little somethin’ about Ranch Water: Texas.

Speaking of Texas…

Shiner Tall ‘Tails

Texas’ famous brewer has entered the hard seltzer space with four expressions based on classic cocktails: Texas Mule, Mexican Martini, Watermelon Margarita, and Ruby Red Paloma.

WESAKE

Given how easily drinkable sake is, I’m surprised there aren’t more RTD sakes on the market. Four cans of Junmai Ginjo WESAKE equal one bottle.

Rum

It’s always exciting to come across something new in any spirit category. The two selections below are from countries people don’t often think of when the topic of rum arises.

Kasama

How about small-batch rum from the Philippines, aged seven years and produced by Alexandra Dorda. If that last name sounds familiar it’s likely because Alexandra is the daughter of Tad Dorda, co-founder of Belvedere and Chopin vodkas.

Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum

When’s the last time you sipped a rum from Thailand? The answer is most likely never. A beautiful bottle of Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum—aged seven to 12 years—can certainly fix that.

Zanj Rum Ak Zanj

The name of this expression of Haitian rum translates to “with angels” in Haitian Creole. Made using only pure sugarcane juice (no sugar added) and aged exclusively in Limousin oak barrels, Ak Zanj is characterized by caramel, fruit, vanilla and honey notes. The bottle also looks great on a back bar or home bar.

Vodka

All eyes may seem to be on tequila, mezcal and whiskey, but the vodka category isn’t resting on its laurels. There have been a lot of innovations in this space, such as revisiting traditional processes, playing with flavoring, and even sourcing very specific grapes for production.

Belvedere Heritage 176

As the name suggests, Heritage 176 is an homage to the old ways of producing vodka. To that end, this expression makes use of malting or kiln-drying rye for deeper, more complex flavors.

Hangar 1 Smoke Point

Produced in partnership with Crimson Wine Group, Hangar 1 used smoke-tinged grapes affected by Norther California’s disastrous Glass Fire to create Smoke Point vodka.

Wild Roots Vodka

This corn-based vodka is made in the Pacific Northwest and infused with more than a pound of real fruit. There are several flavors available in addition to the neutral expression, such as winter-friendly Apple & Cinnamon and Cranberry.

Whiskey

This category isn’t just immensely popular, it’s immense in and of itself. It was difficult to narrow it down to just three selections, particularly when it came to bourbon.

Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter

Your guests, staff, family and friends aren’t the only people who wear Christmas sweaters. A Tale of Winter grabs the eye during the holiday season with a label that looks like it’s ready for your restaurant, bar, nightclub or hotel’s holiday party. This Scotch encapsulates the season with notes of cocoa powder, orange toffee, clover, ginger, and cinnamon.

High West High Country Single Malt

It may be an oversimplification to call High Country Single Malt an homage to single malt Scotch but it’s still an accurate summation. When producing the distillery’s latest release, High West uses “on-the-grain” distillation, along with fresh-charred and second-use barrels during maturation.

Redemption Cognac Cask Finish

Bottled at 99 proof, this high-rye bourbon is aged in Pierre Ferrand Cognac barrels. Expect bold but elegant flavors with baking spices, rye and sweetness on the palate.

Woodford Reserve 2021 Holiday Bottle

Every holiday and Kentucky special edition bottle of Woodford Reserve has been a winner. However, I find the artwork on this year’s holiday bottle by Nick Hirst to the best yet.

Wine

Well, in particular, sparkling wine. When it comes to celebrating, it’s hard to beat the craving for bubbles.

Dom Maria

You can’t go wrong with Dom Maria Brazilian Sparkling Brut or Rosé. The packaging is sleek, modern and makes a statement. Both DM expressions are 60 percent Chardonnay, 40 percent Pinot Noir.

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Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs

It’s fair to say that most people are most familiar with Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Époque bottles, adorned as they are with Japanese anemone flowers outlined in gold. However, on episode 56 of Bar Hacks, Maxime Lecocq says that when he sees someone order a bottle of Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs, “they know what they’re doing.”

Yarden Blanc de Blancs

Looking for a Kosher blanc de blancs option for the holiday season? Look no further than Yarden Blanc de Blancs produced by the Golan Heights Winery, currently releasing their 2012 vintage.

Low- and Zero-proof

There are a number of high-quality alcohol-free spirts, beers and other beverages out there. With that number growing, the biggest challenge is deciding which brands and expressions to pick as gifts and add to your menu.

The County Soda Co.

Much attention is paid to the spirits in cocktails, and for obvious reasons. However, crafting the best possible cocktail requires using the best possible ingredients. The County Soda Co. crafts “soda pop for adults” by using real cane sugar and juice concentrates, and by eschewing artificial sweeteners. Proudly produced in small batches in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada, County Soda includes flavors such as Root Beer, Cola, Ginger Ale, Blackcurrant Lime, and Orange Cream Soda.

Lyre’s

This innovative brand is named for a bird famous for it’s accurate mimicry of its avian peers, and for good reason. Lyre’s crafts zero-proof expressions that taste like their full-proof counterparts, including sparkling wine and RTDs. You can even purchase cocktail kits that provide everything necessary to make alcohol-free Negronis, Espresso Martinis, and more.

To learn more, fire up episode 28 of Bar Hacks with Tim Rita.

Partake Radler

Ted Fleming started Partake Brewing partially out of frustration. He made the choice to live sober but had no intention of giving up socializing in bars with friends. Unfortunately, the options for alcohol-free beer were incredibly slim. So, he founded Partake Brewing to produce 0.3-percent craft beer. The highly sought-after Partake Radler is back just in time for the holidays!

Learn more from Ted Fleming on Bar Hacks episode 31.

Q Tropical Ginger Beer

How does a tropical take on ginger beer sound? To me, it sounds refreshingly different. I’m a big ginger beer fan, so Q Tropical Ginger Beer, with its agave, mango, passion fruit, and pineapple notes, is intriguing.

Image: Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash

Bottle of Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon on top of a map

September 7, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

9 Bottles for Bourbon Heritage Month

9 Bottles for Bourbon Heritage Month

by David Klemt

One of the best elements of Bourbon Heritage Month is, undoubtedly, the opportunity to find and taste new expressions.

Given our love for finding new bottles, we’re sharing nine bottles to try this month.

Like our June 14 National Bourbon Day roundup, our suggestions for September run the pricing gamut. You’ll find a bottle under $20 and one with a $150 price tag.

The bottles below will also help your complete nine days of the 30 Days of Bourbon challenge. Who doesn’t love win-win situations?

$50 and Under

Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, $15

You don’t have to empty your wallet to enjoy a bonded bourbon. Also, doing so connects you with decades upon decades of bourbon distilling history and heritage. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond won’t break the bank and doesn’t skimp on quality, flavor or body.

Jim Beam Old Tub, $23

Speaking of bonded bourbons that won’t drain bank accounts, Jim Beam Old Tub is a limited edition, 100-proof expression that barely cracks $20 per 740ml bottle. This direct competitor to the bourbon above is neither carbon- nor chill-filtered. In fact, the distillery says the only filtering this liquid receives is of bits of wood from the barrels.

$51 to $99

Basil Hayden Toast, $50

Not only does Basil Hayden Toast receive its toasty profile from a second barreling, this bourbon features a new mash bill that includes brown rice. This is a smooth, subtle, 80-proof bourbon that practically begs you to relax and reflect to fully appreciate its nuances.

Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond, $65

There’s some controversy surrounding this 100-proof expression. That makes the bottle all the more compelling.

First, pricing can be as low as $35 per bottle SRP…if people hunting these bottles down get lucky. Some people report finding Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond for around $40, but most will say it’s between $65 and $80. Then there’s the fact that this small run bourbon isn’t exactly consistent between batches. That makes finding a bottling that really speaks to the consumer special.

Regardless of “controversy,” this bonded bourbon is aged for ten years, much longer than many other bottled-in-bond expressions out there.

Jack Daniel’s 10-Years-Old Tennessee Whiskey, $70

Here we go… On a technical level, Tennessee whiskey is bourbon. The process, up to a certain point, is identical: both must be at least 51 percent corn, and both must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. The big difference is the step that takes place just before the liquid is aged: it’s treated to a charcoal filtering.

So, please don’t come at us for including Jack Daniel’s 10-Years-Old Tennessee Whiskey on this list. Instead, seek out and try this new 97-proof offering from Jack Daniel’s.

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit, $65

This bourbon is for those looking for a single-barrel expression from one of the most recognizable names in bourbon production. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit rings in at 101 proof and is aged for eight years. Enjoyed neat, Kentucky Spirit delivers notes of almond, honey, leather, oak, pepper and vanilla, a full body, and a long finish.

$100 and Over

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (2021 Edition), $130

September is a special month for bourbon lovers. Bourbon Heritage Month is the perfect time to splash out for high-dollar bottles. One of those is the industry’s first-ever vintage-dated bourbons.

For the unfamiliar, Birthday Bourbon has marked George Garvin Brown’s birthday, September 2, since 2002. As you may have suspected, George was the co-founder of Brown-Forman. This year’s Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is the product of 119 barrels that were filled on April 16, 2009, and aged for 12 years.

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Series No. 16 (Very Fine Rare Bourbon), $130

Whereas several bottles on this list pay homage to the rich history of bourbon production, Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection showcases the future. Now, Very Find Rare Bourbon is a nod to the past. However, the mission driving Master’s Collection is innovation. Special releases like Series No. 16 is produced with liquid from barrels that date back to 2003, which is the year that Chris Morris became Master Distiller.

Four Roses 2021 Limited Edition Small Batch, $150

Looking for a barrel-strength bourbon? Four Roses 2021 Limited Edition Small Batch is bottled at 114.2 proof. This bottling consists of four bourbons produced following four separate Four Roses recipes: a 12-year-old OESK, a 14-year-old OBSQ, a 16-year-old OESV, and a 16-year-old OBSV. To learn more about the Four Roses recipes, click here.

Image: Zhivko Minkov on Unsplash