Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/39104
DISTINCTIVE DRINKING Whisky THE MACALLAN £10 LOUNGE DEBUTS IN BEVERLY HILLS by the Pound B ritish mixologists know the back of the Bank of Scotland’s Tercentenary Series £10 banknote sports an illustration of The Although not a private club, reservations are required for £10 at the Montage, and business casual attire is requested. A greeter meets guests and escorts them to the lounge. Macallan’s copper pot stills. Now this same banknote has inspired the first-ever £10 Macallan lounge in the U.S., discreetly located up a winding staircase lead- ing from Chef Scott Conant’s Scarpetta restaurant in the Montage in Beverly Hills, California. This wood-paneled enclave only seats 36, yet is stocked with one of the most extensive arrays of The Macallan single malts in the country, ranging from the 12 Year Old—symbolically priced at £10 ($16) a glass—to the 30 Year Old. In addition, Old & Rare selections include the 1951, Royal Marriage and the 64 Year Old Macallan (at $64,000 a glass). Macallan Fine Oak, ranging from the 15 to 30 Year Old, plus Highland Park, including the 18 Y.O., and the Orcadian Vintage Series 1968 are also offered. Krug champagne, as well as traditional and specialty cocktails (with barrel stave swizzle sticks), are served tableside, along with a whisky-friendly bar menu that includes Hama Hama oysters, crispy bacon sticks and aged bison tartare. The club is open evenings Tuesday through Saturday and there is a $50 per person minimum. A dedicated £10 number— (310) 860-5808—is provided for reservations, which are required, and exclusive buy-outs are available. —Richard Carleton Hacker ANYTHING BUT HO-HUM Beverly Hills, CA’s Oliverio is known for its regional Italian fare, but one night in late June, the restaurant had a unique buzz to it when Executive Chef Mirko Paderno and mixologist and hum Botanical Spirits creator Adam Seger teamed up to create a four-course dinner and cocktail pairing. Guests enjoyed a starter of tuna tartare and ceviche paired with Avalon hum Punch, while other menu highlights included octopus soppressata with candy tomatoes paired with a hum Reale cocktail and Colorado Lamb Loin served with a hum glaze. hum, a 70 proof spirit created from the unique blend of hibiscus, organic ginger, organic cardamom and Kaffir lime, is a versatile liqueur that’s high-proof enough to act as a cocktail base spirit, but smooth and flavorful enough to blend as a drink component with other spirits. Based on Paderno’s success with hum in the kitchen, it seems this is one little bird that can do double duty on the plate and in the glass. —Rachel Burkons 86 / the tasting panel / august 201 1 Olivero Executive Chef Mirko Paderno and hum Botanical Spirit creator Adam Seger.