Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/723381
september 2016 / the tasting panel / 79 The Oakland Art Novelty Company, Ferndale, MI What Detroit lacks in size, it makes up for in a creative and growing restaurant and bar scene, which has the city finally living up to its nickname, Renaissance City. One such establishment, The Oakland Art Novelty Company, takes the form of an early 20th century speakeasy and features craft cocktails. Representing this venue, Kyle Thousand, General Manager, and Chas Williams, Head Bartender, highlighted the Glenfiddich 15 with their serve. The twosome delivers the whisky in a small bottle on a plank of white American oak. On this board, they place a small pile of wood chips soaked in fig balsamic vinegar, which is then lit on fire and the smoke is trapped with a Glencairn glass. The guest enjoys a piece of raw honeycomb covered in chocolate, before turning over the Glencairn, pouring the Glenfiddich 15 into the glass and sipping the whisky. All of these components play off of and complement the dark, fruity flavors in the Glenfiddich 15. Much like Detroit itself, this seemingly simple serve packed a lot of complexity and integrated each component beautifully, which the guests at The Oakland seemed to appreciate: "If someone orders it," Thousand notes, "another customer sees it and orders it, setting off a chain reaction down the bar." Ward III, NYC Bringing Scotch into a Scottish tea room, the Spiked Tea Service serve from Sarah Akromas, Head Bartender of Ward III, and Kenneth McCoy, Creative Director for Public House Collective—which owns Ward III—pairs family- owned McNulty's Teas from NYC, oaties (savory Scottish cookies), a selection of sweet- eners (maple syrup, honey, orange marmalade, Demerara sugar cubes and slices of lemon and orange) with expressions of Glenfiddich. Akromas complements the Glenfiddich 12, 18 and 21 with apple and peach herbal tea and a honey and oat oatie; fruit and spice herbal tea and a banofee oatie; and caramel tea and a maple pecan oatie, respectively. While Akromas made these recommendations, she also explained that it was designed to be interactive, allowing the guest to choose their own whisky adventure.