Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/960891
april 2018 / the tasting panel / 101 Joseph Bennett Fine & Rare in New York, NY "Light as a Feather" The Serve: Bennett's serve features a soup with chicken stock, warm water, egg drop, and Glenfiddich 12 Year Old with a garnish of celery salt, roasted lemon, and three quail eggs. Each egg is pickled differently: sweet, curried, and beet. The Inspiration: "Growing up in Seattle, I was used to cold, damp weather in winter, and I thought the weather in Scotland must be quite similar," Bennett says. "I set out to make a sooth- ing cocktail—something to warm one up on a raw day—and aimed to create something filling, satisfy- ing, and somewhat savory, like a cock-a-leekie soup from Scotland. Then I took out the food elements and replaced the barley element with Glenfiddich." Jeramy Campbell Seven Grand in Austin, TX "Valley of the Deer" The Serve: The elaborate, interactive story behind Campbell's serve starts with a wooden box containing three bottles labeled 1, 2, and 3, which contain Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, and 18 Year Old, respectively. Each is paired with an unlikely snack—a Slim Jim, Nutter Butters, and a Lindt LINDOR Truffle— which serve as part of the story Campbell conceived; the box also contains materi- als necessary for participants to complete that narrative's central mission. In the story, as Campbell explains, "the participant has found their way into the safe haven that is Seven Grand, aka the Valley of the Deer. In order for the participant to become a member of this elite group of humans fighting back against their oppressors (the DEER), they must go through a series of tests to prove they are not an enemy spy." The low-brow snacks represent rare delicacies in this imagined dystopian future, but Campbell says they also show whisky drinkers "don't always have to be fancy when pairing flavors together." The serve doesn't end there: Participants open an enve- lope at the bottom of the box at the end of the test, reveal- ing the flavor notes of the pairing along with everything else they've just tasted. A dart also included in the box, meanwhile, must be thrown at one of Seven Grand's dart boards. The participant then hands the bartender their Seven Grand token marked with an X, and depending on which number they hit on the dartboard, the bartender will make them one of 21 Glenfiddich whisky cocktails. The Inspiration: While its name comes from the English translation of "Glenfiddich" from Scottish Gaelic, Campbell's serve drew its inspiration from Seven Grand itself. "Seven Grand, above all else, is a whisk(e)y bar," Campbell says. "Our success comes from our knowledge, customer service, and ability to make a great classic cocktail." In an effort to remain true to this identity, Campbell devised a serve with simple components that would be easy to recreate during service while also providing a distinct and unforgettable tasting experience. Needless to say, we think he achieved it. PHOTO: TIMOTHY MURRAY PHOTO: TIMOTHY MURRAY