Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/960891
april 2018 / the tasting panel / 105 Kyle Darrow Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia, PA "The Scotch Experiment" The Serve: Darrow presents his series of three distinct serves in a striking set of connected wood boxes rustically "stained" with aromatic bitters and engraved with wood-burned Celtic symbols. Each box houses a small glass containing each component of a cocktail divided in three parts: Nature, The Barrel, and The Craftsman. Nature acts as a tribute to Robbie Dhu, the celebrated spring that supplies the Glenfiddich distillery with its water. This first serve highlights Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt enhanced with a spiced pear reduction and an ice cube infused with edible dandelion and lemongrass. The glass is artfully set within the first box on a bed of green moss. The second serve, The Barrel, commemorates the Glenfiddich cooperage and the charring of the oak casks that nurture the dis- tillery's whisky for decades. Darrow harnesses the rich vanilla, baking spice, and smoky notes of the Glenfiddich 15 Year Solera Reserve Single Malt Scotch and emboldens them with a splash of El Maestro Sierra Pedro Ximénez Sherry. The serve is set in the second box next to a small mound of smoldering oak chips. The final serve in the trilogy—dubbed The Craftsman—is a nod to the blending expertise of Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman. The two glass dram vials in this last box each contain one of the previous liquid serves and are accompanied by empty glass, which encourages the guest to experiment with the serves and create different blends just as a malt master would. The Inspiration: Darrow says the "Trinity Knot" design of the iconic, triangular Glenfiddich bottle was the guiding influence behind his serve. "I wanted to highlight the three elements at the heart of great Glenfiddich whisky—the natural raw materials, the wood maturation, and PHOTO: FELICIA PERRETTI PHOTO: FELICIA PERRETTI PHOTO: HARDY WILSON PHOTO: HARDY WILSON Stephen Kurpinsky George's at the Cove in San Diego, CA "Dufftown By Candlelight" The Serve: Kurpinsky's serve features a cocktail made with Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera Scotch Whisky mixed with a flambéed syrup of coffee beans, orange peel, cinnamon, sugar, 151-proof rum, and water, as well as Sherry and housemade aromatic bitters. After Kurpinsky stirs the cocktail with ice to dilute it, he serves it on the rocks with a side of Walkers classic shortbread and dehy- drated lemon slices set on fire for theatrical effect. The Inspiration: The Scottish hometown of Glenfiddich's distillery, Dufftown, gave Kurpinsky's serve its name. "It's a play on an Old Fashioned, and the chewy, citrus feel of the Pedro Ximénez Sherry cask–aged whisky pairs well with the raisin-esque quality of the Sherry. I imagined this cocktail as something you would have as a nightcap in Dufftown," Kurpinsky says, adding pointedly, "although I haven't been to Scotland . . . yet." Thanks to his winning serve, that won't hold true for long.