Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/970887
s p r i n g 2 0 1 8 | 6 1 WHEN A GROUP OF BARTENDERS gathered at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park last fall, the unseasonably warm and clear day couldn't have been more ideal for the task at hand. The event, hosted by legendary Scotch whisky distiller Laphroaig, aimed to acquaint the group with edible flora native to the Bay Area that they could later use in Laphroaig-based cocktail creations. The Scottish island of Islay—home of Laphroaig's distillery—has a storied history of foraging and fishing that helped inspire the interactive gather- ing. Guided by local foraging expert Bryan Jessop, the group traversed the 55-acre grounds identifying plants like pinyon pinecones and miner's lettuce. The discoveries represented just a tiny fraction of the 8,500-plus plants that can be found in the gardens from around the world, but the tour provided some vital background as the bartenders set off for the next destination: the infamous Haight-Ashbury. More hands-on learning awaited at a bar in the district after head barman Hector Valencia served the "008" welcome cocktail, a play on James Bond's Martini made with Laphroaig Select. Laphroaig's National Brand Ambassador Simon Brooking intro- duced the group to a vital foraged component in the whisky—peat—as he led a tasting of five Laphroaig expressions: Laphroaig 10 Year Old, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Laphroaig Triple Wood, Laphroaig PX Cask, and Laphroaig Select. "Seventy percent of the flavor of single-malt Scotch comes from its time spent aging in the barrel," Brooking explained as we nosed the Scotch in our glasses. "The rest, however, is peat." Islay's reputation for producing peaty single malt whiskies is well-established, but not all whisky drink- ers are familiar with the origins of the ingredient. Found often in the bogs and moors that cover large swaths of Scotland, peat is made up of decomposed plant matter that accumulates into a spongy soil. The Scots often used peat as fuel when starting fires, but for whisky production, Laphroaig dries its malty bar- ley over a peat fire for 18 hours to give the whisky its signature smoky characteristic. Brooking still recalls his very first taste of peaty Scotch: "It's like I licked a campfire . . . and I think I liked it!" Brooking says life in sparsely-populated Islay, lo- cated off the west coast of Scotland, centers around "the land and the sea." This drives its culture of for- aging, which naturally seeps into the major commer- cial industries on the island like whisky distillation. "Early whiskies were like meads, using herbs and foraged items to create flavor," Brooking explains. "Workers foraged and cut the peat on the island as their livelihood and Laphroaig peat is still hand-cut to this day. What gives Scotch its unique flavor is the 'terroir' of Islay peat, and consequently Laphroaig is truly a spirit of the land where it's made." Before shifting attention to their cocktails, the group was able to smell and touch the still-damp Islay peat Brookings had traveled with for almost 5,000 miles. With this inspiration fresh in their minds, they could impart new flavor profiles with different foraged ingredients provided by Jessop into their cocktails showcasing Laphroaig. Containers of huckleberries, fennel, pine branches, rose hips, and dried candy cap mushrooms lined the bar top as the bartenders mixed and muddled their cocktails, and after tasting each other's drinks and providing feedback, they left with their own mini Scottish peat moss plants and small bags of Scottish barley and peat: parting gifts that served to plant a little piece of Scotland in San Francisco. Simon Brooking, the National Brand Ambassador for Scotch whisky distiller Laphroaig. Bartenders Mariangela Urquizo and Jillian Newman with the cocktail they crafted from foraged ingredients. Bartenders wander through the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, which features more than 8,500 varieties of plants from around the world. Bartenders were welcomed with a 008 cocktail—a play on James Bond's 007 Martini—made with Laphroaig Select Scotch Whisky. 008 ¾ oz. Laphroaig Select Scotch Whisky ¾ oz. Cherry Heering Liqueur ¾ oz. orange juice ¾ oz. sweet vermouth ■cr LAPHROAIG® ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY, 40% - 55.7% ALC./VOL. ©201_ LAPHROAIG IMPORT COMPANY, CHICAGO, IL