Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/142283
The Old Market Rock and Rye became a flapper-friendly cocktail during Prohibition and was served at speakeasies around the country. But later circumstances—a shift in American plantings from rye to corn and a slow post-Prohibition start to distilling—led to the eventual demise of Rock and Rye enthusiasm. The drink was nearly forgotten until Cooper resurrected it. The Cooper Spirits Company acquires six-year-old rye whiskey from several North American sources and macerates it with lemon, grapefruit and orange peels, as well as pure cane rock candy, honey and just a hint of horehound, a mint-like herb often used in bitters—the ideal components of a perfectly balanced cocktail. Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock and Rye retails between $19.99 and $24, depending on the market, says Ben Sandrof, Northeast Sales Manager for Cooper Spirits. "We are focusing on four test markets right now: Austin, Boston, Chicago and New York," Sandrof says. "So far, it's a huge hit in the cocktail community." Specifically, Slow & Low is on fire in the dive bar scene, making easy shooters for fun times. "Yeah, the shot-and-a-beer crowd loves this stuff," Sandrof says. "It's also falling into the flavored whiskey category, which is the fastest growing category in all of spirits." Unfortunately, flavored whiskeys are typically thought of as entry-level products, not premium history-inclined spirits. "It's actually unfair that Slow & Low gets lumped into all those flavored whiskies," says bartender Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, who is General Manager for the popular Boston hangout Island Creek Oyster Bar. When it comes to new products, Schlesinger-Guidelli says bartenders are looking for something edgy or historic. Hochstadter's is both, but certainly leans toward the history books. "Slow & Low is a historic ingredient," Schlesinger-Guidelli says. "A lot of these flavored products lack texture or using fake flavors. By adding in the rock of Rock and Rye, the texture profile is increased. With other products using fake flavoring agents, there is no altering of the texture, and thus no increased mouthfeel." Schlesinger-Guidelli has used Slow & Low for his new cocktail, the Old Market, a spin on the classic drink The Last Word. Instead of traditional by Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston ◗ ¾ oz. Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock and Rye ◗ ¾ oz. Becherovka ◗ ¾ oz. lemon juice ◗ ¾ oz. spiced honey syrup ◗ Dash of Bittermen's Tiki Bitters ◗ Add ingredients to a mixing tin with ice. Shake and tea-strain up. Garnish with a lemon twist. Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, GM at Boston's Island Creek Oyster Bar, is a fan of Hochstadter's Slow & Low Rock and Rye. gin, Chartreuse and Maraschino, Schlesinger-Guidelli mixes equal parts of Slow & Low, Becherovka, spiced honey syrup and fresh lemon juice, with a dash of bitters (see recipe). "The Slow & Low just has a ton of balance to it, nice sweetness with a little heat," Schlesinger-Guidelli says. "It's what we ask for in new spirits—something historic and balanced. Rob has done a great job bringing an incredibly balanced spirit." july 2013 / the tasting panel / 75 TP0713_066-99.indd 75 6/24/13 5:48 PM