Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/504216
may 2015 / the tasting panel / 61 THE TASTING PANEL AND GLENFIDDICH'S KINDRED SPIRIT COMPETITION TOUCHES DOWN IN SCOTLAND f or a week in late February, "Och aye the noo" rang through the winding corridors of Edinburgh, up through the Scottish Highlands' rolling hills and through the vener- able old warehouses of the Glenfiddich distillery. Like a war cry, the phrase meaning roughly, "Oh yeah!" served as a rallying point for 12 of the U.S.' top bartenders, who'd earned a spot winging their way to Scotland as part of THE TASTING PANEL's first annual Glenfiddich Kindred Spirit competition. With National Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador Mitch Bechard leading the charge for the journey, we explored some of Scotland's finest bars and restaurants before heading to the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries, where we turned the barley, tasted the mash and gaped at the awesomeness of the famed Glenfiddich solera vat. But finally, after days of fun, our group became serious: It was time to present their serves. After selling their serves for six months, the top two accounts from each region (West, Central, East) had been selected to bring their Glenfiddich Kindred Spirit serve to Scotland, where they'd be presented to Kirsten Grant Meikle, fifth-generation Grant family member. With nerves running high, each pair of representatives had ten minutes to explain and serve their unique Glenfiddich offer- ings, ranging from multi-course nibbles to inventive ice balls. In the end, there could only be one winner: Lit Cigar Lounge in Snoqualmie, WA, whose serve featured a cigar wrapped in three different tobaccos, each designed to pair perfectly with a Glenfiddich expression. "This is a brilliant idea," commented Meikle. "It is innovative, easy to sell and I've never seen anything like it." Think you've got what it takes to bring your own serve to Scotland? Get your Glenfiddich thinking caps on, because THE TASTING PANEL is launching the Glenfiddich Kindred Spirit 2.0 competition this fall! Andrew Abrahamson and Pedro Shanahan from Seven Grand in Los Angeles created a multi- course serve designed to dem- onstrate the basic flavor building blocks of the whisky. "It's a really great way to learn about whisky, but more than that, it's a way to provoke a conversation," explained Abrahamson. "I bounce ideas off my Pastry Chef all the time," explained Trisha Patterson, General Manager of The Stand in Birmingham, MI. "I'm a very firm believer that merging ideas from the bar to the kitchen is a great thing to do." The result- ing serve, a honey ice sphere with hand-smoked rosemary Glenfiddich cocktail, was paired with a Glenfiddich 12 chocolate truffle. Seven Grand: Los Angeles The Stand: Birmingham, MI Andrew Abrahamson, General Manager, and Pedro Shanahan, Spirit Guide, of Seven Grand in Los Angeles. The Stand (Birmingham, MI) Pastry Chef Kevin Kearney with General Manager Trisha Patterson.