The Tasting Panel magazine

July 2015

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july 2015  /  the tasting panel  /  77 And Struan? He took an entirely different approach to his Serve, going far afield from the palate and into a different realm of the senses, wanting to use both sound and sight to evoke the intensely relaxing sensation of sipping a fine Glenfiddich whisky. "To me, the three best things in life are noise- cancelling headphones, whisky and tea," laughs the lanky Scottish- born Brand Ambassador for the Northeast. For his Serve, he wanted to tease out the ultimate feeling of relaxation: Sipping whisky during a peaceful sunset. To do this, Ralph offers noise-cancelling headphones, a glass of Glenfiddich 12, and sets a bit of Ancho Reyes chili liqueur ablaze "for a bit of theater" and to offer the colors of a sunset while you sip a glass of the classic whisky expression. It sets the bar high for this year's competition, but it also brings to the fore another key component linking each of these three very different Serves to the final bit of Glenfiddich charm that Bechard knows from experience matters most: bringing back that Glenfiddich-style gra- ciousness to the hospitality industry. "Glenfiddich was the first to open its doors to visitors," says Bechard. "They have always been accom- modating to consumers—and they do it well." Show Us Your Serve! Beginning September 1, we want to see how you're getting creative with your Glenfiddich serves. Whether you're aiming to bring out the Glenfiddich 12's pear and barley notes or highlighting tropical spice in the Glenfiddich 21, we want your most creative serves! Six winning accounts will join THE TASTING PANEL and Glenfiddich in Scotland next year, so don't miss your opportunity to get your Kindred Spirit on! Email KindredSpirit@tastingpanelmag.com to enter and for more information. West Coast Woman While this industry is teeming with talented ladies, its not often you see a woman helm- ing a Scotch program—and Jennifer Wren is here to help change that. As the newly appointed West Coast Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich, Wren is determined to prove that today's Scotch drinking crowd is more diverse than the industry gives it credit for: "I am dedicated to the underserved whisky com- munity," comments Wren, a spunky industry vet with a background ranging from theater to event production. "You can't make a brand thrive if everybody drinking it is 79. You have to encour- age new drinkers, and it is important to examine what that new Scotch enthusiast wants from their whisky experience. The people I know who are drinking whisky now are female CEOs to multi-cultural punk rockers on the Lower East Side," she concludes with a laugh. Glenfiddich, explains Wren, is the perfect brand to help usher in a new perspective on Scotch drinkers. "We are a legacy brand, but we are a once and future brand. We are where Scotch has been and where Scotch is going." It is this spirit, too, that Wren admires in the Kindred Spirit competi- tion. "This program speaks to the bartender in their own language," says Wren. "It's about asking them, 'If you could, in your wildest dreams, play with the 12, the 15, in a completely new way, what would you do?' I'm excited about thinking out of the box and engaging bartenders to think that way too." With a fresh enthusiasm for the program, Wren is also eager to express her gratitude: "It's such a gift to be in this role," she says. "I feel like I've won the lottery, and all three of the Glenfiddich Ambassadors, and the entire William Grant team is incredibly progressive and super fun and shares the vision for where this brand is going. It's truly incredible." Jennifer Wren is the newly appointed West Coast Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich.

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