Shaker maker taker!

lundi 31 décembre 2012

href="http://http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-18374.aspx">
William Grant & Sons Ltd. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on William Grant & Sons Ltd. Not much has changed at the Glenfiddich Distillery since the first spirit ran from the stills on Christmas Day, 1887. It is still independent; owned and run by the fifth generation of the same family. Our founder, William Grant, aspired to create "the best dram in the valley". He achieved it, and we maintain it--through a single-minded dedication to craftsmanship and quality throughout every stage of production. History of William Grant & Sons Ltd. William Grant & Sons Ltd. is one of the world's leading producers of Scotch whisky, ranking number four overall. Yet its flagship Glenfiddich brand is the undisputed leader in the more exclusive single-malt category, claiming nearly 40 percent of all single malt Scotch sales worldwide. While Grant's competitors include some of the world's largest diversified drinks groups, including Diageo and Seagrams, the largest part of the company's operations remain focused on its whisky production, which, in addition to Glenfiddich, include the 100-year-old The Balvenie brand of Scotch whiskey and, since 2002, Canada's Gibson's Finest blended whisky. The company also produces private label Scotch whiskies, a market which provides approximately 20 percent of the company's revenues. Despite its emphasis on whisky, Grant has diversified its portfolio somewhat at the turn of the 20th century, buying three rum brands from Diageo at the end of 2002 and launching a fourth, Sailor Jerry, in 2003, and acquiring Iceland vodka group Polstar. The company also hold a 30 percent stake in Scottish rival Highland Distillers and its Famous Grouse and Mac Callan brands. Wholly owned by the founding Grant Gordon family, William Grant & Sons remains a resolutely private company. Sales have been estimated to top £400 million ($700 million) in the early 2000s. In 2003, CEO Patrick Thomas--who had been the first CEO from outside the Grant family in the company's history--stepped down from the post, as the family once again decided to assume control of the group's operations. Founding Scotch History in the 19th Century Born in 1839 in Dufftown, Scotland, William Grant first went to work at the age of seven herding cattle on lands belonging to the Duke of Fife. Grant went on to apprentice as a cobbler, but instead went to work as a clerk, before becoming a bookkeeper for the Mortlach distillery. It was there that Grant learned the art of distilling, remaining in the position for some 20 years, and eventually becoming the distillery's clerk and manager. Throughout his career at Mortlach, Grant saved up his earnings--which reached no more than 200 pounds per year. Finally, in 1886, Grant had saved enough to go into business on his own. Together with his wife and their seven sons and two daughters, Grant purchased a plot of land in Speyside, near the River Fiddich. For a little less than 120 pounds sterling, Grant acquired a secondhand still and other equipment from the Cardhu Distillery. Construction began that same year, with all work being carried out by Grant, his sons, and a stone mason; by 1887, the distillery had begun production. Grant named his distillery Glenfiddich, Gaelic for "Valley of the Deer." The company's stag's head logo was later to become famous around the world. Grant's whisky, using spring water from Robbie Dru, quickly achieved a popular following in Scotland, attracting other distillers to the Speyside region. While much of the Scottish market at the time consisted of blended whiskies, combining grain and malt whiskies, Grant's whisky remained a purely malted whisky, produced in small quantities in single barrels--almost a century before the creation of a true single-malt variety. The rising popularity of Scottish whisky in general led to a boom in the number of distilleries in operation as the 19th century drew to a close. Grant too took part in the expansion of the Scotch market when, in 1892, he bought Balvenie Castle--previously owned by Grant's former employer, the Duke of Fife--and surrounding farmlands. Grant set to work converting the castle itself into a distillery, which began producing its own, unique whiskey in 1893. The Balvenie, as the brand became known, remained one of the only whiskies to boast not only having its own malting plant but also growing its own barley. Until the end of the century, much of Grant's production was sold to third-party blenders, such as Pattison Limited, then the leading whisky blender and distributor in the country. Yet the huge growth in the number of new distilleries at the turn of the century had led the industry into over-production, resulting in financial collapse. Pattison itself was one of the early victims of the whisky market crash, declaring bankruptcy in 1898. By 1899, the crash had claimed a growing number of distilleries. William Grant & Sons too was hit hard by the crash, losing its largest customer and finding itself saddled by debt. Yet Grant saw opportunity in the turmoil of the Scottish whisky market and decided to expand his business from a simple distillery to a complete wholesale, blending and distribution operation. Grant was joined by his sons, and also by son-in-law Charles Gordon, who became the company's sales agents. In 1903, the company set up a whisky storehouse in Glasgow, and by 1904, Grant had established its first export office, in Blackburn, in Lancashire, England.er, Grant began exporting to Canada after discovering that the country's High Commissioner was a distant relative. After setting up an export office in Canada, Grant also opened an office in the United States. While John Grant was building up the company's North American operations, Charles Gordon traveled to the Far East on a year-long tour starting in 1909, introducing the Glenfiddich brand throughout India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Japan, before turning to Australia and New Zealand. Gordon next brought the Glenfiddich brand to the European continent, opening sales offices in Rotterdam, Hamburg, and in Scandinavia. By 1914, the company had more than 60 sales offices, supporting its exports to 30 countries. Rationing efforts during World War I coincided with increasing prohibitionist sentiment to cut into the growth of the Scottish whisky industry. A major blow, at least in the short term, was the passage of the Immature Spirits Act in 1915, which barred sales of whisky that had been aged for less than two (later three) years. While the Act spelled the end of large numbers of distillers, it would later provide one of the major selling points for Scottish whisky. Nonetheless, continued raw materials shortages during the war put an end to production in 1917. Grant did not resume production again until 1919 and the following year faced a new threat to its business, as prohibition sentiment swept across many of its major markets. While Prohibition was enacted most famously in the United States, the ban on alcohol extended into Canada, most of Scandinavia, Belgium, and Russia as well. The drop in whisky sales nearly wiped out the Scottish industry; by the end of Prohibition, only six Scottish distilleries remained in operation, including both the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries. William Grant himself did not live to see the end of Prohibition. By the time of his death in 1923, a new generation of the Grant Gordon family, and in particular William Grant Gordon, had joined the company. The younger Grant Gordon persuaded the company to increase its production despite the drop off in sales. In this way, the company was prepared to meet the surge in demand as countries began dropping their prohibition efforts in the early 1920s. In this way, Grant not only edged out potential newcomers, it also was able to present a higher-quality whisky that had spent more years aging. Postwar Market Leader Grant opened a London office in 1927, and restored its Scandinavian export markets soon after. The repeal of Prohibition in the United States in 1933 brought a new peak in demand and the Glenfiddich brand had already begun to assert its dominance as the world's best-selling Scotch whisky. World War II once again brought a halt to whisky production, with barley diverted as a crucial food crop. Yet Winston Churchill correctly recognized the importance of Scotch whisky as a valuable source of foreign currency, stating, in 1944: "On no account reduce the amount of barley for whisky. This takes years to mature and is an invaluable export and dollar producer. Having regard to all our other difficulties about exports, it would be most improvident not to preserve this characteristic British element of ascendancy." Through Churchill's intercession, distillers were once again given an allotment of barley, and production could continue. In order to counter the coal shortage, Grant took to burning peat--which in turn added a distinctive flavor to the company's wartime production. The postwar period saw the emergence of a new and stronger worldwide demand for Scotch whiskeys. Faced with a fresh rise in the number of Scottish distilleries, Grant turned to marketing for the first time. In 1957, the company commissioned a new bottle for its flagship Glenfiddich brand. Designed by Hans Schleger, the new bottle featured a highly distinctive triangular shape that made it instantly recognizable among the host of whisky brands and other types of alcohol on the shelves. The 1960s brought a fresh marketing coup. If most of the whisky sold in the world remained of the blended type, a growing number of connoisseurs had begun to discover the single-malt type preferred by the Scots themselves. While a blended whisky might be composed of whiskies from several different distilleries, a single malt was the product of a single distillery--and often from a single barrel. In 1963, William Grant & Sons recognized the marketability of this whisky type, and became the first to market its whisky on the export market under the new denomination. Grant also sought to increase its control over its distribution network, and in 1964 the company acquired the U.S.-based distributor Popper Morson. In this way, Grant claimed to be the first Scottish distiller to own its U.S. import business. The company's export efforts were later acknowledged during the 1970s, as the Glenfiddich brand became the world's leading Scotch whisky brand. Glenfiddich remained the company's flagship brand through the 1990s. In that decade, however, the company began stepping up its marketing efforts for its other brand, The Balvenie, which Chronology •Key Dates: •1886: Scotsman William Grant builds his own distillery, Glen Fiddich, and is joined by his seven sons. •1887: Glen Fiddich begins production of whisky. •1892: Grant buys Balvenie castle and converts it to a distillery, beginning production of The Balvenie whisky the following year. •1903: Grant enters blending, wholesale and distribution, opening storehouse in Glasgow. •1905: Exports to Canada begin; sales offices in Canada and the United States are established. •1923: William Grant dies; grandson William Grant Gordon convinces company to increase production in spite of Prohibition. •1957: Glenfiddich brand receives new and distinctive triangular bottle design. •1963: William Grant & Sons becomes the first to market its whisky as "single malt" to the export market. •1964: Company acquires its own U.S. importer and distributor, Popper Morson. •1990: New distillery in Kininvie is built to support third-label production business. •1998: Company acquires 30 percent stake in Highland Distillers. •2000: Patrick Thomas is appointed CEO, the first from outside the Grant Gordon family to lead the company. •2002: The portfolio diversifies with acquisition of three rum brands, a Canadian whisky brand, and Iceland's Polstar vodka brand. •2003: Patrick Thomas resigns, and Grant Gordon resumes management control of business. had become the whisky connoisseur's favorite. At the same time, Grant had built up a strong business as a private label supplier for other brands. In support of this activity, the company built a new distillery, the Kininvie, located in Banffshire near Grant's historical Dufftown home. In the meantime, the company's private label sales encompassed not only blended whiskies, but other categories of alcoholic beverages as well. In this way, the company began producing the vodka for the launch of Virgin Vodka in the early 1990s. •By the mid-1990s, however, Grant had been confronted with the rapid consolidation of the global drinks industry, which saw the emergence of such major players as Seagrams, Diageo, Allied Distillers, and Remy Cointreau. Determined to maintain its status as a privately held, family-owned company, yet hoping to remain competitive, the secretive Grant began opening itself up to outsiders, taking on a number of directors from outside of the family. The company also moved to add to its product range, adding new labels, such as the 15-year-old Solera Reserve, and the 18-year-old Ancient Reserve, both under the Glenfiddich brand. Another new product was Grant's first single-malt whisky liqueur. At the same time, the company began looking for external growth opportunities. After talks to acquire a stake in publicly listed Burn Stewart Distillers failed to result in agreement in 1997, the company instead acquired a 30 percent stake in rival Highland Distillers, in a partnership with the Edrington Group, which took the other 70 percent of the formerly public company, in 1998. •In 2000, the company appointed Patrick Thomas, from France, as the group's CEO, marking the first time someone from outside of the Grant Gordon family would lead the company. Thomas promptly led the group on a restructuring, and took the Glenfiddich brand into a successful new marketing campaign designed to update its image. Thomas, who had originally joined the company as a director in 1994, also began seeking opportunities for diversifying Grant's product portfolio. •Toward that end, Thomas oversaw a series of brand acquisitions. The first of these included three rum brands held by Diageo and Pernod Ricard, which was followed by the purchase of Gibson's Finest, a Canadian whisky owned by Diageo. At the end of 2002, the group added to its portfolio Iceland's Polstar and its line of flavored and premium vodkas. Following the purchase, the company began preparations to build a new vodka distillery for the brand. •Under Thomas, revenues at William Grant & Sons grew strongly, topping £400 million, with profits topping £40 million. Yet in 2003, the Grant Gordon family decided to take back managerial control, and Patrick Thomas resigned as CEO. As newly appointed chairman Charles Gordon told The Herald: "We wish to continue the transition of our family business towards a fully professional organization, focusing on the development of brands and leveraging the enormous advantages of the values and long-term perspective that the family can bring to the business." In this way, the company intended to maintain its tradition as a family company, even as it developed into a diversified drinks group in its own right. Additional Details •Private Company •Incorporated: 1886 •Employees: 915 •Sales: £400 million ($700 million)(2002 est.) •NAIC: 312140 Distilleries Further Reference •Charles, Mathew, "A Family Business Shows its Spirit," Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia), October 22, 2001, p. 26. •Fursland, Eileen, and Jane Pickard, "Breaking Tradition Takes Great Bottle," People Management, September 12, 1996, p. 34. •Powell, Robert, "Grant & Sons Cheered by Booming Sales," Herald, October 16, 2002, p. 21. •Walsh, Dominic, "Whisky Distiller Adds Frenchman to Mix," Times, October 25, 2000, p. 31. •------, "William Grant Adds to Range After Shake-Up," Times, October 5, 1998, p. 47. User Contributions: Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: Name: William Grant & Sons Ltd. forum

mardi 12 juin 2012

Atholl Brose Recipe - Whisky Oatmeal Cream Honey Egg Drink The history of the Scottish drink Atholl Brose It is not known for how long Scottish folk have been drinking Atholl Brose but the earliest recorded recipe dates back to 1475. Prior to this Atholl Brose recipes were handed down from generation to generation as each person was taught to make this delicious drink. Origins of Atholl Brose The drink is so sweet and tasty that legend has it that it led to the capture of renegade Iain MacDonald the Lord of the Isles who was leading a rebellion against the King. He was caught supping at a well that had been filled with whisky, oatmeal and honey at the order of the Earl of Atholl who knew that MacDonald drank regularly from the small well. The Duke’s recipe was the downfall of Iain MacDonald who stayed to enjoy the drink and was captured by this cunning trap. Since then Atholl Brose has been enjoyed by many a Scot since. Other stories of the origins of Atholl Brose give the name of the Lord as Lord John who was the last Lord of the Isles and was under sentence of death but had escaped and fled to the hills. It is said it was he who could not resist the drink at the well and stayed drinking it rather than fleeing the Earls of Atholl and Crawford. It is possible to buy Atholl Brose in bottles from whisky liqueur sellers and off licences. Most distillers use single malt whisky to give a richer tasting liqueur. Others have secret recipes and use secret herbs to give unique flavours. The book Scots Cooking: The Best Traditional and Contemporary Scottish Recipes by Sue Lawrence has a recipe for Atholl Brose pudding for those who do not like to drink whisky. Atholl Brose can be drunk on its own and can also be enjoyed with various other drinks and accompaniments such as with crushed ice, with mixers like coca cola, soda, ginger beer, lemonade or with cream floated on top. The recipe for Atholl Brose below can be drunk straight away but it does taste better when left to mature for a week. Maw Broon from the Sunday Post has published a cookbook full of her favourite Scottish and family recipes. Read More About It! Atholl Brose is often made specially at Hogmanay and makes a welcome drink and dessert treat. It is very sweet so should only be served in small drams to see in the New Year. Traditional Easy To Make Atholl Brose Recipe This easy to make Atholl Brose recipe can be made in a few minutes and can be made on the day it is to be drunk but tastes much better if stored for a week. Ingredients For Atholl Brose One bottle of Scotch whisky 10 fluid ounces (Half Pint) of double cream 450g of clear Scottish honey The whites of six large eggs One handful of fine ground oatmeal Directions To Make Atholl Brose 1. Soak the oatmeal with the Scotch whisky and set aside. 2. Beat the egg whites until they become stiff. 3. Fold the cream into the egg white mixture. . Athole Brose Atholl Brose is sometimes spelt as Athole Brose. For example in the Maw Broon's Cookbook For Busy Day and Special Days by the Sunday Post there is an Atholl Brose recipe in the inside front cover. This is spelt as Athole Brose. This Maw Broon Athole Brose recipe differs slightly from the Scottishrecipes recipe and suggests adding Scottish raspberries. The Athole Brose recipe was originally sourced from Housewife Weekly as part of their cut out and keep Scottish Recipes number 8. Buy Maw Broon's Cookbook at a discounted price and with free delivery available. It is also spelt as Athole Brose in the book The Scots Kitchen by F. Marian McNeill. Her recipe has heather honey, whisky and cold water as the only ingredients and cites a reference to Athole Brose in The Heart of Midlothian by Sir Walter Scott. The Scots Kitchen has a brief history of Athole Brose which includes its use as a cure for the cold and that sometimes a beaten egg yolk is added to the mixture. It also describes how two subalterns and a piper carry Athole Brose into the sergeants mess of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on Hogmanay where it is served in a quaich to each officer and sergeantAtholl brose From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Atholl Brose (or Athol Brose, Athole Brose) is a Scottish drink obtained by mixing oatmeal brose, honey, whisky, and sometimes cream (particularly on festive occasions). When made with cream the drink is rather like Baileys Irish Cream. Atholl Brose has also become an alternative name for the dessert Cranachan, which uses similar ingredients. According to legend, the drink is named after the 1st Earl of Atholl, who quashed a Highland rebellion in 1475 by filling the rebel leader's well with the mixture, making him easily captured. [edit] Recipe Simon (1948), in a recipe attributed to the Royal Scots Fusiliers, gives the following proportions, to be mixed, as is the tradition, "with a silver spoon if available": • 7 parts oatmeal brose • 7 parts whisky • 5 parts cream • 1 part honey The brose is prepared by steeping a volume of oatmeal overnight in three times as much cold water, then straining the liquid through muslin (discarding the oatmeal). [edit] References • Simon, André (1948). A Concise Encyclopædia of Gastronomy. Section VIII, Wines and Spirits. London: The Wine and Food Society. viii + 178. • Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. xix + 892. ISBN 0-19-211579-0. John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl (c. 1440 – 19 September 1512), also known as Sir John Stewart of Balveny, was a Scottish nobleman and ambassador to England (in 1484). Contents  1 Life  2 Marriage and children  3 Ancestry  4 References Life He was the oldest child of Joan Beaufort, widowed Queen of James I of Scotland, and her second husband Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn. He was created Earl of Atholl in around 1457, the first Earl of the eighth creation of the title. He is believed to have had a hand in suppressing the rebellion of John Macdonald, 11th Earl of Ross, the last of the Lords of the Isles. According to legend, the Earl of Atholl had whisky, honey and oats added to Macdonald's water well, which so entranced or intoxicated him that Macdonald was easily captured. The mixture became a drink named Atholl Brose. Stewart was buried in Dunkeld Cathedral in Perthshire. Marriage and children John Stewart married twice and had several children. However, the exact number, names and the attribution of his children to their mothers is unclear. He married first, in 1459-1460, Margaret Douglas, Fair Maid of Galloway, daughter of Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas. Margaret had been married already to the 8th Earl and possibly the 9th Earl of Douglas. She died between 1473 and 1475. They had three daughters:  Janet Stewart, married Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly.  Elizabeth Stewart, married Andrew Gray, 2nd Lord Gray.  Christian, married Neil Stewart of Garth. He married second, before April 1475, Eleanor Sinclair (d. 21 March 1518), daughter of William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney. They had two sons and nine daughters:  John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Atholl, living 1520, and died before 1522. He married Janet Campbell (died about Candlemas 1545/6), daughter of Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Arygll.  Andrew Stewart, Bishop of Caithness.  Jean (or Janet) Stewart, married by contract dated 31 August 1507, James Arbuthnott of Arbuthnott. He had a crown charter of the feudal barony of Arbuthnott 29 January 1507. He left a testament dated 7 March 1521, and died before 13 March 1521.  Katherine Stewart, married Sir John Forbes, 6th Lord Forbes.  Elizabeth/Elspeth Stewart, married Sir Robert Innes 2nd of Innermarky.  Marjory Stewart, married Sir Colin Campbell, of Glenorchy.  Margaret Stewart, married Sir William Murray, of Castleton.  Elizabeth Stewart, married Alexander Robertson, of Strowan.  Elizabeth (or Isabel) Stewart, married John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox  Jean Stewart, married Robert Gordon, Knt., of Pitlurg.  Margaret Stewart, married Robert Robertson younger, of Strowan.

dimanche 10 juin 2012

Scotch Cocktails

1. 19th Hole, 2. 69th Punch, 3. Aberdeen Angus, 4. Adelle Special, 5. Affinity Cocktail, 6. Aggravation, 7. Aquarius 8. Alice Cocktail, 9. Alice Mine Cocktail, 10. Amarath, 11. Amber's Revenge 12. A.M.B.A, 13. Apple Crumble Martini, 14. Apple Mac, 15. Apricot Kiss, 16. Aquarius, 17. Artists Special 18. Artists Special Cocktail, 19. Artist’s (Special) Cocktail, 20. Atholl Brose, 21. Auld Acquantance, 22. Auld Alliance, 23. AWOL, 24. Bairn, 25. Balmoral, 26. Balmoral Cocktail 27. Bannockburn, 28. Barbary Cocktail, 29. Barbary Coast 30. Barbary Coast Martini, 31. Barbican, 32. Barn Door, 33. Barn Door #2, 34. Barton Special Cocktail, 35. Beadlestone Cocktail, 36. Beadleston No. 2, 37. Beal’s Cocktail 38. Bellamy Scotch Sour, 39. Bessie & Jessie, 40. B.I.F., 41. Bitter 'n' Twisted, 42. Black & White Cooler, 43. Blackjack 44. Black Stuff 45. Black Stuff 2 46. Black Tartan 47. Black Tie 48. Black Watch 49. Blackwood’s Hot Whisky Punch, 50. Blimey 51. Blinder 52. Blood And Sand Cocktail, 53. Blood & Sand Cocktail, 54. Bloody Joseph, 55. Blue Blazer, 56. Blues Cocktail, 57. Bobby Burns, 58. Bobby Burns Cocktail, 59. Bogey, 60. Bolger Over, 61. Bonny Doon, 62. Bonny Prince 63. Borden Chase, 64. Boston Tea Party, 65. Bournemouth Limited, 66. Boyd of the Lock 67. Brainstorm 68. Broadmoor, 69. Brown, 70. Brubaker Old Fashioned, 71. Bunny Hug, 72. Bunny’s Hug, 73. Bunny Hug Cocktail 74. Burgarello Alter Boy 75. Burn's Night Special 76. Butter Nut Scotch 77. Butterscotch Milk Punch 78. C60 79. Caleigh 80. Cameron’s Kick, 81. Cameron’s Kick Cocktail, 82. Cameron’tini, 83. Canal Street Daisy 84. Canvasback, 85. Cappercaille, 86. Ceasefire 87. Celtic Mix Cocktail 88. Celtic Margarita, 89. Champion 90. Channel Crosser 91. Charmer 92. Chauncy, 93. Chin Chin 94. Chlorinated Spa 95. Choker 96. Choker Cocktail 97. Churchill, 98. Citrus Twist, 99. Clansman's Coffee, 100. Cloud Walker 101. Cock-A-Bendy 102. Cocktail No.13, 103. Cocoboodo 104. Coffee Egg Nog 105. Cold Porridge 106. Coller & Cuff, 107. Columbia Skin, 108. Commonwealth, 109. Cotonian, 110. Cowboy, 111. Cowboy Cocktail 112. Crow, 113. Culloden 114. Cumulus 115. Cutty Collins 116. Cutty Rickey 117. Daily Mail 118. Dead Man’s Handle 119. Dead Penis 120. Death by Whisky 121. Debonaire Cocktail 122. Delta Cocktail 123. Derby Fizz 124. De Riguer 125. De Rigueur Cocktail 126. Dickie Ward 127. Dinah Cocktail 128. Dixie Whisky Cocktail 129. Dirty Mama 130. Dirty Referee 131. Dirty Sock 132. Dr. Dewar’s 133. Dry Rob Roy 134. Dundee Dream 135. Dunny 136. Duppy Cocktail 137. Eastern Sin, 138. Elle for Leather, 139. Egg-Nog, 140. “Everything But” Cocktail 141. Exploration, 142. Express 143. Fancy Scotch 144. Fancy Whisky Cocktail, 145. Fanciuilli, 146. Flotater, 147. Flying Scotchman Cocktail 148. Flying Scotsman, 149. Freefall, 150. Frozen Gael 151. Gaelic Coffee, 152. Galliano Toddy 153. Galvanised Nail, 154. GE Blonde, 155. Godfather, 156. Gold, 157. Golden Mac, 158. Golden Shot, 159. Gold Mine 160. Graceland 161. Grace’s Delight Cocktail 162. Grand Master 163. Graveyard 164. Green Goddess 165. Green Mist 166. Grippe Chaser, 167. Gumdrop Haig Cocktail, 168. Hair of the dog, 169. Handlebar, 170. Hanseatic Cog, 171. Hawaii cooler, 172. Heather Blush 173. Hell Bender 174. Hell Hole 175. Hearn’s, 176. Heather Julep, 177. Henry Knight’s Punch, 178. High Kick, Highland, 179. Highland Cooler 180. Highland Cooler 2 181. Highland Cream 182. Highland Fling, 183. Highland Fling Cocktail 184. Highland Moon, 185. Highland Sling, 186. High-Ball 187. High Road 188. Hole In One, 189. Hollywood Scully 190. Hoot Mon Cocktail 191. Hoots Mon 192. Hoots Mon Cocktail, 193. Honolulu No. 2, 194. Honey & Marmalade Dram’tini 195. Hopscotch 196. Horse’s Neck 197. Horse’s Neck with a Twist 198. Hot Boland Punch, 199. Hot Mon 200. Hot Mon Cocktail 201. Hot Pecker 202. Hot Scotch Nightcap 203. Hot Scotch, 204. Hot Scotch Punch, 205. Hot Scotch Whiskey Sling, 206. Hot Toddy, 207. Hot Toddy 1, 208. Hot Toddy 2, 209. Hot Whiskey Toddy 210. Hot Whiskey Toddie 211. Hpnotiq Blue Devil 212. Huguette, 213. Hurricane, 214. Ice Ricky 215. Improved Whisky Cocktail 216. Infestation 217. Italian Heather 218. Izcaragua 219. James The Second Comes First 220. Japalac 221. Jay Leno 222. Joan Mirí³ 223. Jock Collins 224. Jock-In-A-Box 225. Joe Collins 226. Joker, 227. Joyce of Hillhouse 228. Julep 229. June Buck 230. Kilmarnock Johnnie 231. Kilted Mexican 232. Kiltlifter 233. King Cole 234. King Cole Cocktail 235. Klondike cooler 236. Kon Tiki 237. L'aird Of Summer Isle 238. La Rosa 239. Lark 240. Lemon Highlander 241. Lemon Pie Cocktail 242. Leprechaun Lynch 243. “L.G.” Cocktail 244. Linstead, 245. Linstead Cocktail, 246. Loch Almond, 247. Loch Lomond 248. Loch Lomond 2 249. Loch Ness Monster 2 250. Loch Ness Mystery 251. Loensky, 252. London Sour, 253. Lord Byron, 254. Los Angeles (L.A.) 255. LSD 256. Lychee Mac 257. Ma Bonnie Wee Hen 258. Ma Wee Hen 259. Ma Wee Hen Cocktail 260. Mac 2, 261. Macbeth's Dream 262. Mac Orange, 263. Maeek 264. Mamie Gilroy, 265. Mamie Taylor 266. Man of the Moment 267. Manhattan, 268. Manhattan Cooler à la McGregor 269. Maple Pomme, 270. Mark Twain Cocktail 271. Mary Queen Of Scots, 272. Mauvais Pas 273. McDuff 274. Miami Beach Cocktail 275. Mickie Walker 276. Milk & Honey Martini, 277. Mint Cooler, Modern 278. Mithering Bastard 279. Modern Cocktail 280. Morning Glory Fizz 281. Morning Glory Fizz#2 282. Moscow Mule Var 283. Mystique 284. Mystique Martini, 285. Narragansett cooler 286. N.D.C. , 287. New Brunswick, 288. New York 289. Oh Henry! Cocktail, 290. Ohio, 291. Old Fashioned Candy, 292. Old Fashioned Scotch, 293. Old Moorhen's Shredded Sporran 294. One WayTrip To The Bathroom 295. Oppenheim Cocktail 296. Ortensia 297. Paisley Martini 298. Pan American, 299. Pashonette, 300. Pat Quinn 301. Pearl Harbour Revisited 302. Pear Shaped 1, 303. Pear Shaped 304. Penicillin Cocktail 305. Pepsin Toddie, 306. Perfect Rob Roy 307. Picca, 308. Pimms No.2 Cup, 309. Pineapple Blossom, 310. Pink Puff 311. Pink Almond 312. Ping Pong No.2, 313. Piper At Arms 314. Piper At The Gates of Dawn 315. Plank Walker 316. Plinius 317. Polish F++K 318. Polly’s Special 319. Prince 320. Prince Charlie 321. Puates Delight 322. Purple Heather 323. Purple Princess 324. Quarterdeck Cocktail 325. Queen Of Scots 326. Ramsay Cooler 327. Rase-Mottes 328. Red Breast, 329. Red Neck Martini, 330. Red Scotch, 331. Remsen Cooler 332. Rim Job 333. R.M.S. Queen Mary, 334. Robert Burns, 335. Robin, 336. Rob Roy, 337. Rob Roy 1, 338. Rob Roy 2, 339. Rob Roy Cocktail, 340. Royal Scot, 341. Rusty Mist 342. Rusty Nail, 343. Rusty Nail Cocktail, 344. Rusty Screw 345. Rusty Spike 346. Rickey 347. R U Bobby Moore? 348. Sam’s Special 349. Sandy Collins 350. Sangarees 351. Santa Anita 352. Sazerac, 353. Scotch and Water 354. Scotch Bird Flyer 355. Scotch Bishop Cocktail 356. Scotch Bounty Martini, 357. Scotch Cocktail, 358. Scotch Collins, 359. Scotch Cobbler 360. Scotch Cooler 361. Scotch Daisy 362. Scotch Fix 363. Scotch Flip 364. Scotch Highball 365. Scotch Holiday Sour 366. Scotch Melon Sour 367. Scotch Milk Punch, 368. Scotch Mist, 369. Scotch Negroni, 370. Scotch Old Fashioned, 371. Scotch Paradise, 372. Scotch Rickey 373. Scotch Royale 374. Scotch Sour 375. Scotch Stinger 376. Scotch Tom Collins 377. Scotch Whiskey Punch, 378. Scotch Whiskey Skin, 379. Scottalian 380. Scottie 381. Screaming Green Lizard 382. Seawanhaka yacht club cooler 383. Seething Jealousy 384. S.G Sherman 385. Sherry Twist 386. Shoot 387. Silent Third 388. Silver Bullet 389. Silver Fizz 390. Sing Sing 391. Single Standard, 392. Sky Highball 393. Slamma Jamma 394. Slapshot 395. Sling 396. Slippery Surprise 397. Smash 398. Smoky Martini 399. Smoky Martini 1 400. Smoky Apple Martini 401. Smuggler’s Gold 402. Softy 403. Sour 404. South Coast Cocktail 405. Southgate 406. Spicy Sandstrom 407. Sporran Cooler 408. Stone Fence 409. Stone Wall, 410. Speyside Martini, 411. Spiders Web, 412. Sporran Breeze, 413. Suburban 414. Summer Scotch 415. Sunrayed 416. Surprise Browst 417. Sweet Lady, 418. Sweet Science, 419. Sweet Scotch, 420. Swizzle 421. Tartan Swizzle 422. Tartantula 423. The Barbary Coast Cocktail, 424. The Bonny Scot, 425. The Broadmoor 426. The Cowboy Cocktail 427. The Crow 428. The Crow Cocktail 429. The Earthquake Cocktail 430. The Game Bird, 431. The Gloucester 432. The Hurricane Cocktail 433. The Los Angeles Cocktail 434. The Scott 435. The Shoot 436. The Spread Eagle Punch 437. Thistle, 438. Thistle Cocktail, 439. Thompson 440. Thriller 441. Thriller Martini 442. Tilt The Kilt 443. To Hell With Swords And Garter 444. Toddies, 445. Toddy, 446. Topaz 447. Trilby, 448. Trilby Cocktail, 449. Trinity, 450. Trouser Rouser 451. Troya 452. Velvet Kilt 453. Vowel Cocktail 454. Waldorf 455. Walters 456. Wam Bas 457. Warm Woolly Sheep 458. Waterloo 459. Wembley, 460. Wembley Cocktail No. 2, 461. Wildflower Cocktail, 462. Whiskey 463. Whiskey and Mint, 464. Whiskey and Tansey, 465. Whiskey Cobbler, 466. Whiskey Cocktail, 467. Whiskey Crusta, 468. Whiskey Fizz, 469. Whiskey Fizz No. 2, 470. Whiskey Fix, 471. Whiskey Flip, 472. Whiskey Julep, 473. Whiskey Milk 474. Whiskey Orange The Jesperian Way 475. Whiskey Punch, 476. Whiskey Sling, 477. Whiskey Sour, 478. Whiskey Toddy, 479. Whiskey Flash, 480. Whisky And Honey 481. Whisky Cobbler 482. Whisky Cocktail 483. Whisky Collins 484. Whisky Cooler 485. Whisky Crusta 486. Whisky Daisy 487. Whisky Daisy L’Amour 488. Whisky Fix 489. Whisky Fizz 490. Whisky Flip Flap 491. Whisky Highball 492. Whisky Julep 493. Whisky Mac 494. Whisky Melba 495. Whisky Punch, 496. Whisky Punch à la Barrett, 497. Whisky Punch à la Taylor, 498. Whisky Rickey, 499. Whisky Royale, 500. Whisky Sangaree, 501. Whisky Sling, 502. Whisky SmashWhisky & Soda, 503. Whisky Sour 504. Whisky Toddy 505. Whisper 506. Whispers of the Frost 507. White Christmas 508. White Horse, 509. White Horse Daisy , 510. White Knight 511. Whiz-Bang, 512. Whiz-bang Cocktail 513. Whizz Bang 514. Widow Wood’s Nightcap 515. Wild Honey 516. Wildflower Cocktail 517. Witch Hunt 518. Wonderland 519. Woodward Cocktail 520. Xfour Summer Tody 521. York 522. Zeke’s Suprise 523. Zazarac I

samedi 17 mars 2012

Ward 8
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search
A Ward 8 cocktailThe Ward 8 or Ward Eight is a cocktail originating in 1898 in Boston, Massachusetts at the bar of the Gilded Age restaurant Locke-Ober.In 1898 Democratic political czar Martin M. Lomasney hoped to capture a seat in the state's legislature, the General Court of Massachusetts. Lomasney held considerable power in the city for nearly 50 years. The story goes that the drink was created to honor his election, and the city's Ward 8 which historically delivered him a winning margin. Competing, but unfounded myths abound in print and on the Internet. One story purports that it originated in New York in an area known for political corruption, another that the cocktail is a traditional drink of the Scottish Guards.[edit] Ingredients and preparationLike the story of its creation, there are several variations of the Ward 8 cocktail. Various recipes call for blended whiskey, bourbon, rye, and even single malt scotch. Some recipes call for lemon juice, lime juice, no juice, grenadine, sour mix, and gomme syrup.Following the end of prohibition, Locke-Ober reopened its bar using this recipe
:2 ounces rye whiskey
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grenadineMaraschino cherry (optional)Shake the rye whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice, and grenadine with ice; then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.[1] Garnish with a maraschino cherry, if desired. Originally the drink was decorated with a small paper Massachusetts flag.[edit] References^ William Grimes (2001). Straight Up Or on the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail. p. 135. Hamilton, William L. (2004). Shaken and Stirred. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-074044-2. Haigh, Ted (2004). Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum Cocktail to the Zombie. Quarry Books. ISBN 978-1592530687. "Martin Lomasney and the Ward Eight". The City Record and Boston News-Letter. 2007-03-15. http://bostonhistory.typepad.com/notes_on_the_urban_condit/2006/03/martin_lomasney.html. [edit] External linksBoston cocktails site
Mixology Monday seems to come around faster and faster every month, so much so that lately I have been a little lax in taking part every month and in doing so have missed some superb topics. Thankfully though today I find myself sitting in Hamburg airport with an hour to kill and a perfect drink for this months theme – superior twists hosted by fellow Englishman Tristan Stephenson.Tristan asks us to consider drink variations that “for one reason or another do an even better job than the drinks upon which they are based.” I’ve already written about several superb drinks that fall in to this category such as Bastian Heuser’s Guyana Manhattan, a Manhattan that replaces rye with Demerara rum, and Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro’s Pegu Club variation, The Juniper Club Cocktail. Of course there is even the humble Oh Gosh!, a Daiquiri variation that if not superior is at least interesting.The drink I’ve chosen, however, is a play on the Last Word – a cocktail that already defies common sense and logic by combining powerful ingredients like Chartreuse, Maraschino and gin, yet somehow manages to turn out delcious, complex yet incredibly balanced. Attempting to adjust such a recipe might seem foolhardy, but thankfully with a skilful bartender like Phil Ward of Death & Co. in New York you know you are in safe hands.Photo to come…Final WardView in: oz ml shots¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz rye whiskey¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz Green Chartreuse¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz Maraschino¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz lemon juiceShake all ingredients with ice and strain in to a cocktail glass.Swapping gin for rye, and lime juice for lemon juice, the ingredient list for the Final Ward, like its progenitor the Last Word, doesn’t look like it would turn out very well on paper. In a cocktail glass, however, is another matter. A deliciously bright drink for a rye cocktail, the Final Ward is at once fresh, complex and very herbal with the strange interplay of the Maraschino and Chartreuse from the Last Word further deepened by the spicy, aromatic notes of the rye. A wonderful drink indeed, and while it’s hard to find fault with the original Last Word for my money the Final Ward is even tastier and definitely qualifies at a superior twist…

mercredi 29 février 2012

It’s not every day you get a bottle delivered to your house of a new product that has a note from the brand owner telling you that this is the first bottle outside of his own house. So this past Thursday, when exactly that happened, and I found in my hands a bottle of Hammer & Son Old English Gin, I was pretty excited to say the least. I’ve been waiting for the release of this product for several months, ever since Henrik Hammer (of Geranium Gin) mentioned that he had found a 1783 gin recipe in the safe at a distillery and was going to have a go at recreating it.

But what exactly is an Old English Gin? Well essentially it’s the original style of gin produced in England, and is somewhere between the sweet rich flavour of Genever, and the dry style of gin we’re used to today. It differs from London Dry in that it is slightly sweetened, a tradition that goes back to a time when poor quality spirits could have some of their impurities masked by the addition of sugar after distillation. The decision not to refer to this new product as an Old Tom Gin, as some might expect, comes from Henrik’s research into the history of gin in the 1700s, and his desire to produce a spirit that would be true to the origins of English Gin.

In fact many of the things that make this product unique stem from the way in which gin was consumed before modern production techniques led to the introduction of the London Dry style of gin that we know so well today. It seems that Henrik has really done his homework and thought about every detail of this gin, not only the recipe, but also the bottle and label, in an attempt to bring a ‘new’ product to the market in a way that really reflects the history of gin as it was consumed at the end of the 18th century.

WHAT”S IN A NAME?

At first it seems slightly crazy that this product is named ‘Old English’, after all there is currently a revival and fascination with ‘Old Tom Gin’, but as Henrik told me when he first thought about recreating this old recipe, he didn’t want to get caught up in the nickname, he preferred to call it what it is… the old style of English gin. So is Old English Gin the same thing as Old Tom? In essence yes; it’s a London style Gin that has been sweetened and made in the same tradition as what we now think of as Old Tom. As Henrik explains it “when buying Gin in the 1700s and 1800s you’d be offered a simple choice; English Gin or Holland’s Gin. English Gin was branded with many different names such as Samson, Tom, Old Tom, or with the name of the distiller. Thus Old Tom is not a style of gin but simply one of many names within the category of English Gin at this time”.

Staying true to the origins of English gin at the time that this recipe first came into existence, Henrik worked with the distillers at the Langley distillery to recreate it as closely as was possible. This meant using a copper pot still, in this case the oldest pot still currently in use in England. The still is affectionately known as Angela (or Grandma) and is one of the only stills left made from British copper. At every step of the creation of this new (old) gin, it seems like care has been taken to make it as authentic as possible. The only omission from the original recipe is turpentine oil, which while commonly used in the 1700’s is highly poisonous and not something you would want to be drinking today.

Having perfected the liquid, Henrik turned his attention to packaging, and once again decided to research what was authentic to the drinking customs from London in the late 1700s. His research quickly brought to light the fact that paper labels would have been uncommon, bottles were an expensive commodity, and in fact it was common practice to take an empty bottle to a gin shop and have it filled. A decision was made that recycled glass would fit the bill nicely, and as his research also showed that the UK was the largest importer of Champagne at that time, what could be better than to reuse old Champagne bottles? The bottles are simply washed and sanitized, which of course means that the packaging is almost completely carbon neutral, another thing that was important to Henrik in the creation of this Gin.

Instead of affixing a paper label, which wouldn’t be either environmentally friendly or particularly authentic, Henrik decided to silkscreen print the bottles instead, using environmentally friendly paint. Seeing the bottle for the first time I was struck by how very different it is from any other Gin I have ever seen. The bottle is finished with a cork and sealed with organic wax; it truly feels as though it’s from another era!

WHAT’S IN THE BOTTLE?

Well of course the simple answer is gin, and in this case that’s obvious from the second that you pop the cork and are rewarded with a crisp clean juniper aroma. As you pour some into the glass and take your first sniff you quickly realise that behind the juniper there is a rich earthy complexity, hinting at bitter barks, warm hay, warm black pepper and dry spice. There are green notes here too, crushed leaves, basil and mint, but they’re top notes that are just hinted at in the aroma. It’s immediately obvious that this is a very different Gin, and from the first aroma you want to take a sip.

On tasting this Old English Gin you are rewarded with a surprisingly controlled sweetness upfront that coats your tongue giving a silky mouth feel. Behind the sweetness comes orange, pine from the juniper and nutmeg spice, this leads through to the middle of the flavour profile, where bitter flavours emerge. These bitter notes aren’t at all unpleasant and they serve to dampen down the sweetness and dry out the gin and now we’re moving into earthy notes of bitter leaves, tree bark and woody, almost nutty flavours. There are hints of liquorice and an elusive floral note that is hard to pin down but very pleasant indeed, and as the flavour slowly fades you are left with a hint of sweetness and spice that reminds you to take another sip.

It’s a gin that makes you want to explore old cocktail recipes and try them in a new light, to see how they might have tasted when they were first conceived. It has you guessing at how different the Martinez might have been from the drink we know today, or if Old English Gin might actually make a lot of sense in the julep (I’ve never been comfortable with London Dry juleps!). Hammer & Son offers us a chance to explore well-loved cocktails and see where they came from, how they used to be and how they have evolved and changed. Most wonderfully it gives us a chance to connect with the bartenders of old and understand a little more clearly what flavours they were working with all those years ago.

So here are three cocktails for you to try (when you can get this product, which Henrik promises will be soon!) with Old English Gin that might make you look at the category in a whole new light.

MARTINEZ

The Martinez is one of those recipes that springs to mind when you think os the Old English style of gin, and this version is based on a recipe from 1884. This may not be a Martinez as you know it, but trust me it’s worth trying, the dry vermouth and sweeter gin play off of each other beautifully and the drink has plenty of depth and character. There will be more about the Martinez very soon, but for now, here’s the recipe:

60ml dry vermouth

30ml Hammer & Son Old English Gin

3 – 4 dashes Angostura bitters

3 dashes gomme

In a mixing glass stir all ingredients with cracked or cubed ice and strain into a chilled coupe before garnishing with a small lemon twist. While many associate sweet vermouth with the Martinez, we found this version using dry vermouth to be a great interpritation of this classic old cocktai.

HAMMERED GOLD

Our tribute to the exceptional Mr. Henrik Hammer, who has brought us another new (old?) gin and has ensured that we have a chance to experience what gin was like in the days before London Dry was first conceived. This is a twist on the gin sour, with notes of vanilla, cherry and fortified wine playing with the spicy and earthy notes of the gin.

50ml Hammer & Son Old English Gin

25ml lemon juice

10ml Galliano

5ml maraschino

10ml Dubonnet Rouge

Shake all ingredients with plenty of cubed ice and strain into a chilled coupe or a cocktail glass, with no garnish. This drink works equally well on the rocks and can be garnished with a small sprig of fresh thyme to add an interesting herbal aroma.

OLD ENGLISH DAISY

Ok so there’s nothing revolutionary about this basic twist on the classic gin daisy, but a simple drink with great ingredients is sometimes the perfect way to go!

50ml Hammer & Son Old English Gin

20ml lemon juice

10ml Grand Marnier

Shake all ingredients with cubed ice and strain into a chilled coupe before finishing of with an orange twist. I like to rest the twist on the edge of the glass so that with every sip you get the aroma of the orange oils, but that’s up to you.

Henrik has tried to achieve a gin that could be consumed the way it traditionally would have been in 1783, and that means neat as well as in early mixed drinks such as punch , sangarees and rickeys, and in my opinion he has succeeded marvelously. With new gins launching at a rate that’s hard to keep up with, it’s a rare thing for me to get excited about one of them. Most are simply alright gins that offer nothing new to the category, then there are those that have just chosen a random exotic ‘botanical’ in an attempt to create something ‘quirky’, there are even some that seem to think colouring their gin is enough to earn them a place on the back bar. In the case of Hammer & Son Old English Gin, we finally have a product that adds to the gin category, faithfully reproducing a lost style of gin and giving us an insight into how gin would have been consumed in the 1700s.

We salute you Mr. Hammer, and your most excellent Old English Gin!

Best Mojito in Paris 2010 Darth Vader