The Whisky Stramash Toasts Its Return to Edinburgh
The Whisky Stramash is toasting its return to Edinburgh this month with a pioneering new cocktail. An alternative to the traditional Bloody Mary, ‘Big Peat’s Breakfast’ is an innovative Sunday brunch drink for the 21st century.
Created using Islay’s characterful ‘Big Peat’ Blended Malt, bacon and a frothy egg-white top, this bespoke serve – which is based on a simple whisky sour recipe – is not your run-of-the-mill drink; but then neither is the event for which it was created.
Using the latest scientific techniques from the world of molecular gastronomy, it takes a little skill to make the bacon and egg white garnish – but it’s well worth the effort.
Here’s how to make it…
BIG PEAT’S BREAKFAST (2.3 units/ serves 1)
Ingredients:
• 50ml Big Peat Whisky
• The fat from a rasher of unsmoked bacon – the ratio of bacon fat to whisky needs to be 1:10 so for 50ml of whisky, you’ll need to add 5ml of bacon fat
• 30ml Lemon Juice
• 10ml Sugar Syrup (made with white sugar and water)
• ½ an egg white – this is shaken into the drink and results in the texture being thickened and the foamy head on top
For the garnish –
• A bottle of HP Sauce
• 4g Calcium Chloride
• Sodium Alginate
• Crispy bacon – after taking the fat for infusion this was baked off just before the event with olive oil
Method:
For the Fat-Washed Whisky –
Pour a miniature bottle of Big Peat Whisky into a Tupperware tub. Line a grill with tinfoil. Part-cook the bacon under the grill, catching the juice in the foil. Pour the bacon juices into the tub and put in the fridge to chill for 24 hours – shaking at regular intervals to help the flavours infuse. Freeze overnight to solidify the fats ready for filtration.
To filter the fats from the whisky, pour the mixture through a coffee filter -the whisky (which will not have frozen) will come out perfectly clear but packed full of bacon flavour.
For the Cocktail –
To make the syrup, mix two-parts sugar to one-part boiling water and stir until all the granules have dissolved. Add this to a cocktail shaker along with the whisky, lemon Juice and egg white (shaking the egg white into the drink thickens it up).
For the Garnish –
Add the Calcium Chloride to a bottle of HP Sauce by mixing in a blender and decanting it back into the bottle. Prepare a bath of water mixed with Sodium Alginate in order to perform a process commonly known ‘Reverse Spherification’ – which involves carefully dropping a dollop of the HP Sauce mix into the Sodium Alginate bath. The reaction causes a skin to form around the outside leaving the inside still runny.
Lastly bake the partly grilled bacon used earlier with some olive oil to crisp it up. Add a rasher of crispy bacon and a lozenge of HP Sauce which bursts in the mouth.
For a step-by-step guide on how to make it visit http://solid-liquids.com/what-weve-done/whisky-stramash-launch-party/
Ends
Issued by The Big Partnership
For further information/images please contact Katie Lyle, Megan Davidson or Jessica Kiddle on 0131 557 5252 or email whiskystramash@bigpartnership.co.uk.
NOTES TO EDITOR
• The Whisky Stramash is organised by founding partners Darroch Ramsay and Scott Martin
• In 2012 the event attracted 2,100 attendees over two days (Male 61% / Female 39%)
• The male average age was 37 years, and female 34 years
• 1,500 cocktails were served
LAPHROAIG® SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY REFRESHES PACKAGING
World’s No. 1 Islay Malt Whisky Launches New Look across Award-Winning Global Portfolio
Laphroaig® Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distributed by Maxxium UK, proudly reveals a global packaging refresh to its award-winning whisky portfolio. The whisky’s new packaging, which is rolling out globally from this month, reflects the quality of the liquid inside and the rich history of the brand while making it easier for whisky enthusiasts to navigate the portfolio and identify their preferred flavour profile.
Michael Cockram, senior global marketing director, Beam Inc., says, “Laphroaig continues to be the world’s No.1 Islay malt whisky. Our decision to refresh the brand’s packaging has been taken with a great deal of care, given that the brand’s distinctive look has been so successful for many years. We believe the new look creates a modern evolution for the brand, reinvigorating the original design while educating consumers on the brand’s unique taste experience.”
Inspired by feedback from its Friends of Laphroaig community, the packaging features a new label with iconic colors and a typeset that creates a warmer shelf appeal complemented by imagery reflective of the more than 200-year-old distillery. An image of the Laphroaig distillery nestled quietly along the Islay bay remains the focal point of the traditional tube packaging. The subtle redesign follows a successful 2012 performance with continued growth for the brand.
Cockram adds: “After listening to consumer feedback, we believe this redesign will bring greater visibility and appeal, providing a more defined brand personality that resonates with our fans.”
The new packaging is scheduled to roll out in key Laphroaig markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Australia and Japan.
Editors Notes:
• Laphroaig is the No.1 selling Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky globally
• Unmistakably peat-smoke flavours are delivered by burning local Islay peat, containing unique traces of seaweed and heather.
• One of only a few distilleries that still uses traditional malting floors and dries and infuses its own malt with the thick blue smoke from old peat-fired kilns.
• The Friends of Laphroaig programme keeps fans of the brand up to date with special offers and news from distillery manager, John Campbell. On signing up, members are allocated their own square foot of land on Islay, and their names are added to the members’ book in the friends lounge at the distillery. Members who visit the distillery are invited to collect their ‘rent’ – a dram of Laphraoig. The community comprises more than 540,000 like-minded Scotch fans from more than 190 countries.
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Laphroaig
For further information please contact: Sarah McDonald or Sarah Bailey at The BIG Partnership on 0131 555 5522 or email: sarah.mcdonald@bigpartnership.co.uk or sarah.bailey@bigpartnership.co.uk
Please enjoy our brand responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk
www.laphroaig.com
HIGHLAND PARK 25 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT TRIUMPHS
HIGHLAND PARK 25 YEAR OLD TRIUMPHS
UNPRECEDENTED 100-POINT SCORE AT ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE
Highland Park 25 year old, distributed by Maxxium UK, was awarded the first ever 100-point score, along with the Chairman’s Trophy for Best of Category, by judges at Ultimate Beverage Challenge’s fourth annual Ultimate Spirits Challenge held March 11-15, 2013, in New York.
Highland Park went on to achieve four more finalist entries all 95 points and above, in the prestigious trophy sweepstakes with Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation for 30 year old (97 points); 12 year old (96 points); 18 year old (95 points) and 15 year old (95 points). In addition, Highland Park Thor, the first edition of the stunning Valhalla Collection, achieved 94 points, with the judges classing it as ‘highly recommended’.
Gerry Tosh, Global Marketing Manager for Highland Park, said: “To be the only ever recipient of the 100-point score in the history of the Ultimate Spirit Challenge is a great honour for Highland Park 25 year old. We’re thrilled that the judges, all respected commentators in our industry, have selected Highland Park for this accolade in the presence of a strong array of competitors. The fact that Highland Park was also represented so strongly across the board is very significant and allows us to maintain our award winning reputation.”
More than 70 companies from 30 countries around the world entered the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. The judging panels, which included many of the world’s most famous distilled spirits authorities, authors, and buyers, rated the distillates on a 100-point scale. The judges named 33 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Chairman’s Trophy winners and 151 finalists.
Highland Park 25 Year Old 2013 has an ABV of 45.7% and is available at selected whisky retailers at RRP £201.08.
For more information on Highland Park, visit www.highlandpark.co.uk
For further information, please contact:
The BIG Partnership, Sarah McDonald/Laura Hutchinson
0131 557 5252
Firstname.lastname@bigpartnership.co.uk
Notes to editors:
About Highland Park
Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection. Its range of 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malts is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts. Highland Park has won a string of prestigious awards across its portfolio, most recently including category winner at the 2011 World Whisky Awards for its 25-year-old single malt and ‘Best Whisky in the World 2009’ for its 21-year-old expression in the World Whisky Awards, as well as four double gold awards in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2009.
Highland Park 18 year old was named Best Spirit in the World by American drinks expert Paul Pacult in Top 115 Spirits, Spirit Journal 2009 and 2005.
Five keystones contribute to making Highland Park:
q Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park
q Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky
q Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky
q Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park
q Cask harmonization ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park
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THE MACALLAN UNVEILS INNOVATIVE 1824 SERIES
THE MACALLAN UNVEILS INNOVATIVE 1824 SERIES
Range Inspired By The Colourful World of The Macallan
The Macallan, distributed by Maxxium UK, has today unveiled The 1824 Series, a range showcasing two of its greatest strengths; oak sherry casks and natural colour.
Grounded in an unwavering commitment to sourcing the very best oak sherry casks, the most expensive in the industry, The 1824 Series showcases the signature style of The Macallan, embracing the defining elements which have made it one of the world’s truly great single malts.
Bob Dalgarno, The Macallan Whisky Maker, has created four expressions by identifying the natural colour formed during maturation in different casks types to create the character informed by these colours. The expressions are Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby, all names reflecting the actual colour of the whiskies in the range, but also describing naturally occurring mineral and metals.
This innovative approach to whisky making is the first to derive the final character from the natural colours drawn into The Macallan from the oak sherry casks over the years of maturation. It has allowed Bob Dalgarno to assess the broadest range of casks delivering an unrivalled range of natural colours. The casks chosen for the range deliver a gradation of colour from light to dark, with the wood character defining each expression’s flavour, moving from lighter, lemon citrus to richer, dried fruit notes. As the whiskies become darker and richer, so the pool of casks able to deliver this character becomes smaller and rarer.
Bob Dalgarno, Whisky Maker, The Macallan, said, “The Macallan world of colour is the true inspiration of the 1824 Series. Using colour to drive and define a whisky differs dramatically from the conventional age approach, allowing us to explore different casks and take a more flexible approach to our stock. We have been able to work creatively with the full range of matured stock available, rather than working to a pre-determined character based on age. For me, the key thought in this range is that a great single malt doesn’t need to be 30 years old to taste like a 30 year old.”
By drawing on his broadest range of skills in cask selection, Bob has been unshackled by the need to draw on casks selected first and foremost for their age. His expert skills ensure consistency through the effective management and selection of the casks which provide the spectrum of natural colour and character essential to The Macallan.
Commenting on this latest innovation, Ken Grier, Director of Malts, Edrington, said “As some 60% of the aroma and flavour of The Macallan derives from the oak maturation casks, this new range is a genuine opportunity to demonstrate the critical role of these exceptional casks and also to challenge perceptions about bottling at arbitrary ages. Taking colour as the basis for shaping these whiskies, an industry first, is testimony both to the innovative approach to whisky making and to the long experience of our Whisky Maker. This truly is Bob’s work at its very best.”
Peter Sandstrom, Marketing Director, Maxxium UK said: “The Macallan 1824 Series is the perfect combination of two of the most influential factors which make this single malt whisky amongst the most distinctive and desirable, namely oak sherry casks and natural colour. It is testament to our great relationship with Edrington that Maxxium UK is the first market to debut this exciting new range.”
The Macallan Gold (RRP £36), The Macallan Amber (RRP £45), The Macallan Sienna (RRP £66) and The Macallan Ruby (RRP £120) will be available at selected whisky retailers.
ENDS
Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of The Macallan: www.themacallan.com
For further information
The BIG Partnership, Sarah McDonald or Laura Hutchinson
0131 557 5252
first.lastname@bigpartnership.co.uk
Please enjoy our brand responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk
