What’s Tony Drinking? Nov 2: Sorel, Hampden Rum, El Tesoro Mundial & Creative Cocktails
Editor’s note: One of our hardest working contributors Tony Sachs is on the constant search for the best in spirits, cocktails and more., that’s why we’re launching this regular feature to showcase his finds. Cheers!
It was a busy week for me and my liver. They’re not all this jam-packed, thank goodness, but Labor Day to New Year’s Eve is the busiest time of year for drinks writers, and there’s plenty of drinking as well as writing involved. But I’m not complaining. Not yet, anyway. Let’s get right to it, shall we?
Jackie Summers is, among many, many other things, the man behind Sorel, one of the most talked-about new booze brands of 2013 that’s now, after a long fallow period, one of the most talked-about new booze brands of 2021. It was Jackie’s birthday, and of course there was plenty of Sorel to be had at his party. If you’re not familiar, Sorel is based on sorrel, the hibiscus liqueur that’s been a staple of Caribbean households for centuries. It mixes very well with spirits ranging from whiskey to tequila to gin, although my current favorite way to drink it is on its own, on the rocks with a squeeze of lime. It’s a refreshing low-proof (15% ABV) drink that’s not too sweet and can easily be sipped for hours (I can verify this firsthand). On this night, however, I revisited it the first way I ever had it, mixed with Brenne — a delicate and refined French single malt aged in new French Limousin oak and cognac casks. There’s something about the two that pairs perfectly. 2:1 Sorel to Brenne over ice hit the spot, and it also played very well when mixed with Agua Magica mezcal. And it went quite nicely with Jackie’s coconut birthday cake, too.
When Hawksmoor, the renowned British steakhouse, recently opened its doors in NYC, a British friend essentially commanded me to go, so who was I to say no? Especially since it’s walking distance from home for me. I brought my wife and daughter and we made a family night of it. The steaks were superb, especially my filet mignon cooked in a cast-iron pan and served with a heaping helping of bone marrow. But I was especially intrigued by what they call their “Ultimate” cocktails. The ingredients (in the case of the martini, Hepple gin, Little City vermouth, and water) are placed in a jewelry cleaner, where they’re bombarded with sonic waves for 45 minutes to supposedly integrate and rapidly age the concoction. It’s then chilled down to minus-12 Celsius, making it, unofficially at least, the coldest martini in town. Just before serving, it’s garnished with a bit of lemon oil. It was a very good martini, and it was indeed very cold. My wife said she likes my martinis better, and to be fair I do make a damn good one. But I’d definitely try this one again before donning the crown. And we both loved the Hawksmoor Calling, a highball with Sipsmith gin, Andrew’s Honey (a local brand), chamomile, and Fino sherry.
I had to pick up some rum samples from Jan Warren, brand rep at La Maison & Velier, importers and distributors of some of the world’s best rums, so I went to his office. His office just happens to be the burger joint he opened with two partners on Little West 12th St. in Manhattan, the aptly-named Best Burger. The burger, slathered with cheese and onions in the smashburger style, was stunning, and the onion rings were literally bigger than my hand. And delicious, too. And instead of just picking up samples, we decided to have a lunchtime tasting of some of La Maison & Velier 2021 offerings. I was blown away by the Hampden 2010 LROK, from Jamaica’s legendary Hampden Estate distillery. Aged entirely in Jamaica for 11 years (the equivalent of 25 years or so for a Scotch whisky aged in Scotland). It’s fruity, a little bitter, quite spicy, and 100% delicious. My other two favorites were from the Transcontinental Rum Line, which also imports and bottles top-notch rums from all over. Their Trinidad 2001 bottling, aged for 19 years, hails from the Angostura distillery, but you’d never know from tasting it. Big and pungent, with huge notes of eucalyptus, it was closer to one of the ultra-rare Caroni rums that have become so collectible in recent years. Their 5 year old Fiji rum, distilled in 2014, wasn’t quite as intense, but to my palate (and I’ll admit straight up that I’m a Fiji rum junkie), it was even better than the Trinidad, with light vanilla and distinctive burnt-rubber notes that are a hallmark of Fijian rum. But I always must add, that it’s the most delicious burnt rubber you’ll ever taste. Try it if you don’t believe me.
I had a few hours to recover from the burgers and rum before I headed over to the on West 26th St. for a very special tequila dinner courtesy of El Tesoro. I’m not a huge fan of agave spirits in general, but there are a few brands that float my boat, and El Tesoro is my go-to for cocktails or, especially, for sipping. It’s made in the classic tahona style, with no artificial anything added, and it tastes like it — clean and lively, with a distinct minerality. On this night the special guests were El Tesoro distiller/tequila legend Carlos Camarena and his sister Jenny, who manages their La Alteña distillery. They were unveiling El Tesoro’s soon-to-be-released Mundial bottling, the first in what’s planned to be a series. The premier bottling was aged for nine months in American oak and an additional three months in — wait for it — Laphroaig whisky casks, so brand ambassador Simon Brooking was there as well. Smoke and agave… wait, isn’t that mezcal? Not at all in this case. In fact, it was a real shapeshifter, one of the most interesting tequilas I’ve ever tried. One sip, sweet vanilla notes would come to the forefront. The next sip, the smokiness from the Laphroaig would dominate. The next, a tingly spiciness would take the reins. I polished off two Glencairn glasses’ worth just trying to get a handle on it, and I probably would have had more if the event hadn’t ended. Mundial is out in the next few weeks and will run $125. It’s a limited edition, so pounce quickly.
One of the best things I had to drink all week isn’t on the menu at most bars, but a competent bartender will know how to make it if you give them the recipe. It’s a Croton Cocktail, up — also known as water in a cocktail glass. It’s my libation of choice when I want the ritual and social aspect of drinking, without the alcohol. I know there are a million zero-proof cocktails out there, but good old H20 is still my favorite. I’ve gone a little nuts lately and made my Crotons the sparkling variety, and damn, they’re refreshing. (Thanks to David Wondrich, who informed me of the proper name for what I previously called “watinis”)