What’s Tony Drinking? Wine, Whiskey, Gin & Marvelous Cocktails at Bar Takeovers

Pineau You Want Some?

Every time I see or hear the words “Pineau des Charentes” I immediately think of ms. franky marshall, who’s a walking repository of knowledge of all things PDC, and at least in the States, the face of the category as well, so it was a thrill to attend a dinner at L’Accolade in NYC’s West Village where ms. franky herself led us through a tasting of more than a dozen expressions. Oh, just to get you up to speed, Pineau des Charentes is a fortified wine made from unfermented grape juice or must, along with unaged cognac eau-de-vie. The blend is then aged in oak for varying amounts of time — my favorite of the bunch was a 15 year old expression from, I believe, Bache-Gabrielsen. Pineau is getting known for its use in cocktails and cask-finishing other spirits, but it is absolutely worth trying on its own. My dining companions were a selection of Chilled magazine’s “Chilled 100” bartenders from all over the country, all of whom were nice as can be to this mixologically-challenged (and non-tattooed) scribe. And of course ms. marshall was a fabulous guide through a category about which I knew precious little before I showed up. I’m still no expert, but at least I’m on the right track.

Speaking of Pineau des Charentes…

Old Pulteney is, Lord help me for saying it this way, an IYKYK kind of whisky. It’s not necessarily hip or sexy, but the more you’re into single malt Scotch, the more likely it is you’ll know and love this brand. Pulteney has something for everyone, whether it’s a sweet and lightly saline 80-proof entry-level 12 Year Old or the richer, more muscular 18 Year Old, aged in ex-bourbon and sherry casks. Or their new Coastal Series, a planned quartet of releases featuring OP finished in various casks. Master distiller Malcolm Waring came by The Flatiron Room Murray Hill to taste a few of us lucky souls on the entire permanent range (with food pairings for each one, from lobster sliders to chocolate truffles) plus the debut Coastal Series release, a no-age-statement dram aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Pineau des Charentes casks. The Pineau influence adds fruity sweetness — namely citrus, raisins, and figs — but the whisky doesn’t come off as cloying, thanks to the spices and faintest hint of smoke on the finish. It paired ridiculously well with the oysters on which we slurped while we sipped. The evening was a whisky-soaked gas from start to finish, and after it was over a few of us — namely famed whisky educator/personality Robin Robinson, author/AlcProf alum Amanda Schuster, and myself — decided we weren’t ready to go home yet, so we repaired to the nearby Reichenbach Hall for brewskis (a Juicy Pineapple Hefeweizen for me, thanks) and more chatter.

Popping Up at a Pair of Pop Ups

What’s the next best thing to traveling the globe and going to all the most sensational bars in far-flung locales? Having the bars come to NYC and getting a taste of them without the hassle (or the expense) of getting on a plane, that’s what. And what’s even better is going to said pop-ups with writer/bon vivant Karla Alindahao for company. First up was the takeover of The Dead Rabbit by the London-based legends at Lyaness, one of the planet’s most acclaimed watering holes. Ryan “Mr Lyan” Chetiyawardana was on hand to walk us through our cocktails (that paints a weird picture, doesn’t it) and kibitz about the booze world in general. We had five cocktails between us — my favorite of the bunch was the Soka Hardshake, which employs Empirical Soka, an incredible sorghum-based spirit, in a frothy milkshake-type drink with an impeccably toasted marshmallow garnish. I gotta get my tail to London, pronto.

A couple of nights later, Karla and I hit the town again, this time heading to Manhatta, the ridiculously scenic 60th floor venue in FiDi which had been taken over for the night by Argo, the Hong Kong bar ranked #3 in the World’s 50 Best Bars round-up in 2022. Not too shabby! And our drinks — namely the Dynasty Old Fashioned, with bourbon, cognac, soybean orgeat and bitters — were as nifty as the view. Is it worth traveling to Asia for? Heck, I don’t see why not. Get me on a plane and I’ll confirm….

Four Corners American Gin — Four Corners Gin

Great Trademarked Slogans, Great New Gin

There are so many new gins being thrust into the juniper-saturated marketplace that it’s tempting to simply bury my head in the sand, ignore them all, and stick with the tried-and-trues. But when a gin comes around that was created in part by the great Christian Krogstad (the Oregon-based legend behind Westward Whiskey and Aquavit Krogstad), exceptions must be made! The catch behind Four Corners Gin is that it’s made entirely with American-sourced botanicals, and that includes juniper from the Pacific Northwest, which was thought to be unusable for gin. Well, this bad boy puts the lie to that myth. Employing not just the purple and green berries but the needles, in addition to a quartet of other botanicals sourced from, you guessed it, the four corners of the country, it’s one hell of a delicious gin. Floral and fruity, juniper-forward but without the piney notes associated with many a London Dry, Four Corners makes a fantastic gin & tonic, a gorgeous martini, and it’s one of those rare gins that’s pleasant to sip neat. Not that I’d ever think to do that, but in a pinch, who knows. Krogstad & Co. also managed to trademark for Four Corners the slogans “The United Taste Of America” and “Made From America,” much to their surprise. That may be an even greater coup than the gin.

Cocktails, SpiritsTony SachsSeptember 27, 2023gin, barsComment