"Top Shelf" at L'Espalier - Cocktails inspired by "The Great Gatsby"

I am extremely fortunate that as a member of the wine & spirits industry media, I get invited to a lot of fantastic food, wine and cocktail events as part of my job. The other night, I got to go to an event that I have wanted to attend for quite some time, but scheduling conflicts prevented me. That’s why I cleared the decks when I found out that the fabulous Kate Moore, sommelier at Boston’s infamous L’Espalier, was hosting one of her “Top Shelf” cocktail events last Thursday.

If you’re not familiar, L’Espalier is often credited with being the first independently owned restaurant to bring haute cuisine to Boston, and doing so with a trailblazing commitment to using local, fresh ingredients from New England. Located on Boylston Street when it opened in 1978, L’Espalier moved to a historic Back Bay townhouse in 1982, only to return to Boylston Street in 2008 where it currently resides adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Under Chef, Proprietor, Author and now Farmer Frank McClelland’s stewardship, L’Espalier has consistently been rated at the top of national and local best restaurant lists (Zagat, Boston Magazine, Frommer’s Travel Guide, Wine Spectator, among them). The restaurant has received numerous accolades including the "Distinguished Restaurant Award" from Mimi Sheraton, as well as being the first New England restaurant to receive four stars from The Boston Globe food critic, Alison Arnett. In 1996, Nation’s Restaurant News bestowed L’Espalier with its highest honor, inducting the restaurant into its “Fine Dining Hall of Fame.” L'Espalier is the only independent restaurant in New England to receive eleven consecutive AAA Five Diamond Awards (the only Boston restaurant with this distinction) and also has earned twelve consecutive Mobil (now Forbes) Four-Star awards.
Sommelier Kate Moore, who is amazingly elegant, well-spoken, knowledgeable and fun, has been conducting her “Top Shelf” cocktail classes for some time. She has devised many themes for these “Top Shelf” Classes – the last one was a “Mad Men/Rat Pack” theme, while the one I attended was “The Great Gatsby, Cocktails from the 1920’s”.

The setting for our event was a private dining room on the first floor – intimate enough for the ten guests of the evening. There were four couples, myself and another guest around the table. Kate says that they have Top Shelf events with dozens of guests in attendance, which may be held in the Salon or Library.
Kate began by pouring us each a glass of Roederer Estate Sparkling Wine as we waited for everyone to arrive. Introductions were made, and it turned out that although we had all been to L’Espalier many times, this was everyone’s first “Top Shelf”.

Once everyone was settled, Kate began by explaining that the 1920’s was her favorite period – she loved “The Great Gatsby”, the Prohibition era, and the “decadence and debauchery” that was associated with it. She asked why we had all chosen to attend this particular class, and the answers ranged from wanting to know more about the cocktails of that era to being fans of “The Great Gatsby”.

The first cocktail she served was a “Clover Club”, which had been created at an all men’s club in Pennsylvania called The Belvedere. It consisted of Beefeater Gin, fresh lemon juice, house-made raspberry & mint syrup and a frothed egg white. As we sipped on the delicious and beautiful cocktail, Kate shared that she collected hats and flapper outfits, and looked at the era as one of “relaxation” between the two stressful periods of WWI and the Great Depression. A waiter walked around with an assortment of fresh bread, foccacia and pretzel rolls, and then with some delicious small bites, which were paired with each cocktail. To go with the Clover Club, the Chef had prepared a house-made caraway bagel bite with smoke salmon and crème fraiche, which was delicious.

The second cocktail of the night was a “Jack Rose”, consisting of Applejack, fresh cider, brown sugar simple syrup and a squeeze of lemon. This was paired with an amazing wild mushroom risotto that had been topped with a garlic chip and shavings of summer truffle. The inspiration for the “Jack Rose” came from the character of the same name in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”, which was published in 1926.

The ten guests chatted as we enjoyed the cocktails and small bites. Kate had some great music playing in the background, vintage cocktail shakers to make the drinks, and took the time to walk around discussing some of the finer points of the drinks and their history to the mixology fans in the room.

Next up was the “Brandy Daisy”, which was my favorite cocktail of the evening. Kate mixed brandy (a VSOP), yellow chartreuse, fresh lemon juice and a splash of seltzer. Named after the heroine of the book, Daisy Buchanan, the cocktail was delicious, revealing different layers of complexity with each sip. It had a beautiful aroma on the nose, surprising one guest, as he thought that was “more of a wine thing than a cocktail thing”. The Daisy Buchanan was paired with perfect crescent shaped veal and pork dumplings, accompanied by a honey soy glaze for dipping. The conversation turned to how Kate makes her cocktails – hard shakes, gentle stirs, house-made syrups and finding inspiration in the ingredients she comes across in the L’Espalier kitchen each night. She also mentioned that she had just returned from New York City the night before, where she participated in (and came in second!) the Star Chefs “Sommelier Smackdown”.

Then, in a stroke of brilliance, Kate passed around her copy of “The Great Gatsby”, instructing us to randomly open the book and read from that page. As we each took a turn, it was quite interesting to see how many references there were to cocktails and “old sport”. It was fun, rather than reminding us of being in a high school English class, and helped to bring more 1920’s flavor to the evening.

The last cocktail of the night was “Kate’s Bootlegger”, a delicious combination of dark rum, clement rhum, pineapple, mango and coconut water. It was beautifully paired with lamb samosa and a curried mint cream – a perfect way to end the evening.

Kate is equally passionate and knowledgeable about wine and food, and is currently working towards her Master Sommelier certificate. She also takes much enjoyment in (and is very talented at) creating or re-creating classic cocktails, pairing them with the perfect food, and sharing them with both old and new friends alike.

Her upcoming October & November “Top Shelf” theme is “Top Shelf, Top Chef”, which will include cocktails inspired by these iconic chefs:
October 7: Alice Waters, Chez Panisse
Join Kate Moore as we pay homage to this innovative chef who introduced the value of eating locally and seasonally to the United States. Featuring Hibiscus and Rosewater Punch; Butternut Squash, Falurnum and Maple Swizzle; Local Mushroom and Stout "Consomme"; The Orchard.
October 21: Anthony Bourdain, Les Halles
November 4: Jacques Pepin & Pierre Franey
November 18: Ferran Adria, El Bulli

You can find out more information about L’Espalier and “Top Shelf” classes, as well as make reservations on their website www.lespalier.com. Cheers!

Barbara Lynch's Drink

I love Drink, Barbara Lynch’s cool, hip, underground cocktail spot on Congress Street in Boston. It is located beneath her Sportello restaurant…you have to know where you are going as there is no signage showing you the way. But people know where to find it. On a recent visit, I arrived at 5 o’clock to find only a handful of people sitting at the bar. Within thirty minutes, every seat was taken, cocktails were being crafted and consumed and there was an electric buzz to the place….

When walking down the stairs, one is immediately hit with the scent of citrus wafting through the air. This is due to the pyramids of grapefruit, lemon and lime that are artfully arranged behind the bar. There is no set menu to speak of, which is one of the fun things at Drink. The bar staff will ask you what you like – flavors, liquors, food – and from there, create a cocktail for you on the spot.

I was in a summer mood to start, and after being quizzed by the bartender, was offered a classic St-Germain Cocktail (St-Germain, Champagne & Soda). My guest was in a tequila mood, and was given a fantastic red grapefruit margarita. The drinks were served in vintage cocktail glasses – loooking around the bar, there was a wide array of glassware. I asked the bartender how they decided what drink was served in what glass, and she answered “Whatever is clean and cold!”

It is fascinating to watch the bar staff at work. There are no bottles on the back bar, they have lots of containers with house made syrups, mixers and infusions, and they use the aforementioned pyramids of fruit to make beautiful peels and garnishes to enhance the drinks.

We also ordered food – delicious grilled cheese rectangles that were part of the bar menu, which were so good they were devoured before a photo was taken!

Our second round called for something different…I tried the “Mary Pickford” as it seemed appropriate in such a setting…a delicious concoction of light rum, pineapple juice and grenadine served frothy and cold. My companion chose to relive memories of Bermuda by ordering a Dark & Stormy – served tall, strong and delicious.

The atmosphere was fun – couples, groups of friends, a few singles - and a lot of enthusiasm as people were interacting with the bar staff, watching & asking what other patrons were having, and deciding whether to go upstairs to Sportello or to another of Barbara Lynch’s fantastic restaurants for dinner. Cheers!

Grab a Fork with Tapena Wines!

I was very happy to be invited to Cape Cod last night by the people at Tapena Wines. They were hosting one of their “Grab a Fork” events at The Port, one of my favorite lower Cape restaurants. Tapena picked up the tab for some fantastic tapas while guests enjoyed the delicious wines from Tapena. Tapena is made by the Ferrer family, whose Spanish wine experience dates back several centuries. Today, the Ferrers operate over 11 wineries in Spain, perhaps best known as the owners of Freixenet, one of the world’s favorite sparkling wines.


All the Tapena wines are very food-friendly, and are crafted from varietals native to Spain – Garnacha ( a beautiful violet hue, dark fruit & spice on the palate, full bodied); Tempranillo (rich and bold with a soft mouth feel, cherry fruit on the palate, a long finish with a hint of coffee & chocolate); Verdejo ( a pale yellow hue, vibrant nose of tropical fruit, bright stone fruit on the palate, crisp & lingering finish) and a Rose (Garnacha, Monastrell & hint of Shiraz – bright strawberry aromas, fresh cherry flavors with a crisp & refreshing acidity). The grapes are cultivated in the heartland of Spain – Tierra de Castilla. Grown outside the highly regulated DO system, these wines benefit from a broader diversity of soils, microclimates and approved grape varieties.

The many guests really enjoyed sampling the variety of different Tapena wines which all went great with the tapas – there were clams casino, quesadillas, bruschetta, tuna and spinach in phyllo. People were surpised and pleased to learn that the wine retails for approximately $10 per bottle – many thought it tasted much more expensive! Guests also got to enter to win copies of “The Spanish Table” cookbook, t-shirts, and a beautiful Tapena copper firepit. It was a really great experience.

The Dalmore – A tasting with Master Distiller Richard Paterson

I was thrilled to be asked to be one of a handful of bloggers and food& wine journalists to be invited to a luncheon with Master Blender Richard Paterson (aka “The Nose” of Whyte & Mackay (owners of The Dalmore) upon his visit to Boston. I’ve represented several whiskies in the past, including Dewar’s and Laphroaig, but was not familiar with The Dalmore portfolio.

I follow Richard on Twitter (@the_nose) so it was great to finally meet him in person – he is as charming, funny & knowledgeable as one would expect. He kept us informed, and entertained, throughout the afternoon. There were six of us who met at Post 390 with Richard and Whyte & Mackay’s America’s Region Marketing Director Dawn Lambert – each place setting arranged with 5 wine glasses ready to go.

Richard began by taking us through his history, as well as that of The Dalmore. As both his father & grandfather were whisky blenders, it seems only natural that he would follow the same career path- in fact, he told us he began learning about the craft at age 8. The Dalmore is one of 106 distilleries in Scotland, one of the 26 located in the Highlands region of the Speyside Valley - an area responsible for giving its whisky more backbone, muscle & structure than those in the south.

The Dalmore distillery was founded in 1839 by Sir Alexander Matheson, and owned by the MacKenzie family for more than a century (more on that later).
After taking us through a brief tutorial on the type of pot stills used (“Big Bastards”) as well as the type of casks used to age the whisky (American white oak & Spanish sherry) as well as how to smell the whisky before tasting (1st sniff “Hello”, 2nd sniff “How are you”, 3rd sniff “very well, thank you”); the proper tasting technique – on the mid tongue, under the tongue, back on top, then swallow and let it linger; and the proper glass-holding technique “I’ll kill you if I see you holding the glass the wrong way”– we were ready to go.

The first one up was The Dalmore’s 12 Year Old. Paterson carefully selects and marries whiskies matured in 50 percent American white oak and 50 percent Oloroso sherry casks to develop its signature characteristics. The color was a beautiful deep gold, and on the nose we got citrus fruits and crushed almonds, with just a hint of marzipan. The initial taste was a little intense, but then came layers of citrus, Sherry and spice. The finish was moderate in length and had a slight honeyed vanilla note from the oak. The 12 YO is 40% ABV and retails for approximately $50.

Richard then explained to us about The Dalmore’s new packaging – each bottle will feature the stag image prominently on the bottle. The story behind that is back in 1263, an ancestor of former distillery owners Clan MacKenzie saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being gored by a stag, the grateful King granted him the right to bear the stag’s head in his coat of arms.

Back to tasting – we were then treated to The Dalmore 15 Year Old, Gran Reserva, 18 Year Old and King Alexander III, in that order. The 15 YO is the mainstay of the Distillery’s range of malts, and was awarded the Double Gold in San Francisco’s World Spirits Competition in 2009. It has been crafted from wood infused with three rare Sherries from world-renowned Gonzalez-Byass—Apostoles, Amoroso and Matusalem—to achieve a deeply mellow whisky.
The color was a rich mahogany, the nose intense with slightly sweet malt tones and fragrances of orange, marmalade, spice, and just a hint of sherry. The taste was well balanced, and there was no mistaking the sherry wood finish of the malt, which closes with a medium-long, sweetness. Again, this was 40% ABV with a Suggested Retail Price of approximately $80.



Next up, The Gran Reserva, “the cigar malt” which was my 2nd favorite bottle of the day, and the one Richard says he drinks the most of. It is crafted from a combination of 60 percent sherry wood and 40 percent American white oak-aged malts ranging from 10 to 15 years of age. The color was mahogany, trending toward soft golden hues. On the nose we got some wonderful citrus notes balanced by the sherry and vanilla oak. A distinctive malt flavor hit the palate at first, but then yielded to sweet marmalade, spice cake and hints of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. On the moderate finish were zesty orange and lemon peels. The ABV is once again 40% with a Suggested Retail of $64.99.

The 18 Year Old is blended in the Dalmore style, combining primary aging in American White oak with finishing in sherry casks (Richard actually travels to the bodegas of Spain each year to personally select the Sherries and sherry casks that will be used in his aging and blending). Richard says this one needs “respect, like an elder, as it is set in its ways and takes a little longer to express its flavors”. The color was reddish-to-dark brown with copper highlights, and on the nose were hints of pine and lemongrass coupled with spicy cinnamon. Nut aromas from the sherry butts yielded to chocolate, orange and spice notes. The taste of delicate oak notes from 14 years in American white oak casks, with orange, sweet molasses, chocolate spiced cinnamon, rosemary and clove flavors – a result of four years in Matusalem sherry butts playing against the smokiness of the malt. The finish was medium-long, with an ABV of 43% and a Suggested Retail of $150.

The finale was The King Alexander III, which was my favorite...as Richard put it “like a box of chocolates with all different centers, just waiting to explode on the palate”. Wood finishing is very au courant in single malts today, but Richard was one of the pioneers of the trend as long as 40 years ago. From the 1970’s through the 90’s, he began aging his finest malts in a wide range of wine and spirit casks to add subtle shadings and nuance—not to sell individually, but to vat together to create a sublime malt whisky far greater than the sum of its parts.

Paterson’s palette of woods include French Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques; Madeira drums; sherry butts from Jerez de la Frontera; marsala barrels from Sicily; port pipes from the Douro; and sweet bourbon barrels from Kentucky. Upon maturation, the aged malts were perfectly blended by Paterson to create “the most noble of all The Dalmore malt whiskies”. We had added a drop of water to the other four to open them up, but this required no water, and received a score of 94 at The Beverage Tasting Institute of Chicago in 2009. The color was a deep, rich amber, and on the nose was a spectrum of complex aromas - citric and floral notes upfront which gave way to layers of black fruit and burnished oak. Over time, the nose continued to evolve. The taste was divine - the aged Oloroso and Madeira provided notes of crushed almonds and rich, citrus fruit flavors, the Port and marsala casks added hints of wild berries and ripe plums, while the Bourbon barrels came across as vanilla and creamy caramel accents. The Cabernet Sauvignon barriques added a touch of finesse to complete the blend. The finish was beautiful – and lingered for hours. The ABV is 40%, Suggested Retail is $250.00, and as only 200 cases will be available in the US, get it when you see it!

What came across was Richard’s passion for his job, creating and blending some of the world’s best single Highland Malt Scotch whiskies, and his passion for sharing those whiskies with the world. His message was one of patience, enjoyment and celebration….patience in sipping the whisky, not “knocking it back” as so many are wont to do. He really wants consumers to savor his malts, as the more time you give them to open, layers of taste and complexity will be revealed. He also wants people to share the whisky with someone they like – sipping, savoring and enjoying the conversation, the whisky and if lucky, a fine cigar. As he said, “whisky makes the world go round…but twice as fast!” From Boston, he is heading to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and Dallas, sharing his passion, one glass at a time.

For more information, you can go to www.thedalmore.com or Richard Paterson’s website, www.themasterblender.com. Cheers!

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