64 Whisky Magazine | Issue 167
TASTE | The Epicurean
THE COCKTAIL
For this edition we are going to head
into the world of big global blends withDanny Dyer, the global ambassador for
Grant’s Blended whisky.Danny gets himself immersed in the
cocktail culture of nations when he istravelling to preach the blended gospel.
He explains, “I spend a lot of my timein Latin America and Africa where there
is a big energy and love for all thingsblended Scotch. It’s great to see how
people around the world drink theirwhisky differently and how much love it
garners from everyone across the globe.“When I’m not talking to bartenders
about Grant’s I am usually behind thebar making drinks which I love as I was
a bartender for several years before thisjob. I also host parties and now more
recently virtual training and tastingswhich is surprisingly fun.
“At my events I often get people who
have never made cocktails so I askthem behind the bar to give them a go.
This is always great fun for both meand them to show them how simple
β
they leave knowing how to make a few
classic cocktails.” β
consummate professional made in thecomfort of his own home; after the bags
have been unpacked and the world’s
dust shaken from his feet.
He explains, “For home mixing I lovea stirred drink. If you want to show off
and entertain by all means shake awaythose drinks but there is something
nice about stirred drinks. My favouritecocktails happen to be stirred too so
maybe that’s why I lean towards them.I also think stirring is just much easier
than shaking at home. You can buildthe cocktail in a glass and then just use
a teaspoon to stir away, so far moreapproachable for everyone.
“My go-to is an Old Fashioned. Ihave loved this cocktail for so long and
I think it really shows off the whiskyinside. It’s such a simple but beautiful
drink: sugar, bitters, orange and whisky.It’s also so easy to make and play
around when it comes to your bittersand whisky. It’s a great sipping drink.”
The origin of the cocktail is claimedby the Pendennis Club in Louisville,
Kentucky. The club, founded in 1881,claims that the recipe was said to have
been invented by a bartender in honourof Colonel James Pepper, a prominent
Bourbon distiller, who brought it to theWaldorf Astoria hotel in New York. The
rest, as they say, is shrouded in mysteryand time. © MARIAN VEJCIK AND THIERRYDEHOVE AT DREAMSTIME.COM
HOW DO I MAKE IT AT HOME?
Danny’s instructions are straight
forward and simple. You need Grant’s
TripleWood, an orange, aromatic
bitters and simple sugar syrup.
He adds: You take a rocks glass
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(a healthy pour) into the glass along
with a dash of simple syrup or a
sprinkling of sugar. If you have a sweet tooth you can add
more sugar. Then add two to three dashes of bitters and stir
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or longer so the ingredients mix well, the drink cools down
and your sugar is fully dissolved.
“If you want to be fancy you can build this drink in a mixing
glass or jar and then strain the drink into a rocks glass with a
big chunk of ice depending on what you have at home. Finally
the garnish is an orange peel. You want to take your orange
peel and squeeze it over your glass, you’ll feel and see the
oils coming from the peel. Rub the peel around the rim of the
glass and then drop it in this gives a lovely orange notes and
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Fashioned, simple but so good.
“If you don’t have bitters at home there is another way to
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wedge of orange. You probably think I am mad but cola has
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add soda to lengthen the drink into the tasty beverage we all
know and love.”062 - 065 - Epicurean-WM 167 .indd 64 09 / 04 / 2020 12 : 06