NIGHTCAP: July
Alright, welcome to Nightcap: July. This month’s very lengthy column will heavily feature my thoughts and experiences from the recently concluded Tales of the Cocktail 2023, but there will be room for the usual shenanigans. No Artificial Intelligence in the photos, or copy this month, sorry to disappoint. Notable website visitors this month, 5 from Russia who should have better things to do right now like leaving Ukraine, and zero from Ukraine who have better things to do like evicting Russian’s from their land.
Tales of the Cocktail gave us plastic cups, we soon took matters into our own hands.
NEWS AND ARTICLES TO CHECK OUT
There isn’t much going on in the whiskey media right now as they all attempt to outcompete one another with the juiciest Listicles featuring the top 50 bottles under $50 to cool off with during the end times heat wave.
Founder Charles Nelson is out at Nelson’s Green Brier distillery. He announced his resignation via an Instagram posting and it kinda feels like another Dixon Dedman situation. No idea if that’s the case or if there is more to it than what he said, but an acquisition always has unintended consequences for the founders.
Wine store crime is interesting when you get someone coming in through the roof.
A really good article on a true craft whiskey maker in Pennsylvania. Liberty Pole, who many of you haven’t had (it’s PA only right now) is making some really interesting Monongahela style Rye. I’ve had a bottle that came from a spirits competition (older bottle design) that was very very good. Keep an eye on them, as they are planning on expanding.
A fun little article for the Marvel/Whiskey nerds. Nick Fury drinks, and talks about Pappy 23 in an episode of the Marvel Series: Secret Invasion. It’s a good story, and the article gets some things right about Pappy (there are only 3 versions of it). Not mentioned in the article, but an interesting piece of insider info, that bottle has shown up in several other shows, and is owned by a prop master. At this point it’s been used so many times, I wonder if it isn’t a refill. Also, fun fact, in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, Steve Carrell’s character drinks Lot B.
We made a power move to the glass mini-coupe which was cool and dorky at the same time.
SOME SNARK
Pursuit United is opening a visitors experience on whiskey row in downtown Louisville. Read the nothing burger article here. They don’t make their own whiskey (perhaps they’ve started at BBC?), it comes from a variety of sources (many of which already have visitor experiences of their own) and offers a nothing story, and no history of their own. I have zero interest in their visitor experience, because there isn’t one.
Let’s run down the checklist- bottles for sale, merch, wood paneled walls, a speakeasy style bar with cocktails, perhaps a limited release or two now and then, maybe 200ml bottles for the tourists, perhaps some small bites, or bags of pursuit united barrel aged beef jerky and nuts, and some barrel heads for sale that cost more than the actual barrel did? How am I doing? It’s a modern brand, conjured up from nothing, that’s made their bones by being relentlessly promoted on their podcast, and created a brand that has no true core product for people to rally around.
Oh, they released a rye, but it’s the excellent Sagamore without the excellent Sagamore story and bottle and label. So what is my connection to the brand? What is inviting me in and enticing me to stay? As of right now? Not a damn thing. I wish them the best of course, as I do wish success for anyone trying to live a dream.
I’m tired of seeing the massive collections that people have amassed on social media. Yes, I’m quite well aware that I’ve been a part of this myself, but it no longer interests me. I look at my own stupid sized selection of whiskey, and I’m often paralyzed by having so many choices that I don’t know what to reach for on most days. When I hit social media I then look at posts of massive collections and I just can’t find the motivation to scan their walls for something cool.
Social media has forced us all to keep up with the Joneses, and amass collections that rival the best bars and liquor stores in the world, and it’s all for clout on social. This forces a lot of content creators who I used to seek out for their opinions on things to resort to the brain candy “Top 5” videos that permeate ALL OF OUR FEEDS. I’m about to move, and I’ve retired my dive bar theme and will be creating a less hectic and chaotic drinking space in my home that isn’t for me anyway, a wall of shame.
IWC announced that the 2023 Rye of the Year is Uncle Nearest. I’m sorry, this is pure unfiltered horse hockey. That bottle isn’t even Rye of the day, and to say it’s the Rye of the Year is insulting to this Rye insaniac. I’m not saying it’s a diet Coke mixer, but come on, it’s not even INTERESTING. Penelope Toasted Rye CRUSHES it in comparison and that’s not Rye of the Year either.
I want social media people to stop pushing 99/1 MGP on me. I’ll have a glass, but I’ll not buy a bottle. The market is oversaturated with Light Whiskey, or American Whiskey releases. It’s fun but it’s so narrow in profile that after the initial taste of it, I’m left with the feeling that something is missing. It is, it’s missing complex flavor(s)! If you’re throwing your social cache out the window to hype light whiskey, you’re a trend chaser.
We involved this poor sap from Brooklyn in our mini-coupe shenanigans.
SOME INTERESTING THINGS I’VE NOTICED ON SECONDARY-
Last month I reported that there was some insanity around the 80th anniversary Willett where someone paid 810 plus tax and auction fees (practically a thousand clams!). This month there are no less than one dozen of these things up for auction. Collectors watch these things and when they see stupid money doing stupid things, they try to capitalize. Unfortunately for them, all of that combined availability cannibalizes their ability to get more stupid money.
A very large amount (relatively speaking) of Kentucky Owl batch 1 Rye has hit the auction sites. I’m tracking 20 bottles that came available (usually it’s 3 or 4 a month), this is an unusual amount for this bottle, so of course my suspicion radar just activated. It could be a large collection getting sold but that would be odd considering these are individual listings, not lots. While this is one of my all-time favorite Rye releases (it’s LEGEND), it’s never commanded huge valuation on secondary (one day it will, mark my words) so it’s very interesting to see so many, all at once, and yes, counterfeiting did briefly cross my mind. It’ll be worth checking on next month to see where these listings landed.
Parker’s Heritage is seeing some very large increases in sell price. For instance, the very good 11yr single barrel from 2017 has routinely hit $500 plus on auction sites over the last two months, and coupled with the stupid money doing stupid things with the Curacao release, I think we’re only going to see these go up. I’m uncertain they’ll ever hit the Boss Hog levels, but hey, I’ve seen some really dumb things like the Boss Hog levels over the last year or so.
Willett porn courtesy of The Backyard, a local treasure that you should definitely visit when you erhm… visit.
SOME THINGS I THINK
Castle and Key will be acquired. Signs are pointing to it. Stay tuned.
The latest Master’s Keep Voyage isn’t bad, but it’s not worth purchasing. Get a glass if you must know, but this is another example of the foundation of Turkey being so good, the gap between it and their elevated doesn’t warrant the extra cost.
If New Orleans Bourbon Festival is my Super Bowl, Tales of the Cocktail is the Stanley Cup Finals. Tales is better than any whiskey centric festival. I’ll dive deeper in the break below, so scroll.
The Buffalo Trace shortage is nearing the end. I “heard” that supply is finally starting to catch up to where the SazCo sees the demand. It might not be next week, or even next year, but it’s getting easier to find the standards already in my area and many others.
I had the opportunity to taste the new version of Legent at Tales of the Cocktail. It’s 20 proof points higher, it’s older, and has a new finish. The release of Legent initially was underwhelming, and the marketing wasn’t great, but it was an interesting thing (you all know I loathe Sherry), and now it’s far more interesting. It’s not the most environmentally responsible thing that Suntory-Beam is doing (these barrels are definitely traveling a lot) but damn was it good. It’s not out everywhere yet, but I’ll be buying one the moment I see it.
I can’t understand the mixed reviews on the latest Booker’s batch. Put some water drops in it!
Do I typically bring my own glassware with me? Probably, don’t judge it’s not nice.
SOME TALES FROM TALES OF THE COCKTAIL
My Tales of the Cocktail experience could have ended after my first event and I would have been happy. I went to a “Show and Tell” party and I had a glass (or two) of Willett 23yr old single-barrel Rye that was distilled in 1984. I had this before, a billion years ago it seems, and this was like a time machine for me. Experienced whiskey drinkers love waxing poetic about “back in my day we had this and that and it was everywhere” and while true, I took this as an opportunity to compare my current palate with my old memories. I found that this whiskey was exquisite then, and nothing had changed, it was still just as marvelous and jaw dropping as it was back in the olden times. I couldn’t be more grateful to go back in time and revisit a truly epic moment in whiskey history.
Also at that Show and Tell event, I got to drink some barely post prohibition no longer just for medicinal purposes Rye distilled by Overholt in PA. What a funky and exciting glass. Again, a nice look back into history and what was once just a standard “13 summers old” Rye.
Finally got to meet Annastasia from IG. She was a trooper putting up with my joyfully inebriated chatterbox ass. So glad we got to hang out for a bit.
Sazerac House hosts some of the very best events during Tales, they are not to be missed! If you’re visiting any time of the year, the self-guided tours are FREE, and they include some cocktail tastings! Over the course of the week and several visits, I had everything from Rum, to Scotch, to Weller vertical flights, to Eagle 17, to Shochu, Gin, Armagnac, and yes even WHEATLEY! Also, finally got to eat some food made by National Treasure Nina Compton. Huge thanks to Anna Whitlow at SazHouse for the access to these events.
Angel’s Envy had a tasting at a bowling alley, brilliant! Best part of their event, and something all festivals should emulate- a survival bar featuring liquid IV, sunblock, advil, hand fans, and tons of other things to get you through the festival. Honestly, it’s baffling that of all the spirits festivals I’ve attended, this was the first time I’d seen a spread like that. Kudos Angel’s Envy, Kudos.
Running into Mark Carter at Belle Epoque for a Jules Verne inspired event was fun. Mark had some American whiskey to share and did. This old Absinthe den needs to reopen NOW (it closed during the pandemic). Fortunately they had another event for Bib and Tucker later in the week so I got to experience the magical place twice. Bonus- it’s haunted.
Bar Tonique on Rampart Street hosted a bar takeover by two of my old favorite places in San Francisco. Bar takeovers are common during Tales and offer a great opportunity to experience some legendary bars without actually visiting them, but you should. Comstock Saloon and Rye did the takeover and they had me getting very sentimental for my former home, and as I was holding on, they came by passing out See’s candy and I almost lost it entirely. The event also featured cocktails that included Old Potrero Rye. It was the most homesick I’ve been in one night since moving to New Orleans, unfortunately for me, it would not be the last Tales event that got me hearing Tony Bennet.
Suntory-Beam had one of the best events Midnight in Tokyo. I tasted some Japanese whisky that I shouldn’t have had access too. Unreal stuff that even this Rye focused drinker could appreciate and marvel at.
Hendricks Gin had the best thematic event of the entire week, unfortunately for them, it was outside in direct sunlight and it was one of the least cloudy days in memory. The heat was unbearable which is not uncommon for this time of year and frankly should have been accounted for by the planners. Las Vegas powerhouse Herbs and Rye was there delivering some of the best non-whiskey cocktails of the entire event. I wish we could’ve stayed, but the direct sunlight was relentless.
Moet Hennessy hands down had the best overall event, and it wasn’t even close. It was classy, elegant, well put together, (indoors!) and the focus and attention to every single detail was on point. It’s unsurprising coming from LVMH, but it’s really difficult and hard work to put events together at all, let alone hosting an elevated one at that. Their swag bag featured local favorite French Truck Coffee which of course they used in a cocktail at the event. I wonder, does LVMH have a coffee company in their portfolio?
I’m leaving a lot out because this has gone on long enough don’t you think? I have two last pieces to go over, and both were at the same Venue. Jewel of the South. First, Wild Turkey and Wilderness Trail did a tasting upstairs and had cocktails downstairs. Joann Street and Haley Perros were there pouring the portfolio and while that was fun, the real magic was downstairs where the legendary Chris Hannah was making Black Manhattan’s (among other things). I make a damn good Manhattan, but after having his, I think I’m not going to make them at home anymore, they just don’t compare. It’s not every day you get a living legend making you a drink, but on this day, I did twice. He’s kind, and talented and his years of hard work shine through each sip. An amazing place, with amazing people.
Finally, the last bar takeover was at Jewel of the South from San Francisco stalwart, Elixir who was celebrating their 20th anniversary. Why in New Orleans? Well, Chris Hannah once worked at Elixir, so of COURSE a mashup had to happen! It was a fortuitous happenstance that I got into this event, I happened to meet up with Lauren Smith bartender extraordinaire at a previous event and she invited me and some pals to come by. Let me just tell you all that the Elixir team is no joke, they know cocktails and I had 4 of their offerings (it was the last day of Tales, time to cut loose) and each one was fantastic. Their official 20th anniversary is November 10th and 11th in San Francisco. I highly encourage you Bay Area people to get there for it to celebrate.
#whereisbryan
SOME LOCAL NOLA THINGS THAT MAY ONLY INTEREST ME (that aren’t Tales of the Cocktail related) -
New Orleans obviously has a wide variety of food styles to choose from, and we are fortunate to have several incredible Indian restaurants. Lufu started out in a food court at the now defunct Pythian Market (long story) but now has it’s own joint. It’s elevated regional style food, and my girl and I visited twice in the first week they were open. This is the kind of place that reminds me that there is great beauty and love in this world. Our server was from India, and he was so proud to present and explain the food that he grew up with. This is a local gem that isn’t so far off the path that tourists can’t make it to. Yeah, there’s a truck load of great places to choose from in this city, but when you’re craving something outside of the Quarter, this is a spot to hit.
July and August are awful times to visit New Orleans due to the excessive heat. However, as a local it’s probably one of the best times as there aren’t crowds anywhere. Even with the influx of Tales of the Cocktail visitors, one can usually go into any bar or restaurant during the summer and not wait for a seat. Coolinary (another form of restaurant week) takes place to try and entice locals to come out and support during the very slow summer months. I don’t participate in Coolinary personally, mainly because I support local joints heavily during the summer due to the aforementioned ease of getting a spot without planning on it. If you are ok with the heat, you should visit during this time of year, hotels aren’t packed (which means less expensive) and we have plenty of air conditioning.
You can judge me on this one, I definitely already feel shame…… for using a plastic straw.
I know this was a long column this month, but a lot was going on, and since this is a recap piece, well, call it recapped. Thank you as always for spending some time with me and if you have any comments to share, feel free to drop them in the box below. Catch you next month! Cheers!
- Mickey Pinstripe