Monkey Shoulder Model Ambassador, Rachael Bartlett, tackles the stereotype of the standard ‘whisky drinker’ with these cocktail options. Comply with her at @rach_bartlett
We’ve all had a visitor decline a drink advice, as a result of they’re ‘not a whisky drinker.’ The type of drink doesn’t are inclined to matter; merely having the phrase ‘whisky’ in a cocktail description is commonly sufficient for some prospects to baulk at a drink suggestion, step again, fingers raised, as if keeping off an indignant hippo.
However what’s a ‘whisky drinker’? For many spirits, individuals don’t outline the kind of drinker they’re, you don’t see the time period ‘sambuca drinker’ bandied round all that generally.
If you happen to dare to ask Google for a ‘definition’ of the phrase you’ll get a spread of outdated stereotypical articles, claiming all the things from the ‘maturity and confidence’ of the basic whisky ingesting human, to their ‘steadying presence in any scenario’. It’s lots of ‘he and him’ and the time period ‘scotch man’ seems no less than as soon as. Let’s not even go into the City Dictionary definition of the phrase.
Nonetheless, if you happen to break ‘whisky drinker’ down into its element components, you get:
Whisky: a spirit distilled from malted grain, particularly barley or rye. Drinker: an individual who drinks a selected drink. Due to this fact, put merely, a whisky drinker is an individual who drinks a spirit distilled from a malted grain.
Easy, proper? There’s nothing about, age, gender or confidence, nor how this ‘spirit distilled from a malted grain’ ought to be consumed. But the phrase ‘Oh, I’m not a whisky drinker’ continues to be heard all too continuously in bars. A fast (very scientific) ballot of our workplace throughout lunch, as to why a few of my colleagues’ associates don’t drink whisky, supplied up a spread of responses. The overall theme was ‘straight whisky is just too harsh’. When you consider it, this isn’t shocking; for a lot of shoppers, most spirits are comparatively harsh once you drink them neat if you happen to aren’t accustomed to them. Outdoors of friends who like to sip their method via the backbar, or are keen on a tasting flight, tequila photographs are typically rapidly adopted with lemon, vodka has discovered its residence with soda and contemporary lime, and while not rather a lot can beat a very good gin and tonic, ordering straight gin tends to boost some eyebrows outdoors of hospo circles. While Single Malt is well-loved as a neat spirit, the idea that that is the one strategy to drink whisky has been prolonged to the remainder of the class by many shoppers.
Even if you happen to enterprise down the basic cocktail route, whisky drinks are inclined to lean in direction of the boozy finish of the spectrum. If you happen to Google ‘high 5 whisky cocktails’, you’ll get a listing like: Sazerac, Outdated Original, Manhattan, Rob Roy, Whisky Bitter.
Now there may be completely nothing mistaken with these drinks, a well-made Sazerac is a private favorite that isn’t ordered usually sufficient. Nonetheless, they’re not notably approachable. They’re boozy, gradual sippers, and that’s nice, for lots of people. Nonetheless, for friends already apprehensive concerning the spirit, these basic cocktails is usually a flip off, and subsequently a cause to not delve into the world of whisky.
When Monkey Shoulder was launched in 2005, it was something however conventional. Made out of three Speyside single malts, however designed to be drunk otherwise, Monkey Shoulder was created for the cocktail world, created for cocktail innovation. While its flavour profile lends itself nicely to whisky classics, its versatility makes it nice to get inventive with. Three Melbourne bartenders have taken Monkey on a good wilder journey, outdoors of the drinks you could historically suppose to see whisky.
Savoury cocktails are actually not a brand new concept – the origins of a Soiled Martini may be traced again to 1901, nevertheless their rising resurgence supplies an area for innovation and drink creativity, incorporating parts of enjoyable and playfulness. The menu at Melbourne’s One or Two showcases Andy Chu’s method to cocktail innovation, with a drive to alter the mindset round ‘abnormal cocktails’. The ‘Anchovy Toast, incorporating Monkey Shoulder, Sotol, Xo Sauce, Chilli and Sourdough, is something however abnormal. Umami and flavoursome, garnished with anchovies and crème fraiche on toast, it’s an ironic homage to the favored Melbourne wine bar snack. Most significantly, it’s very drinkable, and it’s very enjoyable.
There’s a consensus that combining scotch and soda right into a highball works as a drink, it’s a basic serve for a cause, nevertheless it’s nonetheless too ‘whisky ahead’ for some shoppers. Swap out the soda for Dry Ginger ale, add in an orange wedge, and while you’ve nonetheless acquired a refreshing drink, typically one thing extra elevated matches the invoice. Enter Alejandro Archibald’s ‘Dr Flemming’.
Every of those drinks problem the patron notion of what a whisky cocktail may be. They’ve stepped out of the realm of the Outdated Original and Manhattan and put whisky right into a world of potentialities.
The sixteenth century Italian basic, the Sgroppino, has been a characteristic of many a drink particular over the summer time months in venues throughout Australia, pairing white spirits, fruit sorbet and prosecco into a relaxing, heat climate deal with. An autumn Sgroppino, utilizing whisky as the bottom spirit is considerably left of discipline, nevertheless after making a fermented mango honey sorbet recipe, the inspiration for the lovechild of a Sgroppino and Penicillin was born. This ‘fashionable basic with a twist’, performs with a ginger, lemon and honey sorbet, Monkey Shoulder, Pennyweight Gold and glowing wine, completed with a mist of smoky whisky, to create a drink that defies seasonal conventions.
Nostalgic cocktails have gotten a frequent characteristic on menus, however these drinks aren’t essentially a reimagination of retro classics. For Trinity Chook, of Beneath Driver Lane, nostalgia offered inspiration for her latest menu addition, ‘Punch a Monkey’.
Incorporating the ‘reminiscence of coconut shavings falling into your lap, the spongey texture of the marshmallow cream and the gooey raspberry jam’ when consuming an iconic Australian biscuit, into an approachable whisky cocktail, Chook has created a ‘mild pink, creamy delight with all of the enjoyable of an grownup Iced VoVo.’
Utilizing the ever present milk punch as a foundation for the type of drink, Chook needed to ‘translate each sensation to an ingredient, finally making certain it tasted just like the basic’. Coconut milk is used because the curdling ingredient, imparting each flavour and texture with raspberry tea and Chambord invoking recollections of sticky raspberry jam, tied along with coconut rum and Monkey Shoulder to spherical out the ultimate biscuit-y notes of the well-loved snack. Garnished with toasted marshmallows, ‘Punch a Monkey’ heroes blended malt whisky in a drink crammed with relatable flavours.
Every of those drinks problem the patron notion of what a whisky cocktail may be. They’ve stepped out of the realm of the Outdated Original and Manhattan and put whisky right into a world of potentialities. By enjoying with the flavour profile of Monkey Shoulder, and pairing it with enjoyable, much less standard flavours, be it candy or savoury, these drinks assist to make the broader whisky class much less intimidating to these exploring spirits. Whisky doesn’t simply must be drunk neat, blended drinks make you a whisky drinker too.
This story featured in our July version of Australian Bartender Journal and on the duvet, because of our associates at Monkey Shoulder. If you happen to’re curious about mixing with Monkey Shoulder, attain out to Rachael @rach_bartlett or your William Grant & Sons rep.
