In order to keep current with the trends in this industry, I attended a few of the seminars. The first was called Whiskies of the World, where a panel of the world's greatest master distillers came to talk about how they made their whiskey distinct. Representing Japan, Scotland, and the US, we sipped our way through seven tastings of the following: Wild Turkey, Russell's Reserve, Glen Grant, Auchentoshan, Bowmore Islay, Glen Garioch, The Glenrothes, Yamazaki, and Hibiki.
The whiskeys varied from light to dark, smoky to crisp, complex to smooth to biting. After the panel, the audience asked questions about women drinking whiskey and the rise of whiskey-based cocktails. Everyone in the panel seemed to agree that whiskey, often associated with older, wealthy Caucasian men, should be more inclusive. They see opportunity in educating more women, younger folk, and cocktail-drinkers on whiskey's versatile nature.
The following day, I attended a seminar called "Three Mixologists, Three Cocktails, Three Ways". We sat in Astor Center's kitchen and watched each of the three mixologists (Charlotte Voisey, Kathy Casey, and Jamie Boudreau) put their own spin on three classic drinks: the Old Fashioned, the French 75, and the Margarita. Voisey started each round by talking about the history of the drink and classically preparing it. Casey changed each recipe by adding seasonal and American twists to the classics, and Boudreau went wild by making each drink as complex as possible.
We received seven full-sized drinks (two of Boudreau's drinks were too complex to prepare for the audience). My favorites were Casey's Root-Bourbon Old Fashioned with Carbonated Cherry and Voisey's Classic French 75. With the Root-Bourbon, the simple whiskey-based Old Fashioned transformed into a soda-fountain drink for adults, and the fizzing cherry gave it an extra edge. The classic French 75, a gin and champagne-based cocktail, was refreshing, light, and perfectly balanced. Boudreau's concoctions were a pleasure to watch; most of them involved smoking flavors, fizzing, and infusing multiple flavors instead of just one.
This panel captured the diversity of trends in the industry. While many cocktail enthusiasts are looking to understand the history and traditional preparation of their drinks, others want to improve on the classics with unexpected nuances. More people are making drinks at home, and they're experimenting with herbal syrups, household carbonation machines, and local ingredients. With all the barbecues and rooftop parties that summer brings, expect to see reinvented, handmade cocktails. You don't have to be a master mixologist to create something memorable.