Is you glass half full?
By Jonh S. Pomeroy
A focus on artisanal ingredients, a meticulous attention to the processes of construction and presentation, and an insistence on balance of flavors are all ideals that have always been cornerstones for chefs. Those ideals were once prevalent in the spirits world, as well, but were abandoned for convenience, mass production, and increased profit. The return to those standards is welcomed by distinguishing imbibers, and with it comes the need for proper glassware.
Anyone serious about wine, for example, would never serve an exquisite selection in an inappropriate glass. Imagine ordering a $5,000 bottle of Bordeaux and having it served in a 98-cent glass. No self-respecting sommelier would ever dream of committing such an act. Every varietal of wine has an ideally shaped glass in which it should be served, and it is this philosophy that has influenced spirits aficionados to develop spirit-specific glassware.
With a long history in fine dining, I am slightly embarrassed to say that I had never put much thought into the vessel in which I served my cocktails, never really thinking more about it than this: an old-fashioned or highball glass for drinks served tall or on the rocks, a cocktail glass or a coupe for drinks served up, and perhaps a snifter for a nice brandy or single-malt Scotch. That said, my first introduction to a spirit-specific glass came in the form of The Glencairn Glass (www.glencairn.co.uk/glass), which I encountered attending my first Whisky Fest two years ago.
The Glencairn Company has been producing whisky-specific glasses since 2001. In 2006, the glass was given the Queen's Award for innovation, and after about five million Glencairn glasses had been produced, a partnership was fostered with the German company, Stölzle. According to Edward Artidiello, President of Stölzle-USA, this was done to celebrate the award and re-brand the glass to "better reflect its unique positioning, while at the same time move to a crystal glass to give a finer and more premium presentation." While Stölzle also makes other spirits-specific glasses, their presence in the market is most readily seen in the Glencairn glass, and I had a chance to speak to Evan Cattanach, Master Distiller Emeritus of the Classic Malts Selection, about its evolution.
Cattanach informed me that, while Raymond Davidson originally designed the Glencairn glass over twenty years ago, it wasn't until his sons Paul and Scott took the design to the master blenders for approval that the glass saw production. Its roots lie in the traditional graduated nosing glasses used by blenders the world over. The shape is designed to allow the bouquet to expand in the glass without the influx of alcohol in the nose, and "the wide bowl allows for the fullest appreciation of the whisky's color, while the solid base is designed to be easy on the hand," said Cattanach. "Drinking Scotch out of this fine crystal vessel is akin to drinking tea out of a fine china. After having done so, drinking it out of anything else just doesn't
feel civilized."
Not surprisingly, Riedel (www.riedel. com) -the same company that produced the first wine-specific glasses to come to my attention- also produced the first spirit- specific versions. I bridged this gap during a recent tequila tasting, when I was served a plata, a reposado, and an añejo in what I (mistakenly) determined to be a champagne flute. Similarly shaped, Riedel's Tequila glass made quite an impression on me. Immediately, I was brought back to my roots in fine dining, holding the spirit in higher regard by default-because it was sampled from fine crystal it must be a higher-quality spirit.
According to the company Web site, "In 2002, Riedel Crystal introduced the Official Tequila Glass, designed to highlight the finest characteristics of Mexico's national drink.
The glass, designated the Official Tequila Glass by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, was designed to enhance Mexico's finest Reposados, Añejos and Reservas de Casa Tequilas. The elegant, slender glass is 8¼" high, with a capacity of 6¾ ounces, and, is part of the Riedel Ouverture collection (Ouverture Tequila 408/18). The glass has a tall stem, meant to lift fine Tequila to the level it deserves, to accord it the appreciation and respect of which it is worthy."
Perhaps it was the introduction of this glass that inspired the Camarena family to produce the first-ever vintage tequila, Tequila Ocho. While for centuries winemakers have talked about terroir (the complete natural environment in which a product is produced, including factors such as soil, topography, and climate), only recently has that topic been associated with tequila.
Once again, spirits experts are emulating the trends in the wine making world. With agave spirits leading the way in the discussion of terroir in spirits, it should come as no surprise that they are also responsible for taking the lead in spirit-specific glassware.
With such a strong focus on spirit specific glassware, those who are serious about their cocktails should have the same approach to the vessels in which their artisinal creations are served. The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim, had this to say about the trend: "We are finally paying attention to what goes into a great drink; now it's time to pay attention to what a great drink goes into." Dale "King Cocktail" DeGroff has been talking about the importance of glassware for decades, and will be doing so again during a seminar at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (www.manhattancocktailclassic.com) this May.
Long-time advocates for the importance of glassware in cocktails, both Dale and Tony predicted the current trend by watching the availability of different glass styles increase in number. Many high-end cocktail bars around the country are beginning to focus on glassware. It is not uncommon, especially in metropolitan areas like New York City, to find drinks served in antique glasses (or replicas of them). Companies like Minner's (www.minners.com) specialize in reproductions, and custom-produce glassware in bulk from molds or user-specified designs. Establishments like Employees Only in New York have glassware custom-designed specifically for them, complete with their logo etched into the side.
Remember: Two versions of the same cocktail -one presented in an inexpensive glass and another in a crystal vessel- communicate very different messages about their respective establishments. In much the same way that a fine wine should never be served in an inexpensive glass, neither should a fine cocktail.
www.barbizmag.com
A focus on artisanal ingredients, a meticulous attention to the processes of construction and presentation, and an insistence on balance of flavors are all ideals that have always been cornerstones for chefs. Those ideals were once prevalent in the spirits world, as well, but were abandoned for convenience, mass production, and increased profit. The return to those standards is welcomed by distinguishing imbibers, and with it comes the need for proper glassware.
Anyone serious about wine, for example, would never serve an exquisite selection in an inappropriate glass. Imagine ordering a $5,000 bottle of Bordeaux and having it served in a 98-cent glass. No self-respecting sommelier would ever dream of committing such an act. Every varietal of wine has an ideally shaped glass in which it should be served, and it is this philosophy that has influenced spirits aficionados to develop spirit-specific glassware.
With a long history in fine dining, I am slightly embarrassed to say that I had never put much thought into the vessel in which I served my cocktails, never really thinking more about it than this: an old-fashioned or highball glass for drinks served tall or on the rocks, a cocktail glass or a coupe for drinks served up, and perhaps a snifter for a nice brandy or single-malt Scotch. That said, my first introduction to a spirit-specific glass came in the form of The Glencairn Glass (www.glencairn.co.uk/glass), which I encountered attending my first Whisky Fest two years ago.
The Glencairn Company has been producing whisky-specific glasses since 2001. In 2006, the glass was given the Queen's Award for innovation, and after about five million Glencairn glasses had been produced, a partnership was fostered with the German company, Stölzle. According to Edward Artidiello, President of Stölzle-USA, this was done to celebrate the award and re-brand the glass to "better reflect its unique positioning, while at the same time move to a crystal glass to give a finer and more premium presentation." While Stölzle also makes other spirits-specific glasses, their presence in the market is most readily seen in the Glencairn glass, and I had a chance to speak to Evan Cattanach, Master Distiller Emeritus of the Classic Malts Selection, about its evolution.
Cattanach informed me that, while Raymond Davidson originally designed the Glencairn glass over twenty years ago, it wasn't until his sons Paul and Scott took the design to the master blenders for approval that the glass saw production. Its roots lie in the traditional graduated nosing glasses used by blenders the world over. The shape is designed to allow the bouquet to expand in the glass without the influx of alcohol in the nose, and "the wide bowl allows for the fullest appreciation of the whisky's color, while the solid base is designed to be easy on the hand," said Cattanach. "Drinking Scotch out of this fine crystal vessel is akin to drinking tea out of a fine china. After having done so, drinking it out of anything else just doesn't
feel civilized."
Not surprisingly, Riedel (www.riedel. com) -the same company that produced the first wine-specific glasses to come to my attention- also produced the first spirit- specific versions. I bridged this gap during a recent tequila tasting, when I was served a plata, a reposado, and an añejo in what I (mistakenly) determined to be a champagne flute. Similarly shaped, Riedel's Tequila glass made quite an impression on me. Immediately, I was brought back to my roots in fine dining, holding the spirit in higher regard by default-because it was sampled from fine crystal it must be a higher-quality spirit.
According to the company Web site, "In 2002, Riedel Crystal introduced the Official Tequila Glass, designed to highlight the finest characteristics of Mexico's national drink.
The glass, designated the Official Tequila Glass by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, was designed to enhance Mexico's finest Reposados, Añejos and Reservas de Casa Tequilas. The elegant, slender glass is 8¼" high, with a capacity of 6¾ ounces, and, is part of the Riedel Ouverture collection (Ouverture Tequila 408/18). The glass has a tall stem, meant to lift fine Tequila to the level it deserves, to accord it the appreciation and respect of which it is worthy."
Once again, spirits experts are emulating the trends in the wine making world. With agave spirits leading the way in the discussion of terroir in spirits, it should come as no surprise that they are also responsible for taking the lead in spirit-specific glassware.
With such a strong focus on spirit specific glassware, those who are serious about their cocktails should have the same approach to the vessels in which their artisinal creations are served. The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim, had this to say about the trend: "We are finally paying attention to what goes into a great drink; now it's time to pay attention to what a great drink goes into." Dale "King Cocktail" DeGroff has been talking about the importance of glassware for decades, and will be doing so again during a seminar at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (www.manhattancocktailclassic.com) this May.
Long-time advocates for the importance of glassware in cocktails, both Dale and Tony predicted the current trend by watching the availability of different glass styles increase in number. Many high-end cocktail bars around the country are beginning to focus on glassware. It is not uncommon, especially in metropolitan areas like New York City, to find drinks served in antique glasses (or replicas of them). Companies like Minner's (www.minners.com) specialize in reproductions, and custom-produce glassware in bulk from molds or user-specified designs. Establishments like Employees Only in New York have glassware custom-designed specifically for them, complete with their logo etched into the side.
Remember: Two versions of the same cocktail -one presented in an inexpensive glass and another in a crystal vessel- communicate very different messages about their respective establishments. In much the same way that a fine wine should never be served in an inexpensive glass, neither should a fine cocktail.
www.barbizmag.com
posted by The team at
9:54 PM
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