Inventory for February 14th, 2016

Happy Sunday! This week we take a look at the shiny, brand new White Lyan menu, Beefeater unveils second edition of cask-aged gin, Berlin’s King Size is soon set to re-open, and we learn how to make a inside out ice sphere cocktail. Cheers!

The Berlinale is ON. For those of you interested in all things culinary, there’s a special culinary cinema section. Find the whole program here. Also, don’t miss out on the food trucks serving up street food all day, courtesy of Martkhalle Neun, just in front of the cinema at Potsdamer Platz.

1) White Lyan’s New Drink Menu

Just last week Ryan Chetiyawardana’s infamous White Lyan announced the launch of its new cocktail menu, alongside its own beer and wines “making it the first cocktail bar to create a complete house drinks only offering”. The Spirits Business reports that the new cocktail list launched on February 12th 2016 and includes drinks such as Sandman Sour, made with Mr Lyan Bourbon, blood orange, sand verbena and zip; the Wu Wu Mojito, a blend of Mr Lyan Rum, distilled mint, peach and grass soda; and the Tennessee Nitro Martini, a mix of Mr Lyan Cola, Jack Daniel’s and Sandows cold brew coffee. The beer (Lyan Lager) is made in cooperation with the Scottish Old Worthy Brewing Company and will be available from March onwards.

The wines are not wines per se. Rather, they are drinks that have been “created by deconstructing the flavour profile of wine and rebuilding it in a different way, thus creating a drink that tastes like wine but is not made from grapes”. These options include Spring Break White, apple flower, rhubarb tea and poached apricots; Guilty Pleasures Rose, hibiscus, peppered watermelon and canned strawberry; Whirlwine Red, oaked cherry, spring grapes, lapsang and sage; and Le Fizz, amalfi lemon and clementine.

Chetiyawardana said: “We wanted to be able to continue to push ourselves and this is a really exciting step. It allows us to take the control and rigour we employ to the next level, and like a restaurant offering this is something that you can only get here”.

2) Beefeater Unveils Burrough’s Reserve Edition 2

Beefeater just launched the second edition of its red and white Bordeaux wine cask-rested gin. Master distiller Desmond Paye says “I initially created Beefeater Burrough’s Reserve to explore a different quality in our gin, with this second edition a continuation of the experimentation. The resting process is extremely delicate, with the mix of red and white Bordeaux hand-selected casks crucial to creating a balanced and distinctive taste and a spirit of the best quality possible”.

In celebration of the Beefeater Burrough’s Reserve Edition 2 the label partnered with Blur member and cheese producer Alex James, who apparently has in recent years been widely known for his “ongoing support of British produce”. The new gin was launched in Madrid last week, with both James and Payne in attendance. The expression is bottled at 43% abv and has an RRP of €55 per 70cl bottle.

3) Berlin’s King of all Bars

Who hasn’t spent a sweaty night in Berlin’s infamous King Size bar, only to come home and discover your clothes drenched in a various assortment of spirits? You thought those days were behind you? Think again. Mit Vergnügen reports that the bar is set to open its doors latest by March, once again under the fearless leadership of Roman Vardijan as barchef. Of course, King Size wouldn’t be King Size without Frank Künster manning the doors. Oh gosh, it’s 2012 all over again.

4) How-To make an Inside-Out Ice Sphere Cocktail

Liquor.com’s Nick Fisher posted a video last week on how to make an inside out ice sphere cocktail. A very easy to follow tutorial with tools one easily finds at home (or on an affiliate Amazon link). One of the most interesting aspects of this whole article is the fact that a bartender from Chicago’s Aviary decided to comment, noting his annoyance with Fisher failing to point out where the “inspiration” for the video came from.