Inventory for March 13th, 2016
It’s been a good week in bar news. Today we’ve got wooden sunglasses made out of bourbon barrels, a new rich single malt by Laphroaig, a decriminalization of drinking on the streets of New York, and sippable art in Hong Kong.
Sundays are usually spent watching a suspiciously high number of YouTube videos. If you’ve already perfected the art of a cat eye, deep frying a turkey, and poaching an egg, might we recommend Foodbeast’s channel? From the stupid to the witty to the bro-heavy, they’ve got it all. Happy Sunday!
1) Wooden Accessories are still Cool
Didn’t think we’d be doling out fashion advice, did ya? Neither did we, but Glenmorangie is forcing our hand. Drinks Int. reports that the “ single malt whisky brand has partnered with British sunglass company Finlay & Co. to create sunglasses made from the staves of whisky casks”. Owned by LVMH the whisky brand’s cooperation with the south London company makes sense, branding wise. The outcome though is … arguable. The 1,843 pairs of sunglasses are made out of “first fill and second fill ex-bourbon barrels, which are the essence of the flagship Glenmorangie 10 Year Old”. The number references the year the distillery was founded. Retail price is a whopping £300 (390€/$425). “Each pair will be designed to display its unique grain and natural finish, will be numbered and will have the option to be personally engraved for each customer”. Eh, methinks this veers too close to the wooden tie scenario.
2) Laphroaig Launches its “Richest Single Malt Whisky to Date”: Laphroaig Lore
Inspired by its own 200-year history the Scottish distillery makes “the whisky we make because of what has been passed on down to us”, so says distillery manager John Campbell. The Laphroaig Lore is described as its “richest single malt whisky to date” and “combines a number of casks including first-fill Bourbon barrels, quarter casks and Oloroso Sherry hogsheads”, as The Spirits Business notes. “The palate is ‘richly peaty with a spicy chilli bite’, offering a ‘short, dry finish and a long, sweet’ aftertaste. Bottled at 48% abv the Laphroaig Lore will be available in 700ml bottles in Germany, the UK, South East Asia, USA, Canada, and the Nordics.
3) (C)he(e)re’s to Manhattan
Finally, a city that’s come to its senses! Who amongst us hasn’t enjoyed a highly illegal, brown paper bag beverage on the streets of New York? Don’t rejoice too quickly though (I made this mistake and immediately booked a flight to New York under the misconception of now being able to freely roam the streets, proudly displaying my Brooklyn Brewery to anyone who might give a rat’s ass). Liquor.com cites the city officials who announced that, starting March 7th, “NYPD will no longer arrest individuals who commit these offenses … unless there is a demonstrated public safety reason to do so”.
Which means that the act of drinking a beer on the street isn’t legal, it’s just been decriminalized. While you can still get fined, you will not be taken “downtown” (I might or might not have watched one too many episodes of CSI New York). Mayor Bill de Blasio says, “Using summonses instead of arrests for low-level offenses is an intuitive and modern solution that will help make sure resources are focused on our main priority: addressing threats to public safety.” Yup, modern and intuitive – those are two words that immediately spring to mind when confronted with the NYPD. Here’s looking at you, Stop and Frisk. If you really want to get buzzed while wandering down a street, might I suggest you visit Las Vegas? America’s last true Nirvana.
4) Drinkable Art
Edible art has become “a thing” over the last few years (from $1,000 gold desserts to masterpieces like this), but humanity feels the need to take it on step further: sippable art. Just in time for Art Basel Hong Kong the HK-based branch of London’s Langham bar is recreating some classic works of art in artisanal cocktail form.
Rajendra Limbu uses “Chalong Bay Rum, a Thai sugarcane spirit distilled and bottled in Phuket; Frangelico, with its characteristic taste of hazelnut; Strega, an Italian herbal liqueur; Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters; fresh lime juice; and finally, a dash of Blue Curacao” to paint “Van Gogh’s starry night sky and clouds swirling against the bright moon”. Head on over to Blouin Artinfo for a picture of said cocktail. It’s pretty, yet still manages to remind me of an overly zealous barista who went to town with food dye and perfectly proportioned milk foam.
