In our November newsletter, I shared that the M&D bar has introduced some new spirits to the back bar. The 
scotch and agave sections of our cocktail menu have seen a lot more attention lately so Andrew added both a new mezcal and a new scotch to our lineup. He then sent over some tasting notes for me to share with you all and I have to say, I’m glad he did because I received a few questions about them and while I love mezcal, I don’t know much about it and scotch … well let’s just say I had NO idea how to respond … until now. Rather than try and recreate the notes that Andrew sent me, I’m just going to share his words with you all. ⠀
The Scotch: Compass Box “Spice Tree”
Unfortunately, due to its avant garde method of oak-aging, creators were compelled by the powers that be to discontinue production. Undeterred, they worked with their cooper friends in both France and Scotland to develop a new, hybrid oak cask that would allow them to achieve similar results, but in a way that would be acceptable to even the most conservative of observers. The result is an intensely flavoured maltwhisky with complexity built around spice-like characters – cardamom, clove,ginger and hints of cocoa.
The basics: Single Malt VS Blended
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What is a Single Malt?
First, “Malt” is a whiskey made from malted barley.
A Single malt is made with malted barley in pot stills from one single distillery.
This is to exemplify the nuances of a single “house style”
A Blended Scotch is made by combining single malts with wheat &/or corn whiskeys in column stills.
All of the whiskeys used in both types must be matured in Scotland for a minimum of three years in oak casks.
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How we’re using it at M&D
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Delicious in a Manhattan Cocktail Number 1 – per the Savoy Cocktail Book in printed in the 1930s.
We make ours with 2 parts Carpano Antica Vermouth, 1 part Whisky, .25 part Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, 2 dashes angostura bitters
Stir very well and strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon peel
Generally the cocktail is made with Bourbon or Rye Whiskey, but swapping with the Spice Tree brings out the ginger, cinnamon and vanilla flavors.
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You could also try this out in our Toasted Pear Cocktail
1.5 oz Spice Tree
.25 oz Spiced Rum
.25 oz Luxardo Marachino
.75 oz Cinnamon Syrup
2 oz Pear Nectar
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The Tobala maguey is found growing naturally only in the highest altitude canyons.Agave Tobala (potatorum) grows wildly at high altitudes, and its relatively minuscule size yields extremely limited quantities of intensely aromatic mezcal. Due to its tiny size and long growing period (12-15 years), agave Tobalá is becoming increasingly rare. It is considered by many to be the king agave, and many brands have adopted sustainability efforts to ensure the mezcal made with agave Tobala will continue in the future. Unlike most other agave, Tobala does not produce hijuelos, which are the shoots or pups that sprout around the main plant once it has matured. For this reason, Tobala can only grow from seed. Fidencio’s Tobala is pit roasted over black oak for five days before being double distilled. Fidencio Tobala shows the true intensity and complexity of this agave. This Mezcal has a variety and fruit and acidic flavors that present differently with every sip.
Tobala is strictly a sipping mezcal or meant to be paired with salted caramel & chocolate, or platters of cured meats (ummmm sold).
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So this last one wasn’t listed in the newsletter but we have something else new, which is also new to the states.
Its called SOTOL, coming from Northern Mexico.
It is made from the desert spoon plant which is a relative to the agave.
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Like agave, the sotol plant has a heart, or piña, that is cooked, but its leaves are waxy and don’t produce sap. Dasylirion grows wild in desert regions, requiring up to 20 years to mature, and there are 16 different species and 5 varietals used to make sotol.
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According to Vargas, a historian at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juarez, indigenous peoples drank a beverage made from cooked and fermented sotol hearts during their religious ceremonies and would later eat the cooked piñas as food. Local legend (not science) promises the drink has medicinal uses as well, possessing the power to heal anything from diabetes to digestive problems.
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This insanely delicious liquid coats your mouth in a much different manner than other spirits. It is incredibly smooth with slight herbal notes and a bright citrus like finish.
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I recommend it in a classic Paloma, or with a play on the negroni.
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Sotol Paloma
1.5 oz Sotol (we use mesh & bone)
1 oz fresh grapefruit
1 oz fresh lime
.5 oz simple syrup
shake well, strain into a highball, carbonate with seltzer and add a sprinkle of sea salt.
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Sotol Negroni
1 oz Sotol
1 oz Comoz Blanc Vermouth
1 oz Gran Classico
Stir until well chilled
Garnish with an orange peel
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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