Read Food + Drink

Word of Mouth: Cocktails in Cayman

Cocktail culture is getting more serious on Grand Cayman thanks to bartenders aiming to put it on the map as a global destination for food and drink

Emily Gerard

12 January 2024

Grand Cayman is known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, but it has yet to land a bar on the World’s 50 Best list—for now. Against a postcard-perfect backdrop of beaches and palm trees, talented bartenders across the island are working hard to change that. Chief among them is Jim Wrigley at the extraordinary Library by the Sea, who puts a tricked-out lab to work along with local artists to concoct some truly fantastical drinks. That said, all of the following destinations are mixing up creative cocktails worth seeking out—and maybe even planning a trip around. 

Library by the Sea

Gorgeously built in the Kimpton Seafire’s former library and with touches of local history still present throughout, Library by the Sea has kept its bookish spirit even as it has transformed into a space for serious cocktails. Wrigley and his team draw inspiration from the rare and first-edition books lining the walls; they aren’t precious about letting guests pluck them off the shelf either. Like any great bartender, Wrigley is gregarious and warm and full of great stories. “We allow our imaginations to run wild and are limited only by our creativity,” he says. And he is not exaggerating: out back, he runs an industry-leading lab that offers complete control of every ingredient, from a rotary vaporizer to a 3D printer. There’s a zero-waste policy that helps explain a fermented carrot wine bubbling away in that rotavap for a future Benjamin Bunny-inspired cocktail to complement a Beatrix Potter book in the library. 

The team’s passion seems to come particularly alive for children’s books; for a new drink inspired by The Little Prince, Wrigley says, “we were like little kids creating these spellbinding moments of nostalgia.” He hired local ceramicist Aimee Randolph to create hand-molded asteroids as the drinking vessel, and each comes topped with a figurine of le petit prince himself, made from recycled plastic pulled from the ocean. 

It’s not Randolph’s first project for Wrigley; she also makes the ceramic oyster shells glazed with mother of pearl for the bar’s instantly iconic “From Cayman, with Love” cocktail. Ian Fleming set many of his stories in the Caribbean and it was apparently a Caymanian fisherman who taught James Bond how to scuba dive, a detail Wrigley couldn’t resist running away with. Bond himself would surely approve of the result: a subtly tropical twist on a martini made with local sugarcane spirit infused with island botanicals, sea-mineral vermouth and a homemade fruit cordial. “It wouldn’t be an oyster without a pearl,” Wrigley says, delicately placing a pearl onion shimmering with agar inside the shell. 

Door No. 4

The chic art deco cocktail bar Door No. 4 would be at home in New York, Paris or London. All the better, then, that it’s on Grand Cayman, where former Diageo ambassador Simon Crompton now leads a popular “Cocktails & Canapés” class where you can learn a little something while you shake, stir and pour. The platonic ideal of a cucumber margarita is paired with local snapper aguachile and plantain chips, while an espresso martini has never tasted more delicious than it does served with a nanaimo bar. 

The Brasserie

Vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs from the adjacent garden show up all over the food and drink menus at the bustling restaurant and bar, The Brasserie. An expert botanist tends to her green space lovingly; turns out, the chef is her husband. The white guava punch, made with Hennessy Pure White, is garnished with florals and bilimbi fruits, while the Cayman Fashioned extracts oil from banana skins and coconut for a velvety mouthfeel. 

Cayman Cabana

Cayman Cabana is a party on the water where the good vibes are always, well, vibing. A weekly farm to table dinner with ocean views at communal tables overflowing with platters of fresh fish and conch fritters might just be the best deal in town. The owner, Luigi Moxam, is a local legend. Cocktails made with the local Seven Fathoms rum keep the party going long after sunset as strangers become friends over island punch. 

Read Food + Drink

Chef Daniela Soto-Innes Conducts the Culinary Concert of a Lifetime

The beloved restaurateur prepares an outdoor feast in honor of the new Añejo Cristalino Organico from Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia

Emily Gerard

23 November 2023

In a field of agave plants stretching as far as the eye could see, lightning frosted the spiky tips of the succulents as thunder boomed overhead. Pelting rain drove in sideways under the roof of a makeshift restaurant where one of the best chefs in the world was getting soaked. Daniela Soto-Innes had prepared an outdoor feast in honor of the new Añejo Cristalino Organico from Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia line. She and her team had been working on the menu for days. There was to be squash blossom and lobster aguachile, lamb belly barbacoa and quince pot de crème to finish. Her guests were supposed to be drowning in tequila, not rainwater. 

The sudden storm brought drama and a change of plans. Soto-Innes, who has been called “the most vivacious woman in the world,” was cheerful as ever; every cook must be able to roll with the punches, but not just anyone can do it with such good-natured warmth. Her plating station was getting the worst of the downpour, so she abandoned her fine-dining vision and ran over to the communal table in the center of the gazebo bearing pots and pans straight from the stove. “It’s family style now, guys!” she laughed. “Help each other, serve yourselves!” Lubricated with tequila, increasingly damp diners were happy to bump elbows and load up each other’s plates in the flickering light. Sparkling cocktails made with the Añejo Cristalino Organico enhanced with harvest quince, lemon and orange bitters were refilled as fast as they were drunk. The mood was festive, convivial. By the time dessert was served, laughter was ringing out louder than the thunder.

Soto-Innes has moved back to her home country after extraordinary success in the US. Running NYC’s modern Mexican restaurants Cosme and Atla, she became a James Beard Award-winner at just 25, and the youngest woman ever to be crowned the world’s best female chef. But where to go after making culinary history at such a young age? Offers came pouring in for her to open restaurants in different cities. But a louder voice was calling her home. 

“I wanted to feel my roots. And I wanted to see what it was like to grow a seed in Mexico,” she says. “Everyone that I’ve encountered here has so much love for their story and their culture. I feel like a little kid in a candy store again, you know? And I wake up feeling extremely excited about what’s next.”

Soto-Innes cleared time to talk to Cool Hunting about the inspiration for her upcoming restaurant Rubra in the surf town of Punta Mita, how to drink her favorite spirit and the partnership with Reserva de la Familia that made her burst out into song.

Congratulations on Rubra! Do you have an opening date yet?

If everything goes well, we’re really pushing to open at the end of this year. 

What brought you to back to Mexico after NYC? 

Do you know when you have a feeling in your gut or in your heart, about what you want your next step to be? Even if you’re like, “I have so many things going on and I have the perfect job and if I stop this, it might not make sense, but I really wanna do this.” I feel like it happens to everyone. And sometimes we’re scared of starting over. But after the pandemic, I just felt it in my heart. Something was missing about learning more about my culture and myself. I wanted to come back to my roots and continue to be a student. 

For the world’s best female chef to say, “I want to be a student,” that’s really interesting.

My sisters and I grew up playing sports and we were always so competitive, but also we knew what a team was, and it was about starting over, practice and doing the best that you could do. In most sports you’re never the best—it’s your team. And you celebrate together, but you cannot just settle. I’m still young and I said, “I’m just going to go for it.” A lot of opportunities came my way, but I needed to slow down a little bit. My dream growing up was, one day I’ll work in New York for a really amazing chef.

And then you worked in New York and you were the amazing chef. 

I never thought that would happen, and I never thought it would happen so soon, to me. I always said, “it will happen to someone that is close to me and I will make sure that I’m there to support them.” And then it just happened. We were opening all these new restaurants, but there reached a point when I said, what else is for me to discover? 

Seems like you’re doing plenty of discovery now. 

When you open your own restaurants, for a chef, the easiest thing to do is the cooking. The hardest thing is, how does everything work together? The architecture, what is your kitchen going to look like, how is the space going to feel? I always have New York in my heart, but in Mexico, everything works differently. It’s a new chapter in our lives because I’ve worked with the same team for almost 10 years and they’re all here now. It’s the first time that I’ve lived on the coast in Mexico. It’s amazing, waking up with palm trees every day.

What are you noticing about the food and drinking culture here as compared to what you saw in New York? 

The culture is completely different. What I love about New York is the speed. Everyone is always like, “let’s go, let’s go.” Here, everything is a lot calmer, less rushed. There’s more music. Lots of music. Everybody says cook with the soul. But Mexican food is like a recital for me.

You seem so energized by it. 

I have so much energy. Mexican food is about the soul of the cook and the environment that they’re in. The storyline of the fields, the farmers, the agriculture, aligned with the sounds and the colors. So everything is like poetry. The chiles, the way they smell, the way they feel. We have so much variety of different cultures and cuisines in Mexico. We have all kinds of weather; snow, tropics, desert, mountain ranges. You can have a journey. You can feel like you are in Switzerland and still be in Mexico. If you go to Oaxaca, there are seven moles. If you go to Vera Cruz, you have the most amazing seafood, and the best vanilla that I’ve ever had. If you go to Tabasco, if you go to Chiapas, you’ll have little tiny tortillas that are so perfect, and if you go to the north, you’ll have these huge flour tortillas that make a beautiful dance. Sometimes Mexican food in the United States might just be red rice with mole and chicken in it. 

And similarly with tequila, I think some people have one idea of what it is or what it’s for. 

People think tequila’s a cheap drink for partying. No, it takes so long for the agave to grow. You can take a shot but it is not for shots. There’s art and complexity behind every bottle. For me, tequila is for sipping. In Spanish we call the sips abecitos, little kisses. 

That’s lovely! Have you tried the new expression?

It’s amazing. I tell everybody that it is like the Star Wars movie. When I saw the bottle, I felt… [singing the Star Wars theme song]

The dramatic music!

Yes, exactly, It’s so elegant and smooth. I think it’s extremely sexy and complex and very easy to drink. 

How did the partnership with Reserva de la Familia come about? 

I’ve been a huge fan of Reserva for a while. And my team has as well. And one day I got like 15 calls and I said, “what’s going on? Is everybody okay?” And they’re just like “Oh my God, we got the Reserva deal!” Everybody was so excited. It’s been a very lovely time. It feels already like a family, everyone is so kind and knowledgeable. I’m learning so much. 

Interview lightly edited for clarity

Read Food + Drink

Rocco’s The Super Smart Fridge Lets You Check What You Already Have, Remotely

Thanks to a patent-pending Sight System, this appliance—with room for 27 wine bottles or 88 cans—lets you glance inside with a connected app

Evan Malachosky

17 November 2023

Imagine you’re at your local liquor store buying wine before a few friends come over later this evening. You can’t remember whether you have enough white wine for the folks that prefer it over red. Now, with Rocco’s The Super Smart Fridge, you can check from anywhere, thanks to its patent-pending Sight System, a feature that lets you look inside your fridge from afar simply by opening its connected app on your phone.

This is far more than an app-connected “smart fridge.” Rocco’s appliance is aiming to be the focal point of your home entertainment plan. With room for 27 wine bottles, 88 cans, or a mixed assortment, it can keep the party going without breaking up the flow of the event. Plus, it’s pleasantly noticeable, unlike most mini-fridges, which are often loud, cumbersome and a gaudy gunmetal or unsightly white color.

Instead, Rocco’s The Super Smart Fridge is made from welded steel in a bubbly yellow, matte white or swanky graphite color, with a reeded glass door—that helps keep UV light away from your wine and the fridge’s internal light out of your living room—and a dimmable interior bulb. 

Furthermore, the top doubles as a bar, which lifts off as needed to service the room. Or, if you keep it in position and populate it with accoutrements and garnishes, guests can customize their drink as they grab it. Storage itself is easy, whether a beverage is front and center or tucked into the back of the fridge: the shelves pull out all the way, leaving no canned or bottle behind. 

Rocco’s The Super Smart Fridge is available now via Rocco, Huckberry or Nordstrom.

Read Food + Drink

Interview: LOUIS XIII Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau

A young cognac blender shares a once-in-a-lifetime liquid

Mike Tommasiello

16 November 2023

The house of LOUIS XIII cognac traces its heritage and provenance back to the early 1700s in the Cognac region of France. Since then, the brand has meticulously cultivated and released some of the world’s most lauded cognacs. Recently, we joined the maison’s cellar master, Baptiste Loiseau, for the launch of their latest incredibly rare expression, RARE CASK 42.1. Drawn from one special cask, the liquid’s selection as a single limited release was 10 years in the making—and orchestrated by their youngest master blender to date. Loiseau, only 34 years old, sat down to tell us the story behind the world class elixir. 

What has been transpiring over the last 10 years?

I took the position as the cellar master almost 10 years ago, in 2014. For me, this is really the first time that I have the privilege to present something that is much more personal in its approach. The two first RARE CASKs had been selected and revealed by the previous cellar master. And so for me, this is the very first time that I can present something that’s really so rare from the cellar. It is only coming from one cask, and it is showing facets that I’ve decided, guided by my intuition, to reveal.

Some of the ideas behind it, and skills, are passed on from the previous cellar masters. How did you make this one distinctly yours? Because you’re going to have to pass this on to the next generation. 

In fact, it’s a blend that has been done by a previous cellar master. My choice was really to reveal this and not to blend it with others. The audacity is really to detect the potential of aging and to be sure that at one point it has reached the perfect point of balance that needs to be highlighted on its own. it’s much more a choice guided by the emotion I had when I discovered the liquid inside. And I know that nobody will be able, even myself, to reproduce it. It’s really something that is coming from one cask and that’s it.

Can you tell us a little about the cask and the environment that it’s been in for the last 10 years?

The RARE CASKs, they are really the oldest casks that we have in our cellars and these are more than one century old and they are stored in different places. But for this one, it was really stored in a special cellar in a small village in a domain that is part of the family estate for the house. The link with the generations of cellar masters and also the generations of the family-owners of the house is really the footprint that we have encapsulated here.

What makes this such a unique expression compared to some of the other ones released by the house?

It has some singularities that make it different from the others. The previous one was the RARE CASK 42.6, it was much more fruity in terms of density of the foods and with lots of aromas of autumn—the season when you have plum and stone fruit here in New York.

I really have been blown away by the fact that 42.1 is much more floral. You have lots of flower notes like dry rose and lilac. It really touched me because my childhood was spent with my grandfather, a horticulturist, growing flowers and vegetables. It reminded me of all the memories I had in the garden, which were much more driven by flowers than food. That’s the power of the tasting. When you taste something from one cask that takes you back to your hidden memories more than 30 years ago, you’ve found something that leads you to choose this.

Can you tell us a little bit about the decanter and what makes it so unique?

We will celebrate the 150th anniversary next year. From the very beginning we decided to have the same shape for the decanter, that is historic to the maison, but from black crystal, which is much more difficult to achieve because the darkness is really difficult to obtain. For us, it’s really the footprint of time and also, a symbol of something that has been hidden in our cellars in the darkness.

What was something that you found surprising during this experience?

What we are facing now with climate change and the fact that the aromas we have in the fields, in the grapes, and in the wine, are with a different balance of sugar, acidity, et cetera. We are facing more challenges and now with my team, we are trying to find a solution for the next generation to keep it all consistent. We are all aligned in the fact that we have to find a solution to adapt to the conditions we’re facing. That’s the big challenge we are facing, but I’m really proud of what the team is doing and I’m sure that we’ll find a solution to adapt to these conditions.

What are you thinking about the next 10 years?

We will go on with consistency and demanding the quality for the next generation. I have to law down a path because of all the grapes that I’m selecting now with my team, I won’t be the one who will make the final blend. The legacy will no only be a key in the making for the next 10 years, but decades and centuries.

Those interested in trying this rare expression can do so at NYC’s Baccarat Hotel, The Faena in Miami, Delilah in Las Vegas and the Hotel Bel Air in Los Angeles until the decanters reach their final pour. 

Read Food + Drink

Maison Bollinger Embarks on a World Tour

The notoriously humble, family-owned champagne brand is spreading the word of their forthcoming bicentenary celebrations

Evan Malachosky

7 November 2023

For those who haven’t been or dream of going, Champagne, France feels like a faraway, mystical place—a land of rolling hills and history-rich vineyards whose primary claim to fame is its bubbly namesake. For those who’ve had the pleasure to visit, it’s all that and more: charming, intoxicating (oftentimes literally) and well worth the 46-minute train ride from Paris to Reims, the commercial center of the Champagne region, and the 33-minute trip by car to the southernmost part of the Grand Cru appellation, the finest of all classifications. 

In the town of Aÿ, where Champagne Bollinger is based, monitored, manicured vineyards—of which 85% are rated Grand Cru—sit within a bird’s eye view of the company’s primary residence, which has long hosted private events, friends of the estate and the occasional media member.

Now, though, the notoriously humble, family-owned brand is opening up and turning a portion of its aforementioned Aÿ residence into a 20-room hotel. It’ll also launch the most advanced cellar in the region, capable of storing 5,000 228-liter barrels and hosting up to 20 people in two separate tasting rooms. The personal estate of the brand’s matriarch, Elisabeth Bollinger, including her iconic courtyard, will be converted into an event space, where up to 200 guests can gather, sip and savor the splendor of the surrounding grounds. 

According to brand insiders, including longtime fans, this is a significant evolution; Bollinger is built on tradition, and the brand celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2029. Their traditions, upheld in spite of industry-wide adjustments, has kept them among Champagnes most respected Maisons. In the 20th century, for example, Madame Bollinger marked her commitment to vinifying her wines in oak barrels, a hallmark of the house’s production process that lends a creamy, elegant softness to the final product.

“It is the traditional methods that count, even if they appear outdated,” she famously said. “The quality of my wines is proof of this.”

And now, Bollinger will take these wines on a world tour as part of the brand’s bicentenary celebrations. The house’s first stop was New York, an obvious starting point for a series of events that will span the next several years. Officially titled Maison Bollinger, each one-night-only affair transforms iconic venues in equally iconic cities—for example, New York’s Astor House on the Upper East Side—into expressions of the estate’s storied past. The evening was equal parts Bollinger’s signature savoir-faire and an unveiling of the family’s bubbly, offbeat personality: elaborate spreads, white table cloth tables, and, of course, champagne.

“Maison Bollinger is a first-of-its-kind execution for Champagne Bollinger, and we are proud to welcome the world into our home and celebrate our incredible heritage,” Charles-Armand de Belenet, managing director for Champagne Bollinger, says. “Every artifact throughout Maison Bollinger nods to our history and the incredible aspirations of the late Madame Bollinger, who is known for modernizing the maison and introducing Bollinger for the first time in New York. It is important that we continue to honor her extraordinary legacy, which is why we’re pleased to launch Maison Bollinger in a city that holds so much meaning.”

Dates will follow, but they’ve yet to be announced—future attendees should expect more of the same, though: sensory pleasures of every variety, from sonic accompaniments to expert-led tastings, high-class snacks with A-list guests. Above all else, the evenings are meant to be a memorable first impression of the maison, even for those who’ve long appreciated their wines.

Read Food + Drink

Interview: Master Distiller Viridiana Tinoco on Clase Azul’s Latest Flavorful Expression

This limited edition release honors Día de los Muertos

Mike Tommasiello

2 November 2023

Hidden away in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City, you’ll find Clase Azul’s new home. This latest real estate acquisition by the brand joins their portfolio of beautiful destinations—from homes in Los Cabos Mexico to Brooklyn. Most recently, this stunning new venue played host to the tequila brand’s launch of their latest enigmatic expression, which honors Día de los Muertos. This special añejo is limited only to 3,500 bottles across the globe. Pulling notes from the beautiful marigold floral arrangements that are customary to the holiday (along with the beautiful candy skulls that adorn the windowsills of the homes), Clase Azul’s Día de los Muertos release tells the story of this incredible holiday in a flavorful and aromatic way. In advance of the celebration, we sat down with their master distiller, Viridiana Tinoco, to learn more about what makes this elixir so special. 

This latest Clase Azul edition is inspired specifically by Dia de Los Muertos. How does it differ from previous releases? 

Día de Muertos is one of Mexico’s most emblematic traditions. At Clase Azul, as ambassadors of our culture, we’ve designed a series called “Nuestros Recuerdos,” with five decanters, each one telling its own story each year.

The 2023 edition is inspired by the aromas associated with the altars we set up for Dia de Muertos. With the distillate, I wanted to express those sweet notes of fruit and spices that envelop the ofrenda [a traditional offering]. To achieve this, I chose barrels that had previously been used for American whiskey and finished with Armagnac.

How long is this expression in casks?

25 months, first in American whiskey casks and finished in Armagnac casks.

A big part of the Clase Azul brand is the beautiful bottle. What are some of the design details in this version? 

The bottle is a celebration of Día de Muertos. The creative team collaborated with Mexican artist Jimena Estíbaliz to create a beautiful illustration on the decanter, celebrating with cémpasuchil flowers. And of course, the finishing touch on the decanter, an ornament bathed in 24-karat gold with a fine patina finish, completely made by hand by Mexican artisans over the course of two weeks.

 How is day of the day brought to life with this edition and how is the traditional marigold represented? 

Along with the creative team, we wanted to first capture you with the decanter and that beautiful marigold color representing the cémpasuchil flower. Once you get to the distillate, we wanted to continue the theme of the cémpasuchil, and used Armagnac casks to create herbal notes throughout the spirit.

What does this pair well with? 

Matured pears, cashew nuts, duck with rosemary.

Are there special tasting notes for this edition?

Visually, we see a deep amber color with copper highlights. In the aromas and flavors, we get hints of peach, pear, plum, caramelized nuts, toasted oak and clove with an aftertaste of cinnamon and cacao. 

Read Food + Drink

Glenmorangie’s A Tale of Tokyo

The brand’s latest limited edition “A Tale of…” annual release celebrates Japan and its Mizunara oak

Evan Orensten

23 October 2023

A Tale of Tokyo, Glenmorangie’s last “A Tale of…” limited edition holiday release, celebrates decades of Dr Bill Lumsden’s love affair with Japan and Tokyo in particular. “As somebody who has built a large part of their career on experimenting with different wood and barrel types the legendary Japanese Mizunara oak was always right up at the top of my wish list, but it was almost impossible to get—our friends in Japan didn’t let much of it go. And the reality is it’s absolute rubbish for making barrels—it’s just the wrong type of tree. It’s very gnarly. It doesn’t grow tall and straight. It’s very porous—much more porous than American oak, and even more porous than European oak, so your precious liquid has a horrible tendency to leak,” Lumsden, the brand’s long-serving Head of Distilling and Whisky Creation, says.

This is just one of three complications with Mizunara. The second being that the barrels are significantly more expensive, so having a warehouse full is not feasible at a practical price point. And finally, that Mizunara oak barrels impart funky flavors upon the liquid, which needs to be tamed. Lumsden adds with a laugh, “it’s not the lovely, sweet, creamy vanilla that you get from American oak. It’s not some of the nice spicy and dark chocolate flavors you get from French oak. It’s like furniture polish and aftershave.” 

Obsessing over Mizunara and wondering what Glenmorangie would taste like matured in it, Lumsden began a years-long process of speaking with Japanese wood sources and coopers to get the 20 or so Mizunara barrels that he sought. It eventually paid off, with the 250 liter heavily charred hogshead barrels arriving in 2016. A few were filled with new make spirit (aka unaged liquid), and the rest with a range of mature Glenmorangie. They were matured for five or so years, and that liquid became the heart of the recipe for what would become A Tale of Tokyo—though married with classic Glenmorangie in American oak bourbon barrels and French oak Oloroso sherry casks from Spain. Together, it became “very rounded, very balanced and quite harmonious… You do pick up a bit of that funky, hairball, spicy furniture polish note from the Mizunara but the edge has been taken off of it with the classic Glenmorangie,” Lumsden adds.

While the team works hard to deliver their core range year after year, they always experiment too. Sometimes those experiments, typically many years in the making, become limited edition releases, like A Tale of Tokyo or A Tale of the Forest or A Tale of Cake before it. These create opportunities for the team to flex and have a bit of fun on a smaller scale than a core range product, give marketers something new to talk about and fans of the brand new varieties to try; it’s also an opportunity to attract those who may not be familiar with the brand or those who are attracted to a specific wood or finish—a win for everyone.

Gillian Macdonald (the brand’s Master Blender and Head of Whisky Creation) and her team, along with Lumsden, are continuously experimenting with different casks—sometimes the results are strange, sometimes they are good and sometimes they are rather brilliant. Lumsden adds, “The whiskies that we create are maybe 20 to 30% scientifically driven; the rest has more to do with art, craft, a passion and feeling. It’s nice the way the story has come together.”

Checking in on the Mizunara casks over the years, the feel for what would eventually become A Tale of Tokyo started to come together. There were surprises along the way—the wood in one cask was so porous that there was no liquid left in it. At some point last year the previously aged whisky that was put in the Mizunara barrels, while still an outlier, started to find its groove when mixed with whisky from Glenmorangie’s other barrels, and the various teams got to work in creating the latest “A Tale of” release. The “rising sun” colored liquid has an herbal-forward aroma tamed by sweet toffee and resin. It’s peppery bite is quickly softened with Glenmorangie’s fruit-forward orange and cherry notes, and its finish seems to last a bit longer, with a lingering nutty and orange taste.

Like each “A Tale of” release the story is told through the whisky but also through the packaging. For A Tale of Tokyo, Japanese artist Akira Yamaguchi was commissioned to create a fun, vibrant Tokyo cityscape that’s full of surprises—look closely and you may see a rack of barrels, tasting notes, brand iconography including a giraffe and cameos from Lumsden. Orange clouds get their color from the brand’s palette.

“The thing that gives me most pleasure in my job is not just the camaraderie with the teams I work with. It’s not just the awards. It’s actually seeing a look of delight on consumers’ faces when they taste the product. That’s what keeps me going and keeps me motivated. And I think there’s still a lot of things out there that I’d like to do,” says Lumsden, who noted that next year’s “A Tale of” recipe has been finalized and the work is beginning to create the next chapter in the the series.

Glenmorangie’s A Tale of Tokyo is bottled at 46% ABV and is listed with an MSRP of $110.

Read Food + Drink

Word of Mouth: Coffee in Copenhagen

Exploring café culture in the capital of Denmark one cup of locally roasted coffee at a time

Julie Wolfson

13 October 2023

Exploring the picturesque city of Copenhagen quickly reveals that it’s a dream destination for coffee enthusiasts. Here, the Nordic or Scandinavian roasting style reigns supreme, referring to high-quality beans that are lightly roasted to bring out optimal flavor in the coffee. Relaxing while sipping and savoring filter coffees and pour-overs feels in tune with the lifestyle in this waterfront city, while each café also offers an array of espresso drinks and delicious pastries. These are just some of many of Copenhagen’s coffee styles, which also include the espresso martini (for example, made with Prolog coffee at the Soho House) or coffee soft serve ice cream and espresso croissants at Andersen & Maillard Coffee Roastery & Bakery.

The city’s delectable cardamom pastries—at Hart Bageri, Juno the Bakery, alice and more—provide the perfect pairing with a freshly brewed cup of black coffee. As Dane Phillip Oliver at La Cabra Coffee Roasters explains, “It’s a big part of the coffee culture here because Denmark has such a rich history with bakeries and baked goods and with the new bakers coming along, they just play so well together. For us bakery and coffee, having them side by side at that level is so important.”

The following world class coffee roasteries and cafes brew up some of the best coffee in the city—and as Oliver suggests, don’t miss the pastries along the way. 

Coffee Collective

At Coffee Collective’s roastery, in the Godthabsvej neighborhood, café goers can view the goings-on behind the scenes while they sip expertly crafted coffees and espressos. Klaus Thomsen started this coffee company in 2007, the year after he won the World Barista Champion. This temple to Nordic roasted coffees has expanded to nine locations including their bakery. Though known throughout the city and around the world for carefully sourced and pristinely roasted beans, Thomsen is resolute in his mission. “Coffee does not need to be that fussy,” he says. Coffee Collective has spent years fostering direct relationships with coffee farmers. “The benefit of having your own shops is you get to go taste the coffees—how they are actually brewed,” adds Thomsen “You get the whole picture of the life of that coffee. Our job here at the roastery and in brewing is to release the full potential of what the farmer has created.”

April Coffee Roasters  

In the Osterbro neighborhood, a visit to April Coffee Roasters showroom, which opened in 2020, requires some sleuthing. This is an intentional choice by the founder, Patrik Rolf, who wanted to create a coffee experience. Set in the mostly residential neighborhood, at first glance the café and store might look like an interior design gallery. Just inside the doors a sleek Modbar espresso machine sits atop a low counter. There, three choices are offered: espresso, espresso with milk and filter coffee. The seating feels more like a living room than a coffee bar, and is appointed with furniture designed by The House of Finn Juhl. The interior design, with Danish and Japanese influences, provides both a relaxing space to enjoy drinking coffee as well as an ideal setup to display their retail offerings from coffee beans and drip packs to brewing equipment. Their custom brewer is engineered to be an ideal shape for Nordic roast coffees. April also sells a line of utility clothing that has been designed for their staff in the café and roastery—with jackets, trousers, shirts and accessories.

Prolog Coffee 

With a location in the Vesterbro Meatpacking District, Prolog Coffee has distinguished themselves as a significant chapter in the Copenhagen coffee story. The original café now faces Hart Bageri, with some of the best pastries in the city including their cardamom croissant and pecan financiers. Opened in 2016 by Sebastian Quistorff and three-time Danish barista champion, Jonas Gehl, the name Prolog refers to something that is always at the beginning and aiming for a goal. They opened a café in Osterbro earlier this year, near Juno the bakery, which also serves Prolog coffees alongside their cardamom buns, cream buns, tarts and slices of lemon cake. Prolog launched a tray collaboration with the Standard Practice, a stackable design made from Scandinavian Douglas fir off-cuts and produced locally in Standard Practice’s Copenhagen workshop. They also sell the  Prolog Apron, made with Danish fabric company Kvadrat, that the staff has been wearing in the café since they opened. Quistorff and Gehl plan to open up a new roastery in Frederiksberg next year. 

La Cabra Coffee Roasters 

Launched in Aarhus in 2012 by Esben Piper, the Copenhagen location of La Cabra roastery and café are currently in Frederiksberg—but as they move to a larger location coffee enthusiasts will follow. La Cabra’s inner-city Copenhagen location is a collaboration with lifestyle brand Another Aspect, on Møntergade in the heart of Copenhagen’s fashion district. Their goal to create bright and transparent coffee experiences across Denmark has now expanded around the globe with their first international locations in New York City on Lafayette Street in Soho and in Bangkok’s Samphanthawong district plus one coming soon in Muscat. La Cabra coffees are also served at Koffee Mameya’s tasting experience in Tokyo. “We see ourselves as promoting modern Nordic coffee experiences alongside International inputs and influences which comes with the mix of nationality working within our companies,” says Dane Phillip Oliver, while giving a tour of the roastery. “We bring a lot of these different perspectives and meet with that Scandinavian Nordic coffee approach.”  In Copengahen, La Cabra coffees are also served at Democratic Coffee, a café on Krystalgade street in Copenhagen University’s library. 

HipHop

After working together at Prolog, Luke Allen asked Nobu Matsui to join him in a new venture. Next to Alle Station they opened HipHop, a tiny café with big dreams. They serve a menu of filter coffees and espresso drinks: americano, piccolo, cortado, flat white, cappuccino and latte. Named for the music genre, HipHop promises attention to detail in the coffee roasts and preparation along with a carefully chosen playlist. “Nobu is the head roaster. He is the sensei and I am the student,” says Allen. “We’ve adopted his approach, that he has developed over ten years of brewing and roasting in Copenhagen. We are pushing into a new Nordic style, focused on light roasted coffee that’s also at optimal development.” A mural by @waltgisli flanks the back wall of the coffee bar with a vibrant interpretation of the world’s most famous mouse, apropos in a city also known for Tivoli Gardens, the whimsical destination that inspired Walt Disney to build amusement parks. 

ORSA 

Opened in June in Vesterbro, on Vesterbrograde street, ORSA may be the new kids on the block but they have made their intentions loud and clear. With an Instagram that says, “We just don’t care” and tables that emphatically are labeled “No Fucking Laptops,” you’d think that maybe this is that don’t-bug-us variety of coffee shops. But in reality the light-filled cafe is warm and inviting, fulfilling their goal to create a space where coffee and music meet. The name Orsa is Latin word for initiated or begun. Serving Prolog and a rotating series of featured monthly roasters like Casino Mocca from Budapest and Candycane Coffee in Prague, ORSA also features local artists and started their Public Display of Inspiration series with Gokce Terciogiu who paints with the Turkish art of marbling. They also host a social running club named NORSA with weekly runs that begin and end at the café. 

Volcán de Mi Tierra’s Ultra-Premium Volcan X.A Becomes Formula 1’s Official Tequila for the Las Vegas Grand Prix

An additive-free, ultra-premium blend of añejo, extra-añejo and reposado tequilas, Volcan X.A—from Volcán de Mi Tierra—will be the official tequila partner of Formula 1’s forthcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023. With ever-increasing US interest in the sport (thanks, in part, to the Netflix show Formula 1: Drive to Survive) coupled with the grandiose spectacle of each event, along with exponential tequila market growth, it’s a fitting partnership for all parties involved. To commemorate the occasion, Volcan X.A will release a limited edition bottle inspired by the elegance and thrills of F1 racing, with more details to be announced shortly. Read more at Forbes.

Read Food + Drink

September Scotch: 2023 Highlights

Ten luscious single malt whiskies and whisky ranges released this year

David Graver

29 September 2023

Since 2016, we have chronicled select developments across single malts (and even blended whiskies) in an annual story series known as September Scotch. We’ve long found that it’s toward the end of this month, with the onset of autumnal reflection, that our preferences begins to reorient around the oaken warmth of certain Speyside whiskies, the spicy sweetness of sherry cask-finished single malts or the complex peat smoke found in expressions from Islay. Thanks to an ever-expanding industry commitment to quality, flavor and finesse, it’s never been a better time to savor single malt scotch whisky. Among the myriad releases thus far this year, and shelf staples like Aberlour A’bunadh, Jura 10 and Mortlach 20, the following ten debuts captured our attention and continue to please our palates.

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2023 White Port & Madeira Casks

Created exclusively for the Friends of Laphroaig community, the limited release Laphroaig Càirdeas 2023 White Port & Madeira Casks ($99) taps into the nuanced flavors of liquid matured in white port and madeira casks. The result is a 52.3% ABV spirit with baking spice notes on the nose that develop into hazelnut and dark chocolate on the palate. As expected from Laphroaig, the scrumptious spirit finishes with a saline peatiness.

The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 12

This year’s follow-up to The GlenDronach’s critically acclaimed Cask Strength Batch 11, the appropriately titled Cask Strength Batch 12 ($105) taps into the majesty of sherry cask maturation. The vision of the beloved highland brand’s master blender, Rachel Barrie, Cask Strength Batch 12 pairs liquids slowly aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. Weighing in at a mighty 58.2% ABV, the deep bronze sipper noses of mocha and cherries and tastes of tiramisu and orange peel.

The Macallan Colour Collection

This season from CH favorite The Macallan comes not one new liquid but an entire range of age statement releases entitled The Colour Collection designed in collaboration with American graphic designer David Carson. A global travel exclusive, the series incorporates The Macallan Colour Collection 12 Years Old ($80), The Macallan Colour Collection 15 Years Old ($165), The Macallan Colour Collection 18 Years Old ($350), The Macallan Colour Collection 21 Years Old ($1,100) and The Macallan Colour Collection 30 Years Old ($4,455). As the collection’s name implies, it has been released by The Macallan to highlight the range of natural tones that arise in sherry oak cask maturation. Color deepens with age—and flavor follows suit. Thought collectors may dream of the higher age statements, the delectable 12 Years is simply superb, as well.

Benriach The Sixteen

Another noteworthy release from master blender Rachel Barrie, Benriach The Sixteen ($115) benefits from sixteen years of maturation—in a combination of bourbon, sherry and virgin oak barrels. At 43% ABV, the layered Speyside liquid noses of ginger, honey and almonds, but tastes of stone fruit, apples and candied peel.

The Balvenie Stories Range: A Revelation of Cask and Character

A new limited edition expression from The Balvenie, the magnificent A Revelation of Cask and Character ($504) has been aged for 19 years entirely in Oloroso Sherry casks. Also higher proof, at 47.5% ABV, the latest entry into the coveted Stories Range provides a bouquet of aromas—commencing with cherry and raisin and yielding to fig and chocolate.

Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky Ultimate Rare Collection

Another headline-making range release, the Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky Ultimate Rare Collection debuted this summer with the Bowmore 1969 50 Year Old ($42,000), Bowmore 40 Year Old ($9,000) and Bowmore 30 Year Old ($2,650). A pinnacle product for the most elite enthusiasts, The Bowmore 1969 50 Year Old is limited to 339 bottles worldwide; matured in ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads, it bundles floral, citric and sweet notes and measures a hearty 46.9% ABV.

Ardbeg Anthology: The Harpy’s Tale

The inaugural release in Ardbeg’s new Anthology Collection of experimental single malts, the Ardbeg Anthology: The Harpy’s Tale ($165) is a luscious, sweet and smoky spirit born from a marriage of liquids aged in ex-bourbon and Sauternes wine casks. Bearing a 13-year age statement, the complex whisky noses of herbs and citrus and first tastes of apricots and oak—flavors that soon yield to smokier notes.

Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo

The latest limited edition expression from the pioneering single malt producer Glenmorangie, A Tale of Tokyo ($110) has been aged in rare Mizunara oak casks sourced from Japan by the luxury brand’s director of whisky creation, Dr Bill Lumsden. At 46% ABV, it noses of toffee and cedar; on the palate, sweet oak and orange zest are complemented by coconut and cherry.

Aberfeldy 18 Year Old Limited Edition

The brand new Aberfeldy 18 Year Old Limited Edition ($130) (a follow-up to an award-winning 18 Year Old release from 2021) finds the famed Speyside single malt finished in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks from the Napa Valley. This process softens the whisky’s spice, complements its smoothness and deepens aromas of red berry, green apple, and honey. It measures a considered 43% ABV.

Diageo’s Prima & Ultima Collection Fourth Edition

A fourth edition of Diageo’s extremely rare Prima & Ultima Collection is limited to only 413 full sets ($44,000). The liquids within were hand-selected by Diageo’s master blender, Dr Emma Walker, for their exceptional merit and the list alone is enough to require reflection. The fourth edition features the oldest whisky ever to be bottled by Talisker Distillery, a Talisker 46-Year-Old, as well as an experimental single malt from Clynelish, a 1997 Lagavulin and the debut of Oban Distillery to the collection, with its last casks from 1996. It’s as elevated a collection as possible, with a price to match.