Bourbon conclusions
What difference does the brand make in a cocktail? Dave Broom downs Manhattans at the Rockwell, the UK's first Bourbon bar.
You walk into the sleek interior of Rockwell, from London's Trafalgar Square, and are immediately confronted by a mile-long row of bottles behind the bar. Not unusual these days, but there's something not quite right. You start scanning for the vodka, gin or rum, but they're nowhere to be seen. That endless stretch of liquor is entirely made up of Bourbon, Tennessee and rye.
This is a bar that's taking US whiskey very seriously indeed - and rightly, too. Bourbon's a spirit that bartenders can get excited about, primarily because its sultry, sweet notes make it one of the most versatile for cocktails.
That's why we're here. Not to taste the different Bourbons but, with the aid of barman Justin "Juggy" Peters, to see what impact, if any, different brands have on the same cocktail. Think of it this way: when someone asks for a Manhattan, do you grab the nearest bottle of Bourbon and make the drink or is the selection process more subtle than that? We tried to find the answer by getting Juggy to make two classic Bourbon cocktails - an Old-Fashioned and a Manhattan - with a selection of different brands.
The Old-Fashioneds were made with Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, Bulleit and - to test the theory to its limit - the Tennessean Jack Daniel's. Now Jack may be the biggest-selling US whiskey, but don't try and make an Old-Fashioned with it. It was abrasive, short-finishing and had none of the subtle interplay between sweet and strong that makes this cocktail a classic.
Bulleit was a little better - but not much. Once again there was no comforting richness in the middle of the mouth. While there was a bite of rye on the dry, short finish, the cocktail lacked balance. Woodford Reserve was a step up in quality: deep and mouthfilling and with a belt of alcohol.
That said, it was slightly dry and woody on the finish and lacked the elegant balance of the clear winner, Maker's Mark. Here the Bourbon melded perfectly with the other ingredients. It was fragrant, spicy and harmonious and - given that this is a cocktail which can easily be too strong - not overtly alcoholic. In fact, I continued to sip it all the way through the afternoon.
The Manhattan flight backed up our hunch that the choice of spirit has a far greater impact than most people seem to think. While we kept Woodford and Maker's Mark, Jack and Bulleit were replaced with Van Winkle rye and Blanton's single-barrel.
Once again, Maker's showed its delicate charm, giving a clean, dry and sweetly spiced drink which was almost too delicate. Woodford Reserve, though, came into its own. Its signature notes of honey and orange played off the vermouth and gave it a chewy, mouthfilling impact. Rich, long and beautifully balanced.
The rye was there because many of the original Manhattan recipes specifically call for it. Lovers of its intense, oily bite would adore the Van Winkle rye Manhattan. The oiliness gave a totally different effect from the Woodford's rich sweetness, and little flavours of liquorice, anise and leather kept popping up. For converts only, though. Blanton's single-barrel is a newcomer to the UK and it made the most luxurious example, with waves of complex, silky flavours breaking over the palate.
It was apparent that the choice of brand did have a radical impact on the cocktail, reinforcing the fact that the Bourbon category contains an array of flavours: from light (Four Roses, Maker's) to full-bodied (Wild Turkey, Booker's), rye-heavy to wheated, young to old. This means not only that bars should have a range that covers this flavour spectrum, but also that bartenders should know the personality of each brand in order to tailor the cocktail - and the brand - to suit a customer's mood.
There's a potential problem here, though. Unless the bartender knows how a brand performs in a cocktail, there is a risk that the end result will be unbalanced. This is a key point for New York-based author Gary Regan, who runs bartender-training courses in the USA.
"One of my main aims is to teach students how to properly balance cocktails, the Manhattan being one of the hardest drinks to make properly, because Bourbons vary so drastically," he says. "Too many bartenders these days think that Manhattans are made like martinis, with very little vermouth, but that's not the case. I've never met a Bourbon that didn't need at least 33% of its volume in vermouth to soothe its soul."
This raises another question: if each brand's flavour is so different, should the cocktail recipe be tweaked to suit the brand and retain balance? Ray Foley, founder of the US Bartenders Foundation, says always stick to the recipe. "Consumers want consistency," he argues. "The recipe is everything in a drink. If you adjust ratios, it changes the flavour and appearance of the cocktail."
It's a line taken by most bars, but not by Regan. "The most important point in making any cocktail is knowing your products and altering the ratios in order to achieve balance," he argues. "Take Manhattans. One made with Wild Turkey 101 - very bold and spicy - should be two parts Bourbon, one part sweet vermouth, liberal bitters. Maker's Mark, three-to-one, and so on. By altering proportions you can more or less make any whiskey right for any cocktail."
Whether you agree with this or not, the bottom line is that in order to cope with the preferences of various consumers - and give yourself the flexibility to make a full range of cocktails - you should have a range of Bourbons that covers the flavour spectrum.
Most people forget how versatile Bourbon is. In this aspect it's closer to rum than to Scotch: it has a natural affinity with fruit juice, it works brilliantly with mint, and comes into its own with a dash of bitters.
This flexibility is something Rockwell has exploited in order to get Bourbon virgins to broaden their horizons. There, innocuous-tasting long drinks like the Derby Smash (Maker's Mark, watermelon juice, Pimm's and raspberries, topped with ginger ale), Pappy's Mango Cooler (Pappy 10-year-old, mango and passion fruit served long) and the wonderful Comforter (see recipe) are helping Bourbon reach a new audience.
Old-Fashioned
INGREDIENTS
2-3 dashes bitters (orange, Angostura or Peychaud's)
1tsp water
1/2tsp sugar
75ml Bourbon or rye
Orange slice (optional)
Maraschino cherry (optional)
METHOD
Lightly muddle the sugar, bitters, water - and fruit, if using - in an Old-Fashioned glass until the sugar has dissolved. Fill glass with ice cubes. Add Bourbon. Stir. Garnish, if desired, with lemon twist, orange wheel or cherry.
Original Manhattan
INGREDIENTS
50ml Bourbon or rye whiskey
30ml sweet vermouth
Dash of maraschino juice
Dash or two of bitters (Angostura or Peychaud's)
METHOD
Put ingredients in a shaker. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with maraschino cherry.
Comforter
INGREDIENTS
Brown sugar
50ml Bourbon
25ml sweet potato juice
100ml fresh apple juice
Mint
METHOD
Shake ingredients together in a shaker. Serve, garnished with mint.
