Relish and SPRING 2018 Issue 11 THE Gretzky WHISKY Back TRAIL NEW PODCAST On Ice SHOWCASES THE COCKTAIL THE WORLD’S ULTIMATE SCOTCH GENIUS OF HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE ROUND DRAFT PICK ZACKARY KVAS TALL SHIP THALASSA ENJOY SCOTCH ON THE WATER KENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR CULINARY DELIGHTS WITH BOURBON INNOVATION NORTHERN LIGHT RISING Matt Jones Welcome to the World’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouse J U 9 . D 5 8 G - E 0 S’ : 8 SCORE Bowmore® Scotch Whisky, 40-43% alc/vol. © 2018 Beam Suntory, Inc. Deerfeld, IL YM18-082 BOWMORE 12YO AD 8.125" x 10.625.indd 1 2018-02-13 3:09 PM Sunsets and sea air: unofcial ingredients in every bottle. view from shelter point distillery, vancouver island, canada Introducing Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky Paradise isn’t necessarily a geographical requirement for making great whisky, but we managed to fnd it at Shelter Point. It’s here that we handcraft our 100% Single Malt Whisky, distilled batch-by-batch in traditional copper pot stills from two-row barley, and aged in American oak casks in our oceanfront warehouse. When it comes to artisanal whisky, every element matters — and in our unique, temperate rainforest climate, even the sunsets and sea air become integral. There’s a Point to making beautiful whisky. Find out more at shelterpoint.ca PIKE CREEK Aged 10 years and fi nished in Rum barrels to create an easy-drinking and incredibly smooth whisky GOODERHAM & WORTS A 4-grain blend that is complex yet well-balanced LOT NO. 40 Made with 100% Canadian rye for a bold whisky with a spicy fi nish Please enjoy responsibly. SINGLE MALT WHISKY DOUBLE CASK MATURED FOR A RICH, SMOOTH TASTE. ABERLOUR.COM CONTENTS Gretzky Back on the Ice On the Cover Craft Distillery Travel Matt Jones 14 27 20 Relish and Relish and SPRING 2018 Issue 11 SPRING 2018 Issue 11 THE THE GretzkyGretzky WHISKYWHISKY Back TRAIL Back NEW PODCAST TRAIL On Ice SHOWCASES NEW PODCAST THE COCKTAIL THE WORLD’S SHOWCASES On Ice ULTIMATE SCOTCH GENIUS OF HIS FIRST THE COCKTAIL EXPERIENCE THE WORLD’S ROUND DRAFT PICK ULTIMATE SCOTCH GENIUS OFZACKARY HIS FIRST KVAS EXPERIENCE ROUND DRAFT PICK ZACKARY KVAS TALL SHIP THALASSA ENJOY SCOTCH TALLON SHIPTHE WATER THALASSA ENJOY SCOTCH ON THE WATERKENTUCKY BOURBON AFFAIR CULINARY DELIGHTS WITH BOURBON KENTUCKY NORTHERN BOURBON AFFAIR LIGHT CULINARY DELIGHTS RISING WITH BOURBON MattCANADA’S Jones INNOVATION NORTHERN LIGHT SOARS Matt Jones Relish and Whisky logo_Cover Alt.indd 1 2018-02-23 9:17 AM Relish and March/April 2018 Spring Issue 11 CONTENTS 12 Relish and Whisky Local Intimate Tasting Events 18 Glencairn Crystal Premium Glassware 28 The Dam Pub Now Serving Over 900 Whiskies 30 KY Bourbon Affair One Magical Week One Legendary Place 34 Malt Whisky Trail 41 Podcast 37 Your Questions 38 Blair Phillips 38 The Tall Ship Thalassa Whisky on Water 41 Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients 46 Scotch Whisky Association 34 Whisky Recipes 50 Irish Coffee 50 Glendalough Double Barrel and The Red Fox Inn THEMACALLAN.COM PLEASE SAVOUR RESPONSIBLY Relish and Editors Wee Bonny Scotland and not, of course, the beautiful sun and sand. Italy maybe? No no, what do I suggest, but the touring of a few Scottish Distilleries and some wonderfuly, some what pleasant, haggis, and a dram. Yes, that goes over well with everyone else in the I Family. So of to sun and sand we go. The Whisky Trail will need have been to wait another day to come true. Dreaming of Summer, Yet Life is full of compromises and I await patiently for the cold smiles. You can’t always get what you to retreat while sipping a want, but before this turns into a fa- spirit and looking out that mous Stones tune, let me remind you, frosted, freezing cold window. you can get a wonderful Whisky locally I am not going out there- or afar. Just research what your favour tonight. Nope. Not me. Then sences want, or attend an Intimate you realize the kids need Whisky Tasting in your neighbour- more milk for the morning hood, such as the ones we at Relish and out you go. Trekking and Whisky support. Our new web- through the snow, face down site will help with your decision and so the wind chill doesn’t bite allow you to enjoy the adventure. your face, mumbling under You may also reach out to us, and your breath. “Why are we liv- we will answer all we are able to answer. ing here in this climate, Mi- Not a one sided, “you have to have nus 42 with the wind chill, it this way” version but options that What the heaven is that?” A vacation is needed. But suit your mood profle. After all, where you would choose, is to taste is one’s own spirit and tour the damp rainy countryside of we must embrace the call. Robert Windover Editor/Publisher Thoughts Relish and Magazine Intimate Tastings Relish and Magazine Spring 2018 QC Magazine publishes quarterly Enjoy all our issues online at www.qcrelishandwhisky.ca All advertising please contact [email protected] Editorial Director | Editor Artistic Director Photographer National Advertising Sales Director Robert Windover Contributing Designer Mark Tenaglia Quintessentially Canadian Toronto, Canada Our Contributors Blair Phillips Johanne McInnis Fred Minnick Mary Gratzer Brigitte Beckers Stephanie Price Harper Collins Glencairn Crystal Scotch Whisky Association wearenxtlvl.com cover photo R|W Disclaimer: Relish and Whisky Magazine makes no warranties of any kind, written or implied regarding the contents of this maga- zine and expressly disclaims any warranty re- garding the accuracy or reliability of informa- tion contained herein. The views contained in this magazine are those of the writers and advertisers, they do not necessarily reflect the views of Relish and Whisky Magazine and its publisher, Quintessentially Canadian. Relish and Whisky Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Relish and Whisky Magazine assumes no respon- sibility for content of or reply to any ad. The advertiser assumes complete liability for the content of and all replies to any advertise- ment and for any claims made thereof. Gretzky Back on the Ice by Blair Phillips It was 9 am on a weekday in Niagara on the Lake. A respectable When Zac arrived, distiller Joshua Beach already had lineup had already formed at a small country store called The the distillery humming with three wine spirits dis- ItFruit Shack. People were picking up their butter tart orders, tilled and the first whisky, Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red some big enough to stock an end-of-the-world-bunker. They Cask, bottled. Two more whiskies joined the Wayne also sell homegrown fruits and vegetables from the proprietor’s Gretzky No. 99 label – Ice Cask and Ninety Nine Proof. farm, but I walked out with a tart. The sign on the highway lured me in, saying these are Canada’s best butter tarts, and when a “I remember when I started, I asked Josh, batch rolls out of the kitchen, they quickly sell out. The tart was inhaled before I got to the Wayne Gretzky distillery next door. ‘How weird do you want the cocktails?’ He said, ‘The weirder. The better.’ And Gretzky’s Estate Mixologist, Zachary Kvas, is no strang- I ran with that ever since,” says Zac. er to the Fruit Shack’s lineup. But, he doesn’t come here to buy tarts; that can wait until science figures out When it came time to pull the goalie, Zac swore by elaborate how to juice a butter tart into simple syrup. He’s shop- homemade spirit infusions to make Campari or Vermouth-like ping for seasonal ingredients for his cocktails, exquisite bar ingredients. It also forced him to revive antiquated cock- drinks that are worthy to be served from the Stanley Cup. tail techniques, like shrubs, where sweetened fruit/vegeta- ble bases and vinegar are infused into a souring ingredient. The Gretzky cocktail program was conceptualized in the spring of 2017. The idea was to create distinctive and elevat- And of course, he forges his own simple syrups. “You can ed cocktails with no outside spirits. “We made the decision put virtually anything into a simple syrup; one of the more early on to use what we create on site, and I’m glad we did. crazy ones I did was a carrot and dill simple syrup that It forced me to dig into my roots and get creative,” says Zac. turned out pretty dill-icious,” laughed Zac. “We try to stay lo- cal as much as we can and the vinegar can sometimes help He got his start bartending down the road at Backhouse, replace lemons or limes, but not always.” He doesn’t take a popular farm to table restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake. the local plan of attack lightly. If an ingredient isn’t available, The restaurant brought in Ottawa’s Stephanie Albert to de- he’s out foraging for them. Wild sumac, rosehip and pine velop their cocktail list, and after eight months of work- are key ingredients in some of the bar’s different tinctures. ing for her, she passed the torch. He spent a year running the bar before the distillery presented the opportunity, “I mean come on, Wayne Gretzky?!” jus- tified Zac. “The whisky is unbelievable, the man is a legend, and I feel so priv- ileged to be one of the creative forces driving the cocktail scene in Niagara.” R|W 14 A match made in heaven The complex, solid and gorgeous Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Ice Cask whisky bursts with rye spice and Vidal Icewine sweet- ness.