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The SWE crew is just back from our first-ever “Specifically Spirits” mini-conference (held in Washington DC on April 26, 2019), and we are pleased to declare it a great success! We’d like to thank our attendees, many of whom were first-time participants in an SWE program. For those of you who couldn’t make it, here are a few of the highlights.
First up: “Herbs and Flowers, Weeds and Seeds: The Beauty of Botanicals” presented by Jane A. Nickles, CSE, CWE (yours truly). This session presented six botanically-infused spirits, while concentrating on the botanical components themselves. Attendees were each provided with nine (super-cute) labeled jars containing the botanicals and were encouraged to sniff, crush, and taste each one. The featured botanicals included juniper berry, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, cardamom, cubeb berry, bergamot, rose hips, and allspice.
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Each botanical was introduced along with a little bit of scientific (botanical) information, its typical aroma/taste profile, and bits of its local lore. For instance, did you know that allspice is named for its aromas (described as a cross between cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove), but was originally believed to be black pepper—which is while it is often referred to as pimento or pimienta? Or that orris root is the dried root of the lovely iris flower?
The spirits (and botanicals) tasted included the following: Bluecoat American Dry Gin (featuring juniper berry, coriander seed, and angelica root), Drumshanbo Slow Distilled Gunpowder Irish Gin (featuring orris root and cardamom), Bobby’s Schiedam Dry Gin (featuring cubeb berry), Sacred Rosehip cup (featuring rosehips), and Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto (featuring Bergamotto di Reggio-Calabria). Attendees were gifted a “botanical aroma kit” featuring 10 glass vials with aromatic botanicals as well as a selection of botanical teas and candies.
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Next up was “American Spirit,” presented by Ben Coffelt, CSW and Shields Hood, CSS, CWE. This session traced the history of the United States along with the history of American whiskey. Here’s how Shields and Ben describe the session: George Washington’s presidency. The Civil War. The Railroad. The Industrial Revolution. World War II. Through almost every step of the American journey, one spirit has been our constant companion: whiskey. From early Monongahela ryes to our modern finished bourbons, attendees will learn about the role whiskey has played in American culture and history.
The whiskeys that were presented (and tasted) included the following: Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select Tennessee Whiskey, Whistle Pig 10 Year Straight Rye Whiskey, and Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Revival Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
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Following lunch, attendees were treated to a session by the name of “That’s the Spirit 2019,” presented by Trudy Thomas, CSE, CSW. Trudy is the Director of Beverage operations at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center, and her session revolved around the latest trends that she has observed throughout the resort’s more than twenty food and beverage outlets, as well as her in-depth knowledge of the industry as a whole.
The trends (and spirits) that were featured in Trudy’s session included the following: craft vermouth (featuring Trincheri Sweet Vermouth), drinking globally (featuring Roku Gin), American brandy (featuring Copper & Kings Brandy American Craft Brandy), private barrel programs (featuring Casa Noble Single Barrel Reposado Tequila), and the importance of the story behind the pour (featuring Piggyback Rye).
Our final session of the day was “Cognac: a Culmination of Excellence,” presented by Hugh Lander, CSS. Cognac has long had the reputation as the “king of brandies,” and its quality and complexity place it alongside the finest of fine whiskies. This information-packed session discussed just what it is that makes cognac unique among spirits—starting with the region, the climate, the crus, and the soils.
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Hugh was able to break down the seemingly complicated aging requirements for cognac, and the audience was fascinated to learn that the reason some aging designations are in English (such as VSOP – “very special old pale”) rather than French is that England was historically considered the main market for cognac—and even today a huge majority of cognac is exported (and not consumed by the French)! To wrap it up, we discussed how the numerous regulations cognac must adhere to are actually the result of centuries of best practice in winemaking, distillation, and aging. The cognacs sipped along the way included Courvoisier VS, Remy Martin VSOP, Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, and Remy Martin XO.
An hors d’oeuvre reception and walk-around tasting featuring a range of spirits as well as local distilleries provided the capstone to the day. Featured distilleries included One Eight Distilling (Washington DC), Catoctin Creek Distilling Company (Purcellville, VA), Falls Church Distillers (Falls Church, VA), New Columbia Distilling (Green Hat Gin/Washington DC), Republic Restoratives (Washington DC), and KO Distilling (Manassas, VA). In addition, the lovely Sharron McCarthy was on hand to pour a delicious and minty Florio Fernet from Sicily, Sartori di Verona Villa Marzia Limoncello, and Castello Banfi Tuscan Grappa.
And a good time was had by all!