Check out this award-winning Manhattan that our instructor Rob Turek won for Best Manhattan in Cleveland and fourth best in a NYC national contest sponsored by Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Esquire Magazine!

 "Whiskey around the World" at Manhattan’s of Toledo was a great time, good food, and very educational, especially if you didn’t know anything about whiskey.  We started our “Whiskey around the World” trip with Bulleit Rye Whiskey made in Kentucky.  An opening cocktail was offered any way you like; I had mine in a Manhattan on the rocks.   The Bulleit Rye is made with 95%  rye grains, aged 4-7 yrs. It has a golden amber color, was smooth and had a slight spicy (hot) flavor on its own.  Adding a cube of ice, toned down the spice and made it much smoother.  It sells for around $27 a bottle.

Next stop, Scotland-- a shot of Johnny Walker Double Black served with the Appetizer Buffet which included Skewered Lime Shrimp, Cold-Smoked Salmon and Rye l'amuse and Roasted/Spiced Nuts.  The Johnny Walker DB has recently been released to the public as it was only available in duty free shops prior. It is a blended scotch made from malted barley (other grains) that is smoked with peat and has no age statement since it comes from various aged barrels most 10 yrs and up.  JWDB had a very intense smoky aroma, deep dark amber color, and goes down very warm and smooth. Cost is around $46/bottle. 

Bushmill’s Black Bush an Irish Whiskey was served with a Mixed Green Salad topped with a Whiskey Dressing for the second course.  The BBB is a blended whiskey made from malted barley & other grains and aged 8-10 yrs in sherry casks.  It has a nice amber color, was very warm almost hot when swallowing yet smooth. It also had a slight sweetness from the Sherry casks. A 750 mL bottle is about $30. 

Onward to our Northern neighbors, Canada’s Crown Royal Reserve was served with the third course, Corn Chowder--quite tasty.  CRR is a blended whiskey made select barrels of CR aging whiskey of which there are over 1 million to choose from.  It has an amber color, was warm and smooth and had a slight spice to it. This CRR sells for around $43 a bottle. We travel back to Scotland for the World’s Best Scotch, Johnny Walker Blue Label served with Pork Tenderloin & Squash Ravioli. This is a blended whisky made from the rarest casks of Johnny Walker’s stock.  Currently JW has 7.5 million barrels of whisky aging in Scotland. The value of this whisky exceeds that of England and 46 other countries GNP.   JWBlue has a smoky aroma but not as intense as the double black. It also has deep amber color, and is very warm and smooth.  Since it is considered the World’s best it has a price tag to match at $215 a bottle.  

The evening ended with coffee and a Corn Cake with Whiskey Cream Sauce dessert--of course we couldn’t end without the whiskey and yes it was very delicious. My personal favorite was the Bulleit Rye Whiskey and my least favorites were the Johnny Walkers mostly because I do not care for smoked drinks or foods and their flavor & aromas are distinctly smoky.  The JWBlue was definitely the smoothest of all and I know my table mates who are whiskey drinkers liked it very much along with the CRReserve. 

I did learn the differences between whiskey, bourbon, scotch, & Irish whiskey’s.  It is all about where they are distilled, aged, and bottled along with what they are made primarily from.  All whiskey’s are made from grains (corn, wheat, rye &/or barley). No coloring additives are added, the color must come from the casks in which the whiskey ages in. Once bottled the aging process is complete. Some casks are charred & must be new and others may be previously used from whiskey or wine.  Bourbon is an American product made of no less than 51% corn.  Scotch must be distilled, aged & bottled in Scotland to be labeled scotch--otherwise it is called whiskey.  Irish whiskey must be distilled & aged in Ireland to be labeled an Irish whiskey.                                      Lesa Beaupry