Bar Minty: Spirit Guide Society Virtual Tastings with Seven Grand and Bar Jackalope
Last year I posted about checking out whiskey tastings at home. These virtual events quickly became the social activity around my house. I looked forward to getting together online with my whiskey buds and nerding out on bourbon, rye, Scotch and more.
One of the regular tastings I attend that I didn’t mention before were the Spirit Guide Society tastings with Pedro Shanahan from Seven Grand and Bar Jackalope. I used to attend the tastings at Seven Grand/ Bar Jackalope quite regularly and occasionally made it to the mezcal and tequila tastings at Las Perlas and the rum tastings at Cana Rum Bar. I miss these in person events.
Here’s a recap of some of the virtual ones I’ve done with the Society which are conducted on Youtube Live. They are recorded so you can watch them again later but it’s more fun to watch them live and type in your tasting notes into the chat. Once the event has been announced, you can order the tasting kit online and pick up at E. Stretto, the deli at Bar Clacson. Sadly Seven Grand is currently closed. Or if you can have the kits delivered. But I highly suggest going to E. Stretto so you can also buy their yummy sandwiches!
Lately I’ve been making cocktails with the samples after the tasting. Or if I have some of the booze, I’ll make a cocktail before the tasting like I did with this Knob Creek Manhattan for the Beam tasting. That was a great tasting because we also got to taste the coveted Little Book! This Manhattan uses Benedictine instead of sweet vermouth.
One of the drinks I miss the most from Seven Grand is their whiskey sours. Seven Grand was the first whiskey bar I went to and it’ll always have a special place in my heart. I made these whiskey sours for the Wild Turkey event.
When you set up a tasting at home, I suggest using the same sized glass for the samples. Fortunately I have plenty of glencairns.
At the end of last year, the last event featured 13 different pours from 8 different brands. It was amazing. And yes, I told you I had a lot of glencairns! I didn’t make a cocktail to go with this tasting as there was plenty to drink!
The first tasting of the new year was with Glenfarclas.
Those little glasses are from an anniversary party at Seven Grand a few years ago. Have I mentioned how much I miss that bar? Oh yeah, well, theses drinks are a Black Manhattan – Rob Roy mashup. I do have a lot of fun making cocktails after the tastings. I used the 10 and 12 year with Ramazotti and Punt e Mes.
While I’m used to the Youtube format (and you can also check out the tasting on Seven Grand’s instagram live), I do miss interacting with my fellow drinkers. Sometimes chat isn’t enough. I hope they work out a zoom tasting soon. In the meantime, I’ll happily partake. This was from the last tasting with Glenfiddich, one of my favorite scotches. I happen to have just gotten the Glenfiddich 14 which has been on my list forever. My new fave though might be the XX! And that’s what’s great about these online tastings. You are revisiting and sometimes discovering old and new favorites.
I made found this cocktail recipe for the Seven Grand Chancellor by googling Glenfiddich + Seven Grand. It comes by way of the Seven Grand in Austin. If you would like to make it at home, it does use ‘fiddich 12 originally as well as tawny port, blanc vermouth and orange bitters. It’s quite refreshing.
There’s still time to grab this week’s tasting! Tasting kit prices have ranged from $35-$50+. It depends on what you get. For instance, the Woodford one was one of the priciest but you also got a full sized bottle (Seven Grand’s barrel pick!) but plenty are around $35-40 and has enough booze for a nice Thursday evening.
See ya online for the next one!
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