You are browsing the archive for hotel Archives - Miss Whisky.

Life in The Capital with Cesar Da Silva

February 13, 2013 in Interviews

People who work in the whisky industry are generally very proud of what they do. From the master distillers to master blenders, brand ambassadors and sales teams, everyone employed in this business tends to be in it because they love the spirit.

But one of the proudest people I have met of late has to be Cesar Da Silva, who heads up the bar at The Capital hotel in Knightsbridge, which offers a mixture of between 60-70 rare old bottlings and standard whiskies to its guests. For the past 17 years, Cesar has been living and breathing whisky and – during a recent interview – he showed no signs of changing that trajectory.

Cesar is well known within the whisky industry for being the youngest ever person to be initiated as a Keeper of the Quaich – the society that recognises those individuals who are dedicated to promoting the heritage and quality of Scotch. When we met at the bar, the badge he received in honour of it was clearly displayed on his jacket lapel.

“For whisky and the trade, it is my proudest achievement. When I got the notice, I did not have words to say. I was really proud but I was also very respectful of the industry inviting me,” he said, saying this honour even beat winning the Campari Bartender of the Year award in 2004.

I visited The Capital to speak to Cesar because it was one of those places I’d not come across very frequently during my whisky journey.  I was, therefore, keen to learn about the man behind the bar.

Cesar’s story begins nearly 20 years ago, when he first came to London as a 17-year old in 1996, after leaving his home country of Portugal behind in favour of trying to make it in “the capital”. As fate would have it, he ended up at The Capital working in the room service department. During his early years here, he completed a degree in hospitality and eventually started work in the hotel’s bar. He became its manager at the very young age of 24 and his main priority, even then, was in promoting whisky for he had been inspired by the spirit while still a teenager.

“My favourite distillery, without a doubt because I remember going at the age of 18, was Ardbeg. It was the smell. Everything about it was amazing,” he recalled fondly.

His love of Ardbeg continues to this day.

“I’ve been very lucky to be near to many whiskies but when it comes to Ardbeg, it’s very different and distinct. It’s so warm and welcoming; it’s not aggressive. It just says, ‘Drink me!’”

The only thing he laments is the fact older bottles are becoming harder to obtain since the distillery’s popularity has gone through the roof.

“I bought a 1975 Ardbeg sherry cask for the bar recently and my guests finished it in two days,” he said.

One of Cesar’s goals at the bar is to provide guests with rare whiskies they cannot get elsewhere. He does this by purchasing whisky at online auctions and then selling the whisky at a dram cost that isn’t too inflated from the purchase price (though, at £96/dram of 18 year old Macallan Gran Reserva, it will still be out of the reach of many people).

“We’re all about passing on the passion to the customers,” he explained.

To further forward that goal, the team at The Capital are also looking to push the hotel bar’s existence to a wider clientele. While it is known within a specific crowd, Cesar said they are working to increase that through various events such as whisky and cheese matching evenings, whisky tastings and cocktail masterclasses. He will also be working with the hotel restaurant’s new head chef  – Michelin starred Nathan Outlaw – to include whisky matching options that will appear on the menu at Outlaw’s Seafood & Grill.

And while many people might be looking to move on after 17 years in the same place of employment, Cesar seemed to be focused on improving the bar and spreading the word of whisky to the consumer, something he said is becoming easier as more people are educating themselves on the spirit.

“The word ‘whisky’ is expanding. I think people now know more but they also want to keep learning more,” he said.

The only downside to this expansion?

“I think it will, sadly, pump the price up. Twenty years ago people didn’t expect this increase in whisky sales,” he added.

For Cesar – and for the rest of those people proud to be in the whisky world – that may be a downside but at least it shows pride is well-placed. As more people come to drink whisky, I can only hope we’ll find more ‘ambassadors’ for this great spirit as in love with it as Cesar. I’m sure, though, that won’t be hard.

For more information on The Capital’s whisky bar and its whisky and food pairing events, visit: http://www.capitalhotel.co.uk/masterclasses_whisky.html

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
No Comments »

Burns Night: Where to celebrate

January 14, 2013 in Events

In less than two weeks, glasses will be raised, toasts made, Haggis eaten and ceilidh dances danced, all in honour of the birthday of poet Robert Burns.

Although he died nearly 217 years ago, the famous Scottish poet lives large in many people’s hearts and minds, and the annual celebration seems to grow every year, especially amongst the whisky community which will – no doubt – be celebrating with just as much gusto this year.

But, if you’ve not yet got plans yet, where should you look to go?

If you’re still at a loose end, here are a few options I’ve come across where you can recite the Scottish Bard’s poetry as loudly as you wish with few puzzled stares and drink delicious drams to warm you up this chilly January…

London:

Boisdale Canary Wharf

Boisdale: The three Boisdale restaurants in the chain (Canary Wharf, Belgravia and Bishopsgate) will each host evenings to honour Burns. Starting on the 21st January at the Belgravia branch (and continuing through the week there) along with events on the 24/25th January at the Canary Wharf and Bishopsgate locations, guests will be treated to pipers, Macsween’s haggis and Aberdeenshire Steaks and plenty of drams. For more information and to book, call the following: Boisdale of Canary Wharf, 020 7715 5818; Boisdale of Belgravia, 020 7730 6922; or Boisdale of Bishopsgate, 020 7283 1763.

The Lady Ottoline: In collaboration with Dramatic Whisky, the Lady Ottoline pub near Holborn will host a Burns Night dinner and tasting on the 24 January for £50 a head. The menu includes in-house smoked Loch Duart salmon, partridge and haggis, all paired with drams and given the Dramatic treatment. For more information and to book, email  info@theladyottoline.com, call them on 020 7831 0008 or visit, www.theladyottoline.com

The Athenaeum Hotel: The Piccadilly hotel whisky bar’s latest Whisky Social will be held in partnership with The Balvenie‘s Dr Andrew Forrester. The evening will include a Monkey Shoulder whisky cocktail on arrival, along with a four-course set menu paired with drams like The Balvenie Portwood and Caribbean Cask at a cost of £49. For more info and to book, call them on 0207 6403311 or email whisky@athenaeumhotel.com.

The Capital: If you fancy splurging on Burns Night, head over to The Capital Hotel, where Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw has created an £89 four-course tasting menu paired with whiskies chosen by the youngest ever Keeper of the Quaich and the hotel’s bar manager, Cesar da Silva. The tasting menu can also be ordered without the whiskies for £60 (but where would be the fun in that?). Further details can be found at www.capitalhotel.co.uk/restaurantbar.html

Deeny’s: Regular London market stall hosts Deeny’s will serve up their own take on haggis (the haggis toastie) and other goodies at two more informal events in London. The first on the 25th takes place at The Grafton pub in Kentish Town and the second happens at St Mark’s Church Hall near Dalston Kingsland, in collaboration with the Nest Collective. For more details on the events, check out Deeny’s blog here: http://deeneys.com/blog/?p=44

Scotch Malt Whisky Society: Over in Farringdon, the SMWS will host a Burns Night tasting with ambassador John McCheyne for members and non-members. The ticket price (£47 members/£52 non) includes five drams and a traditional Scottish supper. For more info, head to: http://www.smws.co.uk/whisky-tastings

Outside of London:

Chewton Glen, Country House Hotel

Chewton Glen

Chewton Glen: If you fancy making a country break of the event, head to the stunning Chewton Glen hotel in Hampshire on the 25th, which will be hosting a tasting, dinner and ceilidh in partnership with Glenfiddich. The hotel is offering packages, including the evening’s dinner, along with hotel stay, morning breakfast and access to spa facilities for £235 per person. For further details, head to: http://www.chewtonglen.com/whats-on/burns-night-celebration.aspx

Whiski Bar: At the Whiski Bar in Edinburgh, guests can take in a traditional Scottish dinner and a Talisker dram for £30 a head on the 25th. Fiddle band Muckle Flugga will entertain and – with the bar’s huge selection of whiskies – you’ll be sure to have a jolly old time. For more information, visit: http://www.whiskibar.co.uk/Burns_Night_2013.html

Edinburgh University’s Water of Life Society: Edinburgh University’s Water of Life Society will host a tasting for under £10 (a steal if you ask me!) on Sunday, 20 January. The price will include three drams, entry and entertainment by the Cosmic Ceilidh Band. More information can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/events/393946917364924/

St Columba’s Hospice: For a night that will make a difference to your life and others, head to Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange on the 25th where a Scottish band and traditional dinner will cost you £45 and help raise funds for the St Columba’s Hospice. For full details, head here: http://tinyurl.com/aho2fhu

NSPCC: For those of you in Birmingham who want to attend a charity evening, the NSPCC will be raising funds for ChildLine at its Robert Burns celebration on the 25th. Taking place at the Holte Suite at Aston Villa, the black-tie event costs £79 a head and includes a drinks reception and dinner. For more details on the charity, the event and how to book, head to: http://tinyurl.com/b633don

The Birmingham Whisky Club: The team at the Birmingham Whisky Club will host two events for Burns on the 24th and 25th at The Old Crown pub. For more information on each and to book, head to the team’s events page here: http://tinyurl.com/a6y97yh

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
No Comments »

A smoky dram for a cold night

December 5, 2012 in Uncategorized

I always relish trying a whisky which I’ve heard about for ages but not been able to get my hands on.

So, during a recent whisky tasting on a cold winter’s night at the newly refurbished Caledonian hotel in Edinburgh, I was very pleased when Ben Walker – the bar manager – brought out Smokehead Extra Black 18 year old as part of the trio my other half and I were to sample that night.

I’d heard about the Smokehead bottlings and even seen them on whisky shop shelves but – being a person who likes to try whisky before committing myself to a full bottle – hadn’t decided to settle on it until I knew what was hidden in its dark interior.

The tasting we did that night also included a much lighter Tullibardine 1993 – bottled specially for The Caledonian – and the Dalmore King Alexander III. It took place in the fabulously classic Peacock Alley – a train era style dining and bar lounge, dedicated to quiet opulence and creamy beige furnishings. If you’re up in Edinburgh anytime soon, I recommend popping by (even if only for a tea) just to take in its lovely surroundings.

Ben started us out on the Tullibardine to get our palates warmed up and told us stories of how he got involved in the whisky world. Despite spending much of his childhood in Spain, he considers himself truly Scottish at heart, since his grandfather sat on the board of 30 distilleries. He later went to a boarding school near Benromach and would often escape to take in the smells of the distillery. Two years ago, he came fourth in the Glenfiddich Malt Mastermind competition and also designed a “whisky bible” for the hotel – which used to have nearly 400 whiskies on its shelves. Since the revamp that number has dropped to around 125, but Ben is evidently passionate about getting anyone and everyone into whisky, telling us he’s been known to convert non-whisky drinkers into lovers of a dram in under 15 minutes.

As we listened to his tales, we also enjoyed the Tullibardine. While I loved the tropical fruit heavy nose, it was a bit too dainty for my palate, finishing quickly and leaving little evidence of its existence. Ben said he considered it a great summertime dram and I agreed – it’s one for hotter days when you just want something gentle to enjoy with a salad or fish dish.

Next up was the Dalmore King Alexander III. I’ve tried this one before and, while I enjoyed it then, don’t remember it standing out as a favourite. On this try, I liked the thick, orange, apricot and chocolate nose, and found the orange, cigar and wood palate to be pleasing but it didn’t shout excitedly out at me. I found the finish too short and without the “oomph” I like in a whisky on a cold winter’s night. My other half liked it, however, finding the balance enjoyable – still, it was his third favourite of the night too.

And finally, we got to the one I was most interested in – Smokehead Extra Black 18. This whisky was launched in 2009 and follows up from the 2006 release of the first Smokehead. There are 6,000 bottles released annually. It comes in a black bottle with contemporary silver writing, making it stand out in comparison to the other bottles on any whisky shelf. It is bottled by Ian McLeod distillers but the origins of the whisky are not revealed. I’ve heard talk it is an Ardbeg, and others have said it might be a Caol Ila. Ben told me he has heard rumour it is actually not from Islay but from the Isle of Arran distillery.

Regardless of its origins, it is definitely one to try. On the nose, there is a huge waft of peat that is balanced out by lemon peel, passion fruit and rosemary notes. Then, in the mouth, it really explodes – it’s deliciously creamy (hinting almost at butter), with a hefty smoke that is tempered by a sticky fruit and vanilla pod sweetness that bursts mid-sip. It’s got a great, oily finish that clings to the roof of the mouth and the flavour goes on and on long after you swallow. Best of all for me, my other half – who is normally adverse to smoky whisky – really took to this one, likely because it’s not all smoke, all the time. It’s a really interesting dram and I’m ever so glad to have tried it.

Thank you to The Caledonian hotel for inviting us to sample whisky and to Ben for his expertise. For more information on the hotel and its bars, visit: www.thecaledonianedinburgh.com

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
No Comments »

Cocktails in the afternoon

July 4, 2012 in Uncategorized

It’s always interesting to meet people one has only spoken to before in the Twittersphere – a space replete with whisky lovers.

And so it was last Friday when I had the chance to meet Jon of LivingRoom whisky – a blog started in Birmingham by two friends and neighbours.

It had happened by chance – I had recently run a competition on Miss Whisky with Suntory to win a bottle of Hibiki 17 and a cocktail lesson with the company’s UK brand ambassador and cocktail king Zoran Peric. Out of the many entries thrown (quite literally) into a hat, I pulled out Jon’s partner-in-blogging crime’s name – Mike. However, as Mike is a teacher, he was unable to make it down to London for the cocktail lesson, which he kindly passed on to Jon and his wife Sharon in his stead. How benevolent!

The event took place in the suave Bassoon Bar at the Corinthia Hotel – a plush 5* hotel hidden down Whitehall Place near Embankment. Upon arrival, I found Zoran prepping the bar, bottles of Suntory whisky lined up like soldiers awaiting orders.

I have written about my enjoyment of Suntory brands in the past (see: here). A go-to favourite is the gently peated Hakashu but I also enjoy the Yamazaki 12 as a standard bottle that will usually find itself in my cupboard. As I was there to be more of an observer, however, I was keen to see Jon and Sharon’s reaction to the drams.

As a bit of background, Japan exports a fair old schwak of whisky and if you’ve not tried them or not realised they’re rather tasty, I’d definitely recommend giving any of them a go. One of my most pleasing discoveries of last year was the Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu the First and I’ve yet to try a bad Japanese whisky.

But, much of the history starts with the Suntory group, which was founded by Shinjiro Torii who built Japan’s first distillery in the 1920s. While it wasn’t an easy start (the company almost failed a decade later) it rallied on release of its Kakubin blended whisky.  The company expanded when Torii’s son built Hakushu distillery (the world’s highest distillery) in 1973.

Soon after Jon and Sharon arrived, Zoran explained the history before launching into a tasting session, regaling us with tales of his trips to Japan. One of his favourite places, he said, is high up at the Hakashu Distillery, which sits in a forest.

“You can sit there and if you close your eyes and if you have a glass of Hakashu in your hands, everything makes sense,” he said.

Sounds enlightening indeed!

The tasting started out with the Yamazaki 12, which is a single malt whisky made from 70% American white oak barrels, 20% mizunara oak barrels and 10% Olorosso sherry barrels. It is the mizunara wood that gives it a distinctly Japanese touch – the wood comes from Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido, and adds deep  jammy fruit, citrus and sandlewood notes.

“It smells like walking into a temple,” explained Zoran of the casks.

This is a decadent sweet whisky, perfect (I find) as an after meal dessert replacement. Notes of banana and pear, toffee, butterscotch and cream flow through. It was Sharon’s favourite of the three we tried.

This was followed by the Hakushu 12 – a fresh, apple and pear whisky with teeny hints of smoke from the peated barley used in this brand – and the Hibiki 17. The latter is made of 30 types of grain and malt whiskies made at the Suntory distillery, and won the best Japanese blended whisky at this year’s Whisky Magazine, World Whisky Awards.

But, as the day was about cocktails, it was soon time to move on to allow Zoran to show off his skills with a shaker.

He demonstrated the ways to make two classic cocktails – the Rob Roy and an Old Fashioned – and another made up off the top of his head dependent on the preferences of the guests.

Jon’s favourite was the Old Fashioned made with Hibiki 17 – a labour intensive drink (if made correctly) that includes whisky, sugar, angostura bitters, orange peel and a drop of soda water. To make it correctly, according to Zoran, one must stir it for five to seven minutes to fully dissolve the sugar cube.

“These things take time to make. So it’s very Japanese,” he quipped.

Sharon, meanwhile, leaned towards the newly invented drink, which Zoran concocted from muddled fresh apricots, peach liqueur, orange bitters, Yamazaki 12 and a dash of ginger liqueur.

All in all, it was an interesting and fulfilling afternoon, a great pleasure to meet more people from the old Twittersphere and an even better excuse to have cocktails in the afternoon!

For more information about Suntory, its whiskies and history, visit: www.suntory.com/whisky

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1 Comment »

The life of a whisky sommelier

June 14, 2012 in Uncategorized

It’s not everyday you find out you’ve got one of the coolest jobs in the world. In fact, for most of us, it will probably never happen.

So, when Angelo Gobbi – the whisky sommelier at Mayfair hotel the Athenaeum – was told by his colleagues that Forbes had voted him as having one of the best hotel jobs anywhere, he presumed they were just kidding around with him.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he told me, laughing and holding his hands spread in a typically, Italian conversational way.

“To me, it’s the coolest job I could ever have. I will never forget when I was told about it. I just thought: ‘But a whisky sommelier doesn’t exist!’ ”

Angelo previously worked just down the road from the boutique Athenaeum hotel, as the bars manager of the larger Four Seasons hotel.

“We were quite lucky there because we had 45 to 50 whiskies in the bar,” he said.

Now, Angelo manages a “portfolio” of over 270 whiskies at the Athenaeum, consisting of drams from around the world and across the last century. His job as whisky sommelier is much like that of a wine sommelier: to speak with guests further about their choices for the evening and to help them map out what their taste buds might be after.

Angelo took on the role in 2010, but he says it took just over a year to really get the bar re-established in terms of its whisky offerings.

“There wasn’t anyone looking after the bar specifically. And, in a way, this place has always been renowned as a whisky bar, but there wasn’t someone also looking after the guests,” he explained.

Now, people know him as the go-to person to question and quiz about whisky when they’re visiting the bar or staying at the hotel itself.

“I have a few regulars who come in once a week to have whisky. What often happens is if I talk to someone at one table, people nearby hear and then ask if they can talk with me too,” he said, adding he never brings just one whisky to a table but always offers a choice of three or four so guests feel they can make the final decision themselves.

The hotel now hosts continuously sold-out Whisky Socials (one of which I wrote about here), featuring guests from the world of whisky talking about drams in a relaxed environment and pairing the whiskies with food. While these took a while to get going, Angelo says he is now having to turn down people as bookings are too busy.

“I want to keep them small,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to give the attention to everyone otherwise.”

As such, he expects the next set of whisky socials (due to begin later this year) will become more frequent to satisfy demand.

The only difficulty he finds in the bar is getting quality stock that won’t cost a fortune to replace old bottlings, in order to keep costs down for customers.

“Prices have started to go over the moon. And I don’t want people to think that because whisky is suddenly popular, we are just taking the piss with costs on the menu,” he said. “As a whisky lover, I feel upset when I see dust on a bottle. I’d prefer to have a wider selection with prices between £10-£20 which people can afford.”

So, with having one of the coolest hotel jobs, what is Angelo’s favourite part?

“There is nothing that makes me more happy than to have someone say, ‘I don’t like whisky’, and then for me to try to convince them to have a try. That’s my goal,” he added, smiling jollily.

If anyone was to inhabit this role, I couldn’t imagine a better candidate than Angelo. Effortlessly gracious, full to the brim about knowledge of every whisky and absolutely passionate about encouraging people to give it a try. The perfect candidate, indeed.

For more information about the whisky events such as the whisky social or whisky and cheese pairings at the Athenaeum Hotel, head here.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
1 Comment »

Penny Ellis speaks to Miss Whisky

March 30, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

 

In my latest Whisky Women profile, I speak to Penny Ellis, a director of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which runs from the 2-8 May this year. She is also owner, along with her husband Gavin, of the Knockomie Hotel located in Findhorn in Speyside, where she actively promotes whisky to all guests in the Malt Library, which features more than 80 single malts. To read the full profile, go here.

Tags: , , , , , ,
No Comments »