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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/598044
www.cheersonline.com 19 November/December 2015 • 19 November/December 2015 • "I thought a few years ago there was a growing understanding that it's not all about sherry, and you can get great complexity from other styles as well, but the pendulum may be swinging back," he notes. Brandy Library is home to some of the most expensive and rare brown spirits available. Looking to appeal to younger consumers, Desoblin opened a second operation, Cooper & Oak, last year on New York's Lower East Side. The small, library-like set-up boasts walls lined with deconstructed bourbon barrels offering 1-oz. and 2-oz. pours of expensive whiskies for neophyte explorers. Desoblin has found the alternate portions appeal to those with less to spend. OH CANADA! Few of the new whisky enthusiasts favor Canada's enormous output, ironic given that much of the popular rye sold today originated in Canada. Perhaps it's due to the way the whiskey from the country has been long been promoted as smooth, unintimidating and easy to drink. Hurst, for one, thinks that's too bad. "We don't have as much of a Canadian section as I'd like—the quality for the price is outrageous, but it's hard to get people interested," he says. Says Desoblin: "The people who don't mind spending money, they are still rather closed to the idea of Canadian whisky. It's a shame, because they have wonderful things, although distribution isn't great on the more fancy releases, but we get what we can." The consumer perception that Canadian is inferior is strong, he says, although like Hurst, Desoblin fi nds the better brands quite exciting. Hurst includes whiskies "from wherever we can fi nd a good product," so brands from India, Taiwan, Tasmania and a 100% rye from The Netherlands are on his list. Seven Grand includes Welsh, Taiwanese, English, Australian, French and English whiskies when they are available. Kavilan, the Taiwanese whiskey, has been swept up in the craze for Asian whiskey. The major Indian brand imported here, Amrut, gets good reviews from whiskey sellers, but the market has yet to grow. "People are becoming so experienced that they want to go outside the box and try something they have never heard of all the time," Hurst says. "We brought [English whisky] on because we loved it, and it seemed a natural fi t on the menu." Now, like other rare fi nds, he's out of stock. "It's crazy how many whiskies that we had to work really hard to get people educated on and give it a shot now sell themselves," he notes. To fi nd a better way to manage its whiskey surge, Seven Grand built a second bar in the back. Called Bar Jackalope, it's a sort of library where only whiskey is sold and offered in small fl ight portions. Many of the most heavily allocated items are exclusively offered at Bar Jackalope to allow afi cionados to get a chance to sip in a more controlled and quiet atmosphere. Three price tiers and no set fl ight menu means bartenders and hosts get to chat with guests to create interesting combinations. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Although guests today tend to be more interested and knowledgeable about whiskey, operators say that customer education still matters. So does staff training. "It all really depends on our knowledge—people come in to fi nd things out, and having a good staff ready to speak about whisky with a customer, who knows what he or she's talking about makes all the difference," Rundle says. Seven Grand runs a whiskey society with monthly tastings and classes on rare whiskies, old and new, hosted by their "spirit guide," Pedro Shanahan. Memberships include a bottle locker purchase in Bar Jackalope. There are weekly bartender trainings at Jackalope and biweekly sessions in Seven Grand proper to keep staff on top of the latest offerings available. Hurst says it's important—even in whiskey-loving operations—to use the menu to help sell any item until it catches on. "We make sure we say something about why we have something so it stands out and the guests can get an idea without asking the server." Some guests don't ask questions, he notes. "They're shy about not being knowledgeable, so the more information you can give them without them having to probe for it, it makes navigating a list as large as ours much easier." Jack Robertiello is a wine and spirits writer/consultant based in Brooklyn, NY. At Bern's Steak House, a fi ne-dining venue in Tampa, FL, Scotch whiskies—especially rare single malts—still lead the way.