The Library Journal – August 2019 | Vol. 04, Ed. 08
GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS
It’s August, and summer is flying by! Chef Jason is taking advantage of the season to launch a late summer food menu. Don’t miss the chance to cool your heels in the Library and graze on dishes made with the best the PNW has to offer. Keep reading for more information on the new menu and the inspiration behind it.
Join us this month in supporting Providence Heart Institute! In advance of the 2019 Black & White Gala, MWL is doing our part to raise awareness and funds for this fantastic organization by auctioning off an MWL Membership! See below for details.
Also, if you’re a fan of our table side cocktail service, check out MWL General Manager, Kyle Sanders, and the Library featured in Fortune Magazine’s recent article Bar Carts Are Back: How This Revival Is Different.
As always, thank you for your readership, and we hope to see you soon!
EDUCATION MANAGER COLIN HOWARD
FEATURING JEFFERSON’S GRAND SELECTION – CHÂTEAU BARON PICHON
So much of what gives whiskey its alluring character – the dark aromas, spicy flavors, the rich caramel colors – is delivered from the type and quality of the barrels used when a spirit is laid down to mature for years on end. Whiskey of any kind runs off the still as clear as water, but once it reaches the blackened interior of the barrel, the spirit immediately begins drawing on the flavor aspects of that particular cask.
The next time you walk by a resting barrel on a distillery tour, it may seem still and peaceful, but in fact there is an active and evolving conversation unfolding between the fire-charred wood and the ever-tawnying spirit pushing back against its bowed staves.
Jefferson’s Bourbon Company has made it their mission in recent years to explore this relationship between whiskey and wood by finishing several limited batches of their bourbon in some of the world’s finest wine casks. Jefferson’s latest experiment intersects their bourbon with a French Oak wine cask from one of Bordeaux’s most prestigious producers: Chateau Pichon Baron of the Medoc.
Ch. Pichon Baron makes a rich and sturdy claret, made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon, that imprints its dark fruit flavors and brushy tannic structure into each barrel over the years. By the time the cask is emptied and has reached Jefferson’s for filling, it has developed a complex union of flavors between the absorbed wine and the uniquely matured french oak that constructs the vessel.
With cask finishing in whiskey production, there is no hard-and-fast rule that tells a whiskey maker that a certain spirit must sit in barrel for so many months or years at a time. It’s all about due diligence and timing, and the Jefferson’s team has shown their skill in this regard with the Grand Selection Chateau Pichon Baron Cask Finish.
The brighter and spicier notes from the original bourbon lay a foundation for the heaping of dark fruit, leather, and savory pastry aromas that are so synonymous with great Bordeaux red wines.
While these flavors seem disparate in character, they come together so that one can barely detect where each finishes and the next begins in the glass. A seamless union like this requires a skilled and seasoned hand to know when the work is complete, and all that’s left is to enjoy the result!
NEW COCKTAIL
“The new O.G. cocktail is very much inspired by POG,” says MWL Bar Manager Jordan Valls. “The “o” even stands for orange, and the “g” for guava. The O.G. is a very nice introductory whiskey cocktail and is one of the top sellers on the summer menu.”
POG, or Passion fruit-Orange-Guava, is a tropical juice drink created in 1971 by food whiz Mary Soon who worked for Haleakala Dairy on Maui, Hawaii. Come by and try our grown-up version of this bright summer drink on a hot day, and imagine yourself in paradise!
The O.G. Cocktail:
1.5 oz Wild Turkey Rye 101
.75 oz orange juice
.5 oz guava syrup*
.25 oz lemon juice
To Make:
Add ingredients to shaking tin, then fill with ice and shake well. Double strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
*Guava Syrup:
To make the guava syrup, start with a high quality purée (we use Perfect Purée). In a sauce pan, add one part guava puree, one part water, and 1.5 parts sugar. Bring to a boil, let cool, and then you’re in business! Store leftover purée in refrigerator.
MWL + PROVIDENCE HEART INSTITUTE
MWL SILENT AUCTION benefitting Providence Heart Institute
August 9 – September 9
Come by the Library to make your bid.
Already a Member? We’ve got you – you can gift the Membership to a friend or colleague!
For more information on membership at MWL, please email [email protected]
In the month leading up to the 2019 Black & White Ball at Providence Park, MWL is holding a silent auction with a coveted one-year Membership as the prize. Proceeds from this unique auction will benefit heart patients at Providence Heart Institute. Cardiac experts at Providence work daily to improve care for every heart through innovative research, treatments and prevention programs.
Providence Heart Institute is a national leader in cardiac care. More than 80 physicians and surgeons provide compassionate, world-class care.
In 2018, the Providence heart team provided care for 370,000 patient visits. These patients received highly advanced diagnostics and the best in medical and surgical care. Through clinical trials, they had access to new therapies, which are not yet generally available. And, they were empowered to become their healthiest selves through inspiring wellness and prevention programs.
Generous donors make a difference every day at Providence Heart Institute. Please join us in raising funds for this fantastic organization. Come by the Library to make your bid!
Going into the new menu, Chef Jason wanted the food to have a lighter, brighter feel.
“My idea was to make food that compliments the wide range of whiskeys and drinks we have here – but not overpower them. Brighter flavors and creative plating makes for dishes that not only taste amazing, but look amazing as well.
Being new to the PNW, I wanted to meld the flavors of my Cajun upbringing with local ingredients. Add a splash of other cuisines that I’ve worked with, and we end up with tasty things like the gochujang dijonnaise on the new tartare dish,” Chef Jason says.
The Deviled Eggs are a prime example of the idea behind the new summer menu. Plus, who doesn’t love deviled eggs?
“I love scotch eggs,” Chef Jason says, “but if you’ve ever made them, you know how finicky they can be. My goal was to evoke the taste and texture of a scotch egg with the playfulness of a deviled egg – and turn it up a notch.
We start with local farm eggs that we dye using red beets. Then we make a semi-traditional filling with bacon, aioli and dijon, but add crispy capers for a touch of brininess and crunch.
Instead of wrapping the egg in sausage, we top each egg with a “crouton” of breaded Andouille sausage – a cajun staple. To finish, we add a mild pepper jelly for a bit of sweet and spice. Then we spritz the plate with a peated whisky for a subtle taste and aroma of scotch.”
The new menu is live in the Library, so come on by and check it out!
MWL IN THE PRESS
Bar carts are back, and MWL has joined the acknowledged ranks of bars providing exceptional table-side service. As our Members and guests can attest, bar carts can take your experience to the next level.
“It’s akin to having a personal bartender at your table,” says MWL General Manager Kyle Sanders in a recent article in Fortune Magazine. Read the full story here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
AUGUST 17
Cocktail Class
Featuring Del Maguey Mezcal 1 Ticket Left
AUGUST 20
Closed for a Private Event
Please join us for a drink in the Green Room!
AUGUST 21
Cocktail Pairing Dinner
Featuring the flavors of New Orleans Sold Out
SEPTEMBER 10
Meet Your Maker with Maker’s Mark
hosted by Maker’s Mark Brand Ambassador David Kearns Tickets Available
