Introducing The Glenfiddich Blazer Serve - "The Heavy Char"
As Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich here in the United States, I get to spend a lot of time on the road, sharing our wonderful whiskies with friends across the country and further afield.
I love to enjoy our drams neat or with a splash of still water. But, when the occasion calls for something a little more spirited, it's great to accentuate the sweet, oaky richness of our single malts by using them to create some wonderful cocktails at home or behind the bar.
For me, adding Glenfiddich to a cocktail will do for your taste buds what placing a pocket square on your suit will do for your appearance - it just makes sense!
With Halloween happening this weekend, I recently had some fun creating a fiery concoction using our Small Batch Reserve, Glenfiddich 18 Year Old. Since spirits of all types awaken on Halloween, I decided to pair this with some Ancho Reyes liquor (from Mexico) to create a truly spellbinding serve, one that will warm up any cold, dark night and will scare off those evil spirits…like vodka or gin.
To make this serve at home, you'll need the following ingredients:
- 50ml Glenfiddich 18 Year Old
- 20ml Ancho Reyes
- 3 dashes of Aztec chocolate bitters
- 5ml Green Chartreuse
- Orange zest
- Dusting of nutmeg
- 1 cinnamon stick
But what is the trick to this delicious whisky treat?
Well this is a ‘blazer’ cocktail, so you really want the base spirit to be robust and strong enough to ignite - that's where the Chartreuse comes in!
Prepare your glassware (a snifter glass is ideal) by pouring in some boiling water and allowing it to heat through.
This might also be a good time to clear your bar top of any obstacles!
Now you can combine the liquid ingredients and ignite the serve. Or, if you're feeling particularly daring, you can continually pour the liquid from one blazer cup to another for that extra wow factor. Remember though, the cups you use must be made of copper (see above).
For those with beards, like myself, this is a good time to be extra careful.
Once the elixir is set ablaze, zest an orange rind over the top of the glass; season it with some citrus oil and dust with a little nutmeg to spout forth some fantastic explosions of flavour and light. Finally, drop in one stick of cinnamon to complete the visual theatre.
Enjoy wisely. I find this serve goes perfectly with a square or two of dark chocolate.
Let me know how you enjoyed it on Twitter, @GlenfiddichSGR.
Happy Halloween!
Struan Grant Ralph
Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador for Eastern USA