Glen Moray celebrates Old Fashioned Week

Mid September 2019, I received an invite to attend a Glen Moray Masterclass hosted by Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison, from World’s Best Spirits. I duly accepted this invite and attended along with my friend and Glasgow University colleague, Lee Moulder.

The aim of this evening was to shift the perception of Single Malt in order to make Old Fashioned Week 2019, a bit more adventurous. Old Fashioned Week runs from 1st November 2019 to 10th November 2019.

Using the whiskies from the Glen Moray Elgin Classic Collection and the recently released Glen Moray Fired Oak 10 Year Old Single Malt, Neil and Joel have created five new innovative twists on the classic Old Fashioned Cocktail.

In addition to the innovative recipes, and again in collaboration with World’s Best Spirits, Glen Moray ran a series of Old-Fashioned Masterclasses across the UK this Autumn. The masterclasses ensured that the mastery of creating this historic cocktail was spread to the trade and consumers, whilst also encouraging people to be inventive and explore the Glen Moray range by creating their own Glen Moray Old Fashioned masterpiece.

Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison of World’s Best Spirits say: “We are firm believers that Scotch, especially single malt, should be explored in as many diverse serves as possible and the Old Fashioned is a wonderfully flavoursome vehicle to experience the huge variety of flavours on offer: from lighter, fruity and vanilla notes, through to big, rich, bold and spicy ones.  The Glen Moray range works really well to illustrate this.”

Another key ingredient to an Old Fashioned are bitters, so to further enhance and elevate an Old Fashioned, or any other whisky cocktail, the Glen Moray team has created their own unique Glen Moray Bitters. The aromas and flavours of the Glen Moray Bitters are from the maceration and distillation of rosemary and pepper with natural quinquina, dry gentian, absinthe, angelica and whisky. Although Glen Moray Bitters cannot currently be purchased, they are available to bar tenders and will be showcased at masterclasses and consumer shows around the world.

The world famous Griottines Cherries, which are part of the La Martiniquaise-Bardinet company which owns Glen Moray Distillery, are also launching in the UK this October. Not only is a cherry an essential addition to a classic Old Fashioned cocktail, but Griottines Cherries are held in the highest regard by bartenders and mixologists the world over.

Here are the five new Glen Moray Old Fashioned Cocktails for 2020:

1.     Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish: Marmalade Old Fashioned
50ml Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish
1 heaped tsp of marmalade
3 dashes of Aztec chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers)
Ice

In an Old Fashioned glass, add the marmalade and whisky and stir down. Add a couple of cubes of ice and pour over the whisky. Stir down again before adding the bitters. Add more ice and stir. Once the drink is balanced, garnish with candied orange.

2.     Glen Moray Elgin Classic: Play It Again, Sam
50ml Glen Moray Elgin Classic
1 tsp of golden caster sugar
2 tsp water
2 tsp rose water
1 dash cardamom bitters (Bob’s bitters)
Ice

In an Old Fashioned glass, mix the sugar and water by stirring with a bar spoon, slowly adding ice. Then add the rose water and keep stirring. Add more ice, and the whisky followed by the dash of bitters until smooth.  Add more cubed ice. Garnish with a rose petal.

3.     Glen Moray Port Cask Finish: The Pink Old Fashioned 
50ml Glen Moray Port Cask Finish
1 tsp of golden caster sugar
2 tsp of water
2 dashes cherry bitters (Fee Brothers)
Ice

In an Old Fashioned glass, add the sugar and water with a cube of ice and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the whisky and stir down with another cube of ice. Then add the bitters and another cube of ice, while stirring down. Keep adding ice and stirring until the drink is well balanced and not too diluted. Garnish with a fresh cherry. Option to lengthen with sparking water for an ‘Old Fashioned Spritz’.

4.     Glen Moray Fired Oak: Southern Old Fashioned
50ml Glen Moray Fired Oak
1 tsp Maple Syrup
2 dashes habanero shrub (Bittermens Hellfire habanero shrub)
Ice

Add the maple syrup and the whisky into an Old Fashioned glass and stir a few times to mix together.  Then fill with three ice cubes and add 2 dashes of the habanero shrub. Keep adding ice, stirring and tasting until perfectly balanced and garnish with a green chili pepper cut down the middle. Optional: rim the glass with chili salt.

5.     Glen Moray Peated Single Malt: Smoke and Mirrors
50ml Glen Moray Peated Single Malt
1 tsp dark brown soft sugar
2 tsp water
2 dashes black walnut bitters (Fee Brothers)
Ice

In an Old Fashioned glass, add the sugar and water and mix. Add a cube of ice and continue to mix. Add the bitters, more ice and mix. Finally, once the drink is the right mix of flavours, garnish with a sprig of pine. 

If you are still unsure about experimenting and creating your own Old Fashioned Cocktail, World’s Best Spirits have created excellent short film guides to making an Old Fashioned. Please click on the link to see how to create a Glen Moray Classic Old Fashioned and a Glen Moray Fired Oak Old Fashioned.