Posts tagged Adam Perry Lang
Holiday Whiskey Guide
A couple weeks back, we attended the Diageo Whisk(e)y Showcase at the Jimmy Kimmel Backlot. It’s always great to catch up with old friends. And I don’t just mean Dickel, Bulleit and Crown. There was solid representation from the OG Crown Royal Indy crew. Nobinger was wearing a nice jacket. Hanging with Whiskey Master Stephen Wilson is always a good time (lookin’ good, Steve!). Adam Perry Lang served up some of his finest signature barbecue dishes. I have extra-fond memories of this man’s brisket game from that 2013 #PocketBrisket moment where I seriously considered smuggling BBQ meat in my pockets so I could enjoy more brisket at the conclusion of a Dickel Whisky tasting event that was also held at the Jimmy Kimmel Backlot.
Anyway, aside from all the friends and good eats, we had a purpose – a real genuine purpose – and that was to sample and talk about some of the finest whisky/whiskeys on the market. So let’s get into it.
Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
What if I told you that the 2016 World Whisky of the Year can be had for 27 bucks at BevMo? Crazy right? Well according to the 13th edition of Jim Murray’s The Whisky Bible, that’s what’s up. Murray selected Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye as his top whisky of the year with a score of 97.5 out of 100. This rye isn’t a full rye. It’s made from 90% rye whisky and new blended whisky from the distillery in Gimli, Manitoba. You can sample this stuff neat, on the rocks, with a soft drink mixer or include it in a classic cocktail. It really doesn’t matter. This is a mellow, versatile, user-friendly rye that will make even the most snooty whisky lover pause and take notice. If you need to show up to someone’s place this holiday season with a spirit gift in hand, why not choose the under-$30 bottle that comes with a nice side-story of being the world’s best whisky for 2016?
Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Gerry Graham gave us the lowdown on the Blade and Bow 22, which took home Best Straight Bourbon and Double Gold honors at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Released by Stitzel-Weller, a distillery which has come into possession of some amazing historic whiskeys, this limited release caters to those who who want an extra kick of oak with their smooth whiskey finish. Some people like peety Scotches and some people like oaky whiskies. This finely packaged liquid includes whiskeys distilled at 17th and Breckinridge in Louisville (current address of the Bernheim Distillery) and the distillery historically located at 1001 Wilkinson Blvd. in Frankfort, Kentucky (which is the current address of the Buffalo Trace Distillery). If you need to find a gift for a whiskey archaeologist who can appreciate the limited/historic nature of curated warehouse barrel finds, Blalde and Bow 22 is the answer.
Bulleit Bourbon
Remember when you couldn’t find Bulleit anywhere? Now it’s a go-to selection for sipping or cocktail construction. And for good reason. We’ve written about our fondness for Bulleit at length in this space. Here’s a post that should sum up our feelings nicely. Bottom line, you can’t replicate the value, the utility and the warm reception that you get when you bring frontier whiskey to any party. Whether you go Bourbon, Rye (95% rye and my personal favorite) or 10-year, people will be happy to receive you when you arrive to a holiday event with Bulleit in your hand.
George Dickel
What do you get the foodie fella who appreciates whisky as much as good eats? Well that’s simple. Grab a copy of Adam Perry Lang’s Serious Barbecue and throw in a bottle of George Dickel. And if you want to see how this whisky plays nice with BBQ sauce, check out this video from the man himself:
Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel
I don’t know what it was about the festivities of the night, but for me the star of the Diageo Whisk(e)y Showcase was the Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel. It’s much more affordable than the Blade and Bow 22. It doesn’t come with the same accolades as the Northern Harvest Rye. I don’t have the same shared personal history with this liquid as I do with Bulleit and Dickel selections. Maybe it was Whisky Master Steve’s company that kept me going back for more. I just recall that this whiskey was full-bodied, crisp without kicking your butt and it had a rich, vanilla nose and a firm-but-silky finish. For less than $60 a bottle, it’s worth picking up this straight-from-the-barrel sample of Crown’s signature Coffey Rye Whisky.
And if all these individual whiskey tasting notes weren’t enough to steer you in the right direction, here are some cocktails from the fine mixologists at Scopa that should really put you in the holiday spirit:
Dickel in December
- 1.3 oz. George Dickel No. 12
- 0.75 oz. lemon juice
- 1 whole passion fruit
- 1 egg white
- 0.5 oz. honey syrup
- Cinnamon on top
Shake/ strain into cocktail glass/ microplane fresh cinnamon on top
Dickel Eastern Sour
- 1.3 oz. George Dickel Rye
- 0.75 oz. Lemon
- 0.75 oz. Orgeat
- 0.25 oz. Orange Juice
Whip dry/ crushed ice/ garnish orange wedge, wedged in center drank through a straw
Bulleit Boulevardier
- 1.3 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
- 0.75 oz. Campari
- 0.75 oz. sweet vermouth
- Orange Peel
Built/ ice/ stir/ peel
Crown Royal Canadian Rye Buck
- 01.5 oz. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
- 0.75 oz. ginger syrup
- 0.5 oz. lime
- Soda to fill
- Garnish with lime wheel
Whip with 1 cube, dump contents in collins glass, ice soda to fill, stir
As always, whether you’re consuming amazing BBQ, sipping on whiskey neat or enjoying some seasonal cocktails, please do it responsibly. Happy holidays!
Dec 22nd
Adam Perry Lang: Cooking with Whisky
Combining his incredible barbecue skills with delicious George Dickel Tennessee whisky, Chef Adam Perry Lang demonstrates how to make a great sauce with George Dickel No. 12.
Jan 27th
Adam Perry Lang Goes to Cascade Hollow To Witness George Dickel Craftsmanship
For chef Adam Perry Lang, serious barbecue requires serious commitment to doing things the right way. To him that means handcrafting to the highest standards – something they’ve been doing at George Dickel since it’s start more than 100 years ago. At the George Dickel distillery in Tullahoma, Tenn., the master distiller carries out each step the old-fashioned way, even procuring pure water from the same spring used by the whisky’s namesake himself back in 1870. In this video, Lang stops in to get a firsthand look at the process as part of his “Serious Barbecue” tour across the nation.
This summer, Lang set out to craft the ultimate barbecue experience, incorporating superior hand-crafted products every step of the way, from forging artisan knives in Wisconsin to throwing a barbecue party in the back lot of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show in Los Angeles.
“Adam Perry Lang is a craftsman, he’s always thinking about doing things the hard way, and he’s about doing things by hand. And that’s what George Dickel is about,” says Doug Kragel, national brand ambassador at George Dickel.
For the perfect mash of corn, barley and rye, George Dickel employs a master distiller who personally oversees the milling, yeasting, fermentation and distillation. That includes taking the extra step of chilling the whisky before it goes into the charcoal mellowing vats for a smoother taste.
Attention to detail, devotion to quality and passion are what American craftsmanship is all about, says Lang. “For me, it’s the essence, and that’s what I’ve captured here, and that’s why I’m so proud to partner up with them.”
In this episode, Adam travels to Cascade Hollow to learn more about how George Dickel hand made their whisky the hard way.
Oct 25th
Adam Perry Lang Interview
Adam Perry Lang is a classically French-trained chef that took his talents to the world of barbecue. He was the founder of the nationally acclaimed restaurant Daisy May’s BBQ. Lang is really serious about his barbecue. In his first year on the national barbecue circuit, he won Grand Champion honors at the World Pork Expo as well as first place for his Pork Shoulder “The World Series of BBQ” in Kansas City.
Lang traveled across the country this summer to collect the coolest handmade products for the ultimate tailgate, including George Dickel Tennessee Whisky. Adam prepared his famous barbecue for a cooking segment on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
He recently released the second edition of his first, New York Times best-selling book “Serious Barbecue.” It’s considered by many to be a “barbecue bible” and is currently available in bookstores or at his website.
Adam was kind enough to take the time to chat with me about grilling, his book, and his work with George Dickel Tennessee Whisky.
Art Eddy: First off I would like to discuss the reprinting of your book “Serious Barbecue.” What inspired you to reprint the book?
Adam Perry Lang: Well it was my first book, but I had the privilege to self-publish it. I got the rights back. There was such a demand for it. It was tough to get. It was very expensive on Amazon. I decided to take control of it and bought the rights back from the original publisher.
It is a re-issue of it. It is doing great. It is exactly as the title states. It is serious barbecue. What I found out about barbecue is that very few people want to know entry level barbecue. They want bragging rights barbecue out of the gate and I teach them that.
AE: Grilling can be somewhat intimidating. What are some tips you can give to people that tend to make hockey pucks out of meat on the grill?
APL: Well that is just the thing. It might be serious, but it is no difficult to do. You have to get very serious about it. When you are dealing with fire it is a bit more unruly than just turning a knob on a stove or a range. Whether you are doing it or not you have to get serious, because you turn your back on it and the fire almost has its own personality. It knows then you are walking away. It is going to get you.
AE: What do you prefer charcoal or gas?
APL: Definitely charcoal or wood. I am a live fire guy. Although I do like gas for certain things. I love it for its convenience. I recommend it all the time. I tell people to buy the grill that you are going to cook on the most. To me it is not just about cooking. It is about getting out there with your family, hanging out with your friends, and even just being out there by yourself. It is just being outdoors and getting to experience it for yourself.
While I prefer charcoal, wood, and natural forms of cooking because I love fire, I don’t down someone who is cooking with gas or an electric.
AE: For those who might not be the best chef, what type of meal is easy to cook and is somewhat foolproof?
APL: It is not the actual dish that makes it foolproof. It is the techniques. I think one of the best techniques to have is having a safe area on the grill. I typically take a flat cast iron griddle and put it on the pan. If the flames get out of control I can take the food and put it on the flat cast iron griddle. It is still getting cooked, but it gets a break from the direct fire and the flames.
Whether you are going hot dogs, hamburgers, pork, steak it is really less about the recipe and more letting yourself cook anything with some simple little tips. Those tips is what I go over in “Serious Barbecue” and in all of my books. That is how I like to teach people.
AE: You recently had teamed up with George Dickel Tennessee Whisky to create some excellent dishes. What was that experience like?
APL: Even before I met the awesome people at George Dickel I was always a whisky guy. I am not a big wine drinker. I am a beer and whisky drinker. For me whisky is the perfect pairing for grilling and just outdoor life. It is just a sipping drink. For me it is a break in the action for a lot of grilled meats.
Look at the Japanese. Every Yakitori type bar you go to has an awesome selection of whisky. They know what they are doing. For me pairing up with them was a natural fit. I was looking for someone like me, who was really like me, to jump on board with. Their whole motto is exactly what I am about, which is “hand made the hard way.”
I am really into craft. I am into doing things with my hands. Getting into it and not buying the simple way out. Here is a whisky company that as they are making the whisky they are taking the notes down. They are doing all by hand. They are tasting it. It is not heavily automated. It is all just wicked. For me that is how I like to cook. Plus I love their whisky. So it was an easy pairing.
AE: What is your favorite meal to make?
APL: I am a steak guy. I love grilling steaks. For me that is the ultimate. I cut them thick. I cook them hot, slow. I do many different things. I am known as what they call an active griller. I like to move stuff around the grill a lot. I just love steak. Charred, beautiful, sometimes dry aged, sometimes not and just straight off the grill. That’s when my kids are all over me. They want the first bite.
Sep 17th
