Thirsty Thursday
It is rare to have the entire PARC Aspen team under the same roof at the same time so we try to capitalize as much as we can when we’re all together. Fortunately for us, that happened a few weeks ago when the Food & Wine Classic descended upon our quaint town. Along with hosting our very first event and attending Saturday & Sunday of the classic, which you can read about in our last blog, we also snuck in some time to try out our highly anticipated cocktail menu!
Wine & Beverage Director Greg Van Wagner, with the help of Sommelier Jeff Otterson put together a killer list of tastes for us to sample to help piece together the final menu.. In total, we tried 11 different cocktails, ranging from high ABV to no ABV and everything in between [it’s all about balance when sampling 11 different cocktails ;)]. Though we’re still refining our menu choices, below are three of the crowd favorites!
Strawberry Fields [Second Taste]
Hendricks, Fever Tree Tonic, Strawberry, Pink Peppercorn, Rosemary
This is the PARC Aspen take on a gin & tonic served in a burgundy glass with fresh cubed ice and rosemary / pink peppercorn as garnishes. Greg has crafted this classic cocktail with Hendricks, allowing the crisp, clean flavors of all ELEVEN fine botanicals to fuse together with the Fever Tree tonic, fresh strawberries, pink peppercorn & rosemary.
A little known / unknown fact about Hendricks Gin is that the process to make this gin is quite laborious. A full description of their distilling process can be found on their website here. The CliffNotes version is as follows: the team at Hendricks creates TWO gins and melds them together to create the flavor profile every gin lover knows. They distill one gin in an old-fashioned pot still and the other in a long-necked Carter Head, which gives a more refined, delicate spirit. Each still is infused with the eleven aforementioned botanicals and then married together with an infusion of Rose and Cucumber.
The unique profile in Hendricks allows for the Fever Tree tonic, strawberries, rosemary and pink peppercorn to shine through and provide a gentle yet refreshing cocktail!
Plus, not only does this drink taste incredible, it also photos like a superstar!
Next up, we’ll jump down to the sixth taste…
Health Insurance [Sixth Taste]
Turmeric, Ginger, Cayenne, Black Pepper, Honey, Lemon
Something of note for this cocktail is that it is actually a mocktail! The first two sips are the most intense, providing a little kick from both the cayenne and the ginger, yet once the drink settles the flavors complement one another perfectly. For you teetotalers out there, this drink will spice up your meal AND keep the doctor at bay for another day ;)
Our goal is to create a few no / low ABV cocktails to offer a little something for everyone. Sometimes it is nice to unwind after a long day of outdoor activities with a health forward beverage! AND for those of you in the mood to booze this up, our beverage team recommends ordering this one with mezcal, Doña Vega will be flowing for the local in all of us! The smoky, “oven-cooked” essence of mezcal will pair perfectly with the zingy turmeric, black pepper and lemon! PS, the lemon is always made fresh!
The final cocktail feature from the tasting is none other than our eleventh taste.
The NightCap [Eleventh Taste]
Cognac De Luze VSOP, Antica Carpano Sweet Vermouth, Amaro Nonino, Cointreau
A truly unique cocktail featuring a liquor that is traditionally served neat. Let’s start by unpacking the exotic aromas found in the Cognac De Luze VSOP: vanilla, dried plum, candied fruit, cinnamon, chocolate. This particular cognac is a “unique blend of eaux-de-vie from Grande and Petite Champagne”, which is matured in French oak barrels before being blended by a Cognac Cellar Master. To say this Cognac is smooth would be an understatement.
Blending into our NightCap next is the complex bouquet and unique vanilla notes from the Antica Carpano Sweet Vermouth. The ideal combination to bring out the subtle vanilla notes from the Cognac De Luxe. This drink is finished off with the citrus and caramel flavoring of traditional Amaro Nonino and intensified by the famous flavor amplifier Cointreau.
The entire team was taken aback by the sweet yet electric mixture of these Italian and French liquors. The taste lingers in your mouth as each sip becomes sweeter and sweeter. Our recommendation, order this to compliment one of our house made dessert classics, you will not be disappointed!
While we tried a NUMBER of cocktails at our first tasting, the full menu still remains an open case file! Over the next few months, leading up to our fall opening, we will be testing even more new, and classic, cocktails. Be sure to tune in on our social media channels to catch a glimpse of these taste testers! Follow us on instagram at @parcaspen and on Facebook at PARC Aspen.
Below are a few additional photos taken during our team cocktail tasting! For your viewing pleasure :)
Written by Camille Carlin
