ARN to EWR (or the Swedish whisky lovers guide to New York) Part II

This is the second part of a post started here.

Where to buy Whisk(e)y?

Many Swedes come to New York for the sole purpose of doing some shopping, and many whisky enthusiast think they can make some good deals on whisky as well. You definitely can, but it might not be as easy as you think. Sweden has been blessed and cursed with a state controlled liquor store known as Systembolaget. Without getting to political, Systembolaget has it's critics, but the truth is that Systembolaget offer an outstanding selection compared to what many stores in other countries can offer. There are two major things that most Swedes don't realize or know about liquor laws in the US, that highly reduce the selection compared to what could be available if the laws where different. First, liquor laws are state specific ranging from strict controlled with state run stores (e.g. Virginia) to more liberal law where wine and spirits are sold in super markets (e.g.
California). New York falls in between with privately owned but dedicated wine and liquor stores that has it's own set of regulations. Different state laws make buying from other states difficult or even sometimes illegal.

More however, most states operate on a three tier system, whose roots dates back to prohibition, which means that importers/producers go through distributers who sell to retailers, a business can only fulfill one of these roles, which leaves the retailers in the hands of what the distributers offer, they can not go directly to a producer or import themselves, and vice versa. Small producer has to compete for attention from the distributors with the large international spirit producers and might not even produce enough annual to make the distributors interested.

This together might mean that if there is no state distributer for the brand you are interested in you might not be able to get it, even if it's sold in other states. This also means that prices can vary a lot from state to state, e.g. Ardbeg Uigedail can be found for as low as $55 in California, but expect to pay closer to $80 in New York.

The whiskey shelves at Astor Wines

The second thing that affect the availability of non american spirits in USA, is the federal regulations that require spirit to be sold in bottles of 750ml vs. 700ml in Europe and most of the rest of the world. A lot of producers, from big to small, will not bother to bottle their product in two different sizes and therefore leave out the US market. This is one of the main reason smaller independent bottlers of Scotch are not on the US market. The big independent bottlers that are on the US market (such as Signatory, Gordon & MacPhail, Duncan Taylor and Ian Macleod) have significantly fewer releases in the US versus Europe. However the Single Cask releases that find their way here are often US exclusives since it's not worth the effort to bottle a single cask in two different bottle sizes.

That said, there are much good whisky to find in New York. Liquor stores come in many different forms, from specialists to large wine stores to those old school hole in the wall stores, where all the booze and the teller is protected behind bullet proof glass. The two stores I always recommend are: Park Avenue Liquor, who just moved to a new location on Madison avenue. Don't confuse this with Madison Avenue Liquor on the same avenue (Park Avenue Liquor's old location was also on Madison Ave, it has been many years since they were on Park Ave, but they have kept the name). They probably have the best selection of whisky in New York, although they are by far not the cheapest. My personal favorite is Astor Wines. Primarily a wine store but with an excellent selection for spirits including whisk(e)y from all over the world. Both stores offer store exclusive bottles of whisky, Park Ave more so than Astor. Here is you chance to find something that you can not find anywhere else.

What Whisk(e)y to buy?

The obvious answer is American Whiskey, such as bourbon or rye. The selection at Systembolaget has really improved in the last few years, although the selection is incomparable with what's available in New York and some brands are still highly overpriced at Systembolaget.

What exactly to buy? My advice to you is first, come prepared. Read up on what is available, read reviews and most of all have several alternatives. Second, try it first if possible (see bar recommendations in part I). Bourbon is hot, and limited and small batches barely touch the store shelves before they are sold out (some brands literally never hit the shelves before they are sold out). Here are some categories:

Kentucky Straight Bourbon (and other traditional American whiskey): There are many brands of bourbon and rye, but most are produced by the big producers in Kentucky (and Tennessee). Not long ago their whiskey was stuck in the warehouses because no one was buying it. Now it's flying off the shelves at a rate that has forced producers such as Buffalo Trace to sell on allocation (i.e. distributor allocates how much each store will receive, versus the store telling them how much they want). The bottom line is, many of these whiskies are unbeatable in quality especially with the price considered. You can still find excellent bourbons for under $30 that is of decent age and taste better than what most new craft distillers can produce. That said, the next category is Craft Whiskey, although there are some really vile stuff out there. The craft distilling industry has just exploded in the last few years and there also many exciting and good tasting new products out there. Craft whiskey tends to be priced higher (many come in small 375ml bottles, priced as 750ml), most of it is very young, often aged for less than two years in really small barrels. It is a special flavor profile that some people love and others hate. The explosion of craft distillers and so-called artisan spirits has also created a lot of new brands that actually are what we call Sourced Whiskey. Sourced whiskey is not necessarily a bad thing, actually most traditional bourbons and rye from Kentucky are sold under names not related to the distillery name. Producers that sell sourced whiskey are in theory not much different from independent bottlers when it comes to Scotch. The fact is that much of the sourced whiskey is of high quality and comes from such distilleries as MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana (a former Seagrams distillery) or even from one of the big Canadian distilleries. The difference and problem, in many people's eyes, is that some of these new producers go to extreme lengths to hide the fact that they are sourced, marketing their product often as something locally and traditionally made. A telling sign (but unfortunately not a foolproof way, due to regulations not being properly enforced) is that if the whiskey label states that the whiskey is "produced in" somewhere rather than "distilled in," it might very well be sourced from somewhere else. Although this whiskey is perfectly fine, you might end up overpaying for something just for a made up story.

My recommendation here is to go for something not available at Systembolaget or something that is much cheaper in New York. e.g W.L. Weller is an excellent bourbon from Buffalo Trace distillery made with the same wheat-based mash bill as the legendary Pappy van Winkle. Speaking of...

Where do I find Pappy Van Winkle?

Easy, just follow the rainbow to the end, ignore the pot of gold, and look for the leprechaun hiding behind it. He will sell you a bottle in exchange for some unicorn meat. Seriously, I often see people on Swedish forums recommend New York-bound travelers to buy high-profile whiskeys such as Pappy van Winkle or George T. Stagg. The truth is that these whiskeys are easier to find outside of USA at this point (mostly at auctions). Albeit being annually released, in almost all cases, the few stores that get bottles will sell them to their top customers, and most often you'll have to be on VIP or insider email lists at these stores to even have a chance. That is actually not entirely true; there has been a slight change in the trend and you can actually, at this date, find stores in NYC that has Pappy on the shelves. The reason they are still there: a more than 10x mark-up on the retail price by the store. This does not mean that you can not try it. A large part of the annual allocations go to bars and restaurants, and for a short period during the fall, you might be able to find it on the menu, often at a pretty hefty sum, but not necessarily outrageous.

How about Scotch? 

In spite of the laws limiting the selection of Scotch imported to the States, there are definitely deals to be made, either on US market-exclusive bottles and/or on different pricing strategy in US. Some current examples (that most likely will be outdated soon): Oban is Diageo's best-selling single malt in the US. Therefore there is, in addition to the 14-year-old and distillers' edition, an 18-year-old available on the US market. In addition, the new Oban Little Bay was just recently launched in the US and has so far not reached any other markets except Duty Free. Macallan recently launched a Macallan Rare Cask in their 1824 range. There is an official Jura called Brooklyn made in collaboration with some well-known Brooklyn profiles. Mortlach Rare old, albeit widely available in Europe, has just seen a big price reduction from Diageo for unknown reasons. It can be found for as low as $50, and remember in the US, it's a 750ml bottle (vs 500ml in Europe) as well. Park Avenue Liquor offers a 24-year-old Highland Park from SMWS. Park Avenue Liquor was also the home of the first Compass Box Peat Monster and has therefore a store exclusive, cask-strength version of the latest Peat Monster 10th Anniversary. Speaking of Compass box, there is a Great King Street, New York Blend available as well.

If you are in New York for a longer period, you might have the opportunity to order some Scotch from out of state. Two stores that excel in bringing in exclusive single casks are K&L Wines in California and Binny's in Chicago. Well worth taking a look.

When it comes to independent bottlers, expect to find some US-exclusive casks; the downside is the lack of reviews online compared to casks released in Europe, so it will be a bit more of a gamble unless you have the chance to try it in a bar or restaurant.

Other whiskey?

The US has finally started to catch up with Europe when it comes to Japanese whiskey; most standard expressions from both Suntory and Nikka are available. At least one release of Chichibu is available, and e.g. Hakushu Heavily Peated is still available. No small batch and no silent distillery (with the exception of the two Karuizawa casks bottled by K&L Wines) has reached US shores. Kavalan has a full range, but beware that Kavalan Solist releases don't state Solist on the label due to some trademark issues.

A fun whisky to maybe pick up is the French Single Malt called Brenne, available only in US so far and imported by the New York-based Alison Patel.

Systembolaget offers only six different Canadian whiskys and truth to be told, it is not top shelf stuff. Although Canadian whisky outsold American whiskey in USA every year from prohibition to 2010, a similar selection has been available here, but that is changing. More and more high quality Canadian whisky is available in the US, some in the disguise of US craft whiskey sourced from Canada. If you are interested you should at least try Lot No. 40, Masterson 10 year old Rye or Whistle Pig, three excellent Canadian rye whiskies.

How about duty-free at the Airport?

If you fly out of either JFK or EWR, the selection is pretty sad, and the prices are not much cheaper than what you could find in the city. Newark is generally worse than JFK. Both airports' Scotch selection is primarily focused on blended Scotch, such as Johnnie Walker. The best bet is to look for the cask-strength edition of Blue Label. Note that Green Label and Gold Label 18-year-old were discontinued much later in the US, and is still available in many stores, albeit not in duty-free at EWR (Green Label has actually been re-introduced for an undisclosed limited time).

JFK offers some harder to find blends such as Buchanan's and Old Parr (both primarily sold in South America or Asia). JFK also had Glenmorangie Ealanta as late as end of last year, while it had been sold out for a long time in the city.

When it comes to bourbon or other American whiskey, the choice I am afraid is very limited: primarily Jack Daniels, Maker's Mark and Bulliet Rye and Bourbon.

Are there any distilleries to visit?

Yes, if you have time, you can rent a car and drive up to Tuthilltown Distillery (famous for their Hudson bourbon and other whiskey), only two hours north of the city (beware, US roads do not necessarily hold higher standard than Swedish roads, and my first attempt to get to the distillery was stopped by a pothole not far north of the New Jersey Turnpike. A nice day at the distillery was replaced with a few hours at a roadside McDonald's waiting for a tow truck.). The distillery is small and the tour is not that long, but if you get the founder Ralph or his son Gable Erenzo as your tour guide, you have an excellent opportunity to find out what it requires to start a distillery in New York. Mr. Erenzo pioneered distilling in the state during modern times and has fought a lot of regulations and bureaucracy to get the distillery and the Hudson brand to where it is today. The tour ends with a tasting (have a designated driver), and you have the opportunity to buy the whiskey there. The price is slightly higher than the cheapest you can find in the city, but the difference is minor IMHO, and it feels better supporting them directly.

Much easier to get to - and if you have less time to spare - is Kings County Distillery located in Dumbo, near the first subway stop in Brooklyn on the F line. The distillery is really pushing the limits on what can be defined as a farm distillery (the cheapest distilling permit you can get in New York state). It's small and interesting to see. Last time I visited, they just got their shiny new stills made by Forsyth in Rothes, Scotland.

There are other producers of spirit in the city, that on occasion offers tours.

ARN to EWR (or the Swedish whisky lovers guide to New York) Part I

This post became so long I broke it up in two parts, the second part is posted here.

I follow a handful of whisky-related blogs and forums on a daily basis, many of them Swedish. Swedish whisky drinkers not only drink a lot, they are also very passionate about their hobby. With direct flights from Sweden to New York, many Swedes take vacation to New York and I frequently see questions on what a whisky lover should do in the Big Apple. I thought I would just write down my recommendations. Although written with a Swedish reader in mind, I am sure this could prove helpful to any visitor to New York.

First off, you don't go to New York for its whisky. I don't have to stress that New York offers so much for a tourist and whisky should certainly not be the main focus for any visit. That said, New York is a culinary "mecca" and there is no harm in enjoying a good drink with the fabulous food the city can offer.

Where to stay?

Among New York's many hotels, there are a handful that have excellent bars worth a visit even if you are not staying at the hotel. Some of these bars focus on whisky; for example, Soho Grand. In addition to being a nice hotel located near some of the best shopping in NYC, their Grand Wiskey Bar has a decent selection of American whiskey well worth a visit. They offer both full (2oz ~= 6cl) and half pours (1oz ~=3cl). The Nomad in the Flatiron district has, in addition to a Michelin-starred restaurant (The NoMad), a nice bar that servers whisky and bespoke cocktails. Whereever you stay you'll most likely be just a stone's throw away from a drinking hole that either has a decent selection of whisky or serves excellent cocktails.

Where to drink (and eat)?

In addition to drinking whisky, New York is an excellent opportunity to experience the revival of the speakeasy and the cocktail. There are many cocktail bars that serve up excellent concoctions made with artisan liquors and bitters, more often than not, based on whisky, but there are also bars that focus solely on spirits. Both types belong among my favorites listed here (not even close to an exhaustive list). As a Swede, beware that you never order drinks or cocktail by the volume of spirit. The bartender will pour you what he thinks is an appropriate size for the cocktail asked for. The exception is for a few places that will offer half pours of whisky (or other fine spirits), which usually mean 1oz instead of the usual 2oz.

The Highlands in the West Village is a nice neighborhood Scottish gastropub, in addition to having a decent Scotch list, they also serve up excellent hearty food (try their Beef Wellington, for example). The cocktail you can not miss here is the "McQueen," originally created by their head bartender at their sister pub, "Mary, Queen of Scots" (which sadly has closed). A potent cocktail featuring such ingredients such as Laphroaig, Compass Box Great King St, Fidenco Mescal and Chocolate bitters.
There are many other excellent restaurant choices in the neighborhood, if you just stay for drinks. Succulent BBQ at Mighty Quinn's (with a nice list of American artisanal draught beers), Brasserie En, a Japanese brasserie that sports not only excellent food, but a good selection of sake and Japanese beer and whisky, and Spice Market, Jean Georges' southeast Asian outpost, to name a few.

For a more relaxed and quiet time, try The Brandy Library in Tribeca, which houses one of New York's most extensive collection of brown liquors, all set in a library-like environment. Their whisky list is impressive. The more rare whiskies are not on the menu, so you'll have to ask or browse the shelves. They either pour you a full 2oz or you can go for a flight of six .5oz pours. If you can't choose they will most often let you try first. Prices are up there though. Since they only serve finger food, you'll have to fill your belly elsewhere. Bubby's Diner is just down the block for some wholesome American comfort food. One more block west you'll find Locanda Verde, an excellent and hip Italian restaurant (also good for brunch). Actually within a few blocks, you'll find many of New York's high-end restaurants.

Brandy Library's sister bar is called Copper and Oak, located on the Lower East Side. This is just a hole-in-the-wall, seating no more than 8-10 people, but with an excellent whisky list. Probably the only place in New York to have multiple Karuizawas on the menu (surprisingly neither of cask #8775 nor #869, which is the only bottles released in the US). They also have a selection of Single Grain whiskies, including a nice North of Scotland 1964 from Scott's Selection (see my 2014 review post).
Lower East Side offers a lot when it comes to cheap eat and drinks (less and less as the neighborhood gentrifies) to balance the large tab you'll likely build up at Copper and Oak. The neighborhood is not short of beer drinking locations. Marshall Stack down the block is a nice bar with 10 to 20 beers on tap at all times, but the best selection of the neighborhood and a definite visit for any beer lover is Top Hops on Orchard Street. One of New York's best stocked beer store that also offers a "tasting" bar with 20 beers on tap. American beer lovers will find it hard to leave this place. A classic tourist attraction in the neighborhood is Katz's Deli, New York's oldest delicatessen.

If the quiet environment of Brandy Library and Copper and Oak does not suit you, there is a rather more lively bar in Tribeca (a few blocks from Brandy Library) called Ward III, which has both cocktails and a lot of whisky to choose from, mostly American. They offer free tastings on occasion as well. This is one of the places that might actually have Pappy (more on Pappy in part II) on the shelves for a limited time. If you love cooking yourself, you should not miss the Japanese knives store, Korin, just two blocks south.

Irish whiskey is on the rise, especially in America, and a for Swede this is a good opportunity to drink some Irish whiskey, which is hard to find at home. Dead Rabbit in the Financial District has one of the city's best selection of Irish Whiskey. Here is your chance to try some really good pot still whiskies, such as Redbreast 12 yo cask strength and Powers John's Lane Release. The renowned bartender Jack McGarry mixes excellent cocktails as well.

If your travel company is not much of a whisky drinker, but rather a wine drinker, there is a wine and whisky bar, called The Vintry, on a happening small street in the Financial District. What looks like a typical wine bar actually has an impressive whisky list, including rare bottling from silent distilleries such as Glen Mohr, Dallas Dhu, Littlemill, etc. They offer both 1oz and 2oz pours, but remember if you don't want to have your whisky in a tumbler, you'll have to let them know and the number of Glencairn glasses are limited.

The Flatiron Room in the Flatiron District is another well-stocked whisky lounge, with an impressive whisky list curated by New York's first whisky sommelier, Heather Greene (former brand ambassador for Glenfiddich and author of "Whisk(e)y Distilled"). The Flatiron Room offers tastings and classes on a regular basis as well.

In the same neighborhood you'll also find Rye House, an unpretentious buzzing pub with decent bar food such as sandwiches and burgers. The neighborhood offers up much to eat. BLT Prime is an excellent choice for their Porterhouse for two. It is a bit more contemporary than old school restaurants such as Peter Luger's or Wolfgang's, but the steaks are still good. BarnJoo is a hip Korean gastropub with solid chicken wings and pork belly. They also has a "hidden" whisky bar in the basement called The Grain. The NoMad (as mentioned above) has a chicken for two worth trying if you want to splurge.

The adventurous Swede will leave Manhattan and venture to Brooklyn. Williamsburg will make most Swedes that frequent Sodermalm feel at home. One of the best bets for whisky in Williamsburg (and in NYC) is Normann's Kil. At the other end of Williamsburg, you'll find The Whiskey Shop attached to The Whiskey Brooklyn. The former is a hole-in-the-wall whisky shop with friendly staff.  The latter is a sports bar that servers whisky. If you want to chase down the whisky with some beer (or the other way around), you are only a stone's throw away from Brooklyn Brewery or you can cross the park to Greenpoint where Mikeller's "Evil Twin" has a bar called Torst. Some of the artwork inside is done by Omnipollo's Karl Grandin. Willamsburg also hosts one of the best BBQ joints in NYC: Fette Sau. In addition to slowly smoked meat, served on trays with parchment paper, they have a nice selection of beers and bourbons. Be prepared to stand in line and fight for a spot on any of the communal tables, a system that can get any orderly Swede to stress out.

Another part of Brooklyn called Cobble Hill houses Char No.4, a whiskey bar and restaurant named after the hardest level of charring of bourbon casks. With more than 150 American whiskeys on the menu, and extremely knowledgable and friendly staff, this is a bourbon lover's paradise. They offer American fare with a focus on smoked meat and often hosts tastings as well. Before Nikka launched on the U.S. market, this was one of the few places you could sample some of their whisky. If you like to start your drinking early, there is a brunch spot down the block that serves excellent brunch cocktails, including several varieties of Bloody Mary, called Clover Club.

Join me in part II where I talk about buying whisky in New York.