Scenes from a Whisky Fest

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The time: April 2, 2008
The place: The Puck Building, Manhattan.
The occasion: Whisky Fest

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The usual solid turnout for the sold-out event, sponsored by Whisky Magazine, drew patrons from several generations and all walks of life to what some refer to as "the Will & Grace building" to sample whiskies from the U.S., Ireland, Scotland and Japan.

The golden statue of the impish creature known as Puck adorns the exterior of the sprawling brick building at the southeast corner of Lafayette and Houston streets, an icon used in many scenes of the "Will & Grace" sit-com to make it appear as if the show's stars lived there.

Inside, rather than a series of apartments, you'll find a series of loft-like exhibition rooms. In this instance, Whisky Fest took up several of them to accommodate pouring tables, buffet stations, and a band stage, among other things.

Here are a few more shots by photographer April L. Dowd that caught the spirit of the evening.

















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What will they think of next? (April edition)

The never-ending search for new, new, new cocktails goes on wherever there is curiosity, inherent mixology talent and an appreciative crowd. This month, in honor of the mixed weather that marks a typical spring, I've collected a trio of disparate cocktail recipes to add to your collection.

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• Old Blue Eyes

This simple concoction is the most expensive cocktail offered at NeoMeze, a Mediterranean restaurant/lounge in Pasadena, CA -- a $21 selection in a sea of $12 drinks.

2 parts Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 part Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch

Combine liquors in a shaker filled with fresh ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a couple of olives.

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• Koi Cocktail

You may have seen my recent post about TY KU, the sake liqueur. Here's a recipe utilizing the neon green liquid, from About.com: Cocktails.

1 ounce TY KU liqueur
2 ounces Irish whiskey
2 drops peach bitters
lemon twist

Place the lemon twist and peach bitters in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. Muddle well to release and mix the lemon essence and bitters. Add ice, Irish whiskey and TY KU. Shake well. Strain into a champagne flute.

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• Mary Sue's Pimm's Cup

This drink was created, and copyrighted, back in '97 by the Food Network duo of Mary Sue Milliken and Sue Feniger.

Ice cubes
1 measure of Pimm's
2 measures of ginger ale
Lemon slices
Long cucumber spears
1/2 measure dry gin
Sprig of mint, for garnish

Almost fill a tall glass with ice cubes and pour Pimm's over the ice. Add the ginger ale and lemon slices, and stir briskly with the cucumber spears. Float dry gin on top and add mint sprig.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.