What a night!
I was invited to the final heat of Orchard House’s “Flavor Without Limits: Battle of the Bartenders,” hosted at Beatnik West Town. Featuring five Chicago mixologists going head to head with their customized recipes using Orchard House, an award-winning blend of single malt whiskies showcasing a fruit-forward, spirit-driven style of Scotch, judges were Angela D’Orazio, Creative Director of Whiskymaking at Compass Box; Brett Pontoni, Specialty Spirits Buyer at Binny’s; and Brian Sturgulewski, Beverage Director for Bonhomme Group.
These three experts would sample and vote for their favorite drink. The winner was then determined by a combination of consumer votes and judges’ scores. For the winner, it meant an exclusive paid trip to London, including a behind the scenes visit to the Compass Box blending room. For those invited to attend, it meant sipping some great cocktails.
The five Chicago bartenders who took up the challenge to push Orchard House’s fruit-forward character in new directions were:
- Kristina Veltri (Bartender, Sportsman, Lone Wolf, and Nine Bar) – The Continental (Breakfast)
- Matt Devens (Bartender, The Aviary) – The Ben Nevis Fizz
- Doan Bui (Bartender, Heavy Feather) – Hive Found Love in an Orchard Place
- Sean “Gio” Giordano (Beverage Director, Pizz’amici) – Endlesswaltz
- Sage Huston, (Bartender Lilac Tiger) — The Fifth Elephant.
The result? Bold ideas, unexpected combinations, and seriously delicious drinks.
After a night of spirited competition and some heavy-duty tasting, Sage Huston, bartender at Lilac Tiger, took home the win with his cocktail “The Fifth Elephant.”
For those who want to make it at home, here’s the recipe.
The Fifth Elephant
By Sage Huston, Lilac Tiger
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces Compass Box Orchard House Scotch Whiskey
- 1.0 ounce Apple Butter Fennel Pepper Syrup
- 0.75 ounce Lime Juice
- 0.5 ounce Pineapple Amaro
- 0.5 ounce Saffron Liqueur
- 1 dash absinthe
Method:
Put all ingredients into tin, whip shake with pebble ice and dump into tall glass. Top with additional crushed ice and garnish with three apple slices geometrically.
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ABOUT COMPASS BOX
Founded in 2000, Compass Box is on a mission to make the world of Scotch whisky a more interesting place – exploring undiscovered territories beyond the map. From their Blending Room in Richmond, London, they continue to push the boundaries of what whisky can be, guided by flavor, not convention. Calling themselves Scotch Whiskymakers, a word they invented because they’re all about going beyond tradition, their belief is that whiskies aren’t stumbled upon but are deliberately imagined and masterfully blended with a balance of curiosity and precision that challenges assumptions at every step.
At Compass Box, the saying is “Where others repeat, we reinvent – uncovering flavor experiences that surprise and delight.”
Start your Compass Box journey with their signature blend, Orchard House. Then, venture deeper into the flavor territories of Scotch with The Classics, Nectarosity, The Peat Monster, and Crimson Casks. Ready to go further? Their Limited Editions are where boundaries dissolve and new discoveries await. This is whisky beyond the map.
With their own stocks of maturing whiskies in Scotland and a small team of passionate whisky-lovers, they aim to delight everyone from curious newcomers to devoted aficionados.
Compass Box offers a way to experience a world of Scotch whisky reimagined, one with more flavors, more character, and more imagination than any other spirit. Scotch whisky deserves to be explored.
ABOUT BEATNIK WEST TOWN
An exotic neighborhood escape with globetrotting cuisine, tropical cocktails, bohemian interiors and a great place to watch sports in Chicago’s West Town.
