Chef Brian Brown and Bar Manager Vanna Hem
Drink: “Tokyo Drift” — Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, Plum and Red Wine Reduction, Anise, Mole Bitters
Dish: Seared Sea Scallops, Wasabi-Apple Puree, Scallion Pancake, Blackberry Hoisin Coulis
Hoping to surprise customers with a new style of cuisine, Vanna Hem and Chef Brian Brown decided to give their pairing an Asian twist. Hem, noticing the “nice complex spice” in Woodford Reserve’s rye whiskey, thought it would go well with a similarly spiced cocktail brightened by fruit. Hem, fond of incorporating wine into his cocktails, reduced plums to a sweetened liquid and simmered them with pinot noir. Once mixed, Hem’s cocktail takes two forms. He explains that when the garnish of lemon peel and torched star anise is placed in the glass, the cocktail transforms. Marveling at the way it permeates the drink as it soaks, Hem says, “It’s an evolution of a cocktail sitting right in front of you.” In tandem with Brown’s small plate of scallops with blackberry hoisin reduction and wasabi-apple puree, the plum and pepper notes in the cocktail unfold neatly.
Seared Sea Scallops, Wasabi-Apple Puree, Scallion Pancake, Blackberry Hoisin Coulis with the "Tokyo Drift"
CRAFTED CAREFULLY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 45.2% Alc. by Vol.
