Ingredients

• 1 cup freshly brewed light roast hot coffee
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 jigger (shot glass) Irish whiskey (We recommend Bushmills)
• Heavy cream, slightly whipped

Fill a footed glass (shown above) with hot water to preheat, emptying it after about 5 minutes.  This helps keep the coffee from being shocked bitter when poured into a cold cup. Next, pour fresh brewed hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in Bushmills Irish whiskey, and top with a dollop of the lightly whipped heavy cream.  Enjoy immediately.

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Heading upstairs, you are met with an immaculate presentation of tables, art, lighting, and a view of the kitchen, along with an impossibly polite staff to match.  As you sit and take it all in, you feel comfortable, warm, and at ease.  Conversations around you are at a minimal volume and not distracting from the ambiance of the restaurant.

Then the drinks arrive.  These are no ordinary drinks, but perfectly crafted, properly glassed, works of art in liquid form.  Exquisite ingredients, perfect amounts of ice, the right ratio to allow each flavor to dance on the tongue.  My drink of choice tonight was the Manhattan neat, and I left there craving another.  It was perfect, heavenly in nature, velvet on the tongue.  Smooth would not begin to describe this drink.  (It is actually the drink that inspired our latest quick fix recipe)  My fellow diners all tried other classics, from a simple vodka and lemon to an Old Fashioned, all of which were enjoyed at the perfect pace and in the same, pleasant manner.  This was the perfect start to an amazing evening.

Now, there are often a few dishes I lean towards when dining out, and lately it has been Brussels sprouts.  Having been the victim of horrible recipes in the past, it took me a long time to get passed the memories and horrible flavors to rediscover this amazing green.  OneUP has a side order of crispy Brussels sprouts, and please take it from me, you want to order these first.  Multiple plates of them.  Make these your appetizer.  The char, the bitterness, all mixed with oils and fats from the bacon and seasoning, made these heavenly.  Were they the star of the show?  I would not go that far, but to say they stole quite a bit of the spotlight would be an honest statement.  They were astounding and easily shared and enjoyed by the whole table.

The star of the show though came with the main dish, and not even mine.  Across the table, one of my fellow diners ordered the mushroom risotto, made with sauteed mushrooms, leeks, truffle oil, and Parmesan.  Simple ingredients prepared so perfectly, brought together at the right time, it was heavenly.  The risotto was cooked to perfection, the perfect texture, as the Parmesan and truffle oil did not mask, but enhanced the whole dish.  It was balanced, light, and filling.  By no means were the braised ribs I ordered anything to sell short, but this perfectly made mushroom risotto was the meal of dreams.

It’s hard to wonder how such a perfect dining experience could exist in a hotel, where food is often thought the be the afterthought of most places.  But here, within the walls of the Grand Hyatt, I sat in wonder and amazement at the ingredients I had just experienced.  The perfect balance of ambiance, modern flair, and perfectly crafted food and drink, all within a welcoming and warm setting.

The post An evening at OneUP Restaurant & Lounge appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

At the beginning, there’s a quick, seriously it’s a quick taste of vanilla followed by mesquite mixed with pork. It’s a flashbang of flavor that slowly trickles down your throat eventually coating your stomach, bringing warmth in layers and smooth satisfaction. There’s eloquence to the process from glass to gut. This is not for the novice scotch drinker. Your palette needs to adapt to the complexity of this peaty and intense blast of flavor. Besides, with its 57.1% alc/vol (which means that like your author) it will only take one glass to feel the warmth in your head as well as your stomach.

Established as a commercial distillery in 1815, Ardbeg was a product of the distillery boom of Islay during the first quarter century in the 1800s. Known for some of the peatiest scotch in the world, Corryvreckan doesn’t disappoint. Even the name, Corryvreckan, sounds like it should be either yelled from the top of a hill in defiance to some English dandies or charted on a map as a destination in Braveheart. In fact, it’s actually named after a famous whirlpool north of Islay. I had never heard of Ardbeg until about a month before receiving the bottle. Being a Lagavulin, Talisker and Laphroaig supporter, I was astonished I had never been exposed to such a fine liquid until a visit to Los Angeles unearthed a bottle during a Photoshop lecture-turned-scotch-experience with friends.

After a glorious (yes, glorious) day of Ferrari seat time, nude models and a dry lakebed in the Mojave Desert combining all three into a blender of sexual frustration and red-blooded Italian passion, I was introduced into the world of Ardbeg hours later in the LA loft I would thankfully visit. Fast forward until that first twist of the cork which brought forth that smell and eventually the taste that really made me thankful for the slow process of how scotch whiskey is made. I’m not a religious man, but God bless this black magic.

In summary, this scotch, its name, the experience, should be an event. Celebrate something, or find a reason to enjoy what you have in your hands. I repeat; Johnny Walker Red or Black doesn’t hold a candle to this fine libation. Hide this from your acquaintances and keep it for your best man because the Ardbeg Corryvreckan deserves recognition and not some late night foray into the liquor cabinet. Get it from Masters Of Malt for $99.

The post Ardbeg Corryvreckan Single Malt Scotch Whiskey appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

• 2 ounces horseradish infused vodka
• 4 ounces tomato juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce olive juice
• 1/4 teaspoon horseradish
• 2 pinches celery salt
• 3 dashes sriracha sauce
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

To infuse vodka with horseradish, add 1/4 teaspoon per 2 ounces of vodka to a jar overnight. Rim glass with celery salt.  To prepare the drink, mix all liquid ingredients in a tall glass with ice, stirring quickly.  Garnish with a lime if needed.

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