Scotch and Scots come to Houston for Whiskies of the World
Whiskies of the World (WOW) took place Sept. 30 at the J.W. Mariott hotel in Houston, TX.
The event included more than 200 distilled spirits from around the world including Laphroaig and Balvenie. Whiskey ambassadors and makers participated in masterclasses and provided tastings to attendees of all backgrounds.
Attendees were able to sample expressions of whiskies such as Scotch, Bourbon, Irish and Canadian whiskies from around the world.
“The convention was overwhelming at first,” said Jessica Douglas, WOW attendee and Whiskey Cake employee. “There was so much to do and so many whiskies to try. The experience was wonderful and I loved talking to everyone.”
Reserve 101, located in Downtown Houston, was in attendance at WOW. Reserve 101’s Lead Bartender Ryan Holcomb was at the event as well as Owner and Operator of Reserve 101 Mike Raymond, who conducted a masterclass at the event.
The convention was open to whiskey lovers of all knowledge and expertise.
“WOW is a great way for aficionados and newcomers to get to know the industry,” Holcomb said. “The assortment of whiskies they had were vast. It wasn’t geared toward the whiskey snob. Whether you like Jack Daniels or Macallen, you felt welcomed by everyone.”
Douglas was able to taste some old favorites and find some new favorite whiskies as well.
“My favorite whiskies were Oban Little Bay and Kilbeggan’s Traditional,” Douglas said.
Some booths included food pairings, cigar pairings and free swag from distilleries. Douglas purchased McQuade’s Celtic Chutney’s Habanero flavor after tasting it at a pairing.
VIP tickets included free merchandise such as sphere ice molds, shot glasses and bar blades. Each ticket included a ticket for a whiskey seminar called masterclasses.
Reserve 101 conducted a masterclass on how to create four different types of Old Fashioned at home.
“The masterclass was great, I always enjoy being able to talk to people about whiskey and cocktails,” Raymond said. “I chose the topic because the Old Fashion is a drink that everyone has heard of before but few knew of it’s history. Also, I wanted recipes that people could make at home without too much difficulty.”
While the masterclass took place toward the end of the convention, 9 p.m., attendees still had fun learning about the classic drink.
“Mike Raymond made the class fun and interactive,” said Douglas. “It was very informative.”
Reserve 101 is known for creating new blends at their bar. Raymond blended barrels from the Whitmeyers and Iron Root distilleries together to create a new whiskey Reserve 101 is selling. Proceeds from the blend will be donated to the Hurricane Harvey relief.
“We have multiple private bottlings we have done through the years that range from hand picking a barrel to blending our own scotch,” Raymond said.
Holcomb helped created the new cocktail menu “Winter is not coming.”
“My favorite drink on the menu is called the ‘Haraiian Punch,’ a play on Hawaiian Punch,” Holcomb said. “It’s not like anything else on our menu. Leslie and I created it together when we were goofing around one day. This kind of drink is not typical at Reserve 101 because it’s a rum drink served in a hurricane glass.”
Check out Reserve 101’s new cocktail menu here.
