CONCERTO No. 5
Recipe:
In an ice-filled shaker, combine:
• 1 ounce Glenkinchie Distiller’s Edition Scotch whisky rapid-infused with Schisandra berries
• ¾ ounce Ron Zacapa 23 rum
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• ½ ounce house made Concord grape syrup
• ½ ounce Cinzano Rosso vermouth
Strain into a coupe glass. Top with housemade foam infused with Concord grape and Schisandra berry, and hardened-sugar coral, and sprinkle with rose petals for aromatics.
THE
CONTESTANT
Elyse Kimmel
Hometown:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
What is the name of your cocktail?
Concerto No. 5
What inspired this garnish?
Schisandra berries were the inspiration for every component of my cocktail, and being that they are known as the “Five-Flavor Berry,” I wanted to keep the theme of five present throughout. Both the foam and the sugar tuile each consist of only five ingredients, five also being the number of ingredients in the cocktail. I wanted the experience of this drink to entice all five senses —the smell of the rose petals, the sight of varying textures, the sound of the sugar pattern cracking, the feel of the velvet foam, and of course the taste of the delicious combination of flavors.
What’s the inspiration behind this cocktail?
Schisandra berries convey the flavors bitter, salty, sweet, sour, and pungent—I decided to bring all of these elements into my cocktail with a collaboration between unexpected ingredients with a broad range of origins. This is why I decided on both Scotch whisky and rum for the base. Each component of the drink is pronounced, but they come together to create a beautiful symphony of flavors. This reminds me of the way that music has the ability to bring a broad spectrum of individuals together, which influenced my decision for the name.