An Evening Of Fine American Whiskey and Tapas
Celebrity Chef Abhijit Saha in association with {DISCUS} The Distilled Spirits Council of USA, presented an evening of specially curated Tapas paired with fine American Whiskey at Mediterranean all-day dining restaurant and lounge Fava, Bangalore. A pioneering spirits company, Beam Suntory Inc., featured some of the exquisite brands of their American Whiskey portfolio at the event, offering Jim Beam Black, Jim Beam White, and Maker’s Mark.
Tanya Fontes with India American Whiskey Ambassador Shatbhi Basu
Tanya Fontes with Celebrity Chef Abhijit Saha
Tanya Fontes with Celebrity Chef Abhijit Saha and Mrs. Shruti Saha
Hosted by India Whiskey Ambassador, Shatbhi Basu, the evening offered an interactive session to understand the nuances of American Whiskey. This unconventional style of sipping whiskey in unique formats, combined with Chef Saha’s signature gastronomy, took the edge off the usual staidness that surrounds whiskey tasting. The evening was punctuated with fascinating facts & fun anecdotes about the assortment of whiskeys on offer and the people behind them.
The evening began with Shatbhi Basu’s ‘rub test’ ~ requesting us {her guests} to take a few drops of Jim Beam on the palm of our hands and rub them together ~ allowing us to grasp what four-year-old whiskey in American terms actually means. I, for one, was quite impressed with the gorgeous flavours resulting from this rub test, making me wonder that if only a few drops could result in such huge flavours, what a whole glass would have in store.
American Whiskey & Tapas Evening Menu
1. Smoked Yellow Bell Pepper Espuma with Salmon Roe with Sesame paste, togarashi {a Japanese spice}, cumin, roasted almond & sesame oil, paired with Jack Daniels on ice with sweet & sour citrus peach foam.
Cocktail: Jack Daniels on ice with sweet & sour citrus peach foam
Shatbhi wanted to provide a cocktail that would be deep enough to match the smoked bell pepper, yet fresh enough to cut down the heaviness of the salmon flavour; while retaining the integrity of the whiskey. Sipping the whiskey through the foam gives you a clean sweet and sour flavour that I found worked really well with the tapas on offer.
2. Deconstructed Seafood Paella, an imitation of Sushi {all elements of paella & suchi brought together in this amazing variation}, paired with Iced Jim Beam White with a hint of saffron and thin whisper of Aam papad.
Iced Jim Beam White with a hint of saffron and a thin whisper of Aam papad
Shatbhi tells me that she considers the Paella as such an iconic Spanish dish ~ made with seafood, tomatoes, rice, and saffron ~ that she wanted to create an equally outstanding pairing, by using just a touch of saffron cream flavour and a few saffron threads with aam papad thrown in for fun!
I thought that the aam papad with the Iced Jim Beam provided a rather unique sweet & sour touch to the Paella.
3. Baked Spinach and Feta Filo Triangles with Bravas sauce, paired with Fresh Pomegranate and Tennessee sour.
Cocktail: Fresh pomegranate and Tennessee sour
After being served two whiskies straight, resulting in a saturated and heavy palate, I found that the freshness of the pomegranate provided a much-needed break.
4. Mountain Herb Grilled Lamb Chop {seasoned with mixed herbs ~ thyme, rosemary & sage} served with a vegetable & saffron couscous and red wine foam, paired with Iced Jim Beam Black smoked with Applewood.
Iced Jim Beam Black smoked with Applewood
Jim Beam Black is a sweet intense whiskey that was cooled down and then topped with smoke and covered, giving us Shatbhi’s “Barbeque in the whiskey”. Quite the concoction!
5. Duet of Petit Desserts: Mango and Passion fruit entremets + Turkish chocolate and Coffee pudding tart, paired with Iced JD Tennesse Honey + Iced maker’s mark sipped through cinnamon sugar and dark chocolate.
Iced JD Tennesse Honey + Iced maker’s mark sipped through cinnamon sugar and dark chocolate
I found that the Tennesse honey served in little shot glasses worked really well with the passion fruit and mango, without overtaking the dessert. While the hand-crafted, intensely sweet-flavoured Maker’s Mark paired quite beautifully with the Turkish chocolate.
“It feels so great to share my love of American whiskies. They have such outstanding flavours and nuances, and each one of the whiskeys our company is showcasing has its own unique character,” Shatbhi Basu said. “This event has become a great opportunity for the brands to reach out to their consumers. I am delighted with the response.”
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Shatbhi tells me that she is not as social as she looks {!}, and is happiest when she is alone. And although she loves meeting people, she finds that she needs to get away {from concrete and people} every few weeks and connect with nature. When in Mumbai, she loves driving down to her friend’s place in Karjat, surrounded by hills and a river…
The festivities never end {hic}! What do you think of the Whiskey and Food Pairings? I’d love to have you share your thoughts in the comments below!
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from Fava Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar. Due judgment and care have been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review.
I am a big fan of Tapas. 🙂 It would be great to have you provide a small guide for going out for tapas in Bengaluru, and choosing what to eat from the varied menus, Tanya. 🙂
I will keep that in mind, Jaspreet.
Going out to eat tapas is one of the most popular activities in Spain! This is fantastic content from you, and I can’t wait to learn far more from you. 🙂 Also, this is a wonderfully designed blog, Tanya!
Aw ~ you’ve made my day, Anjali! Thanks so much.
Love your posts! Sometimes we have to find what sparks a light in us so that we in our own way can illuminate the world! 🙂
Thanks so much sweet soul!
Bonjour Beautiful! I’m hearing lots of great things about Fava, and would love to try tapas.
Fava is absolutely incredible! You will love it there, Sonya!
Every shot is more breathtaking than the next ~ stunning work, Tanya! ❤️
On another note: It would be lovely if you could do a blog on a few Spanish inspired recipes that we can make at home.
Thank you, Sunita. Will keep your suggestion in mind…
I’m all for this! You just need the right complementary flavours to make sure your taste-buds are happy. You may find that your whiskey glass, whiskey stones, and meal go together like a dream!!
On a side note: Love your outfit, especially the geometric pants and lace top combo! It goes so well with your smile too! 🙂
Thank you very much, Kamelah. So kind of you!
The Tapas experience is all about mouth-watering food in portable portions and keeping it simple. 🙂 After all, who doesn’t want to feel like they’re sat in a little Spanish tapas bar, enjoying the sunshine with a glass of sangria?
p.s. You are truly beautiful inside and out ❤️❤️❤️
Always full of joy and wonderful things to say you are, Swati. Thank you so much!
Wow ~ that must have been some experience! We’ve all had that moment when everything on the menu sounds so good that you can’t choose between them. With tapas, this is not a problem. You can order 5 dishes without getting strange looks from your dining companions! 😀
It certainly was, Puja.
Quite true.
Always beautiful work! ❤️ Spanish food is so tasty, fresh and flavoursome, it’s hard to resist! And, the bursts of flavours from this whiskey pairing must have worked together so well!
It did, Prachi. 🙂 Thank you for sparing your time and reading this.
Wonderful post! This could very well be my first guide to the tapas experience in the city of gardens. Although, unlike party dance moves, I wouldn’t have to struggle over it. But just indulge my taste buds!
Haha! Thank you for that perspective, Shalyta.
The great thing about tapas is that you can have as little or as much as you want! Although whisky isn’t the automatic go to for most of us when it comes to pairing food – it can work really well with tapas.
Just so you know, you are one-of-a-kind and a beautiful soul, Tanya! ❤️
How nicely you’ve expressed this…
Aw ~ thank you, Jagathi!
I’ve been a bit of a skeptic in the past about pairing food with whisky. Not that there aren’t some great combinations but I find it hard to sustain for more than one dish. However there are exceptions and I am loving these suggestions! Thank you for sharing, Tanya. 🙂
My pleasure, Venu. Always a delight to have your appreciation!
Needless to say the better and, generally, older the whisky the more intriguing and complex the pairing. And with tapas ~ the fussiest eater will be satisfied. 🙂 Loved this share, Tanya!
I’m glad you did, Sudha! Loving your appreciation.
Whisky and food are such a great match! Although for me, the secret to pairing higher-strength drinks with food is to go for nibbles. 🙂 Great post!
*Bear in mind that some whiskies, especially cask-strength ones, may need a splash of water to work with food.
It is such a pleasure to see your comment, Aarthi. Hope you are doing great!
Whiskey pairings are becoming the trendy new way to sip and taste. 🙂 All you need are the right flavours to make both this liquor and your dishes sing! And, you want the flavours to complement each other without one drowning the other out. 🙂 Great share, as always!
Thank you, Keerthi. Very well said!