The Macallan has revealed the latest iteration in its celebrated Distil Your World series in the form of an exclusive single malt whisky that has been crafted to capture the inimitable essence of New York City.
Launched in partnership with the Roca brothers (of the three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca restaurant), the creation of Distil Your World New York saw The Macallan’s whisky maker Polly Logan head to the Big Apple with Joan Roca to truly get under the city’s skin.
The New York version is the fourth in the collaborative series, with previous releases focusing on London, the Spanish city of Jerez and The Macallan’s Scottish homeland. Each version sought to capture the essence of the location, from its food and its drink to its culture and its landscapes.
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The Macallan’s whisky maker Polly Logan and chef Joan Roca traveled to New York for inspiration / ©The Macallan
Of course, the New York release is no exception, with Roca and Logan spending time with some of the city’s most eminent artists and creators during their visit to the city. From acclaimed jazz musician Wynton Marsalis and graffiti artist Lady Pink to Guggenheim curator Megan Fontanella and designer Silverstein, Distil Your World New York is as much a product of the people who inspired it as it is the malt used to make it.
“This project is a homage to the people of New York. The daring, creative and diverse characters we’ve met along the way,” said Logan. “This whisky is bold, flavor vibrant and uplifting – just like each of them.”
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The whisky itself is a combination of six European and American oak casks, with Logan building on The Macallan’s signature apple notes (which were conveniently appropriate for a liquid inspired by the Big Apple) with the big, bold flavors of classic American candy. “We really looked towards the quintessential tastes of New York – sweet candy, waffles, peanut brittle, chocolate, and pecans,” Logan added. “The city’s thriving street food scene was a great source of inspiration.”
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The whisky builds on The Macallan’s signature apple notes with the big, bold flavors of classic American candy / ©The Macallan
To accompany the whisky, the Roca brothers have also created a signature menu designed to take diners on a culinary journey through the city. The playful offering includes a potato cronut with salsa brava, waffles with chicken pâté and sugar cane syrup and cured and smoked strip steak. To finish is the Big Apple dessert – a caramel apple filled with fresh apple puree and milk chocolate, in homage to the whisky’s chocolatey notes.
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Joan Roca said: “The originality of New York is endless, it’s impossible to portray it with just one creation, so we needed to express it through an extended menu, where every dish tells a story. The city grabs hold of you instantly. Its energy pushed us to create a complex and daring menu, with ideas that we explored for the very first time.”
Just 1,000 bottles of Distil Your World New York are available, with each housed in a white presentation box, painstakingly engraved with an aerial map of the city. Accompanying the release is a short film that documents the journey that Roca and Logan took through New York, as well as a snapshot of the lives of the artists they encountered in the city.
The Macallan Distil Your World New York is available at select boutiques, from $4,200 (US) and £3,100 (UK).
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