Spirit of Travel with Bar Manager Casey Carr and Dewar’s Whisky
By Chilled Magazine
Our content series, The Spirit of Travel with Dewar’s Scotch Whisky, follows the essence of adventure and discovery into the craft of bartending.
Created with the finest ingredients and a rich heritage that spans centuries, Dewar’s embodies the spirit of exploration and inspires wanderlust and curiosity. Bartenders are an adventurous bunch, and traveling can profoundly influence their cocktails by shaping creativity, technique, and worldview, while enriching their craft and personal journey.
Casey Carr, Bar Manager at Heartwood in San Francisco, belongs to a team of highly acclaimed industry veterans who are behind many well-respected bars and restaurants. We ask Casey about his bartending career and how his riff on the classic Penicillin cocktail excites a spirit of adventure.
Tell us about your journey into bartending and what inspired you to pursue this career.
Originally, bartending was just an admired next step to achieve, as I was a growing server within restaurants. My first job was as a coffee barista, and as a barista, the work flow that began when you knew the recipes and your equipment was really captivating to me. You could have multiple different orders at once and find yourself multitasking in almost a trance-like state, crafting each drink with ease until the rush died out.
Plus, I was able to see the joy (most times…) that each drink brought to every guest. Naturally, as a young server, it’s common to witness a similar experience between a bartender and bar guest, so I aimed to learn more.
What really shifted the casual job to a career for me was when I worked at my first fine dining restaurant. I came from the corporate background and didn’t realize how culturally rooted food and drinks could be. I began learning the bar in this space, and was introduced to the world of cocktails for the first time. I also participated in trainings and several programs like Bar Smarts. Later on, the restaurant experienced some management changes and I was given the chance to place new drinks on the menu. I had a goal of one, then one became a few. Later on, I was given the opportunity to help open a Chef-Owned Italian restaurant and develop a cocktail program; the rest is history.
Ultimately, I really do love cocktails and the way individuals choose to express themselves through their drinks. To me, cocktail creation can be as beautiful and artistic as music, dance, painting, or any other type of art.
Talk to us about a recent accomplishment.
I would say opening Heartwood SF has been my most recent accomplishment. Heartwood Cocktail Bar has been open for just a little over a year, and it’s been quite the journey. We are situated in the Financial District, the final neighborhood to experience complete revitalization since the onset of the pandemic. Luckily, we have found ourselves growing into a steady, thriving bar within a small amount of time.
Naturally, any bar manager wants their cocktail creations to be loved and the reason for guests to visit their bar. But, for me, the biggest honor so far is our strong, amazing team and the regular following we have gained.
From a bartender’s perspective, how do you think Dewar’s 12-Year-Old complements different types of occasions or customer preferences?
I absolutely think the Dewars 12-Year-Old complements a large demographic across many occasions. Scotch is known as the celebratory option to enjoy. You see it pulled off the shelf for weddings, family celebrations, the new promotion someone got; it’s the spirit many choose to celebrate with.
Whisky drinkers find themselves looking for their go-to options, and Dewars has had a long history of being people’s “daily drink.” I’ve poured Dewars often at every bar I’ve worked for. I believe Dewars 12-Year-Old can satisfy the classic whisky drinker, but also has the structure and flavors that entertain bourbon & rye drinkers as well.
What advice would you give someone new to whisky on how to best enjoy Dewar’s 12-Year-Old?
If you’re an experienced whisky drinker, pour yourself a glass neat with a soda back. Taste the spirit for what it is, then sip on your soda and watch how much more flavor you experience.
If you’re new to it, try it in an Old Fashioned. Dewars 12-Year-Old has a great way of maintaining its character while giving way to new flavors as you sip.
Do you see the role of scotch evolving in the bartending community?
I am seeing bartenders find scotch as a very complimentary ingredient in a variety of different cocktails. I find myself using scotches like Dewars 12-Year-Old within tropical sour variations. I’ve even seen scotch used as a split base to enhance a tiki drink. Ultimately, as people’s understanding of scotch grows, creatives will find ways to bring out its bright fruitiness as well as its unique expressions of cooking spices and nuts.
Are there any trends in bartending that you think pair particularly well with Dewar’s 12-Year-Old?
As odd as it may seem, I really love Dewars 12-Year-Old in Espresso Martinis & Palomas. Espresso Martinis seem to still be having their moment, and I love how people are learning that aside from their favorite vodka, spirits like scotch can make a more flavorful drink.
Describe your cocktail that you’ve created using Dewar’s 12-Year-Old and the inspiration behind it.
The Double Down—Dewars 12-Year-Old, Kumquat-Calamansi Cordial, Lemon, Ginger, Honey, and Amaretto. This cocktail I’ve created with Dewars 12-Year-Old is a mildly tropical riff on a Penicillin. I really wanted to bring out flavors that come from the double barrel aging process and the structure that comes with its blending. To me, Dewars 12-Year-Old has great body and a range of flavors, from toasted almonds, vanilla, and honey, to a matured juicy apple or pear.
So, as a riff on the classic Penicillin – scotch, lemon, ginger, honey – I wanted to bring out fruitiness through Kumquats & Calamansi. Calamansi reminds me of Kumquats, but as a different tropical expression, so mixing the two was a no-brainer.
Next, I used classic bar ingredients like Benedictine & Amaretto to be the source of “Almond & Honey.” Finally, I added some ginger and lemon to the cocktail to round out the drink, and garnished it with a lemon peel and lemon thyme. We like to serve this drink at the bar on a king cube in our Footed Goblet Glass.
Photo by Jason Hsu
Preparation
- 3 sprays of torched absinthe.
- Lemon twist and thyme for garnish.
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