[HOT LIST] Pursuit of Pappy 2013

If you're a craft beer nerd, you are more than familiar with the concept of white whales: Pliny the Younger, Dark Lord, KBS, CBS, Heady Topper, Black Tuesday, and so many more all have cultish followings with people willing to pay ten times retail or more just to get their hands on a bottle. The beers are made in limited quantities and with limited allocations, sometimes never even distributed out of their own state, sometimes never even distributed outside of their own brewery. (Yeah, all you Dark Lord Day nuts, I'm looking at you.)

Spirits are a different story. There may come a day that a west coast distillery will grow to have a serious cult following all over the country and people will pay several times over what it's worth on eBay to get their hands on a bottle if it's not distributed in their state. But the fact is, we're just not there yet with American craft spirits.

Except when it comes to Pappy Van Winkle.

(We're going to be taking a long walk for a short drink of water here so just sit tight, this will all come together soon enough.)

Old Rip Van Winkle was a pre-Prohibition brand that was resurrected by the Van Winkle family in the 1970s. The Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve is the rarest of the rare, bottled in 15-, 20-, and 23-year-aged releases. It has been contract distilled by the Sazerac Company at the Buffalo Trace Distillery since 1991, but because of the low production and extremely long aging process - much longer than what any other distillery is willing to sit on - it is the rarest bourbon in the world. While some distillers get a little persnickety over which distillers can accurately be considered "craft" and which are merely glorified finishing houses - buying all of the booze pre-made by the tank only to finish it with their own flavors and age it themselves, putting their own labels on it and calling it "craft" - no one seems to split hairs over Pappy.

"Why not just make more of it?" For the same reason every new distillery starts by producing vodka (it's the fastest turnover from still to bottle and the fastest way to start bringing in money) and why you don't see quality whiskeys coming out of craft distilleries that just opened in the last two years - age. Anything other than white whiskey (whiskey that hasn't spent any time aging in barrels; it's basically moonshine and almost always terrible so please stop making this trendy) has to sit in barrels for at least a year, and even then you're rushing it. 18 months is the minimum for most, and two years is more preferable still. But beyond two years isn't practical for most companies. Why? Not only is storage often an issue (and it is, because those barrels need to sit somewhere), but this also means that these distilleries - so many of them still pretty new and operating on shoestring budgets - are sitting on hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars worth of product, just for those two years.

Now multiply that by about 10, and you'll see the Van Winkles' predicament. Also, what is trendy now might not still be trendy 15, 20, or 23 years from now - aging bourbon for this long is a long-term commitment and a long-term gamble, and company president Julian Van Winkle III doesn't want to sit on millions of dollars worth of bourbon he can't sell 20 years from now. Can you blame him?

And this brings us to the Pappy Panic of 2013. You see, Louisville Magazine wrote a pretty great story on the brand earlier this year, and that story got picked up by the Wall Street Journal, which then got picked up by every lifestyle aggregator blog in the country, and now everyone wants Pappy. And everyone already wanted Pappy, but now it's EVERYONE. Pappy Panic was further perpetuated by a massive theft of $26,000+ worth of product from the company reported earlier this year, and reached what one can only hope to be its nadir (but probably not) with the announcement of a Pappy Van Winkle clothing line. Which, much like the Ferrari clothing line, will probably be worn almost exclusively by people who have never so much as seen or touched a bottle in their lives and never will.

SIDEBAR: This will also lead to people who have had it claiming that it's good, but it's not THAT good. (I've already heard it myself.) In short, both media and people are awful.

So! For all you shameless white whale chasers out there, and also those of you who really truly and sincerely love bourbon (please let it be more latter than former), here are a few places around town where you can find it right now. Know of somewhere that I missed? Leave it in the Facebook comments.

The Oakland, Ferndale
Yep, they have it, at least as of Friday night. And I would guess they always have a stash of it somewhere if you know how and who to ask. But I'm just guessing here.

Palate, Milford
They had five bottles as of Friday.

The Raven's Club, Ann Arbor
On Monday the Raven's Club is hosting a Pappy Van Winkle tasting with Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery President Julian Van Winkle III. They'll be tasting five bourbons from Julian's own personal collection, paired with dishes from Ann Arbor and Detroit area chefs. For bourbon fans, this is pretty much the place to be - alas, it's already sold out, but maybe stop by and see if anyone will let you lick one of their glasses when they're done.

The Wine Garden, St. Clair Shores
Want to buy a whole bottle of it and not just drink a little of it at the bar? As the number four account for Buffalo Trace in the entire state of Michigan, the Wine Garden is one of only a few stores in the state that will receive an allotment (they are expecting six bottles). In order to be as fair as possible, they are going to raffle off the bottles at a party in-store on December 19. Stop in the store any time this month and buy a bottle of bourbon to be entered into the drawing. There will be only three winners and you MUST be present for the drawing to win. "Wait, only three winners? You said they were getting six bottles! What about the other three?" This store has customers that spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year on bourbon, and those special customers will get first dibs. Why? Because sometimes a store wants to reward their loyal customers and not just cater to the Ahab assholes helicoptering in for their first and last time ever in the store to get a rare bottle of bourbon they read about on the Internet, that's why.

UPDATED: Townhouse in Birmingham has some, Red Wagon in Troy is selling it for $500/bottle, mL Spirits in Birmingham has some (including the 23-year), Merchant's Fine Wine in Dearborn has it but there is already a two-year waiting list, and One-Eyed Betty's has a serious stash of it as well as their own single-barrel batch of Buffalo Trace.

[HOT LIST] Dream Cruise avoidance guide

Much like snow in the winter, every year at this exact same time the Dream Cruise happens and every year everyone who isn't an eager cruiser seems equally surprised and annoyed by its existence.

Look, if you live in downtown Royal Oak/Ferndale/Birmingham, it sucks. I get it. And if you live on one side of Woodward and need to get to the other, it sucks. I get it. But for everyone else, even those who live in the middle of it, there are ways for you to find relief. And that is by avoiding it. Entirely. Here's how: pick one side of Woodward and stay on it for the next three days. And here's where to go to do that.

#1 Visit the breweries of Warren
You know what isn't on Woodward? Warren. And for east- and west-siders alike, Warren is pretty easy to get to (696 runs right through it). Spend the weekend on a makeshift local brewery tour of Kuhnhenn Brewing Company, Dragonmead, and Falling Down Beer Company. Try the award-winning beers and meads at Kuhnhenn and Dragonmead (Falling Down is still too new to have those kinds of distinctions), and get some good eats from Detroit BBQ Co. at Kuhnhenn and at Falling Down, where there's a serious chef running the show in the kitchen. And Mo Pop is happening in Sterling Heights which isn't too far from there, and there will be food trucks. I know how much everyone loves food trucks.

The patio at Palate. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

#2 Go west - really far west
You know what else isn't on Woodward? Milford. Milford is very, very much not on Woodward. In fact, the whole western Oakland County lakes area is pretty far removed from Woodward. Been meaning to check out the Root in White Lake for dinner? This would be a great weekend to head out that way. Another cool spot to check out is Palate in downtown Milford, with a great beer list and fantastic patio. You can even make a whole day of it by starting with hiking, biking, fishing or kayaking at Kensington Metro Park - there's also a nature center and splash park for the kids.

#3 Really far west
And by that I mean Ann Arbor, which sometimes seems so far it might as well be Chicago. Really it's only 45 minutes and I just like to complain. There's plenty to do and see and eat and drink in the old Ace Deuce - there's the Hudson Mills Metropark and the Dexter-Huron Metropark, both of which offer plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation including hiking, biking, kayaking/canoeing, fishing, BBQing, and more. Right in downtown Ann Arbor there's the Nichols Arboretum, with more hiking and biking trails. There's the University of Michigan Museum of Art, which is a small but great museum on the U-M campus which is pretty much across the street from Ashley's, one of the top beer bars in the country and a place I recommend heartily for both beer and pizza. Plus the kids are not quite yet back in school which makes doing anything in downtown Ann Arbor during the summer about 100 times better. (Less people = better.) And also Jolly Pumpkin.

#4 Or go north
Take I-75 straight up to hit Clubhouse BFD in Rochester Hills, another one of the best beer bars in the country, Rochester Mills Brewery in downtown Rochester, and the recently-opened 51 North Brewery in Lake Orion. Basically what I'm saying through all of this is go drink beer somewhere not near Woodward.

Houndstooth Craft Hot Dog Co. at Downtown Detroit Days.

#5 Or south
Because the Dream Cruise does not actually happen in Detroit, the entire city of Detroit is safe. Mostly. The Tigers are home so there's that to contend with. And I won't have been the only person to make that realization that the Dream Cruise doesn't happen in Detroit. But Downtown Detroit Days is this weekend, a Dan Gilbert Joint with Tashmoo Biergarten and Alley Wine pop-ups because pop-ups, and also Guns + Butter is happening this weekend in Eastern Market because pop-ups.





Also there's the first-ever Zombie Con in Troy. 

[EID Preview] Palate

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

I lived in Waterford what feels like a lifetime ago. Back then, there really wasn't anything worth visiting the area specifically for. You made do with what you had, and otherwise drove to other cities for what you wanted. West Bloomfield, Commerce Twp., White Lake, Wixom, Highland and Milford were all relatively close ("relative" because no matter where you go on that side of town, you have to drive around a bunch of lakes to get there). Commerce Twp. had It's a Matter of Taste. Keego Harbor -- the tiny byway town connecting Waterford and West Bloomfield through Cass Lake, Sylvan Lake, Orchard Lake, Pine Lake and a few smaller lakes -- had Jeremy Restaurant and Bar. West Bloomfield had a great wine bar and steakhouse that, much like every other place of real quality that opens in West Bloomfield, closed after a couple of years. At the time Brian Polcyn's Five Lakes Grill in Milford was still open and hadn't yet changed over to Cinco Lagos, and right across the street there was Sean O'Callahan's, a great Irish pub that served proper pints of Guinness and lots of Irish whiskeys. And that ... that was pretty much it.

But now! I rue the day I gave up that $375/mo. one-bedroom apartment (gas and water included; true story) because now the area is getting pretty cool and it is FAR (both geographically and metaphorically) from the hipster-riddled downtown Detroit I now call home. Now White Lake has the Root Restaurant (a short 15-minute drive from my old apartment, which would have meant MUCH more frequent visitations), and Milford has craft beer bar and sustainable from-scratch restaurant Palate.

The last time I was in Milford was a little over two years ago. Downtown Milford is a charming Michigan Main Street that, like so many other charming Michigan Main Streets, was decimated during the recession. Polcyn kept afloat by rebranding; a lot of other places weren't so lucky (O'Callahan's was one of them). On my last visit it seemed like every other storefront was shuttered and Milford was a dying downtown; now, Milford is once again a bustling downtown with nearly every storefront occupied with adorable independently-owned boutiques, cafes and restaurants. There is a flurry of foot traffic and lots of people happily dining on sidewalk patios. And inside the space that was once home to O'Callahan's, an enthusiastic couple are opening the bar/restaurant of their dreams.

When I sat down to chat with Bristol Arnold, who is opening the much-anticipated Palate (get your head out of Planet Detroit, people) with her soon-to-be husband Joe Hibbert, I experienced that moment when my professional decorum (as it were) was promptly discarded and I fell absolutely and entirely in love with them, their concept and their whole entire ethos and began to gush. These are Good People. And while there are quite a lot of Good People in this business locally (Michigan as a whole doesn't really realize how fortunate it is in this regard), it can be downright heartbreaking when Good People don't have good product. (And also when absolute bastards manage to get it right.) But Palate is Good People with good product, and now I have yet another place an hour drive from my home that I wish I could support on a daily basis. (Hey, apartments in Milford are damn cheap!)

Joe and Bristol met while both were going through some major life changes. A professional dancer who had worked for Disney, Royal Caribbean and even toured with Cirque, Bristol was looking for a more stable professional life which she found as a dance teacher in Walled Lake. At the time Joe was still a partner in Uptown Grille in Commerce Twp., a place that received rave reviews for its craft beer program and from-scratch kitchen when it first opened but ultimately took a direction Joe wasn't happy with, prompting him to leave. Bristol met Joe in the course of planning a friend's bridal shower at Uptown Grille, and if you think the whole concept of love at first sight is cheesy ... well yeah, probably it is, except for when it's true and then it really is beautiful to see. (Even for a stone-cold cynic like me.) These two are the real deal, and Palate is the product of their shared passions.

When Joe left Uptown it was without any animosity. "He left because he wanted to focus on his mission versus someone else's and not have to worry about someone else changing his plans," Bristol explains. And this steadfast refusal to compromise his own integrity is a professional trademark of Joe's: he grew up in Canada and got his start in the restaurant industry at Wendy's when he was 13 years old. When corporate America took Wendy's over and the food became all boxed and frozen, he left. He has since opened many restaurants and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the place functioning well and keeping the customers happy, whether that means cooking on the line or cleaning toilets.

Bristol herself had always had the dream of opening a coffee and wine bar and the name she had in her head was always Palate. "Palate" is a bit of a play, as the word (which refers to the roof of the mouth and is used colloquially to describe one's refinement of taste, though one technically has nothing to do with the other) is often confused with its homonym "palette," which refers to a painter's tool or collection of colors. "It's the part of your body that tells you what you like and what you don't," Bristol says. "But an artist draws on a palette, and food from the farmer comes on a pallet" -- referring to large, flat wooden shipping mechanisms, and yet another homonym.

To fully incorporate the palate/palette/pallet theme, Bristol and Joe worked with local artists for every detail in the restaurant -- from the used Dragon's Milk bourbon barrels from New Holland Brewing that were hand-painted with other local brewery logos to the repurposed pallets made into art pieces in the shape of a wine bottle and glass that are the focal point of the main dining room. Because they are also a family-friendly establishment (the main wall of the secondary dining room is adorned with the words "Be our guest," a nod to Bristol's days at Disney), kids get a chalkboard "palette" to draw on, which ties in with the theme but also has the added advantage of reducing waste.

"We're trying not to leave a huge imprint," states Bristol. "That’s why I chose not to give kids crayons and paper and instead give them a chalkboard and chalk. I’m doing everything I can to be paperless, even encouraging our vendors." They have participated in several fundraising events and festivals, including catering the VIP tent at the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival, and they always use compostable products for off-site events. (In fact it was through the MBG's Executive Director Scott Graham that Bristol learned a lot about leaving a carbon imprint.)

That same ethos can be seen in various touched throughout the restaurant, from the repurposed pallets and barrels previously mentioned to the reclaimed wood bar rail from a barn in Hamburg Twp. At the very heart of all of this is a commitment to using "what's around [us]," to procure as much as they can locally and work with local people, from farmers to artists to tradesmen. "It’s so much more than food; it’s education," Bristol explains. "We want to educate our consumers. We want people to support Michigan and bring a new economy to life here [by educating] everyone in our community about what they’re consuming and who they support." She adds, "We’re really grateful to have the resources we have in Michigan."

They buy produce from small, local farmers who can't afford the "organic" label. They make everything in their kitchen from scratch -- no microwaves, nothing frozen, nothing boxed. "Our team here is a labor of love. They like to make things from scratch. They know it’s time consuming but that’s what they’re passionate about."

Joe's own dream has always been to offer farm-fresh food with craft cocktails and craft beer at an economical price so that anybody can eat at his restaurant a couple of times a week; a kid-friendly place that the community would love and want to be a part of. The food at Palate is all farm-to-table, offering small plates and different types of cuisines from all over the world made from scratch using local products. Items include an "exquisite" hand-packed burger, cherrywood-smoked-bacon-wrapped scallops, lamb chops, and "true" Neapolitan pizza. (Bristol spent some time learning how to make Neapolitan pizzas in Italy, and upholds Antica Pizzeria Fellini as the local gold standard.) To further their goal of customer education, their iPad menus are interactive and show pictures of the food, the farms, the vineyards, and allow the customers the opportunity to find out more information on where everything on their plate and in their glass is from. (And once again, this wholly electronic system significantly reduces paper waste.)

Their craft cocktail menu was designed with assistance from mad scientist mixologist Dave Porcaro from Cafe Muse. They're offering 40 bottles of wine from small producers under $30 and all available by the glass. And of course, there is a huge emphasis on Michigan craft beer.

Thanks to Joe's many years in the industry, he has developed strong relationships with local brewers and distributors and has access to some pretty cool stuff ... but, spoilers! You'll just have to follow their Facebook page for those updates. Their staff are all Cicerone-certified beer servers and they have a $50,000 custom-built stone beer wall. The entire tap system and bar is optimized for maximum beer enjoyment.

And all of this is really the culmination of everything Joe has worked towards as a restaurateur all along. "Joe is adamant about quality; he’s not going to sacrifice quality," Bristol says of her future husband (they're getting married -- and moving, and opening the restaurant -- this month). "A lot of people have closed doors in his face. The charity work he’s done is endless; he has raised over a million dollars over the past four years [for local charities]. He raised $30,000 one night alone at a spaghetti dinner at Uptown. He’s just awesome! It’s not just what he does for a living; it’s the driving force that he has to help people. All of our leftovers go to Forgotten Harvest -- the breads, anything dry. [We're really] major into charity work and community!" Long-term Joe and Bristol hope to do even more to embrace and educate their community, like working with local schools on field trips to teach kids about kitchen safety and how to bake bread.

Both Joe and Bristol view Palate as a collaborative effort of many people, not just themselves. "I put so much time into including other people in this project," Bristol says. "It's not just about Joe and I. It's about employing local artists, local contractors, using all of our Michigan resources, and getting it going so when people look at it they can say, 'Hey, I was part of that.' Tons of people were part of this project and we’re proud of that and want them to be proud of it because that’s what’s it about."

She admits it took them a long time to get the restaurant ready to open (apparently some locals took to the almighty grousing grounds of the Internet to complain about it), but she simply says, "Good things take time and attention to detail. When you rush a project like this it doesn't do anyone any favors." As they get ready to open, Bristol is bubbling over with excitement. "The people we’ve been surrounded with are just magical. With us together and the people we have here the possibilities are endless!"

Palate opens today.