AM: What are your favorite go to whiskeys?
TT: Oh gosh. They change, but I think that anybody that knows whiskey – I mean I could throw it back to you and you’d probably have a hard time answering because it’s very situational. Whiskey is based on the season, time of day, the mood – fortunately I have over 1,000 to choose from for my many moods. I will say that some of my hands down favorites that I tend to revert back to are: Glendronach 18 as my go-to favorite. I love a good Bowmore – if I go with peat then I like to go with something that has a nice balance of Sherry to get that smoky sweet elements and because I’m American, I have to throw in a bourbon. I tend to like bourbon’s cask strength E.H. Taylor is a full proof whiskey. Bourbon – I love Michter’s, Buffalo Trace – some of the Buffalo Trace antique collections are always good. It’s not as affordable as it used to be.
AM: What cocktail do you suggest that our readers should make sure to ask for when they come by?
TT: The one that we’re drinking now is called our Smoking Old Fashioned. We talked earlier about being theatrical and this is one of those kinds of cocktails, but it’s not all fluff. The smoke that’s put in the cocktail – the phenols that are attached to the liquor it gives a residual smoke in the flavor. I like this cocktail because being a visual person, I say that the first drink is with the eyes, the second drink is with the nose and the third drink is with the mouth. So this delivers on all three and when it comes across the room you see the smoke in it. You lift off the cap and it has that wow moment so that when people smell it they say, "wow what is that?" But it delivers on the final product because it happens to taste as good as it looks and as good as it smells.
AM: In terms of pairing whiskeys with various items offered on your menu, what do you suggest?
TT: It’s somewhat of a subjective question. I have been to a lot of tastings where they have paired items with things that people would not normally expect to pair with whiskey. For me, I like to pair cheese with whiskey. It has this creaminess and richness and it coats your mouth first. Having the alcohol interact with the viscosity in your mouth – it does something really special and brings out flavors that you normally wouldn’t expect. I will say that if I am drinking something really old and really fine, and I just want to focus on that, then I don’t want to complicate my palette at all. I don’t want to introduce other flavors in there. If it is something that is moderately priced sure I can experiment with it. But if someone is pouring me a 25-year or a 35-year whiskey – then I just want to enjoy every aspect of that from every subtle nuance. For me, a good whiskey is something that develops on your palette. A lot of people think that you have a sip of whiskey and that’s it. But if you really go in deep on the flavor of whiskey – it evolves – what initially hits your mouth when the alcohol starts to burn off and new flavors will appear, grow and resonate on your palette. I think that’s why it’s such a great sipping drink. You take a sip and sit back and let it have its way across your palette and you just enjoy it.
AM: We know that The Flatiron Room is a great place to come to and with the holiday season upon us, what events can guests come to?
TT: The 4th quarter for us – the holiday season, we have a lot of guests that come in from out of town. Unfortunately, they see that we are closed for private events – it’s the season and many times we’re closed for that. I always recommend that people call in advance to make sure that we are open. With that said, we do have some events that are open during this time where guests can come in and bring their friends and family from out of town so that they can get a taste of old New York. During Thanksgiving we had a great feast which was a prix-fixe dinner. On Christmas Day we have another event. For NYE, we’re throwing a great party and we have a tremendous band – Carte Blanche that will be performing live here. We have a number of great things taking place if you have guests that are in from out of town.
AM: Do you still do inspirational travel when you're looking for new whiskeys?
TT: Yes! It’s one of the best things about the job and getting inspired. I get to go to Scotland quite a bit when I’m over there meeting with people, the distillers, learning about new expressions when they come out. It’s funny because my knowledge base has developed so much and every year, I think that I know a decent amount about whiskey, but then the following year I look back and I think, “gosh I didn’t really know much.” Today if you asked me if I knew a bit about whiskey, I would confidently say yes. If we had the same conversation next year, I’d probably look back and say, “oh wow I knew nothing.” But it’s fun and it’s a fun journey and I love learning as well as traveling and it works out.
AM: What are 3 things that you put in your carry-on when you’re traveling to make the flight easier, or to feel that you’re at home or when you’re relaxing after having copious whiskey tastes?
TT: Great! Headphones for sure, Melatonin is my go to because if I’m traveling to Scotland it tends to be an overnight flight and that gets me there. Also a flask - they're always fun and of course when I come back, I tend to come back with one as well!
AM: You can’t have them get lonely! Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers to let them know about The Flatiron Room?
TT: If you haven’t experienced us yet, please come down and experience us! I think it’s a unique experience especially if you’re a New Yorker and people love those New York Moments. If you haven’t checked out my other property, it’s called Fine & Rare (9 East 37th St NY, NY 10016) and I recommend going there to try that out as well. It’s a similar vibe that is a little more food focused, we also have a large dynamic selection of whiskey!
IG @TheFlatironRoom
@FineAndRareNYC
@GoodNightGroup
@TommyTardie