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Kumquat Old Fashioned

Spire73 makes its Kumquat Old Fashioned with Suntory Japanese whisky.Spire73 makes its Kumquat Old Fashioned with Suntory Japanese whisky.

Courtesy InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown
Traditionalists won't want to miss this updated take on a timeless favorite. Japanese whisky and fresh kumquat give Spire73's version a lighter mouth feel and a slightly sweet taste.
"This is our twist on an Old Fashioned," says Martin Romero, Spire73's assistant food and beverage manager. "We use Suntory Japanese whisky as opposed to any regular scotch or bourbon, for starters. We muddle the kumquat in the drink and then we strain it, so you're not going to get any of the actual fruit in it. We use pure cane sugar in this, and we top it off with a little muddled kumquat, which gives it a little bit of sweetness. It's very nicely balanced."
Jun Sur, the hotel's food and beverage director, explains that when it comes to Japanese whiskies, "Yamazakis, Suntorys, Hibikis, they tend to be [made] in elevations that use purified, clearer waters, which makes the whiskies a little better, and it gives [them] a floral essence, a fruity essence, so it's a little different from a regular Old Fashioned.
"A lot of people are not whisky or bourbon drinkers precisely for that reason; they can be very heavy. [The Japanese whisky] is not as heavy as a traditional whisky or bourbon," Sur says.
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