Conference

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Cocktail History

The Conference is a modern cocktail that was created by Brian Miller at Death & Company in New York City, New York. It uses the classic Old Fashioned template of a spirit, simple syrup, bitters, and citrus, but this version calls for four different spirits as its base—rye, bourbon, apple brandy, and Cognac. It’s also named for the concept used in the drink of different elements coming together.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Rye: This is a type of whiskey made with at least 51% rye grain, malted barley, corn, and water. I used Heaven Hill Distillery Rittenhouse Rye.

Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. I used Elijah Craig Bourbon.

Apple Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with apples, pears, spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Calvados.

Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in Cognac, France with distilled white wine. I used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac.

Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Demerara sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Chocolate Bitters: This is a food product made with chocolate, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters.

Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. I used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Golden brown color

• Aroma: Sweet citrus, apple, and woodsy spirits

• Taste: Dark spirituous flavor with district bourbon sweetness punctuated by rye spice

• Finish: Brandy burn and a hint of apple and chocolate

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “When researching this recipe so I could decide how to photograph it, I saw several descriptions that called the Conference a ‘tiki drink in disguise.’ Outside of the split base that uses four ingredients, I didn’t really get that vibe, and I expected to because I didn’t read the list of ingredients very closely. Maybe I built this one up in my mind; it’s a tasty whiskey drink, but it didn’t leave as big of an impression on me as, say, the Mountain Man.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails by Alex Day and Nick Fauchald.