Buffalo Trace Distillery is bringing a taste of Kentucky to the heart of Mayfair with a custom-built trolley that will be delivering Old Fashioneds to diners at the JW Steakhouse’s Bourbon Bar.
Guest will have the opportunity to order a bespoke Old Fashioned cocktail, as prepared by JW Marriott Grosvenor House Bourbon expert Robert Sreter. It begins with a Buffalo Trace Distillery portfolio Bourbon of their choice, including Sazerac Rye, Eagle Rare, Pappy Van Winkle, 1792, and, of course, Buffalo Trace. There is then the option of choosing the style of cocktail: classic, aged or smoked.
As for the trolley itself, it has been crafted from an English Oak that fell during a storm in 2015. On the front there is a replica of the Buffalo Trace Distillery water tower with the company’s motto: “Honour tradition, embrace change”. This also doubles up as a smoker, using sherry toasted oak wood chips to infuse the smoky Old Fashioned.
There are also nods to the heritage of the venue which will be home to the trolley. On the back there is an engraving of Hot Shoppes, the root beer and food shop J. Willard Marriott and his wife Alice founded in Washington D.C. in 1927. The ice stamp that will be used for all of the cocktails made has the slogan “Ice Cold”, as used by the Marriotts, upon it.
Of this rather novel way of bringing cocktails table-side, Sreter said: “The new Old Fashioned Trolley pays homage to an iconic cocktail by name and nature, and the partnership with Buffalo Trace is the perfect marriage between Bourbon and bar. We are thrilled that our guests at JW Steakhouse can now enjoy classic ingredients combined with a sense of theatre and savour a perfectly crafted Old fashioned that improves with every sip.”
Liam Sparks, Bond & Royal portfolio manager at Hi-Spirits (the UK distributor for Buffalo Trace Distillery), added: “I’m delighted that consumers can experience the first Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned Trolley. This was a true labour of love between JW Marriott Grosvenor House London and Buffalo Trace distillery this bespoke piece will showcase our brands from the world’s most awarded distillery. the Bourbon Bar at JW Steakhouse has one of the largest Bourbon collections in the country and we cannot wait to see the reaction from guests when they experience the Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned Trolley for themselves.”
