A hand selected Single Barrel of Jack Daniel’s from the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, TN has been chosen to make a historic trip of 41,000 miles with stops in 39 ports of call in 27 countries aboard the Queen Mary 2. The ship along with barrel will leave Southampton, England on a four month long “Age of Discovery” voyage from January 10, 2016 to May 10, 2016.
The unique voyage was created by a partnership between iconic brands Jack Daniel’s, Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 and the world-famous Savoy Beaufort Bar, named Best International Hotel Bar 2015. The three brands have combined to produce the Age of Discovery – a specially created, barrel aged, limited edition cocktail. The unique cocktail creation will mature in a hand chosen 300 litre, Jack Daniel’s barrel to be taken on board the Queen Mary 2 world voyage.
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The Age of Discovery cocktail has been formulated by the team at the Savoy Beaufort Bar. Inspired and influenced by the tastes and aromas of the continents Queen Mary 2 will visit, from Europe to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, the Jack Daniel’s cocktail will be mixed at The Savoy then the barrel will be sealed and bonded before the ship leaves port.
The Age of Discovery Barrel
The Age Of Discovery cocktail features a blend of Savoy Select Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 and Bacardi 8, with Spice Trail Madeira, Dubonnet, Martini Riserva Rubino and Earl Grey and Cocoa nib bitters.
The Savoy’s Assistant Food and Beverage Director, Daniel Baernreuther travelled to the Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and personally chose the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel to be used in Age of Discovery. Daniel then had the barrel transported whole to The Savoy in London.
During her four month circumnavigation on the Queen Mary 2 the barrel will be secured in open deck space for the duration of the voyage to expose it to the varied elements and climates that will influence the final result. Prevailing temperatures, humidity and sunlight – as well as more inclement conditions – will combine to produce this truly unique barrel-aged cocktail.
The progress of Age of Discovery will be charted via social media throughout the passage, across the oceans, and will appear in the world’s most iconic ports and cities. The barrel will also have its own unique Log Book.
When Queen Mary 2 returns to Southampton on May 10 the barrel will be ceremoniously unloaded and then travel to the specially-commissioned Houston Bottling & Co Pack plant in West Dunbartonshire, England.
Queen Mary 2
It is estimated that the unique barrel will yield a minimum of 250 litres of Age of Discovery, which will become the latest in The Savoy Collection; one of the world’s most prestigious and unique collections of one-of-a-kind spirits and liquids. Launched in 2013, The Savoy Collection was created with the support of esteemed cocktail experts, Speciality Drinks, to celebrate the rare and the beautiful from the world of drinks.
“The Jack Daniel’s and Bacardi represent the discovery of the Americas, while the Dubonnet is there as a symbol of Cunard’s royal associations,” said Niel Donachie of the Beaufort Bar. “The spice-infused Madeira, used to sweeten the cocktail, is synonymous with the famous spice trail and oceanic expeditions and was known to be a favorite beverage of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II.”
“We have a great partnership with The Savoy and they’ve been hand-selecting their own Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel for five years,” said Nidal Ramini, Head of Advocacy at Jack Daniel’s. “It’s great to take this partnership to another level and be involved with Age of Discovery. As the only whiskey maker in the world to craft every one of our own barrels, the idea of a barrel aged cocktail, containing the very whiskey that Daniel chose when we went to Tennessee together, travelling the world, was music to our ears.
We can’t wait to see and taste the outcome, and see how the special Jack Daniel’s cocktail reacts to the elements.”
