Tired of holding glasses? Constantly finding you don’t have a free hand? Maybe you suffer from chronic nelophobia (it’s worth a Google)? Fortunately, the new Glenlivet Capsule Collection has arrived.
Think of all the sci-fi flicks we watched through the 80s and 90s – how many times did we see future humans seeking sustenance from tiny packages? From miniature microwavable pizzas in Back to the Future II to PB&J capsules in The Jetsons. Well, now you can taste tradition through a medium of the future.
The Glenlivet whisky house calls its new Capsule Collection ‘glassless cocktails’ and give a hint of the way whisky – or any spirit for that matter – might be enjoyed in the decades to come. Launched in partnership with cocktail legend Alex Kratena, owner of acclaimed cocktail bar Tayēr + Elementary, the limited-edition range includes a series of whisky cocktails encased in a seaweed-extract casing, so that you just pop the whole blob in your mouth and take an express train to flavour town.
Of course, molecular chefs and mixologists have been using these seaweed ‘spheres’ for a decade but it’s a novel approach from a company (and an industry) steeped in so much tradition. When the sphere pops in the mouth it delivers an instant burst of flavour, with the liquid and casing all swallowed, sans glassware, ice, or garnish.
For the Capsule Collection, the whisky house teamed up with sustainable packaging company Notpla to create spheres that not only biodegrade faster than fruit peel but are made from seaweed that grows very fast and which helps to de-acidify the oceans. So there’s that.
The initial launch of the Capsule Collection features three cocktails – Citrus, Wood and Spice – each laced with The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve whisky. At present, the range is only available at London’s Tayēr + Elementary bar, where it’s served as an amuse bouche to newly arriving guests, but there’s hope the concept will also make its way to Asia.
Of course, even this seemingly innocuous project has its opponents, with internet commentators comparing the sphere to the Tide Pod epidemic, which saw the mentally-deranged consuming laundry powder while seeking cyber glory. We’re pretty sure The Glenlivet’s take tastes a whole lot better.
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