Disneyland is frequently referred to as the “Happiest Place On Earth.” If you’re a whiskey fan in Southern California you might be inclined to agree. Anyone from that subset is likely already aware of Club 33, the legendary members-only watering hole hidden within the park. But far less reported are the top shelf ticpples on offer at Napa Rose – and that fine-dining establishment is wholly open to the public.
Just off the grandiose lobby of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, beverage director Patrick Kirchen is quietly compiling here one of the vastest whiskey libraries in the region. It already features more than 170 selections, including bottles as elusive as a 1940 vintage of The Macallan Fine & Rare and liquids as revered as the Balvenie 40 Rare Marriages. And he’s just getting started.
Though Napa Rose originally debuted 25 years ago as a higher end destination along the outskirts of the park, it only recently reopened at the beginning of the year after an extensive refurbishment. Since that time, Kirchen and his bar staff have dug in deep with a concerted effort to expand the brown spirits portion of the menu to compete with the property’s notably expansive wine cellar. That means more than just unicorn bottlings, of course.
“It’s special to have rare bottles like that, which guests know are incredibly difficult to find elsewhere,” Kirchen explains. “But at the same time, we still maintain a great approachable collection, offering the Macallan 12, 15, 18, 20, and 25, as well as the Highland Park 12, 15, 18, and 25 for guests to try. It is ultimately the storytelling that intrigues and excites guests when they know we have these rare bottles available.”
Indeed, merely pointing at a $11,250 (1.5 oz) pour of scotch on a menu makes for quite the conversation starter between guest and staff. It’s a phenomenon that Kirchen observes frequently. “We have quite a few whiskey collectors who visit the hotel, admire our collection, and share stories and photos of their own collections at home,” he says. But for his part, he’s just as happy seeing that spark lit with a novice. “It’s a true gem when guests who know nothing about whiskey come in, learn, taste, and leave loving it not knowing how much they actually enjoyed whiskey.”
And while the location alongside one of the country’s biggest tourist attractions is bound to bring in a global audience, Napa Rose is now also starting to appeal to local whiskey drinkers who aren’t staying overnight and might not even be entering Disneyland at all. They’re interested in nothing more than, say, a reasonably priced pour of Michter’s 10 Bourbon, an orange wine cask-finished American whiskey bottled specifically for the bar, or (Kirchen’s personal favorite) a cask strength expression of Harvest Rye from Olde St. Nick. Or even a Sequoia Skyline – a whiskey cocktail infused with actual redwood smoke.
Napa Rose is doing its part to woo more of these folks with the emergence of whiskey pairing dinners, which will feature distillers from some of the world’s most celebrated brands. The series is slated to begin later in the year. But in the meantime, he’ll continue hunting down the next unicorn for the back bar.
“A rare one we are still searching for is the Port Ellen 40-Year-Old Ghost & Rare, distilled before the legendary Islay distillery closed in 1983,” he tells Forbes. The ongoing process of procurement is one he assigns to “patience, partnering with the right people, doing your homework and research, and knowing what is trending in the world.”
It also helps, no doubt, to have the purchasing power of Disney at your back when working with the all-important whiskey distributors. Nevertheless, getting them to release supremely allocated expressions is never guaranteed. A venue has to demonstrate that it’s a place where liquid like that will be respected – and regularly depleted. Napa Rose is doing just that. “Distributors are expanding their view of the hotel in a very positive way,” adds Kirchen, “They understand we’re looking for even more to offer our guests.”
In other words, whether you’re coming here for a theme park or a 32-year-old single malt, you’re guaranteed a wild ride just the same.
ANAHEIM, CA – JULY 20: Chef Andrew Sutton, center, executive chef at Napa Rose is shown with his team in the restaurants dinning room in Anaheim on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Napa Rose restaurant, located at the Grand Californian Hotel, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Dining and Cooking