Page 43 - Food&Drink Magazine Aug-Sep 2021

A devilish concoction
A collaboration between two beverage companies at their peak results in a whisky like no other. Varun Bodhi writes.
THE founders of Archie Rose Distilling Co and coffee house ST. ALi, Will Edwards and Salvatore Malatesta, joined forces over a love for each other’s product and a shared passion for innovation, experimentation, and high-quality ingredients. The result is the coffee flavoured whisky, Blasphemy.
Malatesta says his love for whisky is on par with coffee. “The coming together of our products has created the unicorn, a delicious and rare pairing. Partnering with Archie Rose is a milestone moment for the ST. ALi family,” he says.
Edwards says it was the result of two liquid obsessions. “While strict whisky and coffee purists might consider it an abuse of
both, it’s a pairing that, when you taste it and understand the production processes, makes perfect sense.”
It took 12 months for Blasphemy to come to life. ST. ALi created two new coffee products, Orthodox and Wide Awake, while Archie Rose’s team of cellar hands decanted its Single Malt.
Blasphemy’s production process was similar to Archie Rose’s methods for its Single Malt Whisky and Rye Malt Whisky. The only difference was replacing some of the water used to balance the alcohol level with coffee.
The decision not to use any preservatives presented some logistical challenges.
“It meant the coffee had to be shipped to us in Sydney from ST. ALi in Melbourne as refrigerated freight and kept as close to zero as possible right up until blending,” Edwards says.
“Samples of all the whisky and coffee were then taken into the lab to do our final full-scale blend.”
The result is a spirit with flavour notes of stewed apples, plum jam and fresh berries, combined with amaretto and dark chocolate.
Bottling occurred onsite at Archie Rose’s Banksmeadow distillery in 74,000-litre capacity blending towers relocated from its original Rosebery site.
Edwards and Malatesta say Blasphemy is unlike any other whisky on the market. ✷
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www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | August/September 2021 | Food&Drink business | 43