Trust x Kropka x Royal Oporto, Kraków
While Tag is setting the stage for World Class associated events and guest shifts in Poland, Trust continues to perfect events surrounding individual spirits and collaborations. If you have not heard of or been to The Trust, you can read our article here as a little introduction to their craft.
Twice before, Trust has cooperated with the Kropka restaurant, which is bringing fine dining know-how to creative dishes. Kropka also features drinks made in collaboration with Trust on their menu, while Trust has small bites designed by the Kropka team in their bar.
This event, laid out with proper courses, as it would be in a restaurant with a wine pairing, was designed to perfection. Royal Oporto, which we will introduce in a bit, through their Polish representatives, was the thematic host, lending its varieties of Port Wine to cocktails created specifically for this event by The Trust. This included 4 entirely new signatures, each accompanied by small plates of food from Kropka, prepared by their head chef at the event.
I love and appreciate the effort that went into this event. Especially with guest shifts in the summer months, or other promotional activities around new products we often get easy and quick drinks, that serve more as an introduction to a product, rather than showing off its whole range of possibility. That of course makes sense, as most of these ‘tours’ travel through a dozen cities, and you have to create a menu that can be served everywhere. When you have the chance however to get together with locals and really be creative and develop an entire tasting menu, it’s a different experience.
Welcome Cocktail
Royal Oporto Rose is filled with a flowery Tonic to create a refreshing, cleansing start. Dry and with subtle notes of wine and wild strawberries, it opens up the palate for everything to come.
The producer itself, represented through its Polish agency, can look back at an impressive history of wines and other spirits. In between the cocktails, we got to listen to a history of the company, as well as some basic insights into the process of making Port Wine and all the bottles we got to see. Funny enough, the actual name of the Portuguese company is Real Companhia Velha, its English name ‘Royal Oporto’ coming from the name given by the British, who referenced the royal decree the company held since its foundation more than 250 years ago.
The event was also under the name ‘Douro Stories’, which is the region of Portugal all of their wines and thus Ports originate from. Not only history has shaped the Port, but also in significant ways the terroir it came from.
Negroni Twist with Hokkaido Bread, Pâté, and Cherries
Again the Royal Oporto Rose lays a fruity base for Gin fat washed with truffle. Walnut Liqueur and a kind of rose tincture beautifully complement the sweet bread and dense pate. The buttery mouthfeel of both the cocktail and the bread pair amazingly. With just a hint of bitterness, it’s the way a Negroni should be done, in my opinion. As a more intense Aperitivo it fits neatly in between the opening and middle cocktails.
Port Soda Twist with Bacalhau, Potatoes and Burnt Butter
Royal Oporto 10 Years Tawny Porto meets La Blanche Calvados infused with spiced plums, all topped with a hint of Amaro and Soda in a longdrink glass. Notes of licorice, the woods, and grapes under a layer of cardamom. The food, which brings the freshness and seafood quality of Portugal to the table, adds salt and lemon with Bacalhau and potatoes. The new minerality, combined with the Port and light fruits, give the impression of a mineral Portuguese Wine enjoyed on a green cliffside.
Manhattan Twist with Duck hearts, Cabbage and Rye bread espuma
Royal Oporto Tawny, Dates, Whisky, Chocolate, all fat washed together to give it supreme smoothness. Christmas cake, dark fruits and chocolate, raisins, cherry liqueur, the food adds a wintery aspect with duck and cabbage, a very cozy feeling, bringing together the colder days in both Poland and Portugal.
Dessert Cocktail with Nemesis style cake, Jelly and Plums
Royal Oporto Extra Dry, Grapefruit and a Raspberry Foam form a sweet treat to round out the courses. When reading extra dry white Port and grapefruit on the menu, I was expecting a drink that would lean more heavily in complex fruity notes of pineapple or white peaches, yet this drink and its matching fruit cake were very much straightforward. Beautiful texture, a perfect match, but having for example the Grapediggaz White Vermouth on my mind (You can read about their also fantastic Armagnac here) I was expecting a more subtle, balanced sweetness.
Royal Oporto Colheita
As a nice and thoughtful extra treat, we received a glass of the Colheita Port, a blend of vintage wines that is additionally aged, leading to a more focused and distinct flavor profile. This for me is a fitting finale, that was just missing maybe a cheese or nuts or some meat from Portugal as a pairing. The Port itself had so many wonderful notes to discover and opened up, even though the previous cocktail’s sweetness still lingered.
The Trust proves why it is one of the premiere destinations for those who love fine dining and drinking combined in Poland. The effort and passion that one experiences from the flavors and textures of this evening is simply outstanding. The entire menu walked a tight rope between representing the bartending personality of The Trust, the modern Polish fine dining of Kropka, as well as the culinary history of Porto and the Douro region.
Almost all the cocktails served would be signatures in their own regard and could be put on any menu, where they would stand on their own. We look forward to the next events that will surely follow.
/jf
