Courtney Storer offers a fresh perspective on Johnnie Walker food pairings, interview

After another successful season of The Bear, Courtney Storer, chef and culinary producer for the show, is ready to serve some scrumptious burger recipes to pair with Johnnie Walker Blue Label. After one bite and a sip, these food and beverage ideas have everyone responding with a resounding “Yes, Chef.”

As part of this year’s Emmy celebrations, Johnnie Walker, the Official Spirits Partner of the 76th Emmy Awards, partnered with Courtney Storer, award winning mixologist Charles Joly, and Emmy nominee Ebon Moss-Bachrach to celebrate unique and unexpected pairings. The sublime whisky cocktails and delicious burger recipes showcase that the combination deserves to be in the spotlight.

Each burger and cocktail pairing highlights the Johnnie Walker Blue Label’s flavor depth. From a subtle bright, effervescent citrus forward sour to a frozen take on the uber popular Espresso Martini, these cocktails are a touch playful but rooted in tradition. In some ways, it is just like the elegant dishes featured in The Bear. Technique and precision, yet fueled by imagination and genius, combine to make a perfectly balanced cocktail.

In turn, Courtney Storer’s burger recipes complement those cocktails perfectly. Whether it is a Chicago Style Burger that channels one of the city’s infamous dishes or a take on a classic Steak Frites, Storer understands how to balance that sophistication with approachability.

Ahead of the 76th Emmy Awards, Courtney Storer gracious answered some questions about this Johnnie Walker Blue Label partnership via email.

Cristine Struble/FoodSided: Burgers and Johnnie Walker might not be the most expected food and beverage pairing. What is exciting about these food and cocktail pairings? How can these pairings entice the whisky novice to shake up one of the cocktails?

Courtney Storer: I think it's really about reinventing the classics, bringing a new, fresh perspective on flavors and food classics that people are so used to, and bringing new takes on it. What I had so much fun doing creating these was really getting to understand the whisky more and seeing how fun it is to mix it up with flavors like yuzu as Charles Joly taught me. What he did so beautifully is he made Johnnie Walker Blue Label a vehicle to introduce other new flavors, which I think is really interesting. Some people have never tried yuzu, and some people don't even know what a New York Sour is! So I think him doing that with the first caramelized onion pairing was so smart and delicious, and it's all about making things craveable and for people to question, "What is that?" I think as a chef, that's something I'm always looking to do, is to put my spin on it. You know, I'm an Italian chef, I'm constantly cooking Italian food. What about my spaghetti pomodoro is different from something that someone else eats in someone else's home? So, I think enticing the whisky novice all starts with asking, "How did he choose to use the Cabernet Sauvignon in the yuzu?" And "How much did that complement the sweet caramelization of a white onion with deglazed Johnnie Walker Blue Label?" You really see that those two are a match. And then, when you eat them together, it should feel like a vacation. You know? That's always my goal if you're like, "I'm on vacation," even when you're at a restaurant. "And this is so special that I came here for this thing."

FoodSided: What makes Johnnie Walker such a good choice to pair cocktails and food?

Storer: Well, I think it's super versatile; that's the thing that a lot of people sometimes underestimate about Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It is so smooth; it has some smoke to it. You've got orange notes, you've got cherry. So, if you taste this with this, there's a lot of complexity to it which makes it really fun for a chef because you can choose one lane and explore it. Even thinking about a Chicago-style burger and the shaken milkshake that we did, I mean, who would have thought that you could make a milkshake with Johnnie Walker Blue Label? It just shows that anything is possible. Have fun with the food that you're making, because if you're having fun, people taste it.

FoodSided: Charles Joly has long been associated with Chicago and some of its iconic, highly regarded restaurants. What was it like working on these pairings with him?

Storer: Just a no-brainer. Like, hello! Two Chicagoans? Forget about it. He's just really smart; one thing we love about Chicago is the high-low experience. We want to go out and have a really nice cocktail, and then we want to eat something with our hands. Do you know what I mean? I think Chicago does that really, really well. It's what I grew up eating, and so I had so much excitement to see what he would make because it's interesting to see how he sees Johnnie Walker Blue Label, and it taught me so much about the product. I was like, "Oh, wow, I never thought about cocoa; I never thought about making a milkshake or making a Rob Roy spin." I learned more about why Rob Roy is a Rob Roy, and it's just really cool how he took these classics and put a Chicago spin, but mainly his spin with his hospitality background in it; you can really taste it. I think between the three cocktails we feature, there's something for everyone.

FoodSided: One of the burger and cocktail pairings is a riff on a Chicago Dog that uses Johnnie Walker in the burger recipe. What makes this idea unique? Have you used this whisky in recipes before, and if so, what suggestions do you have?

Storer: It's really a nod to Chicago and the foods that Ebon and I love. What's really cool about the Chicago dog is it hits all the bases. You've got sweetness, you've got spice, you've got salt, you've got a little bit of heat, fat, you've got all the different things. I think it's a really balanced item of food. I'm always saying Chicago's style hot dog is the best. So, I really thought that if we made that into a burger format that complemented the Lights Coffee Action! cocktail, it would be a fun way for Chicagoans to taste a reinvented classic.

FoodSided: Chicago is known for having one of the best/most iconic burgers. Why are burgers, Chicago, The Bear, and Johnnie Walker such a winning combination?

Storer: I think it's community building. That's really what we're talking about. One thing I know about Chicago is there's a lot of community in that city, whether you're rooting for your favorite sports team or a band, or it's Rib Fest in the summer, and there's community activities. I think Chicagoans love not to make anyone feel like a stranger, and I have always loved that about that city. It's a friendly city, and I think I've taken that with me. Every job that I've done has that heart of Chicago. And I think it really speaks to, obviously, The Bear and the community that we have on and off the set, being able to shoot this beautiful show in a city that we love and eat and enjoy so often. But I think it really comes down to community, sharing stories, sharing experiences, like I've mentioned, that hospitality industry there is so special and so thoughtful, always trying to reinvent itself, and so it's really important that I exemplify that, and the things I make as well to just show a little respectful nod to where I came from.

FoodSided: In this season of The Bear, the dishes were highly elevated and intricate. How did those concepts push you as the culinary producer? Even though the viewer could not taste or smell the dishes, how did you capture the moment where everyone felt like they were experiencing the dish?

Storer: It really comes down to storytelling. How do I evoke it? How do we? It's always a collective "we" when I talk about The Bear because it takes a real team of visionaries and creatives who can also collaborate to create what you see on screen. It's lighting, music, acting, and producing, all of it, set design, props, and all this big village, right? And I think when you're reading a script or the story is coming through, it's really important to say, "What can I bring to the table?" "How do I connect to this?" And, "How can I have someone who can't feel or taste this thing make a connection to it?" And Chris is so good at that; he's just so helpful by saying, "Hey, narrow it down." Like "Come back to simplicity." And I think that that's really helped me. The simplicity in storytelling can make a big impact when you really think about the delivery. So, I'm always thinking about, like, I can give you a hamburger as an example, what's the first hamburger you ever had? You know what was delicious about it? What do you remember? Do you remember the wrapper it was in? Do you remember it on a plate, or did you go to a drive-in? Did you go to a fancy place with a knife in the hamburger? And so I'm thinking about the delivery of it, with the hope that someone somewhere might say, "Oh, I remember, that reminds me of my grandma who used to grill us burgers on the Fourth of July," or whatever the case: food and imagery - I always think about that. And I thought about that a lot when creating the burgers and the steak frites. I thought about burgers and asked, "What would I crave?" Sometimes, I just want a quarter-pounder. You know what I mean? I just want ketchup, mustard, a pickle, and some onion, and done. And then sometimes I want something a little bit more finessed, like working in Paris and working with beautiful produce and cheeses and learning how to make a poivre sauce for the first time. You know, I thought about all those experiences in my journey to kind of bring some storytelling to the table so that it was reflected in what we were able to do together.

FoodSided: The Bear has become a cultural phenomenon not only for fans of the show's drama and wit but also for its food aspect. How do you ensure that the "food as a character" tells a story throughout the season? What are you hoping that viewers better understand how food connects people and is integral to understanding The Bear's characters?

Storer: It's not much different than running and operating a kitchen: you have your internal customers, which is your team, and then you have the external customers or people who are enjoying whatever the product is. And I think with The Bear, we all have our idea of what the story is going to be in the script, and it's within all of us that we bring our magic and creativity to it. I think it's not quite simple enough to say, "Well, I just did this." I really believe in the collective, the team, and all of us being able to bring 150% every day to set and be able to help guide each other to make the best art that we can. And it really is a serious collaboration among us all. So I hope to pull my weight and, like I said, use my experiences and also compliment the team, the actors, the cast, and the crew. It's so important to just be able to come to the table, be flexible, and work together to get the best product out there. And it just is the same as running kitchens, really. I love leadership, but I think it takes such a unit, a collective leadership group, to get really good results, and that's with everybody. Everybody has leadership in what they do and what they bring to the table, so it felt really adjacent to my chef world, for sure.

FoodSided: Without jinxing anything, do you have a special cocktail and/or food that you will enjoy on Emmy's night?

You know it! It's going to be at the after-party with Johnnie Walker Blue Label! I am serious. The Elegance in Motion cocktail is my favorite, and I can't wait. I'm excited, and it's just so cute! I'm so excited for everyone to see the branding and the burger. I'm excited to eat every bite because I'm going to be starving, and I can't wait for everyone to try it and experience how delicious it is.

Ready to make your 76th Emmy Awards watching party the best one yet? Check out Johnnie Walker’s socials and the Blue List for more information.