Liquid Diet: What a Sommelier Drinks Before a Marathon

By Ray Isle Originally Posted December 12th, 2017

I thought many of our wine collectors, whom are also runners, would appreciate this article.  I’m exhausted (and – thirsty) by the read! – Marla Priest

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Aspen-based Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy goes from hydration drinks to grand cru Burgundy before running a sub 4-hour marathon in New York.

In our series, Liquid Diet, a professional drinker journals every sip of one beverage-packed week. Here, Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy, wine director of The Little Nell and its restaurant Element 47 in Aspen, Colorado—and a formidable runner—documents a week of espressos, grand cru Burgundies, hydrating sports drinks and the occasional craft beer before running the New York Marathon.

Tuesday

5:30 A.M. I landed in Aspen last night around 9pm, from Rome, and finally fell asleep around 1am. My hope was to sleep until seven, but our cat, Soba, had other plans. At five he/she was on my chest, meowing in my face. So, good morning. I start the day with an espresso—Boxcar Roasters’ Stella espresso, from Boulder. I feed Soba, bid her farewell and head to the office.

10:00 A.M. I’ve been away three weeks, so there’s a long list of emails to work when I arrive at The Little Nell. But by ten it’s time for more caffeine. I head up to the restaurant.  This is not a rushed process; I take my foam very seriously. Proper technique took me years to master while I working at Cityzen in D.C. I drink an ice cold San Pellegrino along with the coffee.

12:00 P.M. Meeting with a local wine rep. We taste through Oregon producer Walter Scott Wines’ current releases, and the 2016 La Combe Verte Chardonnay is on fire!  Plus the price is right. We’ll pour this in all five restaurants by the glass for the winter. The rest of the day I spend prepping for inventory tomorrow. We have four cellars to count every month, and it’s an all-hands-on-deck ritual.

6:30 P.M. Back at home, a special box has arrived: the final prototype for a beer project I’ve been working on with Jared Rouben of Moody Tongue Brewery. He’s an old Per Se alumni of mine and is now an amazing brewer.  The beer fresh, crisp and super well made—I’m essentially creating my favorite daily beer with him.

7:30 P.M. Fellow master somm (and former mentor) Jay Fletcher wants to have dinner. I meet up with him and the family, and begin with an Aperol Spritz. Fletcher orders the wine—I never choose when he’s at the table.  Apparently he’s in the mood for something big, because he orders a 2012 Guigal St Joseph and a 2011 Numanthia Toro. Party time: No way to get away from this table without a strong buzz.  I head home after dinner, take some melatonin for my jet lag and drink another San Pellegrino.

 

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