Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/101724
the simplest mixes with coffee and tea. "In my home country, people created unique, handcrafted drinks during the winter," Dvorsky says. "People would harvest herbs during the year, dry them and store them for up to a full year. They would then blend the herbs into teas and serve them warm, believing that the mixes had restorative and healthy properties. This tradition, which still exists today, was the root of our concept. However, the fact that Tatrateas are not infused, but distilled with these natural components in a molasses-based spirit similar to rum makes it one of the most modern and approachable ideas. Another thing that makes Tatratea a very 21st-century kind of product is that even the high-proof spirits in the line go down smooth and blend seamlessly with other ingredients." With Tatratea catching ire, even other purveyors of distilled spirits are taking notice. Several spirits companies have already approached the Tatratea management about teaming up to create cocktail programs that further enhance the artisanal appeal of the product lines. While there's a clear place for Tatratea on-premise, Dvorsky adds that his team also inds great potential in home mixologists and the off-premise market. He notes a big part of Tatratea's appeal is captured in the verbiage on the back of the bottles. They also have recently created a unique, bottle- shaped sales brochure and bottlenecker that tell a back story about the lavors along with easy-to-drink recipes made from things found at neighborhood supermarkets. "Tatratea will make any home mixologist create cocktails like a pro," Dvorsky says. "What we ultimately appeal to is the fact that every mixologist wants to create that next great drink using the best ingredients, whether he or she is a professional or entertaining friends at home. Even if you have only one bottle of Tatratea on your bar, you can create a whole spectrum of different cocktails when you mix it with everything from grapefruit juice to pomegranate juice, tequila, vodka, sparkling water or tonic." Impressing the Maestro When Giovanni Labile came to the U.S. ive years ago, he only by Giovanni Labile spoke Italian. Hailing ◗ 1½ oz. Tatratea Outlaw from the coastal city ◗ ½ oz fresh celery juice of Taranto in Puglia, ◗ ¾ oz white vermouth Italy, Labile worked to ◗ ¼ oz fresh lemon juice support himself in the ◗ Dash of agave syrup restaurant business since he was 12 years ◗ Shake and add fresh ground old. A trained bartender, pepper and garnish with barista and food and celery stick. drink "decorator, " Labile so impressed (pictured at left) the owners of Ocean Avenue Brewery by Giovanni Labile when they met him ◗ 1 oz. Tatratea Bohemian in Italy, they brought ◗ ½ oz. elderflower liqueur him to the States. ◗ ½ oz. infused and fermented From dishwasher to server and eventujuiced berries (blackberries, ally to manager, blueberries and raspberries) ◗ 1 oz. Prosecco the animated and talented liquid chef ◗ Top with Prosecco and decorate deines the role and is respected among his with berries and Stargazer lily. industry peers. The irst time he tasted Tatratea, he knew of its array of possibilities. He has created some masterpieces that show off the brand in the best possible light. The Peppered Outlaw PHOTO: ANNE WATSON TatraLove Giovanni Labile, Manager and "Liquid Chef" at Ocean Avenue Brewery in Laguna Beach, CA. Here, he poses with his signature drink, TatraLove. january 2013 / the tasting panel / 73