The Tasting Panel magazine

November 2013

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The 2013 Holiday Buying Show BRISK BUSINESS AND NEW BRAND DISCOVERIES MARK THE BUSTLING TRADE SHOW IN THE HEART OF MANHATTAN by Timothy Moriarty / photos by Doug Young D istributors, retailers and buyers convened at New York's Jacob Javits Center on September 9 and 10 for the 2013 Holiday Buying Show, co-hosted by THE TASTING PANEL. Thousands of attendees walked the aisles, sampling the products, services and technologies of 176 exhibitors. Many new vodkas, tequilas and flavored spirits were introduced to the market via the show, along with a good number of shochus, the distilled white spirit of Japan. Exhibitors were enthusiastic in scoring the show a success. "It's great so far," said Ty Callahan of Prefunc. "We're meeting a lot of good people. It's good for us to network and meet people." "It's been a success thus far because we're meeting retailers and on-premise folks who want to pick up our brands," said Michael Barsella of Bomfun Spirits LLC. "It's a win." Fourteen free seminars were held during the two-day show, offering participants information on boosting profits and creativity. Two competitions added to the show's excitement and buzz. Mixologists competed for top honors in the 2013 Soyombo Cocktail Competition, sponsored by Soyombo Mongolian Vodka. The most highly anticipated was the third annual New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, The judges made their selections from well over 400 entries. THE TASTING PANEL'S Editor-in-Chief, Anthony Dias Blue, who also directs the San Francisco International Wine Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, led the panel. "This is the third year, and we doubled the entries from the previous year," said Blue, who noted that, for the first time, judges were flown in for the competition, many of whom are veterans of his San Francisco competitions. "So we have a definite consistency in terms of the quality of the judging. We take it seriously. Every entry is given its proper moment." For information about the Holiday Buying Show and complete results of the competitions, go to www.holidaybarbuyingshow.com. PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG Judges of the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition To left of hand rail, clockwise from upper left: Michael Feil (GM and Wine Buyer, Jupiter Island Club, Hobe Sound, FL), Ivy Mix (Mixologist, Clover Club, Brooklyn, NY), Kevin Vogt, MS (Wine & Spirits Director, Emeril's, Las Vegas, NV), David Ransom (Director, Wine and Spirits Program, The Connected Table, NY), Max Solano (Mixologist and Beverage Manager, Emeril's, Las Vegas, NV), Rosina Wilson (author and wine writer), Anthony Dias Blue (Editor-in-Chief, THE TASTING PANEL), Sarah Ford (Beverage Manager, L'escale, Greenwich, CT) and (seated) Charles Mara (President, The Mara Wine Group, NY), Zahra Bates (Mixologist, Cole's, Los Angeles, CA), Anthony Lerner (Sommelier, Mastro's , Los Angeles, CA). To right of rail: Ziggy Eschliman (Wine Country Radio, Santa Rosa, CA), Naren Young (Avroko Hospitality Group, NY), Steve Schneider (Bar Manager, Employees Only, NY), Jerry Garbus (GM, MB Post, Manhattan Beach, CA), Brent Kroll (Wine Director, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C.), Erin Barbour Scala (Head Sommelier, The Musket Room, NY), Morgan Harris (Sommelier, Corkbuzz, NY). 132  /  the tasting panel  /  november 2013 TP1113_109-156.indd 132 10/24/13 9:17 AM

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