Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/205467
DANA POINT: MAHÉ Bar Manager Brad Davenport on Mahé's bamboo-lined patio; the Purity Press; cocktail server Kerri Sheaks gets surfside with Purity Vodka. Flip flops and t-shirts are de rigueur at Mahé, a seaside haven owned by Tony Andrews and Toby Reece overlooking Dana Point's Marina and the Pacific. (They also have a location in Seal Beach.) With an outdoor patio and exceedingly busy bar, the drinks have to be great but not labor intensive. On the night THE TASTING PANEL came to play, Purity Vodka was lined up at the ready as the call vodka of choice for customer's favorite mixed drinks. But it was the Purity Press that seemed to be the star of the evening. Because Purity Vodka in unfiltered, it has a crisp, clear and smooth finish and really nothing else is needed in the glass. But we thought the addition of cucumber and soda would be the most refreshing combination of ingredients," offers Bar Manager Brad Davenport. GAME PLAN: Create a classic cocktail with surf-itude. GOAL: Make it simple to concoct for a busy beachside bar . RESULTS: The Purity Press is a simple, clean play on the Presbyterian. ANAHEIM: THE CATCH It's a double-entendre," explains Kevin Anderson, General Manager and sommelier for The Catch in Anaheim, speaking of the name of the restaurant. "We are at the epicenter of the sports arenas, hence the catch as in baseball . . . but we are also a haven for fresh seafood," he goes on to point out. While goalie's masks from the Ducks hockey team may be hanging on the walls alongside Angels paraphernalia, sports fans can also spot collectibles from the Arizona Sun Devils. The Catch owner Joe Manzella, an Arizona State alum, is the reason behind that. But whatever ball is in the air—or puck is on the ice—The Catch lures in the rooters. "This is like no other place I've ever been," admits Anderson. "We are so event-driven, a Monday can be as busy as any Saturday." With the Disney resorts just a few miles away, Anderson notes that families flock as often as sports fans. "Joe's motto is 'Make it fun, make it fresh.' There's no other rule book here." Kevin Anderson is General Manager for The Catch. "You know you're drinking quality when the majority of us chose Purity Vodka as our favorite in this blind tasting." GAME PLAN: Blind-taste Purity Vodka against three other vodkas. GOAL: Purity voted as best tasting/smoothest. RESULTS: Win! Out of the 12 bar staff, ten voted Purity #1, two voted Purity #2. november 2013 / the tasting panel / 55 TP1113_034-65.indd 55 10/24/13 9:19 AM