Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/326040
90 / the tasting panel / june 2014 SPEED TASTING REPORT Windy City Whites: Part II WHITE SPIRITS GRAB THE SPOTLIGHT IN A CHICAGO SPEED TASTING by Rachel Burkons / photos by Jill Tiongco W e may be based in sunny Southern California, but, Chicago, we were worried about you this winter. From the dreaded polar vortex, to record-breaking freezes on Lake Michigan, THE TASTING PANEL knew that this year's cold weather was anything but fun for our friends in the Windy City. So when we decided to head to the Midwest for a Speed Tasting this April, we knew we'd have to treat our beverage and bar friends to something special, and we gathered ten spirit brands to create ten cocktails that would warm even the coldest Chicago winter heart. We headed to Lincoln Park's hot new eatery, Coppervine, where each brand had ten minutes in front of our panel of Chicago's finest, and as the city's top Beverage Directors and bartenders tasted, they recorded their tasting notes—which we're happy to share with you in these very pages! So sit back, relax and let these spirits whisk you away. Whether your winter was brutal or beautiful, we think you'll love these spirit-driven drinks. The second half of our panel: Paul Sauter, Head Bartender, Mercadito; Rachel Burkons, VP/Managing Editor, THE TASTING PANEL; Ben Drescher, Dining Room Manager, Coppervine; Mark Cichowski, Head Bartender, Coppervine; Don Sritong, Partner, Coppervine; Brandon Phillips, Head Barkeep, Bottlefork. One half of our Chicago Panel, from left to right: Owen Worley, bartender, The Drawing Room; Jean Tomaro, Beverage Director, Hogsalt Restaurant Group; Andrew Macker, Director of Operations, Viaggio; Patrick Hattin, General Manager, 676 Restaurant at The Omni Chicago; Cristiana DeLucca, bartender, Bangers and Lace. TP0614_072-101.indd 90 5/23/14 9:38 PM