Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/326040
june 2014 / the tasting panel / 93 Glass Gimlet ◗ 1¾ oz. Glass Vodka ◗ 1½ oz. fresh lemonade ◗ 2 thin slices cucumber ◗ 3 Thai basil leaves Don Porfirio cocktail courtesy of Expendio Tradición ◗ 2 oz. Mezcal Los Cuerudos Joven ◗ ¼ oz. agave nectar ◗ 3 oz. fresh grapefruit juice ◗ dropper of Galliano Liqueur ◗ 6–8 mint leaves ◗ Sal de Gusano [worm salt] THE NORTHWEST COMES MIDWEST: GLASS VODKA (SRP $40) With wonderful winegrowing regions at his fingertips, it is no wonder Ian MacNeil turned to Washington wine and wine grapes as the base for his Glass Vodka. Sourcing Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay wine and wine grapes from Columbia Valley, MacNeil had hoped to release a connoisseur's vodka with a natural, gently sweet flavor. "There are no sugars added, and this vodka is truly representative of the elegance of Washington's exceptional wine grapes," comments MacNeil. In order to keep things in a PacNW state of mind, MacNeil served up a cocktail that's on the menu at Seattle's Asian fusion hotspot, Wild Ginger. "This cocktail is selling like crazy there," says MacNeil. "It does so well because of the local angle, and people just love its bright and refreshing taste!" Windy City Write-Up: "The vodka has a very buttery mouthfeel with nice notes of vanilla. The cocktail is floral and elegant with great earth balance."—Andrew Macker "The vodka has a really unique flavor, and the packaging is beautiful. The cocktail is really elegant and refreshing with great cucumber-lemon notes."—Jean Tomaro "The vodka is really light and gentle, and you can definitely taste the grape base."— Paul Graves A MEXICAN TRADITION: MEZCAL LOS CUERUDOS JOVEN (SRP $40) Coming from five generations of mezcaleros in the Chagoya family, Los Cuerudos mezcals are made in a traditional 100% artisanal process in which espadin agave is roasted up to a week in a stone pit. After the roasting, piñas are manually ground before open-air fermenting in a wood vat for five to seven days before double-distillation in copper stills. One of the largest mezcal producers in Oaxaca, the Chagoya family portfolio taps into a growing interest in agave spirits north of the border, especially among bartenders who love to play with the category's classic smokiness. "I really wanted to play up the smoke in the spirit, so I went with a lot of bright citrus notes to really give it a chance to shine," explained Scott Huth, who's behind the stick at Chicago's Mercadito Hospitality Group, whose Don Porfirio cocktail is named after the company's president. The Chagoya family is also betting on mezcal on-premise, with fifth-generation family member Raymundo Chagoya poised to open a mezcaleria in the Oaxaca city center this year. For more info, email contacto@tradicionchagoya.com. See the Mezcal Los Cuerudos ad on page 121. Windy City Write-Up: "Neat, it is creamy, with a little bit of brine and wine-grape notes. It's got a great balance of approachability and full agave/smoke flavors."— Owen Worley "The sweetness up front is a really nice balance with the smoke on the spirit neat, and in the cocktail, the sal de gusano pairs beautifully with the spice and smoke."—Ben Drescher "Smoke lands squarely on the front palate, fading off quickly and leaving supple cooked agave on the mid-palate before finshing with light cocoa and mole. This redefines delicious!"—Brandon Phillips Ian MacNeil is the founder of Glass Vodka. Scott Huth is a bartender with the Mercadito Hospitality Group. TP0614_072-101.indd 93 5/23/14 9:39 PM