The Tasting Panel magazine

JUNE 2011

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DEPARTMENT HEADER drınk dısh the and the VeeV, Thatcher’s, Fair Trade and many more allow mixolo- gists and chefs to stay true to their organic menus. One of the organic menu leaders in Denver, Colorado is a joint called the Squeaky Bean. Chef Maxwell MacKissock and Mixologist Sean Kenyon are advocates for their local farms. They appreciate that produce picked and sold the same day is bursting with fl avor and that when you source locally you are putting more “green” in the farmers pockets. Chef Max and Sean have embraced what makes their community unique, which they showcase in their food and drink menus. M Bridget Albert: What is the philosophy of the Squeaky Bean menu and cocktail program? Chef Maxwell: We do everything with a sense of humor. The kitchen serves dishes like Meaty Vegetables, a vegetarian dish in which all of the elements look like meat dishes: eggs (spherifi ed golden beets over parsnip purée), bone marrow (a hollowed out butter-braised potato “bone” fi lled with leek custard and a parsley gremolata on the side), mushroom pot pie and beet “tartar,” all served on a TV dinner tray. The cocktail list has a theme based on ‘70s television, with names like “The Gooch” (the faceless bully that beat up Arnold on Diff’rent Strokes), “Chico and The Man” and the “Dr. Johnny Fever.” But we do take our ingredients very seriously. Our philosophy is based on the seasonality and sustainability of the ingredients as well as the fi nal product on the plate. The cocktail program mirrors the kitchen in that regard. BA: What is a great gateway dish to introduce the use of organic spirits in cooking? Chef Maxwell: Vodka- and beet-cured salmon with peas and crème fraîche. The sweetness from the beets balances the alcohol strength of the vodka. 104 / the tasting panel / june 201 1 Gardeners Urban BRIDGET ALBERT HEADS TO DENVER TO MEET UP WITH THE ORGANIC MENU LEADERS AT THE SQUEAKY BEAN photos by Kevin Moloney y mom still says, “You are what you eat and drink.” It is with this good advice that I give thanks to the sustainable liqueur movement. Spirits such as Mixologist Sean Kenyon and Chef Maxwell MacKissock of The Squeaky Bean in Denver.

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