Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/376390
70 / the tasting panel / september 2014 COVER STORY around. "I don't get a lot of time to myself, so when I do, you can probably find me on my patio with a cigar and Kirk and Sweeney Rum swirling in a snifter." Drawing its name from the old wooden schooner that smuggled Caribbean rum to the Northeast during Prohibition, Kirk and Sweeney is made from natural sugarcane found in the Dominican Republic. Aged 12 years in American oak barrels, this rum wafts browned honey, molasses, caramel and a hint of vanilla. Well-aged and weighty, Kirk and Sweeney is never overbearing as subtle oak and vanilla tease the palate for a smooth, easy finish. They don't make men like William "Bat" Masterson anymore. Top- notch U.S. Marshal, buffalo hunter, sports editor and a prolific gambler, Masterson was the type of man who both inspired and helped quell the Wild West. The folks at 35 Maple Street honor this man—and the unbridled, lawless time in which he lived—with a trio of whiskies "Bat" would surely raise a glass to. World-class artisans fashion fragrant, plump rye grains from the Pacific Northwest and pure glacial water from the Northern Rockies into an old-fashioned pot still. Mellowed for ten years in white oak casks, Masterson's Straight Rye Whiskey is a rye without equal. Shortly after its introduction, 35 Maple Street Spirits launched Masterson's 12-Year-Old Straight Wheat Whiskey, a limited-release expression featuring premium Canadian wheat with mineral-laden lake water. The result is remarkably mellow; it's a woodsy, cocoa-dusted 100-proof sipper that is quickly gaining a cult-like following—and rightfully so. In what is perhaps their most esoteric offering, Masterson's 10-Year- Old Straight Barley Whiskey (like all Masterson's whiskeys) uses only a single type of grain on the mash bill. After a decade in white oak, this hom- age to barley reveals refined earth and light summery notes, popping fresh, fruity tones on the finish. Never ones to rest on previous successes, the team at 35 Maple Street has big plans for the coming months. Rumors of new releases (a mezcal!) float around capriciously at the California- based headquarters. Kirk and Sweeney Rum is going vertical; patience paying off as an 18-year and 23-year expres- sion have come of age and are ready for aficionados around the globe. Hoping to complement the wildly successful Masterson's line, the group is set to release the highly anticipated Bib and Tucker Bourbon this year. With an arsenal of products already winning over the trade and consum- ers, and a seemingly endless wealth of creativity waiting to spring up with future releases, one thing's for sure: Maple Street's about to get a lot more traffic —and that's a beautiful thing. A certified green property with imaginative local California fare, Healdsburg's Spoonbar has you clamoring before you even belly up to the bar. Critically acclaimed and intensely creative, Bar Manager Tara Heffernon elevates her beverage program with homemade syrups and foams, a top secret "shrub menu," and a world-class Perlini system that she uses to carbonate cocktails like her famous Carbonated French 75. Featuring Uncle Val's Botanical Gin, bone-dry cava, fresh squeezed lemon juice and homemade simple syrup, this classic cocktail is rejuvenated using Uncle Val's. "Uncle Val's Botanical Gin works perfectly in this cocktail," she divulges "the bright, fresh flavors of lemon just pop through!" At Spoonbar in Healdsburg, near 35 Maple Street HQ in Sonoma, August Sebastiani gives Tara Heffernon's Carbonated French 75 a try. The popular sparkling cocktail features Uncle Val's gin, and is a favorite among guests. PHOTO: HARDY WILSON Uncle Val's Shines in Wine Country PHOTO: HARDY WILSON Carbonated French 75 ◗ 1½ oz. Uncle Val's Botanical Gin ◗ ¾ oz. lemon juice ◗ ¾ oz. simple syrup ◗ 2 oz. Cava