Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/376390
september 2014 / the tasting panel / 71 35 Maple Street Gets the OC Treatment COO and Partner Jennifer Delcham loves to party. "I tell my staff to throw a house party every night!" Ways & Means Oyster House is a whitewashed Eastern Seaboard concept with a global influence, tucked neatly in Orange, CA. At her bar, Delcham takes the entire 35 Maple Street Spirits line and creates an engaging, yet approachable program that virtually any guest can relate to. "I love using the Kirk and Sweeny Rum in my Palmetto, with Bitter Truth Orange Bitters and Quady Winery's Vya Vermouth." Uncle Val's Botanical Gin is poured in for the Meyer Lemon Drop, converting even the most stalwart vodka drinkers over to gin with its fruity, herbaceous quality. "To truly showcase North American whiskey, I use the trio of Masterson's Rye, Wheat and Barley Whiskey as a stand-alone flight; they demonstrate the breadth of what a whiskey can offer and provide a means of educating my guests on straight whiskey." Kirk and Sweeny Dirty Vanilla Mojito ◗ 1½ oz. Kirk and Sweeny Spiced Rum ◗ ¾ oz. fresh lime juice ◗ ¾ oz. vanilla-infused syrup ◗ 3 lime wedges ◗ fresh mint ◗ Muddle mint, lime wedges and simple syrup, add ice and Kirk and Sweeny. Add soda water, shake and serve in a Collins glass. Garnish with lime wedge. Mastering Masterson's in the Windy City Deep under Kinzie Street in the belly of Chicago, Untitled 111 re-imagines 1920s supper clubs on an unparalleled level. Live Motown, blues and swing bump this 18,000-square-foot cocktail mecca right back to the days of Prohibition, where Bar Manager Mike Karberg is slinging picture-perfect, old-timey libations. In his signature Wood Panel cocktail, Karberg uses Masterson's 10-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey, Campari, Carpano Antica and a housemade honey syrup topped with fresh grapefruit zest. He explains: "We carry over 400 North American Whiskies, but I have to admit I'm in love with Masterson's Rye. The rye pro- file is so clean and fragrant, it stands out in my portfolio and my guests ask for it by name." PHOTO: JACOB HAND Bar Manager Mike Karberg at Chicago's Untitled 111, where the Wood Panel cocktail features Masterson's 10-Year- Old Straight Rye Whiskey. Jennifer Delcham enjoys a Kirk and Sweeny Cocktail at Ways and Means in Orange, CA. The Palmetto ◗ 1¼ oz. Kirk and Sweeney 12-Year-Old Rum ◗ 1¼ oz. Quady VYA Sweet Vermouth ◗ 2 dashes Bitter Truth Orange Bitters ◗ Stir ingredients. Strain into Martini glass. Garnish with orange peel. PHOTO: LEIGH CASTELLI PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG Recently voted "Hottest Spot for Singles" in a local publication, Garden City's Revel Restaurant and Bar offers chic, cosmopolitan dining without the Manhattan hassle. Open just ten short months, Bar Manager Jessica Liberto successfully runs a seven-hour daily happy hour (12–7 p.m.) and manages to find time to concoct housemade syrups and bitters with a seasonally inspired cocktail program. She's currently mixing Kirk and Sweeney Rum to build her Dirty Vanilla Mojito, noting the inherent vanilla nectar qualities in the rum. "I use Kirk and Sweeney exclusively for this cocktail because it pairs so beautifully with my house-infused vanilla simple syrup. This is a mojito unlike anything you've had before." Mojito Time with Kirk and Sweeny