Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/41419
He's the man responsible for another company innovation, Don Julio 1942, created in 2002 for the brand's 60th anniversary. "When they asked me for ideas on something different for this anniver- sary, I proposed an añejo," says de Colsa. "But, in aging, you lose some fl avors from the blanco because the barrel covers them. Through fi ltration, you can return those agave fl avors. The Don Julio 70 starts with notes of raw agave and pepper. There's some citrus that's slight, and because it's an añejo, we maintain the smoothness and that part of the wood that gives it almonds and vanilla, milk and dark chocolate. Some of the honey is gone, but it's replaced with those wonderful raw and cooked agave blanco fl avors that come back." A Cocktail's Cohort For an SRP of $70, Don Julio 70 fi ts nicely between Tequila Don Julio Añejo and 1942. Add to this its citrine, nearly clear color and an original fl avor profi le, and bartenders get a spirit that's marketable neat and stunning in cocktails. "On the nose, you immediately get vanilla bean and beautiful cooked agave fl avor," offers Brian Van Flandern. As Don Julio's Global Mixologist, he was afforded the perk of tasting the new product straight from the barrel and the fi rst license to work with it in cocktails. "In a cocktail, this is such a versatile spirit," he adds. "All the mixologists out there are working with cognacs, whiskies and aged tequilas, because we want that depth of fl avor. I've found that one ingredient that works really well is honeydew. I've also been working with a lot of Indian spices as well as coconut milk. From a mixologist's standpoint, being able to use something so intensely full-fl a- vored yet clear is always exciting." Any way you pour it, Don Julio 70 is set stage center to shake up the industry. "We expect that bartenders, once they try it and are surprised by its unique fl avor profi le, will enjoy it for sipping occasions. But we hope they will love to experiment with it in cocktails as well," concludes Barnett. "As Enrique always says, there's no wrong way to enjoy Don Julio—as long as it's enjoyed in good company and, of course, responsibly." Dominic Venegas serves up his creation—the Quetzal Luxury Drop—to crowds at the "Party Like a Don" event, held at LePhare in New Orleans as part of Tales of the Cocktail 2011. The Debut at Tales of the Cocktail Each year, tens of thousands of indus- try insiders gather in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail. During the fi ve- day event in July, guests encounter a multitude of brands, from scotches bearing 25 years in wood to new spirits fresh from the still. Don Julio 70 was the star of a signature event at the city's hotspot, LePhare, where Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa led small groups through professional tastings on the new añejo claro tequila. New York bartenders Jason Littrell and Hal Wolin also plied the crowd with signature cocktails, and San Francisco- based mixologist Dominic Venegas served up a signature Luxury Drop. The Luxury Drop program challenges bartenders to come up with a new way to experience tequila, beyond the old salt-and-lime method, by creating miniature cocktails. Venegas won over the crowd with his Quetzal Luxury Drop. THE QUETZAL LUXURY DROP 1¼ oz. Don Julio Reposado ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ¼ oz. hazelnut liqueur Cayenne pepper Cinnamon Ground pepper Oaxacan chocolate Sliced strawberry for garnish ■ Combine cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ground pepper and Oaxacan chocolate to create spice mixture. Combine Don Julio Reposado and hazlenut liqueur in a shaker. Shake and strain into shot glass; dust strawberry in spice mixture and place on rim. september 201 1 / the tasting panel / 55 PHOTO: JENN FARRINGTON