The Tasting Panel magazine

November 2011

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COMPETITIONS Bitter Rivalry I Texas Bitters Challenge winner Josh Loving, from Fino in Austin, with his Pim Pim Pot-Still cocktail, made with his own Chinese Five Spice Bitters. A TEXAS SHOWDOWN TO CLAIM THE NEXT BARKEEP BITTERS BOTTLE story and photos by Anthony Head n September, two Texans met at Haddington's in Austin for a battle of bitters. Josh Loving, Bar Manager of Fino in Austin, brought his Chinese Five Spice Bitters and a battle cry: "I eat a lot of Chinese food." To which Sean Jensen, General Manager of The Hay Merchant in Houston, roared back about his Orange Spice Bitters: "I'm a big fan of citrus." This was no cocktail contest—it was strictly about the bitters. And let us never forget that along with liquor, sugar, and water, bitters was a founding father of our cocktail nation. The Sazerac, the Martini, the Straits Sling—these and many other historic cocktails were all composed with aromatic bitters. Despite the post-Prohibition decline in bitters' popularity, the almost-lost art of bitters- making is finding its way back, thanks to the dedication of originalist bartenders like Loving and Jensen. PIM PIM POT-STILL recipe by Josh Loving ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 1½ oz. Pimms 1 oz. Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum ¼ oz. St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram ¼ oz. allspice syrup 4 dashes Chinese Five Spice Bitters ■ Stir ingredients over ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed orange swath. Greenbar Collective (greenbar.biz), Los Angeles's only spirits maker, sponsored the Texas Bitters Challenge as part of its corporate dedication to quality mixology. Founders Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew produce Barkeep Bitters, Ixá Organic Tequila, Tru Organic Gin and other products with bartenders specifically in mind—from the selection of aromatic ingredients right down to their choice of lighter glass bottles for better torque during the execution phase of cocktail slinging. "The whole concept of Barkeep Bitters came from talking with bartenders who made their own wonderful bitters," says Khosrovian. "But unless you were visiting their bar, you never got to experience them." At Tales of the Cocktail three years ago, Greenbar invited bartenders to showcase their bitters handiwork, and three of those recipes became Barkeep's original lineup: Baked Apple, Lavender Spice, Swedish Herbs. Greenbar produces and markets the products, then splits the profits with the creators. "Texas has been a great market for us, especially Houston and Austin, so we thought it made sense to add a Texas product," says Mathew, citing not only good sales, but innovative (and unexpected) uses as well. "We've heard there are some dive bars in Houston that are adding drops of our Baked Apple Bitters to Miller Lite." Based on quality, innovation and versatility, the Texas judges chose Chinese Five Spice Bitters, which means Josh Loving's face will soon appear on the Barkeep Bitters bottle. The rollout is expected to begin by year's end. The Unusual Suspects: The original Barkeep Bitters brood is making room for Josh Loving's Chinese Five Spice Bitters from Texas. 60 / the tasting panel / november 201 1

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