Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/488317
april 2015 / the tasting panel / 1 17 For You: TYKU SAKE & SPIRITS There's no ignoring the explosive growth TY KU Sake & Spirits has achieved since arriving on the scene in 2007—the company boasts the most recognizable and fastest-growing premium saké portfolio in the U.S. today. Its founders spent years researching the best sake breweries and spirit distillers in Japan with the desire to share these honored secrets with the west. Brewed in Nara, Japan, the birthplace of saké, TY KU is 100% natural and completely free of gluten, sulfites and tannins. Pairing well with a wide variety of cuisine and cocktails, TY KU continues to teach consumers that saké is not just for sushi. Our Panel's Notes: "The TY KU pairs very well with the gin, and the cocktail is a great variation on a buck." —Matthew Doerr "Gin and saké: totally works! Great use of citrus and ginger notes to bring these two products together." —Mark Kiffin "The Junmai Ginjo is refined, clean and very light with a lingering finish. The cocktail offers nice complementary flavors, and the oils from the kumquat carry nicely mid- palate." —Richie Moe Tale as Old as Time: THE LEGEND OF KREMLIN PREMIUM RUSSIAN VODKA Deep within the subterranean vaults of a monastery in Russia, where the Kremlin now stands, a mysterious monk, Isidore, was the first to harness the essence of succulent fruits and cereal grains to create an alluring elixir, eventually spreading throughout the world as the mystical spirit vodka—so the legend goes. The Legend of Kremlin Premium Russian Vodka introduces modern techniques to this ancient recipe with luxurious wheat grain vodka, infusing it with spring water from their distiller's own artesian well. When mixed in ancestral copper vats, these elements harmonize to create a rich and refined texture, result- ing in a vibrant expression of artistry and tradition. Our Panel's Notes: "Nice creamy mouthfeel on a classic grain vodka comes to life in an innovative cocktail using some cool—and very Southwestern- inspired!—ingredients."—Rachel Burkons "Full-flavor for vodka on a weighty mouthfeel with nice, light honey notes. The cocktail is a light and simple aperitif." —Richie Moe "A rough and tumble vodka with a unique package. The cocktail has nice balances, and apple cider vinegar, honey and tomatillo are pretty cool choices." —Peter Kasperski 8-Point Buck ◗ ¾ oz. TY KU Black Sake ◗ 1 oz. Aviation American Gin ◗ ¾ oz. lime juice ◗ ½ oz. lemongrass ◗ 2 kumquats ◗ 1 sprig of rosemary ◗ 1 oz. Bundaberg Ginger Beer ◗ 1 oz. Fever-Tree Ginger Beer ◗ Muddle kumquats and rosemary. Add all ingredients except ginger beers in a tin. Shake and fine strain over ice in a Collins glass. Top with equal parts of the ginger beers. Garnish with lemongrass, kumquat and rosemary "tree." Rio Verde ◗ 1½ oz. The Legend of Kremlin Vodka ◗ 1½ oz. tomatillo shrub* ◗ 1 oz. Mineragua Club Soda ◗ 1 dried lime wheel with chili salt ◗ Combine first two ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and the club soda. Garnish with dried lime wheel. *Fresh tomatillo, mesquite desert honey and apple cider vinegar Douglas Simon, VP National Sales Manager, Royal Wine Corp., and Eric Harding, Mixologist, Tucson USBG. Rich T. Heider II, Brand Supporter, House Spirits Distillery, and Ron Newman, Market Manager-Southwest, Davos Brands.