Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/53193
DEPARTMENT HEADER WINNER'S CIRCLE Taking the Heat ABSOLUT VOKDA CROWNS "BEST BLOODY IN AMERICA" I t wasn't Sunday brunch, but that didn't deter New York's avid Bloody Mary enthusiasts from packing a Lower East Side hot spot for a taste of the hot stuff. More than 200 cocktail aficionados filled Sons of Essex in the finals of the ABSOLUT Vodka "Best Bloody in America" recipe contest. Co-sponsored by Thrillist.com, the competition's nine finalists—bartenders with the most Facebook "likes" from consumers in their respective states—arrived in New York City to compete for a trophy and a trip to Sweden, home of ABSOLUT. A star-studded bar judged the contestants: "King Cocktail" Dale DeGroff; Allen Katz, Director of Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits; Julie Reiner of Clover Club and Lani Kail; and Ben Robinson, senior editor at Thrillist. In the end, a Texan rode off with the top honors: Luis Martinez of The Patio on Guerra in McAllen concocted the winning recipe, the ABSOLUT Akita Maria. Shall we say a bloody good time was had by all? —Lana Bortolot Luis Martinez with his ABSOLUT Akita Maria. ◗ 2 parts ABSOLUT vodka ◗ 4 parts tomato juice ◗ ½ part lime juice ◗ 1 part fresh orange juice ◗ 1 small minced basil leaf ◗ 1 pinch onion powder ◗ 1 pinch garlic powder ◗ 1 pinch black pepper ◗ ½ part teriyaki sauce ◗ ½ part soy sauce ◗ Fingertip-size wasabi paste patty ◗ 1 dash Sriracha spicy red chili sauce ◗ 3 pinches shaved ginger root ABSOLUT Bloody Mary winner Luis Martinez is flanked by Pernod Ricard USA execs Steve Chasen, Director, Trade Marketing (left) and Steve McGarry, Manager, Trade Marketing. Mix all ingredients with the exception of ABSOLUT vodka, tomato juice and lime juice in a shaker tin and lightly muddle them together. In a highball or Zombie glass rimmed with sea salt, add ABSOLUT vodka over ice. Add the muddled ingredients and top with tomato juice and lime juice. Garnish with spicy pickled asparagus. ABSOLUT Akita Maria by Luis Martinez, The Patio on Guerra, McAllen, Texas 42 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012 PHOTO: KACY JAHANBINI, COURTESY OF ABSOLUT PHOTO: KACY JAHANBINI, COURTESY OF ABSOLUT