Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/566135
september 2015 / the tasting panel / 1 17 O n a muggy morning in New Orleans dur- ing mid-July, a small group of bartenders gathered for breakfast at The Court of Two Sisters. The unlikely grouping from across the country turned to Andy Dawson, co- founder and Director of Broker's London Dry Gin, as he pulled something out of his pocket. "These are magical nuts," he chuckled. "If you crush them, they will grant you good luck." Undoubtedly, all four would crack these shells later in the day before the start of the finals for the third annual Broker's Bowler Cup, held during Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. The journey to the Big Easy for the group— Adrian Misacango of Tessa in NYC, April Simms of The Golden Tiki in Las Vegas, Brett Esler of Whisler's in Austin and Jason Leinart of Sugar House Bar in Detroit—began months earlier as their Broker's-inspired concoctions were chosen through a social media–driven competition to be among 12 semi-finalists in the Broker's Bowler Cup. From that group of cocktails, industry experts selected one recipe from each region of the country through a live shake-off and tasting in Los Angeles. After winning their way to NOLA, each competitor recreated their cocktail for the almost 400 people who came through the Broker's tasting room at Tales of the Cocktail. After all was said and done, Andy had the pleasure of crowning the first female champion of the Broker's Bowler Cup, April Simms, with her creation, Dill Me Baby. The continued success of this competition has no stopping point in sight, and with Tales 2016 coming faster than you think, it's never too early to start experimenting with Broker's for your chance to claim the Bowler crown. Keep your eye out for entry info in early 2016! —Emily Coleman Jason Leinart: Doubling Dn with Detroit Jason Leinart didn't expect his summer bartending gig to reset his career path. The former grad school student/mixologist is now fully involved in the local chapter of the United States Bartender's Guild, regularly attends industry networking and educational events and is tak- ing classes to further his skills. At the heart of his deepening love for the craft is a loyalty to his city, Detroit, once a major hub for Prohibition-era illicit activities. The city was once populated with speakeasy-style bars and safe havens called "sugar houses" that provided corn sugar to home brewers and mobsters running illegal stills and breweries alike. "It's been cool living and working in a city as it's having a resurgence," Leinart says. "Craft cocktails aren't affiliated with Detroit like in the larger markets—New York, Chicago—that get a lot of press." Leinart aims to change that. As Senior Bartender at The Sugar House, Leinart has taken on more management responsibilities, catering to visitors and locals that have increasingly expressed interest in the world of craft cocktails. "We're raising the bar as a bar and continue to be progressive, as we try to get more national recognition," he says. "This gives me a lot of creativity and flexibility. It's a good fit for me to be able to take advantage of that." Andy Dawson, co-founder and Director of Broker's London Dry Gin, congratulates winner April Simms in the Broker's tasting room at the Hotel Monteleone. May Flowers by Jason Leinart, The Sugar House, Detroit, Michigan ◗ 1½ oz. Broker's London Dry Gin ◗ ¾ oz. Carpano Dry Vermouth ◗ ¼ oz. Rothman and Winters Crème de Violette ◗ ¼ oz. Yellow Chartreuse ◗ Violet bouquet Stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Express a lemon twist over cocktail and garnish with a violet bouquet. PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING