Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/566135
136 / the tasting panel / september 2015 Smoked Berry Smash ◗ 1 oz. Original Combier ◗ ½ oz. Combier Rouge Cherry Liqueur ◗ 1 oz. El Silencio Joven ◗ 1 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice ◗ ½ oz. spiced syrup Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice, mix and serve in rocks glass. Torrence Swain, Bar Manager at D.C.'s Farmers Fishers Bakers. A Gift from France Torrence Swain, Bar Manager at D.C.'s Farmers Fishers Bakers, is proud to be a part of one of the most ambi- tious cocktail programs in the city. He selected Original Combier triple sec to give his Smoked Berry Smash a fresh, citrusy lift. Combier, the world's first triple sec, is crafted according to the exact specifications of a propri- etary recipe created in in the bucolic village of Saumur, France in 1834. Confectioners Jean-Baptiste Combier and his wife Joséphine sourced sun-dried orange peels from the West Indies, local spices from the south of France, alcohol from France's northwest and other ingredients from the Loire Valley for this 80-proof liqueur that is triple distilled—and just what Torrance wanted to use to prove his patriotic point. "We represent freedom in cocktails," Swain pro- claimed to the crowd, "by not conforming to any rules." Torrence used the bright, orange-based flavors of the smooth liquor as a perfect foil to the fresh berries muddled in each glass. Similarly soaked in history, Combier Rouge Cherry Liqueur Roi René Rouge has retained the same recipe and manufacturing process since its 1632 development by Reverend Mother Gautron of the Benedictine Abbey of Saumur. Hand-picked wild Guignes cherries from France and Morello cherries from southern England add sweet and sour flavors to this richly-colored liqueur. EXHIBITIONS Patriotic Popcorn The second heat brought fierce competition from Ben Wiley, Bar Manager at Pilar in D.C., using Rhum Clément as the base for his Kernel of Truth cocktail, featuring a freshly popped corn kernel as garnish. Rhum Clément hails from Martinique and uses the rhum agricole method, in which rum is distilled directly from freshly squeezed sugarcane juice rather than molasses to produce "a grassier, more vegetal rum." Wiley's inspiration for his cocktail stemmed from "being able to marry history and drinking," he says, since rhum (and rum) has deep roots in the history of the Americas. The world's first mono-varietal rum in the world, Rhum Clément Canne Bleue (blue cane) is aromatic with a high sugar content. A Kernel of Truth ◗ 2 oz. Rhum Clément Canne Bleue ◗ ½ oz. golden corn syrup ◗ ¼ oz. Amontillado Sherry ◗ Freshly popped popcorn Combine first three ingredients in shaker with ice and shake. Strain into chilled rocks glass and spray additional sherry over glass using a fine-spray mister. Garnish with popcorn on the side. Ben Wiley represented Rhum Clément.