Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/57654
BRAND ON FIRE MCMULLAN'S IRISH PUB N ext door to the locals-friendly Orleans Hotel & Casino, McMullan's Irish Pub may resemble just another typical tavern from the outside, but indoors, it is a serious replica of the old country. Flanagan greets Head Barman and Manager Dallas Perry, making sure he has the full line behind the bar, including 12 Year Old Special Reserve, Gold Reserve, 18 Year Old Limited Reserve and award-winning Rarest Vintage Reserve. "These are the best Irish Coffees in all Vegas," Flanagan tells me in her soft lilt, proffering a small goblet fi lled with fresh black coffee and standard Jameson with a thick cap of whipping cream. It is, indeed, perfectly blended and balanced, drinking with dangerous ease—a great way to kickstart a day. Dallas Perry, Head Barman and Manager of McMullan's Irish Pub at Orleans Hotel. Flanagan discusses St. Patrick's Day plans in the works, obviously including some of her biggest promotions of the year, such as a whiskey festival at the elegant off-Strip M Resort, and a special bar crawl which will feature a unique Jameson signature cocktail at each stop. CRESCENT SCHOOL OF GAMING AND BARTENDING "E ssentially, my role is education and mentoring," says Flanagan on our way to the next stop, a well-established training ground for casino employees. The Crescent School isn't really a client (most of the bar training is practiced with colored water), but Flanagan's complimentary tasting for the students is more than altruistic. To be sure, a bartender familiar and comfortable with Jameson is one who's likely to hand-sell it more. While Crescent instructor Bret Stanley (who won a mixology contest with a Jameson-based cocktail) directs the 30 students on how to properly nose and taste the whiskey, Flanagan stresses the importance of asking the customer's BAR + BISTRO S preference for "neat" or "rocks." "To me, it's the taste of the product that really matters," says Kate, adding suggestions for different easy mixers (ginger ale, cranberry juice, even orange juice shots or pickle juice backs). She recommends the 18 Year Old as a dessert drink and suggests, "If a girl came to your bar who wasn't sure she liked whiskey, I'd upsell Gold Reserve to her." Stanley offers the unoffi cial statistic that "whiskey drinkers tip an average of 30% on drinks," before Kate gives a pop quiz, awarding bottle openers to the winners, and mention- ing that Jameson hosts an annual Bartenders Ball on the Strip as a way of thanks. peaking of stops, next, Flanagan heads to Vegas' burgeoning Arts Factory and the popular loft-like Bar + Bistro, whose owners Wes Isbutt and Debra Heiser are brown spirits fans in general, and strong Jameson supporters specifi cally. Flanagan gives the staff a refresher tasting of the Jameson line, as well as Redbreast 12 year old—the only single pot still Irish whiskey available Stateside. She also revisits the success of a Jameson Fusion Dinner they held last week, featuring Jameson-infused and -paired dishes by Chef Beni Velazquez, includ- ing Marcona almond rainbow trout (cooked with Midleton Very Rare) and whiskey ice cream made with Jameson Gold. "Everything you need to know about Jameson is right on the bottle," Flanagan tells them, retracing the story of John Jameson founding his Dublin distillery in 1780, when there were some 2,000 such houses in Ireland. Today, Jameson is one of only three, and the family motto "Sine Metu" (Without Fear) has become a popular bartender tattoo. Bar + Bistro Chef Beni Velazquez (left) with Kate Flanagan and owners Debra Heiser and Wes Isbutt. march 2012 / the tasting panel / 79