The Tasting Panel magazine

October 2015

Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/581407

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 50 of 140

50  /  the tasting panel  /  october 2015 MIXOLOGY W ith a name like Death's Door, it's easy to take a turn toward the maca- bre, but this Middleton, WI distillery is anything but dreary. With a portfolio that includes a gin, vodka, whiskey and delightfully refreshing Wondermint liqueur, the craft spirits out of Death's Door are each made out of a love for sustainability and a commitment to preserving the Washington Island way of life. In fact, the name Death's Door is an homage to the body of water off the island's coast, originally called Porte des Morts by the French in hopes of warding off other traders who came in quest of the island's once-famed potatoes. Today's Death's Door Gin is made from a surprising mix of Washington Island juniper berries and Wisconsin-sourced coriander and fennel, resulting in a Midwestern palate pleaser that manages to strike supple softness in subtle cock- tails, and big, bold flavors when it needs to. And to put this gin through its paces, we paired it with one of the biggest, baddest, boldest flavors around: Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur. Produced in super-small batches, Barrow's Ginger Liqueur is made from unpeeled fresh ginger, hand-turned, chopped and soaked in neutral cane spirit, then strained unfiltered in a sugar-water tank for a week. The result of this artisanal effort is an unadulterated intensely ginger flavor that's unlike anything else in the ginger category. With two special spirits in the balance, we set off to Woodland Hills, CA's Local Peasant, where Beverage Director Sean Phagan set out to highlight these spirits separately and together, in a three-cocktail showcase designed to flex each spirit's versatility. Ginger and the Grim DEATH'S DOOR GIN AND BARROW'S INTENSE GINGER LIQUEUR ARE A FLAVORFUL PAIR by Izzy Watson / photos by Dustin Downing Sean Phagan, Beverage Director at The Local Peasant in Woodland Hills, CA. ◗ Unfernetable ◗ 1 oz. Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur ◗ 1 oz. George Dickel Rye ◗ 1 oz. Fernet-Branca ◗ ½ oz. orange juice ◗ ½ oz. lemon juice ◗ 4 dashes Peychaud's Bitters Brooklyn Collins ◗ 1 oz. Death's Door Gin ◗ ¾ oz. Barrow's Intense Ginger Liqueur ◗ ¼ oz. Green Chartreuse ◗ 1 oz. fresh lemon juice ◗ ½ oz. simple syrup Death by Blueberry ◗ 2 oz. Death's Door Gin ◗ 1 oz. lime juice ◗ 1 oz. simple syrup ◗ 10 muddled blueberries

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Tasting Panel magazine - October 2015