Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/597666
102 / the tasting panel / november 2015 Coco You Didn't ◗ 2 oz. Kirk & Sweeney 18 Year Rum ◗ ¾ oz. sweetened lemon zest coconut milk (housemade) ◗ ¾ oz. lemon ◗ 2 dashes grapefruit bitters ◗ 2 bar spoons mango, muddled ◗ 4 leaves Thai basil, muddled Shake and double strain over ice. Garnish with peanut dust, a scrape of lemon zest, and Thai Basil Crisp. Slow Rush ◗ 2 oz. SLOW HAND Six Woods organic whiskey ◗ 1 oz. fresh lemon juice ◗ 1 oz. honey syrup ◗ 3 dashes BAR KEEP Saffron Bitters Melkon Khosrovian, co-founder/ Spirits Maker, Greenbar Craft Distillery in Los Angeles. S LOW HAND Six Woods Whiskey had the distinct honor of being the only locally made spirit, coming from Greenbar Craft Distillery in Los Angeles. Six Woods is Melkon Khosrovian's way to expand whis- key's flavor profile beyond white oak, the standard barrel wood, and let whis- key lovers taste new woods. Greenbar ages SLOW HAND in 1,000- and 2,000-gallon French white oak vats and adds thick, house-toasted staves of hickory, mulberry, hard maple, red oak and grape wood for extra flavor. The result is a new style of American whiskey that blazes a trail for innovative techniques in spirits making. What the Mixologist Loves: "I chose to make a simple cocktail because the spirits themselves are complex and don't need added fuss to turn into a tasty drink. Plus, after making spirits all day, I want something simple when I come home." SLOW HAND Six Woods Organic Whiskey Greenbar Distillery: Melkon Khosrovian 3 3 P L A C E 4 4 P L A C E Michael Rooney, Mixologist at Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach, CA. K irk & Sweeney, named after a Prohibition-era wooden schooner that was known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the Northeast, is Dominican Republic rum distilled using traditional sugarcane, then aged 18 years in American oak barrels, and bottled at 40 proof. The rum has lovely vanilla and caramel flavors and the spice notes lend itself well to cocktails, or sipped neat. What the Mixologist Loves: "The 18 Year expression is my favorite of the Kirk & Sweeney rum, because it's not too light and not too rich. I wanted to create an alcoholic lassi, like an Indian version of a Tiki drink, but I wanted to make it dairy-free. The grapefruit bitters brings out the citrus character of the rum, and the balance between the fruit and wood in the rum is gorgeous and shows really well in the cocktail." Kirk & Sweeney 18 Year Rum 35 Maple Street Spirits: Michael Rooney