Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/61075
SPEED TASTING REPORT The Spare Room: A Cocktail Strike With one of the coolest locations in L.A., in the heart of Hollywood at The Roosevelt Hotel, The Spare Room is a mecca for scenesters and cocktailians alike. With an old-fashioned two-lane bowling alley and some of the city's top 'tenders behind the stick, The Spare Room was an untapped gem. "It was a storage closet when we found it," says owner Mark Rose, "and then we saw these windows, overlooking Hollywood Boulevard! We knew it was special." The venue has garnered a top-notch reputation, thanks to the work of consultant Aidan Demarest and Beverage Director Naomi Schimek, who both joined us at the lanes for our panel. THE FIRST FRAME: CLASE AZUL PLATA TEQUILA (SRP $79) M ade from organic, hand-selected agave plants sourced from the Jalisco Highlands, Clase Azul relies on proprietary yeasts in the fermentation process and double-fi ltration to give way to a smooth super-premium product. The uniquely beautiful Plata bottle is a new design for the brand, featuring a light weight glass in the iconic Clase Azul shape with silver agave emblem. The brand's newest expression, La Pinta, is also in an updated bottle containing the gorgeous pomegranate liqueur made from plata tequila, with bright fl avors that mimic the juicy, bold fruit. "Tequila infused with pomegranate (aka Ponche de Granada) is a traditional drink in Mexico and families have been making their own recipes for years. We consider it the Mexican version of a Limincello," explains Pamela Yee-Merten, L.A. Market Manager for Tequilas Premium. We tasted the Plata straight before being treated to a lightly-sweet Martini-meets-Margarita, La Pinta-based Margatini: "Nice clean fl avors. Nice citrus and fruit of pomegranate," said Bill Hennigan of this take on the classic. The Panel's Scorecard: "Soft, rich agave fruit and almost a caramel/ cotton candy nose; rich, with sweet, soft agave." —David Othenin-Girard "First impression is of coconut-pineapple, then a sweet fruit on the palate that's peppery, clean and lovely." —Dana Farner MARGATINI ◗ 2 oz. homemade sour mix ◗ 1½ oz. Clase Azul La Pinta ◗ 1½ oz. Cointreau Pamela Yee-Merten. The Vinturi Spirit Aerator Breathes New Life into Tequila John Moryatis, Business-to-Business Director for Vinturi Wine and Spirit Aerators, began with a rhetorical question: "Why add air to a spirit?" The answer to that is in the glass. Released last year, the Vinturi Spirit Aerator, sister product to the brand's line of wine aerators, is a remarkable product that smoothes spirits, takes a bit of the heat off and allows the complexity of the spirit to shine through and even impacts the viscosity. Our panel was intrigued. And the best part? "It doubles as a jigger, " explained Moryatis. april 2012 / the tasting panel / 103 PHOTO: LEIGH CASTELLI