Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/61075
ON THE CELEBRITY CIRCUIT: AVIÓN SILVER TEQUILA (SRP $40) M ade a household name by HBO's hit show Entourage, Tequila Avión has transitioned the traditional 15 minutes of fame into a bright future, thanks to a slew of Emmy-quality awards (including fi rst place at the 2011 World Margarita Championship in Tucson, AZ) and dedicated fans. It's made from handpicked blue weber agave by fi fth-generation growers and distill- ers. Plants are sourced from at least 7,000 feet above sea level; as in wine production, this forces the agave to struggle and imbues the fi nal product with a distinctly complex minerality. Piñas are slow-roasted in traditional brick ovens at 200 degrees for 48 hours, and the tequila undergoes a propri- etary ultra-slow fi ltration process. With a gorgeous base spirit to work with, Avión's L.A. mixologist, Cole Gerdes, whipped up a modern take on classic tequila accompaniment sangrita, The Slip, designed to be sipped as a chaser. "We took deconstructed literally," laughed Gerdes, but our palates we pleased by the presentation: "It's a nice pairing with good viscosity to accompany the earthy fl avors," said Cole Apodaca. David Othenin-Girard agreed, saying, "The nice basil nose and some good fl avors pair nicely with the pepper of the Avión Silver." The Panel's Scorecard: Cole Gerdes, Avion's L.A. mixologist. "Smooth, bright, fresh and modern. Lively and pure with lush agave and pepper. Stunning!"—Anthony Dias Blue "Extremely smooth, yet allows the high quality agave fl avor to shine." —John Moraytis "Maple nose with hot, woody splinters, but full-bodied and fl avorful; the strong agave fi nish will send you high as an airplane!"—Blake Donaldson WHAT ROLLS AROUND COMES AROUND: KARMA SILVER TEQUILA (SRP $33) AND AMORETTI P roduced from 100% blue agave, Karma is a family-owned and -operated distillery that has been crafting excellent tequilas out of the Highlands of Jalisco for over 70 years. Available in Silver and with Reposado and Añejo expressions slated to be released this year, ultra-premium and all-natural Karma continues to prove that the goodness from the earth comes full circle in the glass. Another family-run business, Amoretti, has been offering sweet satisfac- tion the world of confectionary and pastry since 1989, and its recent forays into the realm of mixology are opening a new realm of possibilities for the company. Karma and Amoretti teamed up to present an elegant, literally-deconstructed Margarita- on-a-platter, called the One, Two, Three Margarita, created by Jacopo Falleni, owner of Firenze Osteria/Café Firenze and consisting of salted cotton candy with lime zest, a shot of Karma and a Cointreau-lime foam. Together it was a whimsical pairing, with Amoretti's incredible lime zest Edible Perfume spray wowing our panel with its dry, yet totally aromatic effect that doesn't melt ethereal cotton candy. "The cotton candy added some cool texture and prepared my mouth for the clean freshness of the tequila, and the lime foam extended the bright fi nish," said Dana Farner. The Panel's Scorecard Levon Barsoumian and Hailey Fox of Amoretti joined Karma mixologist Jacopo Falleni and the brand's VP of Marketing and Promotions, Robert Grant. "Clean, lean, nice on the palate with a lingering fi nish and good mineralty. A great expression of Old World Jalisco."—Blake Donaldson "Full agave fl avor for a twice-distilled silver tequila. A clean, smooth, semi-sweet fi nish."—Cole Apodaca april 2012 / the tasting panel / 107