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The Long Branch cocktail from 83Proof in San Francisco. The drink is named after a saloon in Dodge City, where Bat Masterson presided as sheriff. LONG BRANCH ◗ 2 oz. Masterson's Rye Canadian Whisky ◗ ¾ oz. sloe gin ◗ ½ oz. fresh lemon juice ◗ ¼ oz. St. George Absinthe ◗ Dash of Regan's Orange Bitters ◗ Mix with a quick shake and serve on the rocks in a double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a long lemon twist and a blackberry. Greg Lindgren of Rye with THE TASTING PANEL'S Northern CA Editor, Deborah Parker Wong. DOGPATCH ◗ 2 oz. Masterson's Rye Canadian whisky ◗ ¾ oz. Noilly Prat Vermouth ◗ ¾ oz. Averna ◗ 2 Dashes Regan's Orange Bitters ◗ Stir and serve up in a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon peel. When Greg Lindgren and Jon Gasparini named their bar Rye, it was a dead giveaway that North American–made brown spirits were top of mind. "The ultra-premium rye category is beginning to catch up with demand but we're still behind the curve," observes Lindgren, who welcomed the discovery of the Canadian-made, American-bottled brand. "It's great that the Sebastiani family bottled it for their 35 Maple Street portfolio." Masterson's is the debut spirits brand for fourth-generation winemaker August Sebastiani, who founded 35 Maple Street as a division of The Other Guys, his portfolio of artisanal California wine brands. When looking for the highest-quality rye whisky he could find, Sebastiani wound up turning to Canada. Rye on Rye "There was a time when all whisky in Canada was referred to as rye," recalls Lindgren who notes that the more his customers get to know the classic cock- tails, many of which were made using rye, the more calls he sees for the spirit. "We're definitely making drinks with drier flavors." Over the next year, the Sebastianis plan to expand their 35 Maple Street portfolio with the addition of a botanical gin, an aged rum and a small batch bourbon. At Rye, Lindgren employs Masterson's in his well-known variation on a stirred Manhattan dubbed the "Dogpatch" after the San Francisco neighborhood of the same name. april 2012 / the tasting panel / 69