Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/611718
december 2015 / the tasting panel / 95 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT LEGEND Bartender Adam Rothstein, who calls the environment at Seamstress "cocktail intensive," hails from Empellón and Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria, both in New York. He explains the inspiration behind the Uptown Funk cocktail, as well as the dish with which he paired it: "We've run a beautiful ribeye steak on our menu since day one, and it's become a major part of our identity at Seamstress. The steaks are dry-aged for 28 days in house and cold smoked before being slowly roasted and served with truffled creamed corn. Because we dry-age and smoke the ribs whole before portioning into steaks, we're left with an excess of beautiful funky, smoky fat cap. "Fat-washing is a technique that has circulated through the cocktail world in recent years, most famously with the Benton's Old Fashioned by Don Lee (of PDT), and we wanted to do something in the same vein using our beautiful ribeye cap. We render the smoked and dry-aged fat into a molten state before pouring it over Dukes Bourbon. We add several different types of peppercorn to the whiskey and let it all steep overnight before freezing it to separate fat from liquid. We're left with a whiskey with an enhanced mouthfeel and all of the delicious funk of dry-aged beef. This drink embodies our identity, and is a culmination of some of things that have endeared us to our guests." Silver Screen Star "Initially designed to commemorate both St. Patrick's Day and the movie by the same name, The Quiet Man captures the great American legacy of John Wayne and also adds a modern twist to complement the Duke bourbon," says Radomski. "The film is still the talk of the area where it was made in Ireland and draws on the great history of Irish Americans." In the 1952 rom-com-drama, the lush Irish countryside stars alongside female lead co-star Maureen O'Hara. An official selection of the Venice Film Festival that year, the movie scored director John Ford an Academy Award for Best Director. Sixty years later, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry because of its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. We nominate this candidate for entry into the National Drink Registry. Chef Aaron LaMonica shows off a hearty plate of 28-day dry-aged ribeye beef tartare with sourdough bread- crumbs, smoked egg yolk and biscuits. DRY-AGED BEEF TARTARE WITH SMOKED EGG YOLK "We paired the cocktail with a tartare of the same ribeye garnished with a smoked egg yolk," Rothstein continues. "We went in this direction as it allows us to express the flavors usually associated with a tremendous and perfectly cooked steak in both a liquid and in a cold raw preparation, allowing us to express unique flavors in untraditional textures and temperatures. The smoked egg yolk mimics the mouthfeel of the whiskey, highlighting the rich texture of both the cocktail and the dish." The Quiet Man ◗ 1½ oz. Duke Bourbon ◗ ½ oz. Irish Mist Honey Liqueur ◗ ½ oz. ginger liqueur ◗ ½ oz. fresh lemon juice ◗ Fill up with Fever-Tree Ginger Ale ◗ Float a barspoon of green crème de menthe Build drink over ice in a Collins glass; stir and serve with a float of green crème de menthe liqueur. Garnish with a sprig of mint and lemon twist. Uptown Funk ◗ 2 oz. cold smoke fat–washed Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon ◗ ¼ oz. bourbon barrel–aged maple syrup ◗ 2 dashes mole bitters ◗ 2 dashes Angostura Bitters ◗ 1 round fresh cracked black pepper Stir first four ingredients to dilute and chill. Pour liquid over a large ice cube and finish with a few twists of black pepper. For garnish, make a miniature bouquet garni of tarragon, thyme and rosemary. "This adds an aromatic freshness and reinforces the savory flavors of the drink," adds Rothstein.