Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/628173
40 / the tasting panel / january-february 2016 FRANKIE THAHELD Partner/Director of Mixology at Snake Oil Cocktail Company, San Diego, CA How did you get into bartending? I started out as a soda jerk when I was 16 years old at a '40s diner and quickly learned a love for service at the bar and the science behind mixing delicious concoctions for my guests. An accidental occupation became a full-fledged love. I have always been more of a do it yourself bartender, rather than reading too many pre-Prohibition era cocktail books and reinventing the wheel. Any trends or customer tastes surprising you lately? I have noticed a larger trend towards savory cocktails. Salts are a newer expression in cocktails; I enjoy using infused salts, such as Hawaiian black lava sea salt infused with vanilla for the best touch on a fresh squeezed Paloma cocktail both inside the cocktail and on the rim of the glass. TIMOTHY ZOHN High West Distillery Key Accounts Manager for California, San Francisco, CA You just joined High West Distillery as the Key Account Manager for California. How did you first learn about High West? My love for High West began while I was bartending at 15 Romolo in San Francisco. A coworker had brought in a bottle of the Bourye, which is a delicious blend of bourbon and rye whiskeys, for us to taste. Needless to say, we ended up finishing the bottle. It sparked a romance for quite a few of us on staff that night and High West Whiskey became a staple at every bar at which I worked after that, including Bourbon & Branch and Alembic, and it was something I featured a lot when I was running the bar at AQ Restaurant. Do you have a favorite Valentine's Day cocktail? Well, my girlfriend and I spent our first Valentine's Day together drinking Old Fashioneds at one of our favorite spots. So for me, it's an Old Fashioned, a timeless classic that I like to make with High West's Double Rye. To add a little spice—the perfect cocktail, for a perfect Valentine's Day. We've partnered with Chef's Roll & Somm's List, the global culinary and wine professional networks, to learn more about beverage experts from across the country. If you are a mixologist or wine professional interested in being featured here or want more information on Chef's Roll and Somm's List, please email jesse@tastingpanelmag.com. RONALD PLUNKETT Estate Sommelier at Signorello Estate, Napa, CA You call yourself the "CopSomm." Tell us about your career change and how you knew you wanted to work in the wine industry. I spent over 20 years in law enforcement with the Solano County Sheriff's Department. Growing up nextdoor to Napa Valley, I always had a pas- sion for wine. I was disabled in the line of duty and then retired from the Sheriff's Department. I had several friends working in the wine industry and asked for their advice. My friend told me about Master Sommelier David Glancy, who ran a wine school in Campbell, California known as The Professional Culinary Center. I enrolled the very next semester. I also passed my Intro and Certified Sommelier exams. I have since been Senior Sommelier at Hakkasan Restaurant, Wine Director at Wayfare Tavern and Wine Director at Ame Restaurant—all in San Francisco. I am now the Estate Sommelier at Signorello Estate Winery in Napa. As the Estate Sommelier for Signorello, what does a typical day look like? We start with a staff meeting—going over who and how many people are visiting the winery that day. Our winery does a wine and food–paired tast- ing, so it is similar to working at a restaurant on a much smaller scale. I go over menu changes with the Chef. Our winery is also starting an educa- tional program called SommDay School where I will be teaching topics from sensory evaluation of wine to food and wine pairing basics. PHOTO: JOSUE CASTRO PHOTO: JOHN TIFFIN PHOTO: LAURA TOH