Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/628173
january-february 2016 / the tasting panel / 93 On-Premise with The Irishman at The Wallace, Los Angeles At The Wallace, a market-to-table American restaurant in the trendy L.A. enclave of Culver City, Beverage Director Greg Bryson keeps the bar program as engaging as the food. One of his signature cocktails, called the Gluten-Free and Vegan (the name is L.A. native Bryson's wry poke at the clientele), is based on Palm Bay International's Irish pot still whiskey, The Irishman, and features another Palm Bay product as well: Dry Sack Solera Especial 15 Year Old Oloroso Sherry. "The drink is a true cocktail—it's a variation on the Manhattan," says Bryson, an admitted purist who categorizes his creations by rules of nomen- clature set down by the master mixologists of yore. Here at The Wallace, all mixed drinks are called "tipples," while "cocktails" are those that are, in clas- sic spirits taxonomy, "aromatic, strong and sweet." (Got that?) Bryson draws inspiration from Andrew Willett's bartending bible, Elemental Mixology, and can recognize a sling from a sour at 50 paces. Bryson credits his local Palm Bay rep, Bill Anderson, with keeping him in the loop, and above all appreciates the high quality-to-price inherent in the Palm Bay portfolio. He notes that the value pricing on these products allows him to keep his costs down, and his bottom line up. "Whatever Palm Bay is doing, they are very good at it and I hope they keep doing it." Dream Tequila Tequila Chamucos, the only certified non-GMO tequila, will be a fiendish addition to the Palm Bay arsenal when it appears in February. Depicted on the label, Chamucos are dark, shadowy creatures who appear in dreams; visiting only at night, they play bothersome, mischievous and frightening, but basically harmless, acts. The devilishly clever packaging alone should be enough to make this new tequila fly off retail shelves, but the brand's Highlands-grown agave and hand-crafted, small-batch production assure that the juice inside the bottle will be just as thrilling, whether downed as shots or mixed in dreamy cocktails. Crying Game Writer's Tears Irish Whiskey certainly isn't as sad as it sounds—quite the contrary. Made by the Walsh family, creators of The Irishman Whiskey (also imported by Palm Bay), Writer's Tears is a blend but contains only copper pot still and malt whiskeys, with no grain whiskey added. Considering the current explosion of interest in the Irish whiskey category, the arrival of this new and unique spirit from the Emerald Isle couldn't be better timed. Budding novelists, take note. Palm Bay International not only delivers the goods with these new introductions, but goes several steps further to insure their success in the market. Each new brand will be accompanied by a significant education and awareness program target- ing trade and consumers. With support like that, there's no doubt these artisanal spirits are here to stay. For more information, visit www.palmbay.com. PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING Gluten-Free and Vegan by Greg Byrson, The Wallace, Los Angeles ◗ 2 oz. The Irishman Founder's Reserve ◗ ½ oz. Dry Sack Solera Especial 15 Year Old Oloroso Sherry ◗ ½ oz. Birrh ◗ 3 dashes Miracle Mile Sour Cherry Bitters Add ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a cocktail goblet. Garnish with lemon peel. Greg Bryson with his cocktail Gluten-Free and Vegan, which features The Irishman Founder's Reserve and Dry Sack Solera Especial 15 Year Old Oloroso Sherry, both from Palm Bay International. PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING