Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/65124
sidebar). "I was stoked to have Corey Miller tattoo me—that's pretty cool!" In addition to tatts and Tuaca, another key component to the tour was music, with both Powerflex 5 and hip local bands rounding out the rock-and- roll vibe at each stop. "Music gives us another level, another component, another way to connect to our target consumer, who is younger, out social- izing with friends with music involved," explains Johnson. For Miller, meeting with consumers and the trade in a space that allows him to combine his love of music and artistry (both on the body and in the glass) is a win-win. Sitting at the drum kit, we asked which came first, drumming or tattoos? "Drumming!" he answers with a laugh. "That's why I got the tattoos!" Consumers Gus Ortiz and Shahnez Khen are introduced to Tuaca through tattoo legend Corey Miller. Activating target consumers by part- nering with Miller has been a strategic success for Tuaca, but the collaboration has also further endeared the brand to bartenders, an ever-inked segment of the spirits industry. "Corey also really helps us connect to the bartender com- munity because he has that appeal to the young and hip," continues Johnson. "Yes, a lot of the bartenders really do have tattoos, but it's also an artistic connection among the late-night folks, and there are some easy parallels to the bar and tattoo worlds." With consumer enthusiasm and cool-cachet among the trade, Tuaca took Miller on tour for its Drinks and Ink campaign, stopping in markets across the country not only to intro- duce the brand's unique charms to new consumers, but also to give the trade the opportunity to shine in a bartender competition in Florida that pitted the top Tuaca 'tenders in the Sunshine State against each other in a series of competitions culminating in Tampa. At the Florida finals, hosted by cool bar/concert venue Ritz Ybor, bartender Brian Bosco's "Tuacan the Plank" was deemed the winner by a panel consisting of local media and Miller. "I was excited to have Corey Miller taste my drink!" said Bosco, who's behind the stick at Gaspar's Grotto, a pirate- themed bar in Tampa. Even more exciting was Bosco's prize: a tattoo of his choice done by Miller himself (see 118 / the tasting panel / may 2012 Brian Bosco's winning cocktail, Tuacan the Plank, was festively served in a coconut shell. "It's sort of a brown frothy punch," laughs Bosco. "The citrus and vanilla notes in the Tuaca come together with the vanilla and caramel in a really nice way." Slingin' Ink After winning the Tuaca Drinks and Ink Bartender Competition in Florida, bartender Brian Bosco got some new ink from Corey Miller. "I wanted to commemorate the night, so I got a tattoo of the winning cocktail," said Bosco of his new art, which accompanies his pre-existing pirate sleeve and classic cocktail-tribute Martini girl tattoos. TUACAN THE PLANK 1 oz. Tuaca ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 1 oz. spiced rum ½ oz. coconut milk 1 oz. orange juice ¼ oz. agave nectar Splash of grenadine Serve in half coconut shell Corey Miller at work on Bosco's tattoo, an homage to his cocktail, Tuacan the Plank. Brian Bosco shows off his new- est ink, a tattoo of his winning cocktail, coconut shell and all! PHOTO: CHRISTY'S PHOTO STUDIO PHOTO: CHRISTY'S PHOTO STUDIO PHOTO: CHRISTY'S PHOTO STUDIO PHOTO: CHRISTINE MERSON