Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/661678
april 2016 / the tasting panel / 75 Dane Nakamura, Beverage Director, Bryan Voltaggio Restaurants, Mid-Atlantic Region Favorite John Wayne Movie: The Green Berets because there's nothing wrong with being relentlessly and unapolo- getically pro-military and pro-America. What is your philosophy on pairing bourbon with food? Make it work! The only truth we know is we can keep learning and trying. What cocktail or dish would you make for The Duke? A bottle of bourbon and two glasses. Favorite John Wayne Movie: True Grit because the character is so multi-dimensional. What is your philosophy on pairing bourbon with food? Pair bourbon with food. Do it. Especially with BBQ or any meat-heavy meal because the mild sweetness complements the sweet juices of fatty meats. How do you plan to continue develop- ing the concept of cocktail and spirit pairings with food? Wine pairings are something people are used to. I have always tried to steer people in the direc- tion of pairing food with spirits with both savory and dessert dishes. Mack Cavanaugh, Bartender, The Hawthorne, Boston, MA Favorite John Wayne Movie: True Grit. I love the tagline: "The strangest trio to ever track down a killer." What is your philosophy on pairing bourbon with food? Match bold flavors and accentuate delicate flavors. Taste, taste, taste everything—food and cocktails! What cocktail or dish would you make for The Duke? An Apple Bourbon Smash, with fresh flavors muddled together. The Smash is a great cowboy cocktail! The Cowboy Cobbler ◗ ¾ oz. Duke Bourbon ◗ ¾ oz. honey ◗ 3 pieces grapefruit ◗ ½ oz. Cointreau ◗ 2 oz. Layer Cake Sauvignon Blanc Muddle grapefruit with honey, then add Duke Bourbon and Cointreau and dry shake. Strain over crushed ice into double Old Fashioned glass and top with Sauvignon Blanc and garnish with mint. Jeremy Hawn, Principal Bartender, Seamstress, NYC Alpaca Lotta Flavor in It ◗ 2 oz. Duke Bourbon ◗ ¾ oz. tamarind syrup ◗ 1 oz. pineapple juice ◗ Muddled cardamom ◗ ¾ oz. lime juice ◗ 2 dashes Amargo Chuncho Peruvian Cocktail Bitters Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with pineapple leaves. During the Peruvian Flavor Challenge, Jeremy Hawn mixed the flavors of Duke Bourbon with tamarind and cardamom. During the John Wayne–inspired shoot- ing challenge, Dane Nakamura took aim at the competition. Dane Nakamura made the Last Call during the red wine challenge. Last Call ◗ 1 oz. Duke Bourbon ◗ 2 oz. coffee, rapid infused with black pepper via ISI thermal whip ◗ ½ oz. thyme simple syrup ◗ Egg white ◗ 3 oz. Layer Cake Cabernet ◗ ¼ oz. lemon juice ◗ Salt Black pepper coffee: Pour one cup of coffee and two tablespoons of whole black peppercorns and one teaspoon crushed black pepper corn into ISI whipper, charge with nitrogen, let sit for two minutes and strain. During the Asian chal- lenge, Mack Cavanaugh stirs up his Vaquero Low Ball cocktail. In the White Wine Challenge, Mack Cavanaugh created The Cowboy Cobbler to accompany Kona kanpachi fish tacos.