The Tasting Panel magazine

September 2016

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september 2016  /  the tasting panel  /  97 There are spirits that have been around for years, and then there are spirits that have been around for hundreds of years. Celebrating its 230th birthday this year, Carpano Antica Formula (SRP $29.99) was first made by Italian distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano in 1786. It's widely considered the first known vermouth, and begins with a grape wine base to which aromatic herbs, spices and roots are added (the exact recipe is a long-held secret). While its 16.5% ABV makes it ideal for drinking the sweet vermouth neat, its vanilla notes and complexity shines in cocktails like a Manhattan or Americano. Edoardo Branca, sixth-generation brand owner, adds, "The Reverse Manhattan is a perfect cocktail because two parts of Antica Formula adds more flavor from the vermouth's botanicals and the alcohol content is lighter because of the proportions." —Jesse Hom-Dawson What's in a name? Bib & Tucker (SRP $55) captures the spirit of one's finest attire, inside and out. The antebellum expression once described clothing reserved for special occasions, a sentiment the spirit's unique bottle captures. Inside, the liquid gold is handcrafted from 70 percent corn and 30 percent small grains chill-filtered and aged in No. 1 charred American white oak barrels. "Bib & Tucker is a must-have artisan bourbon running at a perfect 92 proof," gushes Dylan Holcomb, House Libationsist, Beatrice & Woodsley in Denver and the House Mixologist for television program Hotmixology. "The extra body in the proof, along with the unique flavor profile of dried apricot, fresh vanilla bean and caramel, finish- ing with lingering notes of toasted chestnut, gives this phenomenal bourbon the diversity, body and integrity to be mixed in all styles of cocktails." Bib & Tucker's appeal lies is its versatility: Whether standing alone as a sippable bourbon in the glass, or as the base for craft cocktails, the distinctive spirit, expertly blended and aged six years, expresses a personality all its own. "Mixologists have always marched to the beat of a different drummer; Bib & Tucker personifies this notion while remaining easily approachable for any guest experience," Holcomb says. —B. T. PHOTO COURTESY OF INFINIUM SPIRITS Keeping It Classic with CARPANO ANTICA FORMULA Bartender's Best Booze with BIB & TUCKER SMALL BATCH BOURBON Bib & Tucker Apple Pie 2 oz. Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon ¾ oz. Apple Pie Shrub ½ oz. lemon juice ½ oz. cinnamon syrup Cinnamon and sugar rim Garnish with cinnamon stick and apple peel. 3 BADGE BEVERAGE CORP. Reverse Manhattan ◗ 2 oz. Antica Formula ◗ ½ oz. Templeton Rye Whiskey Garnish with a maraschino cherry. INFINIUM SPIRITS

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