The Tasting Panel magazine

October 2016

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22  /  the tasting panel  /  october 2016 The Ransom Note is a monthly column by The Tasting Panel's East Coast Editor, David Ransom. Each month, David connects readers with some of the people, products, and events that are making news along the Eastern Seaboard. L ate August saw the opening of Blacktail, a new bar from Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon, the duo behind The Dead Rabbit, in New York City. An ode to the bygone era during Prohibition when "blacktails"—private seaplanes— would whisk clients from New York Harbor down to Havana to celebrate the good life, Blacktail, the bar, is the realiza- tion of Muldoon and McGarry's fascination with all things Hemingway and has a bespoke Caribbean theme to its cocktail program. "Blacktail is a labor of love that was ten years in the making, but we needed to launch The Dead Rabbit first," says Muldoon. On-hand for the opening party along with luminaries like Dale DeGroff and Dave Wondrich, were Philip Greene, author of To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion, and Ernest Hemingway's grandsons, Patrick and John. Also in August, the second annual Straight Up New York Craft Spirits Festival touched down in New York's beauti- ful Hudson Valley. A classic summertime festival, Straight Up New York featured food, live music, lots of fun and about two dozen of New York State's most celebrated and exciting spirits makers. On-hand to pour their products, along with hosts Jason Grizzanti and Jeremy Kidde of Black Dirt Distillery, were Adam Ford of Atsby Vermouth, Chris Williams of Coppersea and the Godfather of New York distilling himself, Tuthilltown Distillery's Ralph Erenzo, maker of Hudson Whiskey. "We all owe being in busi- ness to Ralph," said Coppersea's Williams. "He got the laws passed allowing him to open New York's first distillery since before Prohibiton, paving the way for all of us." Distillers from all across the state took part. Lastly, the 11th annual Jazz Age Lawn Party was held on Governors Island in New York Harbor. Originally created to celebrate the zeitgeist of the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age Lawn Party was hosted by Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra. Attended by thousands, the Gatsby- esque afternoon affair was filled with Champagne and danc- ing and featured cocktails by Leyenda's Julie Reiner. The event was sponsored by St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur. Of Another Time SPIRITS FLOW AS NEW YORK CELEBRATES CRAFT SPIRITS AND THE JAZZ AGE by David Ransom At the Blacktail opening (left to right): co-owner Jack McGarry; Philip Greene, author of To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion; Patrick Hemingway, grandson of Ernest Hemingway; John Hemingway, grandson of Ernest Hemingway; and co-owner Sean Muldoon. The second annual New York State Craft Spirits Festival (left to right): Black Dirt Distillery's Jason Grizzanti and Jeremy Kidd with Melanie Young, co-host, The Connected Table Live on iHeart Radio, and The Tasting Panel's East Coast Editor David Ransom. Partygoers at the 11th annual New Age Lawn Party on Governors Island in New York Harbor. PHOTO: ANDREW KIST PHOTO: DAVID RANSOM PHOTO: BFA/BEN LOVOZSKY C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

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