The Tasting Panel magazine

October 2016

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34  /  the tasting panel  /  october 2016 We've partnered with Chef's Roll & Somm's List, the global culinary and wine professional networks, to learn more about beverage experts from across the country. If you are a mixologist or wine professional interested in being featured here or want more information on Chef's Roll and Somm's List, please email featured@chefsroll.com. ZACHARY BLAIR, Head Barkeep & Beverage Supervisor at KANU at the Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, NY You're noted for putting azure-colored cocktails back on the map; what can you tell us about the revival of 1980s favorite, blue curaçao? I use it because it's a cool color. When I play my bespoke-style game at the bar, a question I often throw in is, what color do you want the drink? Blues, purples and greens are all answers I hear a lot. The orange-flavored blue liquid is a great way to catch the eye and ask, "What is that?" I always believe that a drink is sold by the way it looks. What's one of your signature cocktails for fall and why? Sherman's Bow is one of my favorite cocktails to make that tastes like fall. It's warming with hints of fresh fruit, but also slightly bitter with a little hit of Thanksgiving flavors like nutmeg, cinna- mon and apple. This drink looks dark and thick but it is actually light and bubbly. BILLE WARNKE, Owner/Brewer of Bitter Brothers Brewing Co. in San Diego, California What is currently your favorite beer and food pairing? Beer along with beer . . . kidding! I think the new thing that I'm really having fun pairing beer with is the seafood that's available here in San Diego—for our family dinner I did white seabass with tropical fruit, paired with our Family Tart Berliner Weisse. Which ingredients do you want to work with in the future to expand your flavor profile? You don't see many craft beers in Asian restaurants, so I'd like to work with more Asian ingredients and have our beers pair better with that style of cuisine. PATRICK ABALOS, Bar Manager/Resident Mixologist at The Westin at The Woodlands in Spring, TX Your cocktail menu at Sidebar changes four times a year and showcases the flavors of the season. What's in store for fall? We like to change menus to keep everything new and fresh. We could run with the same cocktails all year, but most of the appeal in today's market is around a creative menu that showcases seasonal ingredients. We will have a Sidecar variation featuring applewood- smoked bacon fat–washed spirits, a browned butter brandy drink, a sweet potato Mule variation, a Campari and coffee-infused drink, barrel-aged White Manhattan and a few other drinks. I am also thinking of doing something with persimmons and Jujubes (still in R&D). You will also see some fun cocktails themed towards Halloween. One of which we are calling "Death and Brimstone"; this is a Scotch-based cocktail that is black and garnished with an orange peel skull. We also plan to play with squid ink and Strega for a "Witches' Brew" cocktail. PHOTO: SCOTT LINNETT PHOTO: DAMIAN BATTINELLI CLOAK & DAGGER PRODUCTIONS PHOTO: JULIE SOEFER

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