Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/844641
Westside from Employees Only, NYC ◗ 2 oz. Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka ◗ 1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice ◗ ½ oz. simple syrup ◗ Mint leaves ◗ Splash soda Strain and serve straight up. Gypsy Tea Party from Absinthe Brasserie, San Francisco ◗ 2 oz. Charbay Green Tea Vodka ◗ ¾ oz. lime juice ◗ ¾ oz. black peppercorn syrup Strain and serve straight up. Sex and the City From The Three Clubs, Los Angeles ◗ 1½ oz. Charbay Meyer Lemon Vodka ◗ ¾ oz. Huana Guanabana Liqueur ◗ ¾ oz. fresh lime luice ◗ ¼ oz. simple syrup ◗ Splash cranberry Strain and serve straight up. july 2017 / the tasting panel / 7 we want slow growth, a step-by-step expansion." This strategy includes updating the vodka packaging and introducing one-liter bottles to the on-premise. Additionally, account tastings have always been critical for Charbay—bartenders and cocktail features being among the brand's best advocates, and word of mouth being its main form of advertising. Two of Freedman's favorite spirits to showcase at accounts for tasting are the Clear Vodka and R5 Whiskey. "I get to present a vodka and a whiskey that are so different from what they have tasted, it's almost like reintroducing these categories to them," he notes. Tasting results in sales, and with the end consumer factored in, the final result is that Charbay's products enhance the account's bottom line. "We have a very small but mighty team," says Jenni, Director of Operations and mother of two boys (Charbay's 14th generation!), who uses her F&B management back- ground to oversee the company's employees and handle all of its marketing. "Ramping up sales and marketing will help us to build our team and manage the workload." Moving forward, Marko, Jenni and their team will build off the Karakasevic heritage, always focusing on substance first. With many new ideas and products in the pipeline, there are definitely no signs of slowing for this pioneering family. At the age of four, their son Miles told his father, "I think our customers really want strawberry vodka." With ideas like that, it's safe to say that fans—new and old—can breathe easy knowing that Charbay will continue to be guided by the venerable Karakasevics far into the future. PHOTO: FREEDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC PHOTO: FREEDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC PHOTO: FREEDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY LLC (left) Jessi Lorraine, Bar Manager of Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco, loves to work with Charbay's portfolio, such as in her Gypsy Tea Party cocktail. (right) Michael Neff, consultant, proprietor and industry influencer, works closely with Charbay and recently added the Meyer Lemon Vodka to his newly designed cocktail menu at The Three Clubs in Hollywood, CA.