Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
WSWA REPORT Spirits Heaven CALL FOR COCKTAILS AND IRON MIXOLOGIST WINNERS STORM THIS YEAR'S WSWA by Kelly Merritt / photos by Tom Clark I t's official! The names of the winners of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Call for Cocktails and Iron Mixology competitions have been recorded in the archives of beverage history. Both contests took place at the 70th Annual WSWA Convention & Exposition in May, where two panels of industry judges organized by THE TASTING PANEL presided over a heated flurry of all manner of sweet Call for Cocktails When Rohit "Ro" Patel finally completed his Aroma Coma cocktail, it was all Call for Cocktails audience members and judges could do not to rush the stage. The scent of the concoction hit the standing-room-only audience's sense of smell like an erotic, heady freight train. Patel's use of toasted sesame oil in the Aroma Coma also wowed the judges, before they even tasted it. Zach Patterson wanted to keep that lingering flavor of tequila on the judges' palate with his Girl from Jalisco made with Dos Armadillos Reposado. Call for Cocktails winner Ro Patel, shown here with emcee Tony Abou-Ganim, likes to keep it simple, limiting a cocktail to three to four ingredients if possible. and savory cocktails. Tony Abou-Ganim ably emceed both events and kept the completion rolling as one surprise savory cocktail twist catapulted cravings for Asian cuisine, while another drove the panelists to salivate for a sweet treat. Here's all the news that's fit to drink from both competitions. "We are dealing with some of the most creative guys in this business and all of the drinks were so good and so tasty, but Ro Patel's drink with that savory oil was ridiculously nutty and rich," said cocktail guru Todd Thrasher, General Manager and Sommelier of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia. "Some of the competition was really close, but his cocktail completely bowled us over." Four people deep from the stage before anyone knew what Patel had created, onlookers bantered back and forth about the scent of the mysterious cocktail. Patel, of Slingbar Company, created his five senses, first place scrambler on behalf of TY KU Saké & Spirits—marrying TY KU Coconut Nigori, gin, jasmine syrup, fresh lime Chris Chamberlain of Charmer Sunbelt Distributing represented the brands from Park Street Imports. juice with the powerhouse flavor of roasted sesame seeds and oil in a rocks glass. He used the oil and the seeds for garnish, proving that a finishing touch can morph a cocktail from outstanding to otherworldly. "This is the first competition I've entered in 18 years and I'm very 122 / the tasting panel / june 2013 TP0613_120-156.indd 122 5/23/13 4:53 PM