Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/148134
with spirits distillers and repackaged the Alabama-style whiskey for a new national market. This year the Clyde May's team is working on trade education and bartender endorsement, doing business much like Clyde would have done—at the grassroots level. Instead of digital campaigns, the team is working with on-premise accounts on menu features; for example, "Clyde's Dales" is a serve at Maysville in New York City that pairs the whiskey with pale ale. And always telling Clyde's unique story. "This is an authentic story of a real person. He wasn't a guy trying to pull a fast one over the government. He was a gentleman with eight kids and he had to feed them. He was innovative and known to Bar manager Brian McCullough says Dallas is onboard with the craft spirit craze in a big way. His program at The Standard Pour includes some 60 cocktails and craft beers. "We try to keep it eclectic. We don't use cheap spirits. We have a focus on quality. " He likes Clyde May's Whiskey not only because of its flavor profile, but also because of the heritage—a strong pull in a town like Dallas. "I've never seen an Alabama-style whiskey and that's an interesting trend. You've got a lot of history and pride in Southern culture. It seemed like a natural to have a whiskey. " Crimson & Clover by Brian McCullough Making Inroads The whiskey is making inroads on the competition circuit. Clyde May's won a Gold Medal, plus distinctions in the Best Small Batch Bourbon 10 Years or Less, Best of Whiskey/Whisky categories at the 2013 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition in June. Last year, it made Wine Enthusiast magazine's Top 50 Spirits of 2012. Now in 27 states, it's also catching PHOTO: JAY SCHROEDER Clyde May's at The Standard Pour, Dallas have the best whiskey because of his craftsmanship," Liddell says. "This is the story of a simple man with a simple philosophy: make the best darn whiskey Alabama ever tasted. Little did he know his craftsmanship would be the precursor for the modern craft whiskey movement." ◗ 1½ oz. Clyde May's Alabama Style Whiskey ◗ 1 egg white ◗ 1 oz. Cocchi Aperitivo Americano Rosa ◗ ½ oz. lemon juice ◗ 1 oz. raspberry syrup ◗ 2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters ◗ Shake vigorously and strain into a fancy cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel flower. 126 / the tasting panel / august 2013 TP0813_104-132.indd 126 7/24/13 9:41 PM