Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
drınk the dısh O and the AS PART OF OUR YEAR OF THE CHEF, EACH MONTH BRIDGET ALBERT WILL BE SEEKING OUT A DYNAMIC DUO OF CHEF AND MIXOLOGIST. IN THE FIRST INSTALLMENT, SHE HITS LOUISVILLE, KY AND HEADS TO 732 Social photos by Fred Minnick nce upon a time, a restaurant’s bartender stayed in the front of the house, and the chef would hold court solely in the kitchen. Each focused only on his or her own craft—one on the drink, the other on the dish—in a house divided. But the time when the chef and bartender only came together at the end of a shift to trade shots for burgers is now in the past. A new movement is taking hold across the country in which top chefs and bartenders are joining forces to create syrups, purées and garnishes for the bar inspired from seasonal produce that already appears on the food menu. The catalyst sparking this change is the culinary world’s affection for profes- sionals who use local and fresh produce in their creations. While following the Bourbon Trail, I had the opportunity to experience the result fi rst hand at Louisville’s 732 Social. Founder Chef Jayson Lewellyn and Lead Bartender Larry Rice have a natural synergy that energizes the kitchen and the bar. This makes Social one of my favorite places to enjoy a good meal, cocktail and conversation. I asked Lewellyn and Rice to kindly share the details of their passion for whis- key, food, and what it takes to maintain balance between chef and bartender. Both happily opened their bar and kitchen doors. Chef Jayson Lewellyn (left) and Lead Bartender Larry Rice of popular Louisville restaurant 732 Social. B.A.: With some of the best whiskies and bourbons right in your backyard, how do you choose the ones that fi t your fl avor profi les for the cocktail menu and cuisine? Larry Rice: We are lucky to be so close to beautiful whiskies, bourbons and ryes. This allows us to create a more intimate relationship with the spirit and with the families that have been creating and nurturing them over many generations. Having the opportunity to taste most of them at various stages—the white dog stage, a few months of barrel-aging, a mature product at barrel strength and then the fi nished bottled product—adds perspective to the love and patience that goes into the spirit. Meeting the master distillers and seeing their passion for what they are producing also adds a level of reverence for the whiskey and makes me want to honor the product in my creations. When I’m choosing which bourbons are going into my cocktails, I also consider the intention of the creator. Some whiskies are meant to be sipped neat, while others hold up well to complicated builds. When deciding which will go into a particular cocktail, I always consider the fl avor profi le I’m going for and the inherent fl avor in the whiskey. When building classics, I consider the intention of the bartender who created the recipe. 28 / the tasting panel / january–february 201 1