Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/288975
44 / the tasting panel / april 2014 A LONE STAR LIFE D riving to the Official Austin Cocktail Competition in late February, my photographer and I were actually poking fun of the night ahead of us. After all, in a city with so many tremendous bars, saloons, taverns and clubs, why did the Austin Food and Wine Alliance and David Alan (esteemed author of the Tipsy Texan cocktail book) choose the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center to hold their craft cocktail competition? Then we got there, and we saw the crowds, and the number of restaurants participating, and the number of bar teams competing. By the time we left— after an exciting night of fast-paced mixology—we both figured that we owed somebody an apology. We Have a Winner! by Justin Elliott, bartender, qui ◗ 3–4 leaves Thai basil ◗ 1 oz. Balcones Rumble ◗ ½ oz. lemon juice ◗ ½ oz. honey syrup ◗ In a Collins glass, muddle the Thai basil. Add rest of the ingredients and fill with crushed ice. Top with 2 oz. housemade Tepache (cold- fermented pineapple flesh and cores with sugar and water). Garnish with mint and basil leaves. AUSTIN'S OFFICIAL DRINK FOR 2014 HAS BEEN MIXED by Anthony Head / photos by Kirk Weddle The Official Drink of Austin 2014: Tepache Finalists for the evening include the Four Seasons, qui and Midnight Cowboy (pictured), which pulled out all the stops to win over the crowd. Competition co-organizer and master of ceremonies David Alan (center) escorts the judges through the preliminary tasting round with the bar crews of Weather Up, Midnight Cowboy, drink.well., Whisler's, Four Seasons and qui (left). Judges for the evening (from left): Alba Huerta: General Manager, Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston; Matthew Odam, writer, Austin American-Statesman, Austin; Adrian Quesada, founding member, Grupo Fantasma, Austin; Jason Kosmas, co-founder, 86 Co., Austin; Aaron Franklin, owner, Franklin Barbecue, Austin; Houston Eaves, Bar Manager, The Esquire Tavern, San Antonio. /BlackheathBeverageGroup /bhbeverage A SPIRITS BRAND INCUBATOR INTEGRATED MARKETING For more information, please visit us at WWW.BHBEVERAGE.COM TP0414_034-71.indd 44 3/21/14 2:41 PM