Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/326040
june 2014 / the tasting panel / 59 CELERY PINA Featured Secret Ingredient: Habanero Pepper ◗ 2 oz. Bombay Sapphire East ◗ 5 celery leaves ◗ 2 oz. pineapple juice ◗ ¼ habanero pepper ◗ ¾ oz. lime juice ◗ ¾ oz. simple syrup ◗ Muddle all, shake with ice and serve up in a Libby Perception Coupe. Garnish with torched pineapple and celery leaf. Nick Nistico, Corporate Mixologist with Premier Beverage Company, captured the Wholesaler Iron Mixology Best in Show award. He is a founding member of both the Miami and West Palm Beach USBG organizations. Best in Show Drink by Nick Nistico of Premier Beverage Company Best Dessert Drink by Jason Asher of Young's Market Company of Arizona APPLE OF MY EYE Featured Secret Ingredient: Apple Pie ◗ 1½ oz. Dutch apple pie infused with Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac ◗ ½ oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao ◗ ¾ oz. lemon juice ◗ 1 bar spoon simple syrup ◗ ¾ oz. egg white ◗ Purée apple pie with Cognac and double-strain. Add ingredients and dry shake. Hard shake with ice and double-strain into a Libby Perception Coupe. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon. Another Las Vegas-based mix- ologist, Andrew Pollard, Beverage Development Specialist with Wirtz Beverage, drew the judges' accolades for his long drink, Hot and Bothered. It featured a seeded half Serrano chili, along with Ron Zacapa Centenario 23-year-old Solera Rum, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, fresh lime juice, Clément Sirop de Canne, Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters and fresh mint. Served in a Collins glass, it was lovingly garnished with a purple orchid, a mint sprig and shaved nutmeg. America's desert Southwest was well served by Jason Asher, who hails from Young's Market Company of Arizona, where he is the Beverage Program Development Specialist. His dessert cocktail, Apple of My Eye, aptly involved 1½ oz. of the apple pie filling, infused and puréed with Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac and double-strained. The panel of judges included Jacques Bezuidenhout, Global Brand Ambassador for Partida Tequila and Head of Beverage Programs at Kimpton; Jacob Briars, Global Trade Advocacy Director for Bacardi; Kit Codik, CEO and Founder of Liquor. com; and Simon Ford, Co-Founder of 86 Co. Meanwhile, Robin Leach, the star of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, served as an honorary judge. "These are a quite a group of cock- tails," Leach said, who then quipped: "Heaven help the people we need to meet with in a few hours." Corporate Mixologist Sly Cosmopoulos of RNDC/Texas. Best Long Drink by Andrew Pollard of Wirtz Beverage of Nevada Andrew Pollard, Beverage Development Specialist with Wirtz Beverage of Nevada. HOT AND BOTHERED Featured Secret Ingredient: Serrano Chili ◗ 1 ½ oz. Ron Zacapa Centenario 23-year- old Solera Rum ◗ ¾ oz. Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur ◗ ½ seeded Serrano chili ◗ 1 oz. fresh lime juice ◗ ¾ oz. Clément Sirop de Canne ◗ 2-3 dashes Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters ◗ Fresh mint ◗ Combine all ingredients in a Collins glass, and garnish with purple orchid, mint sprig and shaved nutmeg. TP0614_034-71.indd 59 5/23/14 9:23 PM