Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/455266
8 / the tasting panel / january/february 2015 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF We remember when wine tastings were a novel and exciting opportunity and mixology events were just starting to bloom. It was the dawn of THE TASTING PANEL, a mere eight years ago. Now, it seems that cutting-edge brand launches, international bartender competitions and even the most sophisticated settings for sipping high-end juice are everyday experiences for on- and off-premise professionals. Those were the days when chefs—you know, the men and women in the big white hats—were the folk heroes. Now, in our world of liquid celebrity, wine and spirits professionals have practically upstaged the back-of-the-house luminaries. However, if you've read our last issue, December 2014, you might have noticed more than a dozen pages of printed prose dedicated to those esteemed culinary taste-makers: chefs from throughout the U.S. talking about trend-worthy sups and styles, daunting dishes colorfully displayed and tools-of-the-trade knowingly selected, all in an educationally entertaining format. Our conscious decision to create a new section within THE TASTING PANEL came to us as several food magazines faded away . . . but their talented writers did not. The food section, called PREP, will appear again in April, and is not so much a salute to the famous as a nod to those up-and-comers who deserve a platform for their plates and palates. So, united by fabulous food and luscious liquids, THE TASTING PANEL starts a new year as a more expanded resource for—what else?—tasting all the charms of the good life! And in the coming year, we'll be sponsoring many opportunities for our trade readers to taste new wines, spirits, beers and other cocktails in person—and we hope you take advantage of them. It's networking and in-person dining and drinking that keep us informed, connected and entertained. Sometimes one has to step away from our pages and into the real world to get the full picture. But please, if you do, don't stay away too long! Happy New Year . . . and we'll see you in March! Meridith May and Anthony Dias Blue Stretching Out for 2015 Editor-in-Chief Anthony Dias Blue and Publisher/Editorial Director Meridith May