Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/455266
20 / the tasting panel / january/february 2015 THE MESSAGE Show Me the Proof! P ictured here are the winners of Louis Royer Cognac's Third "Show Me the Proof!" High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition, which was held at Bacchanal restaurant in NYC in early December. Grand prize winner Timothy Miner of the Long Island Bar in Brooklyn won an all-expense paid trip to France for two. Second and third place winners were Jason Cousins (Da Claudio) and Gregory Buda (The Dead Rabbit), respec- tively, with each awarded a cash prize of $1,000. The competition, which celebrated Louis Royer "Force 53" VSOP Cognac, was hosted by an award-winning PR agency Hanna Lee Communications. "We are very proud that Force 53 continues to lead the overproof Cognac trend," says Nicolas Royer, U.S. Brand Ambassador, Louis Royer Cognac, who is a sixth-generation family member. "We are providing bartenders with a tool to renew Cognac's relevance to the cocktail scene and explore a new world of flavors. The competition demonstrates the genuine enthusiasm that bartenders feel about our spirit." Columbia Crest Grand Estates Donates to St. Anthony's Food Bank T he Waterfront Restaurant, at Pier 7 in San Francisco, was once again host to the Annual Holiday Luncheon and Silent Auction to benefit St. Anthony Foundation. For 64 years, St. Anthony's has been providing essential support to San Franciscans living in poverty. Since its founding 36 years ago, this event has raised nearly $1 million for St. Anthony's. Columbia Crest Grand Estates donated $6,000 to St. Anthony's at the luncheon in late November. Barry Stenger, Executive Director at St. Anthony's; Al Falchi, owner of the Waterfront Restaurant; Fr. Jose Luis Nerio, Chaplain at St. Anthony's; Matt McGrath, Event Organizer of the Waterfront Luncheon fundraiser; Dan Horsch, Ste. Michelle Wines Estates (SMWE), NCA/HI Division Manager; Margaret Avellar, SMWE SF Business Development Manager; Richard Canty, SWS San Francisco Branch Manager; and Fr. John Hardin (far right), Board of Trustees, St. Anthony's. There's a Light in D'Vine O pened last September, D'Vine Wine Bar is yet another heavenly oasis in the midst of a burgeon- ing Downtown Los Angeles. This under- ground cellar within the boutique-y "O" Hotel, is compact in size but its unique and well-endowed wine list is cause to sample not what you know but what you want to experience. Beverage Manager Jeremy Light looks young, but his 23 years in the industry proves his sense of skill and sensibility about run- ning a busy wine bar. When was the last time you sipped a Sankt Laurent from Austria? The global and domestic selection finds something for any taste and the four wines on tap, selection of intriguing aged whiskies, fortified wines and grape-based spirits all find their place beside some cool charcuterie, rillettes, salads and tartines. —Meridith May PHOTO: ADAM JAMES Jeremy Light is the General Manager for D'Vine Wine Bar in downtown L.A. Left to right: Nicolas Royer, Gregory Buda of The Dead Rabbit, Timothy Miner of the Long Island Bar, Jason Cousins of Da Claudio and Jerome Royer. THE GRAND PRIZE COCKTAIL The Frenchmen Street Cocktail by Timothy Miner, The Long Island Bar ◗ 2 oz. Louis Royer Force 53 VSOP Cognac ◗ ½ oz. sweet vermouth ◗ ½ oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao ◗ 1 barspoon white crème de cacao ◗ 3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters