Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/46939
FROM THE EDITOR BarSmart ? You're But are youSmart BarSmarts Wired is now open all year long to make it more convenient for you to participate. Think you already know everything behind the bar? Test Your Knowledge! 1. The Daiquiri was invented in: London New York Florida Cuba 2. What is a Flag? A garnish for the 4th An umbrella or plastic monkey An orange slice A cherry pinned to an orange slice 3. Where was the term "cocktail" most likely coined? Savannah, Georgia Hudson Valley, New York Washington, DC London, England Check your answers! Go to barsmarts.com/tastingpanel to find out if you're right and learn more about how you can use BarSmarts Wired to improve your bar knowledge and that of your staff! 'Tis the Season of July I'm sorry to have to say this, but it's time to start thinking about holiday gift giving. Dust off last year's list (we keep ours in a database) and remove the supermarket checkout girl who snickered at your box of Cap'n Crunch knowing that you don't have children, your brother-in-law who still owes you money and all others who are no longer deserving of your holiday generosity. Add that attractive new pharmacist at the drug store and other newbies whom you feel like rewarding for whatever reason. Considering that you are reading this magazine, you are undoubtedly planning to give most of the people on your list wine and spirits . . . but which wine and spirits? How do you match the diverse giftees with the right bottle or bottles? The answer: very carefully. You don't want to give your aged maiden aunt a bottle of smoky, cask strength single malt, nor do you want to see the expres- sion on your boss's face when he unwraps his bottle of white Zinfandel. Somehow, during the year or before, you have had occasion to learn the preferences of most of your target group. Right? If you haven't absorbed this information, it's a good idea to gather these facts in the future. If you've really got it together, you will record these preferences in your database so that even an intern can prepare your gift bag. It's also important to select bottles that at least give the impression that you have given the gift more than a passing thought. Although it's tempting, don't go to the supermarket for gift shopping. I like to give something that is in the category the person likes—Cabernet, Chardonnay, bourbon— but from an obscure, perhaps slightly culty producer. This has the added advantage of making it diffi cult for the recipient to guess how much you actually spent. Also, once you have decided how much you want to spend on an individual, it's better to go for one or two more expen- sive bottles rather than a case of cheap stuff. Quality is always more appreciated than quantity. One last thing: Once I have selected the gift I think is appropri- ate, I feel like I'm done. "Not so fast," says my wife. "You have to make the package look nice." For that purpose she has bought a selection of nice decorative bags made for wine or spirits. A very good idea. This is particularly important if you are bringing the bottle(s) as a hostess gift. You want your gift to stand out among all the others, and you certainly want the intended recipient to know who brought it. So, don't put it off. Get to work on your gifts now . . . and, by the way, I love single malts. BarSmarts Advanced & BarSmarts Wired are educational programs developed exclusively for Pernod Ricard USA by world-renowned BAR LLC partners Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost, Steve Olson, F. Paul Pacult, Andy Seymour and David Wondrich. 4 / the tasting panel / november 201 1 PHOTO: CATHY TWIGG-BLUMEL