Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/471637
march 2015 / the tasting panel / 105 The Family Secret Sauce Whether it's Bubbie's famous cookies or Momma Sue's perfect potatoes, every family has a go-to recipe that's passed down generation to generation. For one family, the stuff was too good to not share: Enter Formosa Sauce, a line of handcrafted gourmet hot sauces whose time-honored family recipe has been brought to life with an eye for modern design and a hip consumer base ready to lap up the delicious sauce. Offered in habanero and chipotle flavors, these vegan, all-natural and preservative-free hot sauces don't overdo the heat, resulting in an almost-creamy spice that's so subtle you'll find yourself licking the plate clean. Another all-in-the- family hot sauce comes via Dadman Farms, whose "President for Life," Jim Yedor, had been crafting hot sauce for family and friends in the self-created "Presidential Palace of Sierra Alta" in Cabo Loco, CA, for years. When he realized he had to share his hot sauces with the world, the mighty President leapt to action, resulting in a line of hot sauces ranging from mild to superspicy. But what really caught our eye was the Sauce No. 4, a jalapeño/habanero hot sauce infused with finely ground whole coffee bean, resulting in a really unique flavor that's perfect with any breakfast and just begs to be used as a marinade. Cheers to that, Mr. President! Created in memory of her late father, actor Ernest Borgnine, Nancee Borgnine has brought back a family recipe passed down from her grandmother, an Italian countess. The result is Borgnine's Coffee Soda, a true-coffee flavor soda, with rich espresso notes and just a touch of sweetness—with the amount of caffeine equivalent to that in an eight-ounce cuppa joe. We can envision a host of uses for this sipper, ranging from ice cream floats to Irish whiskey carbonated cocktails. With honey's continued rise on the culinary and cocktail landscape, we are continually stoked to find new ways to enjoy the bee's bounty. Slide Ridge, a Utah-based family- owned and -operated beekeeping company has expanded its grasp with a line of Honey Wine Vinegars that perfectly straddle the line between honeyed sweetness and tart vinegar. Light on the palate and not at all cloy- ing, we wanted to experiment with these vinegars in everything from salad dressing to cocktail components. Since we're talking about honey, we've got to mention one of the Fancy Food Show's most honeyed purveyors: Z Specialty Food, LLC, which offered so many honey varietals we were nearly swimming in the sweet stuff. From the light and candy-sweet California Yellow Star Thistle Honey to the tropical, easily crystalized Hawaiin Lehua Honey to the thick and deep California Pomegranate Honey, these honey experts offer the perfect opportunity to explore the nuances in flavor, texture and character honey offers. Even better? These folks know their honey cold: "Queen Bee" Amina Harris is also the Director of the Honey and Pollination Center at the RC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. While We're Buzzing 'Bout Honey . . . On Trend and On Tap In the realm of trendy health beverages, kom- bucha is king. But the raw fermented beverage gets a serious shot of hip with Revive Kombucha (although they call their juice "buch"). Offered in black tea, hibiscus and coffee flavors, Revive also takes a page out of the craft brewery movement by selling its buch in growlers. But what really caught our eye at the FFS was the buch being poured on tap —then being expertly mixed into cocktails, striking the perfect chord between healthy-mindedness and good old-fashioned fun. The brand even offers a unique growler exchange program, ensuring that you're eco-chic while getting your buch on.