The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2015

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april 2015  /  the tasting panel  /  1 19 A long with the 12 amazing spirits and drinks from our Craft Spirit Speed Tasting, we also invited local trade and consumers, along with AZCW attendees, to join us for an exclusive Craft Spirit Speakeasy with Western Spirits, where Marsha Meyer, The Natural Mixologist, went molecular, producing cocktails with unique infusions, fruit and spirit foams and literally setting things aflame while keeping it home-made, natural and organic—"I'm all about the detox while we re-tox," laughs Meyer. Meyer's "Be Still My Beating Heart" cocktail featuring Bird Dog Apple-Flavored Whiskey—a spirit that she calls "very approachable and easy to drink"—contained her very own beet foam concoction, made from beets and charcoal. "Beets are one of the most powerful natural liver detoxi- fiers and aside from these potential health benefits, they add an earthy, slightly sweet component to the foam. It's visually stunning and the charcoal creates the silky mouthfeel," continues Meyer as she poured the foam from her silver siphon. Implementing molecular techniques with the "super smooth" and "traditional" Lexington Bourbon, her "Flames of Love" cocktail contains very high-quality Luxardo cherries infused with kirschwasser that are flamed with orange bitters, creating a cara- melized, sweet component that complements the cherry and orange nose of the Lexington. "I've gone through so many bottles to get these recipes correct, but it's been so much fun experimenting, especially when it works," she laughs. Continuing her recent love and infatuation with fire and claiming it "adds a complexity to the cocktails' aromatics," Meyer used smoke from cherry-wood that's been infused with an Italian amaro for her "Hot Like Fire" cocktail featuring Twenty Grand Vodka, one of Meyer's favorite spirits. "I love Twenty Grand Vodka. It's a bartender's dream that gives you so much complexity in your cocktails. The toasted orange, hints of vanilla and the lightness of it creates a layer of depth to any traditional vodka cocktail." By the end of our Craft Spirit Speakeasy, we were delightfully educated with scientific and craft cocktail knowledge, admiring the last set of flames and smoke for the last batch of cocktails as the event wrapped up. Check out the molecular and delicious cocktail recipes here! Be Still My Beating Heart ◗ 2 oz. Bird Dog Apple-Flavored Whiskey ◗ 1 oz. beet foam* ◗ 1 oz. orange juice ◗ ½ oz. lemon juice *Organic beet juice, Hendrick's Gin, Domaine de Canton, Liquid Alchemist Ginger Syrup, lemon juice, activated charcoal, water, gelatin and egg whites Flames of Love ◗ 1½ oz. Lexington Bourbon ◗ ½ oz. Pedro Ximénez Sherry ◗ 1 spray of orange bitters* ◗ 5 Luxardo Cherries** ◗ Sugar * Equal parts Regan's and Scrappy's Orange Bitters ** Infused with Clear Creek Distillery Kirschwasser, topped with organic raw sugar and flamed with orange bitters spray Hot Like Fire ◗ 2 oz. Twenty Grand Vodka ◗ ¼ oz. charred pineapple syrup* ◗ ¼ oz. lemon juice ◗ 4 dashes Fee-Brothers Cherry Bitters ◗ Lemon twist garnish ◗ Smoked with exotic spices * Infused with goji berries Love Is in the Cocktail OUR CRAFT SPIRIT SPEAKEASY WITH WESTERN SPIRITS AND THE NATURAL MIXOLOGIST, MARSHA MEYER, MOVES TOWARD THE MOLECULAR WITH HEALTH-CONSCIOUS AND DELICIOUS COCKTAILS Marsha Meyer, The Natural Mixologist, led the Speakeasy with her craft cocktail creations.

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