Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/488317
78 / the tasting panel / april 2015 COVER STORY It is with this spirit in mind that we've joined with Duke Bourbon—named in honor of The Duke himself and created by Ethan in partnership with Hundred Acre proprietors Jayson Woodbridge, Chris Radomski and Rich Howell—to explore bourbon's pairability. "There's a huge movement in pairings right now," explains Radomski, "and having spent many nights experiencing a great meal prepared by Jayson firsthand, I've developed a great appreciation and understanding of the interaction between wine and food. Now, we want to bring bourbon into the mainstream as a pairing element." While wine styles and varieties can give chefs a wide palate to play with, bourbon may seem a more limited pairing partner—but Duke Bourbon is anything but one-note. "There are great nuances of flavor here that are a function of how it's made, what it is made from and how it is presented," continues Radomski. "Bourbon distillers, mixologists and winemakers are great scientists of flavors. Why not express these talents using the result- ing flavors and aromatics? When we embarked on this project with Duke Bourbon, we discovered that these nuances were also apparent to John Wayne; we examined his writing and notes discussing his favorite bourbons, and he really understood the flavors." With a flavorful palate to work with, Woodbridge and Radomski began integrating Duke into some of their wine dinners, sandwiched between wine offerings like the popular Layer Cake and Cherry Pie labels, as well as the super-premium Hundred Acre Cab. "When we started introducing a bour- bon course into wine dinners, people were very excited," says Radomski. "It opened up a whole new element of flavors and experiences, in a way you can't explore with other spirits. We realized there is an opportunity here for us to work with great mixologists and some of our accounts in new ways, and if you have the ability to discern the flavors of wine or spirit, you can clearly match it with food." So with a mission in mind, we set off to three restaurants, each with its own style and flair, and challenged the talented chefs we met along the way to present us with a dish that would pair perfectly with Duke Bourbon, either neat or in a cocktail. It's a challenge Radomski says John Wayne would've appreciated: "Based on what Ethan's told me, this would've been something his dad would've been keen to. He had a good palate, and understood and appreciated good flavors. He would've wanted to sit down and talked about each of these meals—and have a glass of Duke Bourbon, a scene Jayson, Ethan and I have pictured." Jayson Woodbridge is a world-class winemaker and chef at Hundred Acre and a partner in Duke Bourbon. PHOTO: COURTESY OF HUNDRED ACRE WINE GROUP At Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach, General Manager Pete Lacava, Executive Chef Rainer Schwarz and Director of Operations John Nye share a laugh over Duke Bourbon cocktails. Duke is featured in the "Rock My World from Mexico," a riff on a Manhattan made with Duke Bourbon and Ancho Reyes. Dining with The Duke Dish No. 1: The Duke Ribeye With its rustic copper bartop and wood paneled walls, the Stateroom Bar at Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach, CA seems like a place John Wayne would've appreciated (not to mention it's a quick drive to his namesake John Wayne airport). And with the ocean on one side and the Pacific Coast Highway on the other, Driftwood offers a strangely enticing combination of casual beachy chic-meets-sailor- cowboy masculinity. Here, Executive Chef Rainer Schwarz went for a classic pair- ing with Duke: a Greater Omaha Ribeye with Kennebec French fries and beer battered onion rings, with a side of creamy kale. "The moment you're pairing with bourbon, you need red, strong, full-marbled meat," says Schwarz. "The more marbled, the more tender, and the better-suited for a smooth, quality bourbon like Duke, with its nice rye character too." PHOTO: MARGARET SOSS