Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/49694
The Secret of His Success 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. Which of these is NOT a recognized style of Scotch whisky? Grain whisky Blended Scotch whisky Single malt whisky Small batch whisky Cameron Hughes. C ameron Hughes can keep a secret. In fact, the San Francisco–based négociant has built his business on the allure of the unsaid. "Under our label," Hughes explains, "a $75 or $100 Napa Cab can sell for $25. We just can't tell you who we got it from." Hughes selects and purchases fi nished wines—surplus, wines made to his specifi cations or declassifi ed barrels—from top producers. He then blends and repackages them according to lot number for sale under the Cameron Hughes brand. Each wine's source, however, is kept top secret. Hughes is charmingly honest and the fi rst to acknowledge that an element of mystery contributes greatly to a wine's implied value. "People love a deal—especially when they feel like they're in on a secret," he says. Case in point: Lot 200, a 2008 Napa Cabernet, came with the longest non- disclosure agreement in Hughes's experience. It included two pages fi lled with words he was prohibited to use in association with the wine, a fact he shared with consumers via web video teasers. All 8,000 cases of it sold within three weeks. It's been a wild ride, he explains, but today the company bottles 400,000 cases of wine a year—not bad for a guy that began his business selling wine out of the back of his car. An early decision to team up with retail outlet Costco helped establish his brand and earn consumer confi dence. "It's a curated collection," he says, "which makes consumers feel safe to explore new varietals, styles and wine regions within the brand." This month he will introduce customers to French wines with the debut of the company's new French portfolio. —Laura Sanchez "People love a deal—espe- cially when they feel like they're in on a secret" 2. How long will simple syrup keep if refrigerated? One day One week One month One year 3. In chronological order, when was each of the Collins drink names coined? First, the Tom Collins, then the John Collins, then the Vodka Collins First, the Vodka Collins, then the Tom Collins, then the John Collins First, the John Collins, then the Tom Collins, then the Vodka Collins Nobody knows 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! 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. december 201 1 / the tasting panel / 17