Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/537687
126 / the tasting panel / july 2015 THE JUDGES SPIRITS JUDGES Mitch Bechard, Whiskey Editor, THE TASTING PANEL Ted Carmon, Head Spirits Buyer, Bevmo! Shawn Chen, Mixologist, Red Farm, New York City Shauna Der, The Minty Philip Dobard, Director, The Museum of the American Cocktail, Washington D.C. Beau du Bois, Mixologist, The Corner Door, Los Angeles J.P. Fetherston, Bar Manager, Southern Efficiency, Washington, D.C. Gary Gruver, President, USBG Kentucky Kristina Howland, International Consultant & Bartender, Los Angeles Anne Magoon, GM, Motif/Frolik, Seattle Ryan Pines , Spirits Geek/Bar Manager, Edison: food+drink lab, Tampa FL Jonathan Pogash, The Cocktail Guru Peter Siewruk, Bartender, The Castle, FL Josimar Souza, Spirit Sommelier, Brandy Library, New York City WINE JUDGES Jeff Anderson, Beverage Director, Craft, Los Angeles Sarah Blau, Beverage Manager, Aquavit, New York City Angela Carlos, freelance writer John Drugan, Director of Food and Beverage, Ponte Vedra Beach Resorts Rusty Eddy, Partner, Wine Spoken Here, Napa Arthur Hon, Beverage Director, Sepia, Chicago Justin Jaret, Restaurant Manager, Primo, Orlando, FL Brent Kroll, Wine Director, Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Washington, D.C. Renée-Nicole Kubin, Senior Wine Director, The Estate by the Elderberries, CA Greg Majors, Wine Director, Stake Chophouse & Bar, San Diego Scotty Moran, Wine/Service Director, Ristorante Farfalla, Naples, FL Scott Ota, Sommelier, Arro, Austin Michael Ploetz, Director of Food & Beverage, The Peninsula Beverly Hills Cliff Rames, Contributing Editor, The SOMM Journal Chad Watkins, Wine Consultant, Gary's Wine & Marketplace, New Jersey The Wine & Spirits Competition at the WSWA (Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America) annual Convention & Exposition, held this year in Orlando, saw more products entered that ever: 293 wine entries and 280 spirits entries. THE TASTING PANEL organized the event—thanks to our Director of Corporate Events, Nicolette Teo—and we recruited 30 expert judges from around the country (see list in the sidebar). The judging panels were highly impressed with the quality of the entries and awarded 29 Double Golds in the Wine Division and 43 Double Golds in the Spirits Division. We're proud to present the Double Gold and Gold win- ners here. For a complete list of winners, see www.wswa- convention.org. —Meridith May, Publisher and Editorial Director, THE TASTING PANEL Results of the 2015 Wine & Spirits Competition at WSWA