Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/611718
84 / the tasting panel / december 2015 ON THE ROAD WITH JACK New York may have captured Sinatra's heart when he was young, but he ended his career on the other coast with an album about the City of Angels. So it's only fitting that Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills would celebrate him with a riff on an Old Fashioned. The man behind the creation (and mustache), Josh Saphier, tends bar at the establishment's Penthouse, which features more modern craft cocktails than the bars downstairs. He admits that he wasn't a Jack Daniel's person for a long time; in fact, gin was his go-to libation. And then Saphier met Jack Daniel's Brand Ambassador Eric "ET" Tecosky, who shined new light on the possibilities of this American classic. One of these possibilities came in the form of Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select. Paying homage to JD's biggest fan, Ol' Blue Eyes himself, this expression ages in special "Sinatra barrels," with deep grooves on the inside of the staves. The exposure to extra layers of oak leads to added smokiness and a smooth vanilla finish. "Sinatra, the man, came from noth- ing, just like Jack," ET begins. "They both achieved the American dream, and they weren't satisfied with staying put—Frank never stopped evolving and neither does Jack Daniel's, as Sinatra Select exemplifies." A perfect fit for the high-end atmosphere of Mastro's Restaurants, Sinatra Select will land on the drink menu at all of their locations in the form of Saphier's Chairman of the Board cocktail. "I try to open doors to a unique drinking experience when guests come to the bar," Saphier notes. "Jack Daniel's is one of our main spirits at the restaurant, but Sinatra Select adds a whole new dynamic." —E.C. L.A. Is My Lady ET and Josh Saphier, bartender at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, enjoy cocktails made with Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select. Chairman of the Board ◗ 2 oz. Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select Whiskey ◗ 3 dashes Bitter Queens Marie Laveau Tobacco Bitters ◗ Splash of water ◗ 1 sugar cube ◗ Lemon zest PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING