The Tasting Panel magazine

March 2016

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30  /  the tasting panel  /  march 2016 A LONE STAR LIFE W ine tasting flights are nothing new in Texas, and as local craft beer movements continue at their juggernaut pace, restaurants throughout the state offer beer tasting flights to provide customers more opportunities to sample brews outside their normal preference. The next logical step, as demonstrated by Salty Sow, an American gastropub in Austin, is the cocktail flight. "The flight is really meant for two to four people to share and sample and see if they want to order a larger cocktail," explains Peter Van Etten, General Manager of Salty Sow. "Being able to have more than one cocktail and to try something new, something that they might not regularly order, is a big draw." It's $17 for the whole board, a quartet of four-ounce glasses, or $5 for a single. These mini-cocktails have proven to be a great way to show off new spirits and seasonal ingredients and let the table road-test new drinks. In other words, it helps to create something of a customer-driven cocktail menu. And, because Salty Sow has a new lineup each night, the program also proves to be a great way to build a quality library of cocktails. Having offered the mini- flights for almost two years, Head Bartender Sarah Fite says they now have "a book's worth of original recipes and riffs on the classics. We could probably set up three restaurants' worth of cocktail recipes by now. The ones that are really successful make it to the Salty Sow's regular cocktail menu." Fite also believes that this type of tasting flight is going to catch on in Austin and throughout Texas, based on her behind-the-bar perspective: "They're eye-catchers, for sure. If we send one out, we often get quick requests for more." RECIPE QUARTET MINI-COCKTAILS ARE GOING TO BE HUGE IN TEXAS Head Bartender Sarah Fite of Salty Sow, located in Austin. Tiny Drinks, Big Flavors Apricot Sidecar ◗ 1½ oz. Cognac ◗ ½ oz. Cointreau ◗ ½ oz. lemon juice ◗ ½ oz. apricot purée ◗ ¼ oz. simple syrup Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake and strain over ice. ATX Sour ◗ 1½ oz. whiskey ◗ ¼ oz. hefeweizen ◗ ½ oz. lemon juice ◗ ½ oz. honey ◗ Dry red wine Combine all in a shaker with ice; shake and strain over ice. Top with red wine. Blanche ◗ 1½ oz. blanco tequila ◗ ½ oz. triple sec ◗ 1 oz. sweet-and-sour mix ◗ ½ oz. blood orange purée Blend all ingredients with ice until smooth and pour in glass with salted rim. Mezcal Paloma ◗ 1 oz. silver mezcal ◗ 1 oz. Aperol ◗ ½ oz. lime juice ◗ 1 oz. grapefruit juice ◗ ½ oz. simple syrup Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice and salted rim and stir well. by Anthony Head / photos by Kirk Weddle

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