Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/646914
6 / the tasting panel / march 2016 UP Apple Pie 70 raises the proof on Ole Smoky's top-selling expression. UpFront with Ole Smoky Ole Smoky Moonshine Moonshine Ole Smoky Moonshine Ole Smoky Ole Smoky Moonshine Ole Smoky : PHOTO: NINO ANDONIS by Emily Coleman With good reason, Tennessee moonshine has been shrouded in mystery for the past couple of centuries. Now that these distillers can come out of the shadows, a re-education is in order. "A lot of people still don't understand the basics of modern moonshine," explains Meg Bruno, Vice President, Marketing of Ole Smoky Moonshine—the first federally licensed distillery in the history of east Tennessee. Ole Smoky still makes their high-quality unaged corn whiskey in small batches the same way it has always been made. Bruno continues: "The biggest difference nowadays is the consistency of the product." Due to all the folklore and misinformation sur- rounding the moonshine category, Ole Smoky Moonshine decided to challenge bartenders to famil- iarize themselves with the product last year through their Masters of Moonshine competition. Mixologists from four markets created drinks using Ole Smoky's Blue Flame expression, which is the brand's highest proof offering, weighing in at 128 proof. Finalists were brought to Los Angeles for a shake-off, in which Tony Pereyra, an L.A.–area bartender, was named Ole Smoky's very first Master of Moonshine and won a hefty $5,000 cash prize. To celebrate the launch of Apple Pie 70—the higher-proof version of its top-selling Apple Pie Moonshine—the company decided to proof up its Master of Moonshine competition by moving the finals to Tales of the Cocktail, the wildly popular cocktail festival taking place in New Orleans every July. "This year will be our first big dive into Tales," begins Bruno. "Ole Smoky's distribution has grown rapidly in the past couple of years, and it now has an interna- tional presence. Because of this reach, we wanted to put the competition on a world stage, which is what Ole Smoky Moonshine