Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/661678
april 2016 / the tasting panel / 71 S ure, today's bartenders can craft a mean Manhattan, but they're also primed to offer pairing sugges- tions for the perfect Pinot to accom- pany the chef's signature dish. So as food and wine, cocktails and spirits become an ever-interconnected vortex of pairing possibilities, the modern mixologist can play somm, the wine director can suggest a spirit and the chef can mix-up a creative cocktail. With this connectivity in mind, we paired up with Duke Bourbon, Layer Cake and Cherry Pie Wines last year for a search to find the most daring pairers out there, and we brought together five bartenders—and one chef!—for the finale in Las Vegas this January. "These guys are masters of flavor," said Chris Radomski, founder of Duke Bourbon. "They're proving that if you can cook, you can make a great drink; if you can make a great drink, you can understand the flavors in wine and how to use them. These things all go hand in hand. It's not often explored, but I believe this is a great talent." So with a two-day, multi-part competition facing our contestants, we knew we'd need some heavy- hitting judges. Representing Duke Bourbon, we tapped Ethan Wayne and Radomski, who is also a partner in Hundred Acre Wine Group; from The Tasting Panel, Publisher Meridith May brought her primed palate; Las Vegas–based celebrity Chef Rick Moonen whipped up impeccable dishes for a pairing challenge; Master Sommelier Fred Dame weighed in on the contestants' wine know-how; and the Director of Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, Francesco Lafranconi, challenged craft cocktail creation. THE DINING WITH THE DUKE COMPETITION PITS PALATE VERSUS PALATE by Rachel Burkons / photos by Mona Shield Payne First, we brought our contestants to the state-of-the-art mixology lab at Southern Wine & Spirits, Las Vegas, where Lafranconi pitted our contestants against each other in a series of three cocktail challenges inspired by John Wayne and crafted using Duke Bourbon. Inspired by classic films such as True Grit, our contestants created Southwestern-inspired cocktails, with use of ingredients ranging from cornbread and beef jerky to BBQ sauce; then, in the vein of WWII-era film Flying Tigers, our challengers were faced with ingredients like ginseng, kaffir limes and lemongrass; and finally, in honor of Ethan's mother, actress Pilar Pallete, the contestants were given a Peruvian challenge, tasked with using ingredients like Inca Cola and tamarind. With such a diverse array of flavors at their fingertips, the contestants relied on Duke Bourbon's strong, blendable backbone to achieve balance: "Duke is one of those bourbons that sits right in the middle; this is a spirit you can actually use in so many different ways, but it is still strong enough to be present in cock- tails without losing any of that flavor. It's a great mixing bourbon," explained Dane Nakamura, Beverage Director for Bryan Voltaggio Restaurants. Jeremy Hawn, Principal Bartender at Seamstress in New York, agreed: "It's really great in simple cocktails because it's a great bourbon, but it's also really nice in more complex drinks because it really stands up in a cocktail." Chaenge #1: John Wayne–Inspired Mixology Leading up to the Duke Bourbon Mixology Challenge portion, the contestants were tasked with using Southwestern, Asian and Peruvian ingredients—after watching a series of some of John Wayne's most famous scenes. "This bourbon was inspired by John Wayne's personal preferences," explained Wayne's son Ethan Wayne, co-founder, Duke Spirits. Chris Radomski, co-founder, Duke Bourbon, in front of photos of The Duke that are part of a collection belonging to Ethan Wayne, which is displayed at Yardbird Restaurant in Las Vegas. Francesco Lafranconi evaluates the egg white foam on Dane Nakamura's Son of a Duke during the Peruvian portion of the mixology challenge.