Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/68310
CATEGORY REPORT YOUNG'S MARKET OF CALIFORNIA GATHERS ALL ITS AGAVE-BASED SPIRITS FOR A MEMORABLE Tequila The photos by Erica Bartel 76 / the tasting panel / june 2012 INDUSTRY PARTY AND A TASTE OF TERROIR LCollective uring 250 retailers, mixologists and restaurateurs to an industry party can be a Mission Impossible in this day and age, when calendars are filled to the brim with tastings and brand launches. But Young's Market Company got innovative with an idea that turned a venue into a nightclub and a trade show into a party. Gathering its entire agave-based portfolio for a tasting, Young's made tequila and mezcal the bait that turned the tables. THE TASTING PANEL jumped at the chance to cover the Southern California event, held at Exchange LA (another was held at nightclub Roe in San Francisco) and taste through some striking examples of these sibling categories. "They're not competing for attention," stated event organizer Marc Mueller, VP of Trade Development for Young's Market in California. "They're playing together in the same sandbox," he added, when we asked if there was a rivalry between the brands. "All our brands are watched over by a distributor who understands them." In the nature of camaraderie, here were some of the stand-outs for our palate: