Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/687399
8 / the tasting panel / june 2016 A soulful combination of Southeast Asian flavors and California ingredients formed the inspiration behind Cassia, one of six restaurants operated and owned by husband-and- wife duo Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan in partnership with Bryant and Kim Ng, a spot that seems like a natural fit for a modern Asian spirit like Kikori. Although bartender Kenny Arbuckle isn't specifically pairing cocktails with the cuisine at Cassia, he sees Kikori as a way to create a cocktail that introduces wine and saké drinkers to whiskey. Cassia's cocktail list offers three categories—lighter aperitifs, citrus and fruit and spirit forward—with a little something for everyone. "Kikori is a singular style that's representative of a specific place," says Arbuckle, who combined the whiskey's light malty notes from rice with a seasonal citrus, the exotic oroblanco citrus, for an Oroblanco Collins ($13). A cross between a pomelo and a grapefruit, the oroblanco is sweet and seedless, which sounds like a bartender's dream fruit. "It's the combination of bright citrus with earthy, bitter flavors that makes this interesting," he says. He lists it in the lighter aperitif section where whiskey-based cocktails are the exception. A New Jersey native, Arbuckle originally moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to code websites but found his calling behind the bar. As an early member of The Sporting Life, a community of Southern California bartenders and cocktail aficionados, he spent time at L.A. hotspots Bestia and La Descarga learning the craft. www.kikoriwhiskey.com Kenny Arbuckle, bartender at Cassia, located in Los Angeles. PHOTO: LYNN FYFFE PHOTO: LYNN FYFFE Oroblanco Collins ◗ ½ oz. Kikori Whiskey ◗ 1 oz. Bonal Gentiane Quina ◗ 1 oz. Suze Gentian Liquor ◗ ¾ oz. oroblanco juice ◗ ½ oz. lime juice ◗ ½ oz. simple syrup Top with soda water over ice, garnish with an oroblanco peel. Kenny Arbuckle, Bartender, Cassia, Los Angeles