Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/723381
94 / the tasting panel / september 2016 Louisville is a distilling town and the unlikely home of the Copper & Kings Distillery; unlikely because contrary to the overwhelming majority of Kentucky's distilleries, Copper & Kings doesn't produce whiskey. Instead, owner Joe Heron focuses on creating world-class American brandies and absinthes. Contemporary mixology will be that much better for their debut. Established in 2014, Copper & Kings is a state-of- the-art facility poised to take the domestic brandy category to new heights. The distillery is outfitted with three copper pot stills. There's "Sarah," a small, 50-gallon still used for experimental batches and special distillation runs; "Magdalena," a 500-gallon production still; and "Isis," the 1,000-gallon queen of the castle. The distillery also produces a distinctive, 100-proof American apple brandy. One of the distinctive techniques employed by Copper & Kings is something Heron calls "sonic aging," the continuous pulsing of loud music through five enormous subwoofers installed in the aging warehouse. The driving bass line in the music is thought to enhance the interaction between the oak barrels and the resting brandy. "Our aspiration at Copper & Kings is to produce the definitive American brandy, one that is not derivative of a European tradition," says Heron. "We craft pure, copper pot–distilled brandy, matured in Kentucky bourbon barrels. All of our products are non-chill- filtered. We do not adulterate post-distillation with the addition of boisé [oak flavoring] or caramel color. We are bottled with full integrity intact." According to Heron, Copper & Kings brandies give your cocktails all of the heft and structure they need from a brown spirit. "Plus our brandies have a singularly lengthy finish. They're long, and the smooth fade adds elegance and finesse to cocktails, including those drinks where it does split duty with another brown spirit." Heron's brandies have found a home behind American bars where they are seen as a "must have" brown spirit, states mixologist Joaquín Simó at Pouring Ribbons in New York City. The Copper Kings' brandies are especially well presented in Harry Craddock's classic, the Corpse Reviver #1. It's a sensational libation. Purely American with Copper & Kings American Brandies PHOTO COURTESY OF COPPER & KINGS Corpse Reviver #1 by Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) ◗ 1 oz. Copper & Kings Floodwall Apple Brandy (100 proof) ◗ 1 oz. Copper & Kings American Craft Brandy (90 proof) ◗ 1 oz. Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth Combine all ingredients into an iced mixing glass. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail or coupe. COPPER & KINGS AMERICAN BRANDY COMPANY