Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/723381
september 2016 / the tasting panel / 67 about Frank Sinatra, many of which involved a bottle or two of Jack. "He was an incredible guy," says Reeves, who used the limited-edition Angelo Lucchesi 90th Birthday Jack Daniel's in his Smoke on the Bayou, which he poured from a bottle signed by the man himself. A quick Uber ride later and we're at the famed Erin Rose, where Tales attendees gather at all hours of the day or night for a taste of the bar's signature frozen Irish Coffee and neighborhood bar vibe. There, bartender Rhiannon Enil is just finishing her shift, and she's excited to see ET, whom she's known for years and admires as a "candid, absolutely honest and humble person." Like many native Southerners who don't quite fit in in their hometowns, Enil explains that she moved to New Orleans at 18 with the rest of the "odd, back-of- classroom kids. This city is a bit of a family of outsiders," she continues, "not unlike Jack Daniel's. It's a spirit in a category of its own; it's literally a pillar in the desert of Tennessee whiskey, and the people who choose Jack Daniel's and only drink Jack Daniel's are saying, 'I want that weirdo out in the desert. Jack's the guy with the cool leather jacket, confident and different. And we're a bunch of oddball rebels out here, so it's a really good fit." But for Rhiannon and the team of cool, confident weirdos at Erin Rose, the heart of hospitality is still at the forefront. "Everyone who works here and every- thing that we do is focused on this living, breathing community and family, and making sure that wherever people come from, they are received with grace and encouraging them to experience the best parts of this city. We celebrate local chaos, local love!" And at Erin Rose, there's plenty of local love for Jack, particularly as it relates to one of the bar's patron saints, former doorman Asa French. "He drank Jack; that was his jam! We even threw an entire Jack Daniel's party for his seventieth birthday. Now, every year on the anniver- sary of his passing, we cheers to his memory with Jack Daniel's. It's a very emotional connection for me, and everyone here at Erin Rose." So whether you're raising a glass to a long lost friend, toasting the name of an industry legend or just looking to grab a great cocktail with the king of Tennessee whiskey, Jack's got you covered. Smoke on the Bayou by Murf Reeves ◗ 1½ oz. Angelo Lucchesi 90th Birthday Jack Daniel's ◗ 2 oz. fig water ◗ ¼ oz. lemon juice ◗ ¼ oz. Demerara simple syrup Jackson Square Busker by Rhiannon Enil ◗ 1½ oz. Jack Daniel's ◗ ½ oz. Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka ◗ Dash of orange blossom water ◗ Top with ginger beer ◗ Orange wedge garnish Rhiannon Enil is a bartender at Erin Rose in New Orleans who always appreciates a visit with ET. Murf Reeves, bartender at Erin Rose in New Orleans, and Eric "ET" Tecosky, Brand Ambassador for Jack Daniel's.