Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/746412
94 / the tasting panel / november 2016 Paul Amin, founder of Black Moth Vodka; Craig Schoettler, Director of Spirits, Wine & Beer, Aria Resort & Casino; and Jeremy Wilkinson of Pemberton Distribution Company at the launch of Black Moth Vodka at Aria in Las Vegas. Juyoung Kang, Lead Mixologist, Delmonico Steakhouse at The Venetian, talks with Craig Schoettler, Director of Spirits, Wine & Beer, Aria Resort & Casino and Paul Amin, founder, Black Moth Vodka. Hodges, who created Kate's Garden, a fresh, garden- inspired libation, says, "I personally feel that Black Moth vodka is extremely smooth and drinkable. I don't feel that you need to mix it with anything; however, it does have great mixability potential due to the creamy mouthfeel and subtle flavor profile. The truffle gives the vodka a richness that others don't have. Whether enjoyed up, on the rocks or with a mixer, I feel it's a vodka that will please even the most discerning palates." Black Moth vodka uses fresh Périgord truffles (Tuber mela- nosporum) in the creation process, and thus the traditional overpowering aromas of synthetic truffle oil that is usually prominent in food today is non-existent in Amin's spirit. It is distilled in London from a wheat-based neutral grain spirit using a column still. Five separate distillations produce the base vodka before macerating with the ground truffle. The resulting spirit is then triple-filtered to create the clear finished product. "What the fresh truffle does is give the vodka a slight earthy tone, which balances the telltale astringency of vodka, making it smooth to drink," says Megan Humphries, Director of Food & Beverage, Four Seasons Las Vegas. "This balance and smoothness allows bartenders to use this product in so many ways." Mixologist Andrew Tao of Picasso at Bellagio explains that when he crafts cocktails, he leverages the subtleties of flavors, combined in such a way so that no single flavor takes over but rather works in concert to create new flavors. "I enjoyed working with the Black Moth Vodka, as the truffle notes are not so strong that they take over the other ingredients. I found the vodka lends an earthy quality to drinks, which works well with a wide range of flavors," says Tao. Craig Schoettler, Aria's Director of Spirits, Wine & Beer, agrees: "It plays very well in a savory style cocktail, such as classic Martinis, Bloody Marys, etc. Its level of sophistica- tion and luxury is a perfect pairing with caviar—definitely room to have fun with pairing the two." Schoettler particularly enjoyed Derick Baumgartner's Bloody Mary rendition called The Swine's Sacrifice. "The fire-roasted tomatoes and chilis complemented the savory backbone of the Black Moth," says Schoettler. "The vodka added to the cocktail. It wasn't just present as alcohol; it was a complementing flavor." With its launch attended by key beverage professionals in Las Vegas, Black Moth was well-received, and Las Vegas proved to be the optimum city for its premier U.S. launch. "For the hospitality industry, Las Vegas is king. Black Moth could have had the launch anywhere, but they chose a city that sets the standard for hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. The best chefs, hoteliers and entertainers have chosen Las Vegas for their businesses, and Black Moth has as well," says Megan Humphries, Director of Food & Beverage for Four Seasons Las Vegas. Black Moth is distributed by Pemberton Fine Wine & Spirits and is currently available at Sage at Aria and Canaletto at The Venetian.