Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/776532
Back to the Bar Future I n December, Bacardi USA's Portfolio Ambassadors Jaymee Mandeville, West Coast Senior Portfolio Ambassador, and Dan Long, Los Angeles Portfolio Ambassador, led a "cocktail tour of the decades," a celebration of L.A.'s three decades as an emerging cocktail force. From The Upstairs Bar @ the ACE Hotel in DTLA to Good Times at Davey Wayne's in Hollywood, we sported glitter headbands, fingerless lace gloves and neon-colored fanny packs, while sipping on throwback drinks like Passion a la Playa (a riff on Sex on the Beach) featuring Bacardi Superior, passion fruit, lemon juice, pineapple and cranberry clove syrup. "L.A. doesn't take itself too seriously," Mandeville said. "With this tour, we wanted to highlight the best bars and bartenders here." He emphasized that his objective is to give bartenders what they need to succeed, while also letting them have fun behind the bar. Mission accomplished! —B. T. THE MESSAGE 20 / the tasting panel / january/february 2017 Saké Samurai A t one of the oldest shrines in Japan, five international saké experts recently gathered to receive one of the industry's highest honors: the title of "Saké Samurai." One recipient each from Korea, Canada and Italy joined two Japanese honorees for the ornate ceremony at the Shimogamo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyoto. Among the honorees this year was Los Angeles–based Master of Saké Toshio Ueno. He is the only person in the world to hold the titles of Master of Saké, Master Saké Sommelier and WSET Saké Educator Diploma. Ueno was born and raised in Japan, where his family has grown the Japanese wine grape Koshu for generations. From his work in the family business to his later experience in international trading and wine sales, a passion for wine and saké stewardship has developed. Ueno is currently Manager of the Business Development Department for Mutual Trading Company, marketing Japanese foods, saké and sho- chu to mainstream America. Since 2012, he has also been Vice President & Executive Instructor at Saké School of America. As social changes have impacted the saké market in his native Japan, Ueno has strived to help make inroads within the U.S. His diligent outreach was one of the considerations in recognizing Ueno with the Samurai title. —Eugene Garcia On the Bacardi USA "cocktail tour of the decades," Los Angeles bar Harvard & Stone served a cocktail inspired by Top Gun, a reworked F14 called the B52: Dewar's 15 and homemade nitro-whipped sweetened cream, Bittermens New Orleans Coffee bitter liqueur, D'USSÉ Cognac and an expressed orange peel. PHOTO COURTESY OF HARVARD & STONE Los Angeles–based Master of Saké Toshio Ueno (center), received the title of "Saké Samurai' from the Japan Saké & Shochu Makers Association. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAPAN SAKÉ & SHOCHU MAKERS ASSOCIATION