Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/961311
Meat Meets Mezcal PECHUGA, MEXICO'S TRADITIONAL CELEBRATORY BEVERAGE, MAKES ITS WAY ACROSS THE BORDER Pechuga, which translates to "breast," is "an age-old mezcalero tradition typically produced in small batches for personal consumption as a ceremonial and festive mezcal," says August Sebastiani, President of Bozal distributor 3 Badge Beverage. While pechuga production varies between palenques and villages, the initial process is largely similar to that of mezcal, as the agave for both spirits is crushed, baked, fermented, and distilled in a copper or clay-pot still. That last step, however, is where pechuga deviates: Before the final distillation, a pro - tein—usually chicken, but sometimes turkey, pork, or even iguana—is marinated with a mix of local herbs, spices, chiles, and fruit and then added to the still. Once reserved for celebrations like bap - tisms, weddings, or quinceañeras, pechuga is becoming increasingly easy to find at bars and restaurants with mezcal-savvy bever - age directors. Bozal makes its pechuga from wild-grown Cupreata, a type of agave that grows on the steep slopes of Guerrero (for each wild agave Bozal harvests, they plant two more). This agave typically yields a mez - cal with sweet floral notes and wet mineral- ity—the bottled essence of an impending storm. However, after the addition of the meat, fruit, and spices, Bozal Pechuga (SRP $100) "expresses a delicate balance in which the smokiness is softened noticeably by the protein and wild fruit," Sebastiani says. 94 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2018 The rich mouthfeel of Bozal's Pechuga—made from Cupreata agave harvested in the Guerrero mountains—offers flavors of roasted fruit, subtle minerality, slight smokiness, and a dry finish. Made from the same Cupreata agave as its Pechuga expression, Bozal's Ancestral (SRP $120) exudes sweet floral notes balanced by aromas of wet earth and subtle minerality. The citrus-tinged finish is complex and sweet. As bartenders continue to experiment within their craft, they're increasingly turning to the kitchen for inspiration. Printed beverage garnishes—inspired by a baking technique in which an image printed in edible ink is transferred to a cake—serve as perhaps the most eye- catching examples of this gastronomy- driven trend. Rye Su of Los Angeles–based bartending company Bear and Stone recently made a splash with his Rittenhouse-based cocktail The Last Chinese New Year, a tribute to his late grandfather. The colorful horse garnish is printed with edible ink on wafer paper, which doesn't alter the flavor profile of the drink. Meanwhile, at Aqua in Hong Kong, Bar Manager Simone Rossi created the Rooster Me Luck: The cocktail features a base of Cocchi Rosa and Tanqueray Gin Yuzu and is garnished with an edible rooster print. The rooster—a symbol of good luck—is printed on rice paper and sits atop egg-white foam. Cocktail or Canvas? BARTENDERS ARE CREATING EDIBLE WORKS OF ART BY THE GLASS This playful rooster artwork was created by Simone Rossi at Aqua Hong Kong. PHOTO COURTESY OF SIMONE ROSSI TRENDS Better Drinking Through Science LOS ANGELES' LOST SPIRITS CREATES AN ALCOHOLIC TIME MACHINE Bryan Davis, Co-Founder of the theme park– esque Lost Spirits Distillery, is often compared to Willy Wonka. With a self-taught chemistry expertise that's enabled him to age alcohol at warp speed, it may be more accurate to label him as a Tony Stark type. In 2014, he proved that esterification reactions in barrels—the interplay between alcohol and acid that yields esters and flavor—are actually catalyzed by something in the wood. This is im - portant because barrel aging, until Davis intervened, is a process that happens linearly, with certain flavors imparted by the aging wood at certain predictable points in time; salted fruit flavors, for example, don't appear until a spirit has aged for approximately 30 years. Davis then figured out how to hack the aging process by breaking down polymer structures using light; this scientific breakthrough mimics the natural process by which the barrel slowly disintegrates into the aging alcohol, thereby creating precursor acids which are transformed into esters. He can isolate the esters present in a spirit and essentially work backward to replicate the esters profile in a laboratory—imparting the beloved flavor pro - file of mature spirits in record time. "We can make legitimately old booze by essentially de- signing a flavor profile and creating it with the pull of a lever," the modern-day alchemist sa ys. For Davis, "Chemistry is a vehicle to shape and sculpt what you're making." Given the distillery's impressive list of accolades, it's doing an admirable job. Techniques Spirits producers have pushed the boundaries of aging techniques for hundreds of years, but despite this lengthy history, bold innovators are still finding new ways to change the game. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LOST SPIRITS DISTILLERY At Lost Spirits Distillery in Los Angeles, Co-Founder Bryan Davis experiments with accelerated aging methods. PHOTOS COURTESY OF 3 BADGE BEVERAGE