Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/977771
may 2018 / the tasting panel / 83 BENJAMIN WOOD Beatnik in Chicago, IL Benjamin Wood began his career in New York, where he was a Founding Partner at Distilled, Beverage Director at Union Fare, and Head Bartender for Le Bilboquet. Wood currently manages the beverage program at BonHomme Group's Beatnik, and along with mixology icons Dale Degroff and Steve Olson, Wood sits on the advisory board for the beverage-tech startup DrinkSpottr. Wood's cocktail was inspired by a Rebujito, a popular drink from Andalusia, Spain that mixes Sherry and soft drinks. "I wanted to keep it simple and focus on the purity of ingredients," he said. "Rebujito means 'safe place.' I wanted to be a little tongue in cheek and have fun with it." TIO SAFE WORD ◗ 2 oz. Tío Pepe Fino ◗ ½ oz. clear lime juice* ◗ ½ oz. Cava syrup ◗ 2 drops saline solution** ◗ 2 drops orange flower water ◗ 2 oz. soda water Add ingredients to a wine glass over fresh ice; stir in a sesame or perilla leaf. Serve with a straw. *Clear Lime Juice (batched) 9 grams citric acid powder 6 grams malic acid powder 1 ⁄5 grams tartaric acid powder 50 grams phosphoric acid (1.25% solution) 260 grams water 1 gram salt Add acids to water; stir to dissolve and refrigerate. **Saline Solution 7.5 grams salt 240mL water Boil to dissolve and let cool. JEREMY LAKE Lost Property Bar in Los Angeles, CA Jeremy Lake is an award-winning mixologist whose work has been featured in several media outlets, including The Tasting Panel, Imbibe, Liquor.com, Forbes, and ABC's The Glass House. Lake currently serves as an instructor with The Mixology Master Method bartending school and is also the National Brand Ambassador for Ascendant Spirits distillery, the Beverage Director at Rosaliné, and the Co-Proprietor of Lost Property Bar. Lake's Sherry cocktail is based on a famous Peruvian serve, Chilcano, but with a contemporary twist: "Instead of traditional ginger ale, I elevate the recipe by using ginger kombucha and replacing Pisco with two types of Sherry," he explained. "The notes of figs, raisins, and nuts pair perfectly with the ginger and yeasty notes of the kombucha." NECTAR DE CADIZ ◗ 1½ oz. González Byass Leonor Palo Cortado ◗ ½ oz. González Byass Néctar PX ◗ 1 oz. lime sour ◗ 1 dash Angostura Bitters ◗ 2½ oz. ginger kombucha Shake first four ingredients with ice for five seconds; add kombucha and pour into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with candied ginger, raisins, and a lime twist. JOHN AQUINO Coast Bar and Grill in Charleston, SC John Aquino began bartending to earn money while attending medical school. "Turns out, I loved the creativity and mad- ness of a busy bar instead," he said with a laugh. Trading his stethoscope for cocktail shaker, Aquino barhopped all over the country before returning home to Charleston, where he can be found behind the bar at Coast Bar and Grill. Aquino's Tío Pepe cocktail was inspired by an apple- and citrus- infused white sangria he enjoyed at seaside café in Ibiza, Spain for his birthday. "Refreshing and balanced, it was the best sangria I ever tasted!" he said. MANZANA DE JEREZ ◗ 1½ oz. Tío Pepe Fino ◗ ½ oz. González Byass Solera 1847 Cream ◗ 1 large barspoon Tippleman's Falernum Syrup ◗ 3 dashes Barkeep Apple Bitters ◗ 3 oz. honeycrisp apple cider blend ◗ Juice of ¼ Meyer lemon Mix all liquid ingredients in mixing glass. Dry-stir well and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with cinnamon stick, apple peel ribbon, and sprig of rosemary.