Cheers

DRINK CULTURE TOC's New and Noteworthy about tasting: About 120 Products Tales of the Cocktail is all tasting rooms were held throughout the week in the designated hotels and on the streets in New Orleans. This gave attendees the chance to sample new spirits and products. Here are a few memorable ingredients we spotted: FORDS GIN Former Pernod Ricard representative Simon Ford and several partners recently helped launch The 86 Co., which produces four spirits, including this gin. A mix of nine botanicals, Fords Gin includes citrus, jasmine flower and orris, steeped for 15 hours. Attendees at Tales had the chance to sample it in Gin and Tonics served at the cocktail hour before this year's Spirited Awards, where it went on to win Best New Product. WHAT I'M DRINKING NOW: Aaron Alvarez, Innovative Dining Group Aaron Alvarez is the bar manager of Innovative Dining Group (IDG)'s adjoining West Hollywood restaurants RivaBella and Chi-Lin. I am totally hooked on vermouth at the moment. Once again. My flavor of the "week" (or month, or year), is constantly changing, and sometimes I return to old favorites, but right now I am totally stuck on Barolo Chinato Cocchi. This stuff is one of mankind's greatest achievements! It make me so happy. I love it with a late-night snack, like ice cream, or popcorn, or just about anything, really. It is such an amazing blend of bitter, and sweet, and aromatics. It really is a throwback to the kind of libation people were drinking 150 years ago. Also, this is the kind of beverage that gave way to what we know as Coca-Cola today. I drink it at home mostly because it's a pretty rare find in local bars. I hand-chip a piece of ice in my home bar, and I just relax—it's the best. Sometimes I add a little orange oil, squeezed from a peel. 10 | SEPTEMBER 2013 BAYOU RUM Distilled with unrefined cane sugar and molasses from M.A. Patout & Sons Enterprise Factory in Patoutville, LA—all pressed from fresh sugarcane harvested from fields in the state—this rum is produced both in silver and spiced versions. It was unveiled during a tasting room early in the week to proud natives and visitors. BROKER'S GIN The bottle is adorned with a bowler's hat, and what's inside is crafted in a copper pot still with a 200-year old recipe that is as old as the distillery. Unapologetically eschewing what they refer to as "modern" or "weird" botanicals, the makers of this classic London Dry Gin held a competition at Tales of the Cocktail called the Bowler's Cup. The winning drink, the Mule Broker, by Lauren-Taylor Axt of Chattanooga's Chato Brasserie, mixes gin, egg white, lime juice, simple syrup, lychee-nut puree, fresh thyme and Fever-Tree ginger beer. BOLS NATURAL YOGHURT LIQUEUR Made from high-quality fresh yoghurt, the latest offering from Bols is sweet, sour and smooth, and can be enjoyed straight, on the rocks or in cocktails. The bottle's special white coating ensures that its contents remain in optimum fresh condition on the back bar, and it was one of the featured products in Bols' attempt at Tales to create the world's largest Pousse Café. —KAM www.cheersonline.com

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