spirits with sophistication

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SPEED TASTING REPORT
QUARTERS
NOBU HARD ROCK WAS HEAD
FOR OUR “SPIRITS WITH
ING
SOPHISTICATION” SPEED TAST
by Meridith May / photos by Mona Shield Payne
Our Panelists (left to right):
Raul Faria, Mixologist at
Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill,
Caesars Palace; Meridith
May, Publisher/Editorial
Director, THE TASTING
PANEL; Cody Fredrickson,
Bartender at Paris Las
Vegas; Mariena Mercer,
Mixologist/GM at The
Cosmopolitan; and Jeremy
Merritt, Mixology Consultant.
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SPEED TASTING REPORT
More Panelists! (left to right): Ricardo Murcia, Property
Mixologist at The Bellagio; Jeff Evans,GM/Sommelier at
N9NE Steakhouse at The Palms; Juyoung Kang, Mixologist
at BLVD Cocktail Company at The Linq; Dave Ponte, Bar
Manager at NOBU, Caesars Palace (seated); Tim Weigel,
Mixologist at Hakkasan, MGM Grand Hotel; and our host,
Josh Monisavis, Bar Manager at NOBU Hard Rock.
MEET THE PANELISTS
Josh Monisavis
Dave Ponte
Cody Fredrickson
Raul Faria
Juyoung Kang
A
city built in the lap of luxury, Las Vegas is an adult
dreamland, catering to the ultimate wishes of visitors
and offering opulence at every turn. Likewise, there
are spirits that embody this level of class and elegance, with
enough refinement to make even Sinatra sing. It’s this inspiration that brought the following brands together at NOBU
HARD ROCK for our latest Speed Tasting adventure: “Spirits
with Sophistication.” Each brand had ten minutes to prepare
a sophisticated cocktail to best show off its illustrious flavor
profile and tasteful character.
Ricardo Murcia
Tim Weigel
Mariena Mercer
Jeff Evans
Jeremy Merritt
Meridith May
Bar Manager, NOBU Hard Rock
Bar Manager, NOBU Caesars Palace
Bartender, Paris Las Vegas
Mixologist, Gordon Ramsay Pub &
Grill, Caesars Palace
Mixologist, BLVD Cocktail
Company at The LINQ
Property Mixologist, Bellagio
Mixologist, Hakkasan at MGM
Grand Hotel
Mixologist/GM, The Cosmopolitan
GM/Sommelier, N9NE
Steakhouse at The Palms
Mixology Consultant
Publisher/Editorial Director,
THE TASTING PANEL
WHEEL OF FORTUNE:
ROCA PATRÓN
Think of it: It takes a Mexican artisan,
an entallador, almost a month to create
just one tahona wheel from four tons of
stone. It’s this stone (roca in Spanish)
that slowly and continually rolls over
the cooked agave to break the fibers and
release the juice. Labor intensive and
time consuming, this traditional method
of processing tequila is what sets Roca
Patrón apart. The juice and fibers are
then placed together into wood vats for
72 hour-fermentation, then put in copper
pot stills and twice distilled.
The Bets Are In: “Roca Patrón Silver,
on its own, is broad and focused,
tremendously textural, with sugared
mocha and black tea notes. The aroma
off the dehydrated grapefruit and the
David Homan, Nevada Area
chipotle spice add herbal sweet and hot
Manager at Patrón Spirits.
to this agave-resonant tequila. Fresh and
delicious! ” —Cody Fredrickson, Paris Las Vegas
“The tequila has ginger, smoke, lemon and volcanic salt—reminiscent
of a great mezcal. The drink, a great twist on the Paloma, balances the
richness of the tequila. ” —Jeff Evans, N9NE Steakhouse, The Palms Hotel
LA FLOR
♠ 1½ oz. Roca Patrón Silver
♠ ½ oz. green Chartreuse
♠ 1½ oz. fresh pink grapefruit juice
♠ 1 oz. grapefruit soda
♠ Dehydrated grapefruit slice garnish
(brushed with agave nectar,
pink Himalayan sea salt and dry
chipotle pepper)
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KING OF THE JUNGLE: SELVAREY RUM
Selvarey’s Master Blender is the legendary Francisco
“Don Pancho” Fernandez, who once worked in Cuba
with Havana Club Distilleries and became the Cuban
Minister of Rum. He left Cuba and purchased fields
of sugarcane and a sugar mill in Chitré, in the jungles
off the Gulf of Panama.
Selvarey White is a blend of three- and five-yearold rums, distilled in 1922 copper column stills, aged
in bourbon casks and carbon-filtered to remove the
color without losing the deep flavors imparted from
the aging process. The three-year-old rum brings
youth and vibrancy, which is then rounded off by the
full-bodied richness of the mature five-year-old.
The Bets Are In: “A finely aged rum that balances the
sugar cane with the finesse of barrel aging—neither
overshadowing nor fighting for the spotlight. The
cocktail is perfect to sip by the pool on a hot Las
Vegas day. This interpretation of the Piña Colada is
bright and acidic without the weight and viscosity of
Mixologist Marcos Tello
cream.” —Mariena Mercer, The Cosmopolitan
let the Selvarey rum shine
“Selvarey White rum has character: Guava and
through in his Panama Piña
other tropical notes come on initially, with cinnamon,
Colada, a modernized twist
vanilla on the finish. The rum allows the fruit juices
on the classic cocktail.
in the cocktail to shine through, and this would make
a great base for any tiki cocktail! ” —Tim Weigel, Hakkasan at MGM Grand
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PANAMA
PIÑA COLADA
♥ 2 oz. Selvarey White Rum
♥ ¾ oz. Coco Lopez Cream of
Coconut
♥ ¼ lime, squeezed and dropped in
♥ 2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
♥ Pineapple leaf garnish
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FRENCH ELEGANCE:
LE GRAND COURTÂGE SPARKLING WINE
pro
ME
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Entrepreneur Tawnya Falkner imagined creating an
elegant yet affordable French sparkling wine, a cuisine
and cocktail-friendly bubbly styled for the American palate. The grapes used for this Charmat-method Blanc de
Blancs Brut are a veritable Tour de France: Chardonnay
from Burgundy, Chenin Blanc from the Loire, Ugni
Blanc from the Cognac region and Colombard from
Gers. Available in 750-ml. and 187-ml. bottles, Le Grand
Courtâge Blanc de Blancs Brut or Brut Rosé makes
for a lovely sipper or adds sophistication to sparkling
cocktails.
Jim Pollock from Le Grand
Courtâge.
The Bets Are In: “The Brut’s aroma is bright and fresh
with delicate bubbles. Pretty floral tones and a creamy
middle with a dry finish. The cocktail is perfect for
brunch, creating bigger, even brighter citrus flavors. ”
—Raul Faria, Gordon Ramsey Pub & Grill, Caesars Palace
“Le Grand Courtâge’s blending of grape varieties
shows off a beautiful dichotomy of creamy and yeasty,
while still remaining floral and bright. The cocktail is so
refreshing; I can picture drinking it in a Parisian café.”
—Mariena Mercer, The Cosmopolitan
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NOMAYO
♣ 1½ oz. Tito’s Handmade Vodka
♣ ¾ oz. St-Germain Elderflower
Liqueur
♣ ½ oz. Aperol
♣ Top with Le Grand Courtâge
Blanc de Blancs Brut
♣ Orange peel garnish
Jef
Jer
Mer
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PAWS AND EFFECT: BUMMER & LAZARUS GIN
For those of us who believe that dogs are natural heroes,
Bummer and Lazarus prove us right beyond the tales
of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. These former strays of San
Francisco’s 19th century were revered for cleaning the
city of its vermin. So heralded were they that, upon their
deaths, 30,000 people attended Lazarus’s funeral and Mark
Twain, a great fan of the city, wrote Bummer’s eulogy.
The one-man operation that is Raff Distillerie is run
by owner and Master Distiller—and fifth-generation
San Franciscan—Carter Raff, who manufactured all his
200-gallon stills from scratch and built his own bottling
line and pump heads. And then there’s the gin: Only 850
bottles made at a time (that’s one run of the still), this
100% California grape-based gin offers up a delightful
pack of floral and citrus notes.
The Bets Are In: “Besides its great backstory, this gin
is filled with surprises: violet, fruity and just the right
amount of astringency to bring it all together. The bright
Carter Raff is owner and
juniper jumps out in the Martini: very classic.”—Juyoung
Master Distiller for Bummer &
Kang, The Linq
Lazarus Gin.
“This craft gin has so much character: citrus and flower
power. The simple whisper of vermouth doesn’t hide its attributes.”—Ricardo Murcia, The Bellagio
CLASSIC MARTINI
♦ 2¼ oz. Bummer & Lazarus Gin
♦ ¾ oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth
♦ Twist of lemon peel
♦ Mix with one piece of ice.
SWEDISH LUXURY: ABSOLUT ELYX
Named after the Swedish word for “luxury,” ELYX
is indeed the sophisticated side of ABSOLUT’s
expressive vodka portfolio. Produced in small
quantities in Sweden, this copper column still–
distilled spirit is made from single-estate wheat,
sourced from one farm. “Our silky textured
vodka is a result of the single estate wheat, the
truly handcrafted production and the increase
usage of copper during the distillation process,”
says Kristen Schaefer, ABSOLUT ELYX Brand
Ambassador.
The Bets Are In: “This hand-crafted vodka is a
significant advancement for the category. It possesses amazing character and offers up a smooth
mouthfeel with perfect balance. Its delicate
balance with a wine-based aperitif like Lillet
showcases the spirit’s mixability, but I can also
still taste the foundation of wheat in the vodka.”
Kristen Schaefer is a Brand
—Cody Fredrickson, Paris Las Vegas
Ambassador for ABSOLUT ELYX.
“This vodka does have a luxurious quality with
subtle notes of creamy wheat and a mineral stone-vanilla toast and licorice middle.
The finish is exceptionally long. Kristen’s drink lightens up the palate, taking a
medium-bodied vodka into a lovely, delicate dimension with floral charm.”
—Meridith May, THE TASTING PANEL
THE PERFECT CUT
♠ 1 oz. ABSOLUT ELYX
♠ 1 oz. Lillet Rosé
♠ 3 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
No. 6
♠ Orange swath garnish
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THE DO-GOOD TEQUILA: KARMA TEQUILA
Karma Tequila co-founder and President Gary
Eisenberger says it succinctly: “We want to do
something great for organizations that assist children with education and health needs” he says,
referring to why they named the brand Karma.
Giving back to charity is a must-do for Gary and
his team, but they also happen to produce an
outstanding spirit. “It took three years to formulate the final product, made from Highland agave,
with trimmed heads and tails, proprietary yeast
and a blend of double and triple-distilled tequila
from a copper/stainless -steel pot still.” The
resulting liquid from the 11¾ months aged Karma
Reposado aged in American oak bourbon barrels,
which we tasted at the event, is clean and round,
with notes of cedar and clay, brown sugared
agave and oatmeal.
INSTANT KARMA!
♥ 1½ oz. Karma Tequila Reposado
♥ ½ oz. Del Maguey Mezcal VIDA
♥ 1½ oz. fresh-squeezed and
strained lemon juice
♥ ¾ oz. Karma Organic Agave
The Bets Are In: “The oak and agave perform a
nice duet. I get some chocolate and clay-anisette
notes off the tequila. The drink brings in the
complexity of a smoky layer and a citrus wake-up;
the grapefruit jumps out with the sage. This hits all the right spots. ” —Tim Weigel,
Hakkasan
“Karma Reposado is a very well balanced tequila with forward fresh agave
notes. I like the cooked piña quality and the slight smoke. I love it!! Max’s drink
was refreshing with a perfect amount of spice coming out of the tequila.”—Josh
Monisavis, NOBU Hard Rock
Instant Karma! is the drink
from Las Vegas mixologist Max
Solano.
Nectar, infused with sage and
grapefruit
♥ 3 dashes grapefruit bitters
♥ Sage leaf and grapefruit peel
garnish
A HERO’S TRIBUTE: DON Q GRAN AÑEJO RUM
Since 1865, six generations of the Serrallés family have
created fine rums, and today, sixth-generation family
member and environmental scientist Roberto Serrallés is
the man behind Don Q. Don Q Gran Añejo is a blend of
6- to 12-year-old rum aged in American white oak barrels
and Solera rums aged up to 20 years in Sherry casks,
creating a balance between sweet and dry. It is smooth,
elegant, well-structured and has all the nuances of a fine
bourbon or Scotch.
The Puerto Rico-based rum was a knockout in The
Novel Experience, named in homage to Don Quixote, the
inspiration behind the brand’s name.
Southern Wine & Spirits Master
Mixologist and Spirits Educator
J. R. Starkus created The Novel
Experience cocktail, a nod to
Don Quixote, the inspiration
behind the name of Don Q rum.
The Bets Are In: “The rum itself is high-end, Cognac-like:
notes of antique wood, cherries, rich chocolate, toffee
and orange peel. The drink is appealing to eye and palate.
It is not a shy drink—but neither is the rum.”—Mariena
Mercer, The Cosmopolitan
“The aromas and flavors of the rum are luxurious
and the stylized ingredients bring a balanced, herbal
component that makes the drink delicious but also beachready.” —Ricardo Murcia, The Bellagio and Raul Faria,
Gordon Ramsey Pub
THE NOVEL
EXPERIENCE
♣ 1½ oz. Don Q Gran Añejo
♣ ½ oz. Menta Fernet Vittone
♣ ½ oz. xtabentún (Mexican
anise liqueur)
♣ ¾ oz. fresh lime juice
♣ Red apple, fresh mint, paper
straw and paper umbrella garnish
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HIGH CLASS IN GLASS: ZYR VODKA
ZYR Vodka’s new parent company, Davos Brands, is an
all-encompassing beverage importer and marketing
company for luxury wine and spirits brands. So this
Russian vodka, made from a proprietary blend winter
wheat and rye—and nine-times filtered, five-times
distilled and three- times tasted before bottling—fits that
pristine, prestigious image.
“The water itself is tasted for texture and against
previous batches for consistency,” says Davos Brands
Southwest Market Manager Ron Newman. “No sugar,
glycerin or spices added. ZYR is one of those best-inclass brands that fits right in our portfolio.”
Hakkasan Las Vegas Mixologist
Emilio Tiburcio and TY KU/Davos
Brands’ Ron Newman.
The Bets Are In: “ZYR is a big-bodied, buxom vodka with
sweet citrus, powdered milk and cocoa hints; round, with
no edge at all. Emilio’s cocktail brought out the citrustangerine tang, lemon oils and vanilla extract. As he
himself said, ‘It makes magic in your mouth.’” —Meridith
May, THE TASTING PANEL
“As delicate as the vodka is on the palate, it has weight
and a creaminess with a sweet finish. The hand-crafted
perfume was enticing and added to the subtle aromas
from the vodka.”—Dave Ponte, NOBU Caesars Palace
THE PERFECT 100
♦ 2½–3 oz. ZYR Vodka
♦ 3 spritzes of homemade perfume
(13 drops tangerine oil, seven
drops lemon oil, four drops fresh
vanilla extract and 1 oz. ZYR
Vodka)
♦ Tangerine and lemon garnish
AGE-WORTHY: AZUÑIA TEQUILA — BLACK
If Azuñia Añejo is one of the most sippable
ultra-premium tequilas (aged in excess of the
required 12 months for añejos), Azuñia Black is
even more luxe going down. This two-year-aged,
special edition añejo speaks of honeyed-oak and
dark chocolate biscuit. It is aged first in used Jack
Daniel’s barrels and six months in an “undisclosed” finishing barrel. Azuñia Black is made
from organic, estate-grown 100% blue Weber
agave from the Lowlands of Jalisco.
Kailee Gielgens is Arizona and
Las Vegas Sales Manager for
Azuñia Tequila.
The Bets Are In: “Caramel and cinnamon flow
along the palate, with a salty finish. Root beer and
mint play with banana and grassy notes for this
special edition tequila. The cocktail is creamy and
well-balanced with a light citrus finish and sweet
floral nose.”—Juyoung Kang, The Linq
“This tequila is intensely aromatic: chocolate,
caramel, fenugreek seed and banana play on the
nose and mouth. And the cocktail: delicious. The
use of banana was a great play off the tequila’s
already tropical character and a wonderful showcase for a smooth and spicy extra añejo.”—Cody
Fredrickson, Paris Las Vegas
BLACK DAHLIA
♠ 1½ oz. Azuñia Black 2 Year Old
Añejo Tequila
♠ 1 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth
♠ ¾ oz. banana syrup
♠ ¾ oz. lemon juice
♠ ¾ oz. egg white
♠ Flower garnish
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HIGH ROLLER IN GIN CITY: BOLS GENEVER
Before there was gin, there was genever. The
Dutch predecessor of modern-day gin, genever’s
base spirit is white-dog whiskey or “malt wine.”
Today, Bols offers two genevers: Bols Genever
and Bols Genever Barrel Aged. Both are still
made according to the original 1820 Lucas Bols
recipe. The malty flavor comes from using over
50 percent malt wine, which is made from longfermented rye, corn and wheat, triple-distilled in
copper pot stills. This malt wine is then blended
with a carefully selected distillate of botanicals
and brought to 42% ABV.
The Bets Are In: “The malty tones of Bols Genever
remind me of Scotch, but also yeasty (wet clay),
musk and redolent of baking bread—very Old
World. The cocktail in all its tiki glory is refreshing with high-toned honey tones. The fresh mint
tickles the nose and all the ingredients play well
Anthony Pullen is National Brand with the genever, bringing out its herbal components.”—Mariena Mercer, The Cosmopolitan
Ambassador for Bols Genever.
“There are so many layers of complex flavors
in Bols Genever, from pine nuts to citrus peel to yeast. And coconut. As a whisky
drinker, I can confess that this drink satisfies my taste—it’s refreshing and has that
malty component with a touch of the tropical.”—Josh Monisavis, NOBU Hard Rock
DUTCH GROG
♥ 1½ oz. oz. Bols Genever
♥ 1 oz. Bols Crème de Banana
Liqueur
♥ ¾ oz. lime juice
♥ ¾ oz. grapefruit juice
♥ 4 dashes Jamaican Bitters #2
♥ 2 oz. soda water
EARNING ITS STRIPES: WHITE TIGER VODKA
Just anointed with a 92-point score from THE TASTING
PANEL, this new cat is on the prowl. Water from SikhoteAlin mountain in the Amur River basin—one of the ten
biggest waterways in the world—remains ecologically
clean to this day and provides the liquid base for this
Russian vodka. White Tiger is made from 50 percent
winter wheat and 50 percent rye, twice-distilled and
dedicated to the Amur tigers: A portion of funds from
consumer sales go to support these animals in their
Russian forest habitat.
White Tiger Brand Owner Ilia
Lerner with Mixologist Daniel
“Double-D” DeAnda-Fast.
The Bets Are In: “An unctuous vodka with a massive
heart, but it’s still balanced and tastes of grass, white tea,
white pepper and sweet wheat bread. The cocktail purrs
when you mix in the compote.”—Raul Faria, Gordon
Ramsay Pub & Grill
“It’s got a good story behind it and a great cause in
helping the animals in the Russian forest. The vodka is
creamy, wheaty and quite clean with a meaty mouthfeel
and a spicy finish. The ingredients in the drink do not
camouflage the unique profile of the vodka, but do add a
sweetness that makes it refreshing.”—Jeff Evans, N9NE
Steakhouse at The Palms
SIBERIAN SNOW CAT
♣ 2 oz. White Tiger Vodka
♣ ¾ oz. Lillet Blanc
♣ ¾ oz. lemon juice
♣ ½ oz. white tea and ginger syrup
♣ Lace glass with blackberry and
black peppercorn compote
♣ Candied ginger garnish
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