My Life on the Rocks, pt. 2

I just got this in my email today. It looks amazing. I can't wait to enter. How about you?

This week, EWG Spirits & Wine announces that G’Vine, Gin de France, is embarking on an innovative worldwide search for the most exceptional Gin Bartender. A racy newcomer to the growing Gin scene, G’Vine Gin debuted beginning of 2007 after a 3-year long elaboration process. The brand quickly captivated the gin-loving mixology community and the media with a revolutionary new portfolio of Gins created with a heady and complex grape-spirit base and infused with the delicate green grape flower. After receiving rave reviews, accolades and awards, this innovative gin brand is now searching for the most outstanding Gin Bartender. The winner will garner worldwide recognition from the brand and its followers as the gin category’s leader in mixology and bar-smarts. In addition to being granted the first-ever title of “G’Vine Gin Connoisseur”, the winning bartender will receive over-the-top prizes including a year‘s supply of G’Vine, 3000 USD and a luxury and initiatory trip for two through Amsterdam, London and Paris to explore the past, present and future of Gin. The competition’s twelve global finalists will be flown to Paris and Cognac for a week of Connoisseur challenges, seminars and the opportunity to run their own bar at the G’Vine Spring Ball. The twenty highest scoring competitors will be awarded with exclusive G’Vine taylor-made tools such as ice moulds, shakers and aroma kits. With rewards this sweet, the process to enter the competition is meticulously crafted so that only the most passionate of gin connoisseurs can compete. Each entrant must first complete an online examination process that includes five “interactive modules” which together make up an extensive overview of the gin category. Potential winners must study literature and complete exams on: • The Complete History of Gin • Gin Making • G’Vine Education • Tasting Gin & Cocktails • Gin Marketing The exams are supervised and graded by the world-renowned expert, Philip Duff. Duff is an award- winning speaker, trainer, author and mixologist, and the owner of Liquid Solutions Bar & Beverage Consulting and Door 74 in Amsterdam. The deadline to complete all exams is December 15th. In addition to ace-ing the exams, contenders must also create an original G’Vine cocktail and include it on their bar‘s cocktail list until January 31st, 2010. “Unlike other cocktail competitions where the focus is only on the end-use cocktail created by the bartender, the G’Vine Connoisseur Program is seeking a bartender with an unmatched knowledge, and creativity – basically a bartender who is obsessed with Gin,” exclaims Audrey Fort, EWG’s Marketing and Business Development Director. “These ‘Gin-tenders’ are a unique bunch, and G’Vine is determined to unearth the best of breed and properly bestow him or her with top honors and unprecedented awards.”  

This Thursday I fly down to Scottsdale Arizona to compete in a cocktail competition for Crave Arizona. To be quite honest, I'm literally scared to death at the quality of the competitors for this competition. Marcos Tello from Edison in LA, Marco Dionysous from Clock Bar in SF, and Tim Cooper out of NYC are just a few of the names that I need to be worried about. While I usually just relax and enjoy myself at events like this, the sheer level of talent attending (and its hosted by the amazingly talented Ryan Magarian) has me a bit worried. The way that I'm reading the cocktail competition rules seems to leave me with the opportunity to make my own syrups or bitters but no liqueurs. Instead, I have to use an array of base spirits provided by Skyy (good products mind you), a secret ingredient per round, and some minor liqueurs. I'm working on an assumption of herbs one round, fruit another, and I'm making an educated guess of chilies in the finals. It is Arizona after all. Jake Grier, bartender extraordinaire at Carlyle Restaurant here in Portland and I have been collaborating on some coffee bitters, and I've also got a batch of marionberry bitters going. Its important to me to allow my cocktails to have a sense of place, I want the judges to know that a bartender from Oregon made these drinks. As for syrups, I have one going that Portland bars are relatively famous for (a secret I'll reveal after the competition), a tropical syrup, a ginger syrup for any and all issues, and perhaps a nice little twist on orgeat.

Some other things I'm thinking about packing;

a microplane

a lewis bag

my own Pug! and Liquid Revolution muddlers 

sandalwood

nutmeg

Anything I'm leaving out? Any thoughts or suggestions that you might have for me? I'm all ears.

I'll post a recap of this event as soon as I'm back. 

Enter an original recipe onto our bartender section ofwww.domainedecanton.com by September 30th. 

Picks for mixologists will be decided in October.

8 mixologists will be picked to advance to Round 2. Round 2 will be held in 8 cities at venues and dates TBA.

-Boston
-Washington D.C.
-New York City
-Chicago
-Denver
-Seattle
-Las Vegas
-San Francisco

For Round 3, two mixologists will advance to final round in St. Martin for a chance at $10,000 grand prize 

 In commemoration of the 500th anniversary of its creation, BÉNÉDICTINE and Esquire are searching for the Alchemists of Our Age, mixologists who embody the spirit and innovation behind the creation of BÉNÉDICTINE. 

Beginning in August 2009, bartenders are invited to stake their claim in history and lead the journey into the liqueur’s first millennium.

Renowned author and master mixologist, David Wondrich, will select the finalists and winner. Both will earn recognition in Esquire Magazine.

Recipes should be submitted to alchemists@nikecomm.com by September 8, 2009.

 As a bartender, we rely on our hands to craft and create the cocktails that make our guests happy. A hazard of the business though, is the very real chance of cutting your hands either with a broken glass, an errant bit of foil on a wine bottle or even with a knife while cutting garnishes during prep. Most cuts are a small annoyance. In fact, I'm rarely aware of most of the small cuts on my hands until either I get a bit of citrus juice in the cut or my wife points out some blemish on my hands. This isn't to say that I always have hands that are in bad shape, far from it, but cuts on your hands are part of life in the business and they do occur.

 

This week, at Beaker & Flask I had a vintage coupe shatter as I placed in on the bar as I was getting ready to pour a cocktail for Jacob Grier (www.jacobgrier.com). As soon as it happened, I looked down and saw crimson patches start to form on both my index finger and my thumb. I quickly ran water over the cuts to wash out any glass, poured a bit of vodka on the cuts to kill any bacteria (ouch), and bandaged them up. Unfortunately, the cut on my thumb is pretty deep, and it kept bleeding beyond what a normal band aid is able to handle. By the time I got home, I had decided to use an old technique taught to me back in my cooking days, Krazy Glue. As a caveat, I don't recommend using this technique and I'm not responsible for anything that might happen if you do, and neither are the good people at Krazy Glue or here at MySpeedRail.com. Anyway, since I was still bleeding when I got home, and time off of work = no money for me, I went and got some Krazy Glue, pushed the skin of my thumb together and glued it shut. I've used this technique before with great results and I'm very happy with how my thumb is holding up right now.

 

How do you manage injuries that you might sustain at work? Do you have any tips or techniques for the rest of the bartending community besides the obvious "Don't cut yourself" commments? If so, share them here.

When most bartenders talk about their tools, we talk about things like muddlers, strainers, shakers and wine keys. However, we have a job where we spend our entire shift on our feet, and I would argue that one of the most important tools in a bartenders kit is the right set of shoes.

For years, I've favored Sketchers work shoes, they are pretty reasonably priced, durable, offer good support and are pretty comfortable. With my current work schedule, I get about six months of good wear out of a pair before its time for new ones. As it is, when I get them I put some thick Dr. Scholl's work insoles inside to provide an extra layer of support and cushioning. Even so, as middle age has crept up on me, by the time I'm home from a busy shift, I walk about the house like an old man, my feet and my ankles can end up extremely tender and sore.

A few weeks ago, I noticed one of my fellow bartenders, who I respect and admire wearing Crocs bistro shoes. I own a regular pair of Crocs that I garden in and do housework, but I never have really given much thought to wearing some to work. My friend told me that they were the most comfortable work shoes he'd ever worn and that at the end of the night, his feet feel fine. I took this to heart, went home and immediately purchased a pair of Crocs bistro shoes (approx $40) online. After receiving them, I have to agree with my friend, Crocs are the best thing I've ever worked in. Their bistro shoe is specially designed for those of us in the service industry and provides a non slip sole, extra cushioning and more. I'm grateful to find such a wonderful product for those of us working on our feet constantly. If you haven't tried Crocs bistro shoes, I highly recommend them.

Alright, I'm sorry for not posting for a bit. Things have been a bit crazy with the opening of Beaker and Flask, all in a good way though. We've had a pretty successful opening and things are going well.

I've been tasked with creating some new, beer based cocktails for our happy hour menu. To be honest, I'm not much of a beer man. Oh, I like a good cold lager after work, but microbrews can actually make me a bit sick if I drink too much and between wine and cocktails, I've never really gotten around to making beer too much of a priority in my life. I've also never used it in cocktails.

Here are some ideas that I'm playing with right now;

A Michelada variation- Maybe Negro Modelo (my favorite beer for a michelada), chipotle infused 1800 Silver select tequila , lime juice, clamato and perhaps a smoked salt rim?

A bourbon (something sweet with a nice vanilla and caramel profile, maybe Buffalo Trace?) stout, coffee and perhaps some condensed milk?

Saison (we have a new brewer in Portland, Upright Brewing, doing open fermentation) with perhaps some cassis and lemon juice?

What kinds of beer cocktails do you do? Any ideas you might have to help me out or point me in the right directions would be appreciated.

Doug Paquin, our beer savant, has an interesting selection of beers for our opening list. I thought I'd share all of these with you.

Draft

Racer 5, Bear Republic Healdsburg, CA

Oatis Stout, Ninkasi Brewing Eugene, OR

Prima Pils, Victory Brewing Downington, PA

Stone Pale, Stone Brewing San Diego, CA

#7, Upright Brewing Portland, OR

Schwarzbier, Heater Allen McMinville, OR

Bottle

Coors Banquet 16 oz. can Golden, CO

Coniston Bluebird Xtra Bitter Cumbria, England

St. Peter’s IPA Suffolk, England

Fuller’s London Porter  London, England

Bad King John Black Ale

Weihenstephan Dark Hefe  Freising, Germany

Aktien Jubileum Pilsner Kaufbeuren, Germany

Pinkus Brewing Munster Alt Munster Germany

Aecht Helles Lager

Allagash WitBier Portland, ME

Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse 25 oz.  NY

North Coast PranQster Golden Ft. Bragg, CA

Van Steenberge Gulgen Draak Ertvelde, Belgium

Orval Trappist Ale Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium

Brasserie Dupont Saison Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium 

Well, its time to forget all the hype and get to work at Beaker & Flask. We're opening Thursday come hell or high water. Here is a sneak peak at our opening cocktail list.

Cocktails

El Morocco (from Charles Baker): Cognac, Port, Pineapple Syrup, Pomegranate, Orange, Lime

Zanahorita: Reposado Tequila, Cointreau, lime, Carrot juice, Cilantro simple, cumin

The Chimney Sweep: Blended Scotch, Ramazzotti, Punt E Mes, Oregon Ouzo

Joe McCarthy’s Ghost: Krogstad Aquavit, Carpano, Apricot Brandy

Philo Biane: Matusalem Classico Gold Rum, Rancho de Philo Sherry, Benedictine, Orange Bitters

Coltrane! Coltrane! Coltrane!: Gin, Amer Picon, Peach, Lemon Bitters

Daddy Issues: Vodka, Concord Grape, Campari, lemon, lemon/orange bitters

The Trained Canary: Brandy, Madeira, Creole Shrub, Peach Bitters

The Boston Massacre: Bourbon, Dark Rum, Benedectine, Punt E Mes, Mole bitters

Sal Paradise: Rum, Tiki Style with crushed ice

Tilly Jane: Pear Brandy, Bianco Vermouth, Cynar, Ginger, Orange bitters

Happy Hour Cocktail List: $5 — $7

6 Lengths Ahead: Bourbon, Ginger Beer, blueberry grenadine, lime, soda

Night and Fog Cocktail: Cynar, Oloroso Sherry, Ginger Beer, bitters

Crush on Laura: Crush, Averna, bitters

Ti’ Punch riff: Blended Scotch, Amaro/Vermouth, lemon bitters

Dean’s Madness: Tequila, Blueberry (seasonal), Tonic, Lime or, substitute spirit: Gin. White Rum,                     Rye Whiskey, Aquavit 

 I'm not a vodka guy. Not that there is anything wrong with vodka, it has a long history despite not having been in the United States that long (post WW2). That said, vodka is the spirit of the times here in America and, at least in my bar, probably outsells all other spirits combined by a 3 to 1 ratio even though I carry very few vodkas.

One vodka that I don't carry is Effen vodka. I don't have anything against it, but shelf space in my bar is scarce and it runs at a similar price point to the better known Grey Goose, Chopin and Belvedere vodkas that I do carry. Very rarely I'll get asked for Effen Black Cherry vodka, but since I carry no flavored spirits, thats a no go as well.

So why am I writing about a spirit brand that I have little to no interest in? Its simple really. Today, Jim Beam announced that they were purchasing Effen from the Sazerac Company. It makes for Effen's third home in the last four months making me wonder just whats going on. In March, Constellation Brands sold Effen to Sazerac, who, this month have turned it around to Beam. The acquisition makes sense for Beam, having lost their right to distribute Absolut earlier this year, but Effen's case volume and brand recognition are nowhere near the levels of Absolut. Still, its an opportunity for Beam to build a super premium vodka brand, but I wonder why Sazerac would dump an acquisition so quickly.

We live in interesting times right now, even in the liquor industry. Everyone is feeling the pinch of these challenging economic times and perhaps that forced the sale of Effen again. What trends do you see happening with liquor companies right now? Will we see more consolidation of brands, less new brands coming to market or perhaps the death of one of the most recognizable brands in the world? Only time will tell. 

Last week, Bacardi flew their Brand Master, Willie Ramos, up from Puerto Rico to spend some time with the bartenders in Oregon. They had arranged a lovely four course dinner at Oba, a Nuevo Latino restaurant in the heart of the Pearl district.

The opening reception featured cocktails containing Bacardi's newest offering, Bacardi Dragonberry. A mix of strawberry and dragonfruit flavors, Bacardi Dragonberry is fast becoming the hottest rum in Portland nightclubs right now. As I rarely partake of flavored alcohol of any sort, so I stuck to a simple combination of Bacardi Dragonberry, club soda and a lime, which made for a nice aperitif before the meal. The crowd was a Who's Who of both the Portland craft and nightclub bartending scenes and it was nice to make some new contacts in a part of the bartending world that I rarely see.

Once we were seated, the classic Bacardi cocktail came out, accompanied by Tuna Tartare with yucca chips and avocado. The pairing of the cocktail and the tuna was a classic, and everyone started to relax and enjoy themselves.

The second course featured Bacardi's Superior Mojito paired with a Tropical Fruit Salad with Kataifi Wrapped Prawns. This was perhaps my favorite pairing of the meal. I love mojitos on a warm Portland evening and the fruit was a perfect complement to the cocktail.

By this time, my table mates were beginning to get to know each other. I was sitting with people from Candy, Hubers, Urban Farmer, Davis Street Tavern and Carlyle and we were all becoming fast friends, trading bartending stories, listening to tales about Huber's famous Spanish coffees and deciding where to go for post dinner libations.

Next, Coca Cola Braised Baby Back Ribs arrived on the table and everyone's mouth began to water. This was paired with a Bacardi Gold Cuba Libre made with Mexican Coke, which contains real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. Simply three ingredients, rum, coke, and lime, this was perhaps the simplest but also one of the tastiest cocktails of the evening.

Finally, after so much food, the servers arrived bearing Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. Bacardi 8 Presidente Cocktails were offered up, but I chose a small amount of Bacardi 8 rum neat, as its rich, caramel notes were the perfect foil for the sweetness of the pineapple.

At this time, Willie Ramos began to work the room, regaling people with tales of the history of Bacardi, insight into the rum and its production and recommendations as to which style of Bacardi was, in his opinion, right for which cocktail. After talking to Willie for some time, my new bartender friends and I headed off to Vault Martini Bar for a quick nightcap before saying goodbye.

Next Tuesday, Peter Gugni, Bombay Sapphire Gin's West Coast Ambassador, will be flying into Portland to judge a competition involving a number of Portland bartenders and their Bombay Sapphire creations. First prize is a photo and info about you in GQ magazine, which is a pretty cool opportunity to raise your profile nationally as well as to publicize your bar or restaurant. The rules stated that we had to put our cocktail on our drink menu, meaning that something featuring pretty esoteric ingredients isn't likely to do well. I kept my entry pretty simple. opting for Bombay Sapphire gin, Aperol, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and tonic water. The result is the 50 Plates Cooler.

The 50 Plates Cooler
1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 oz Aperol
3 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
top with tonic water
lime wedge for garnish

Add first 3 ingredients to a chimney glass, add ice, stir briefly to incorporate, top with tonic, and garnish

Well, Beaker & Flask has been a long time coming. Yesterday, Kevin Ludwig, the owner, and in my opinion the best bartender in Portland, decided that we open the doors on the 25th. I'm excited to be a part of the team there, its a literal all star team of Portland talent, from the chef, Ben Bettinger to the bar staff, which includes Tim Davey, Doug Paquin and Elizabeth Markham. I'm just lucky to be a part of it. Right now, I've got to get working on the opening cocktail menu. I've had a lot of ideas, but nothing concrete yet and now its time to get going. We're pricing well drinks at $5 during happy hour (the well being brands that we drink and enjoy, no crap stuff. El Jimador tequila, Rittenhouse rye, Old Grandad bourbon, Flor De Cana rum, etc). Well, its time to get going on the list, I've got to run.

On Monday, I have my third tv taping. This time, I'm appearing on a local cooking show to demonstrate the ease of preparing mojitos. I've been asked to do this segment by a liquor company, and I appreciate the opportunity to work in television again. My first two appearances went well (both for local newsmagazine type shows), and I'm eager to gain more experience on television. The downside is that I have a torn rotator cuff in my shoulder, so after a busy weekend of muddling, oftentimes I can hardly lift my arm by Monday and, of course, the taping is Monday. My other concern is that I'm able to perfect making mojitos the way that this liquor brand specifies, rather than using my own techniques. Its important for me to be able to do this perfectly so that their product gets used properly by the people watching. To be honest, I'm slightly nervous, as the ice, glassware, muddlers, etc are all being provided by the liquor company and I'll have no chance to practice prior to the taping. Lets hope all goes well and I don't drop a garnish or knock a glass over with my nerves. For those of you who have done television tapings, what advice can you give me? What do you think is the biggest challenge? What is easiest? Is it just me or does it seem like ice melts incredibly quickly under studio lights? 

 Recently, I had the opportunity to dine with an award winning industrial designer who creates bottles for the liquor industry. In fact, he has created what in my opinion are two of the more iconic bottles on most back bars, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and Bulleit Bourbon. St. Germain's bottle almost looks like a tall, slender, medieval cudgel and is easily the bottle curious customers point to first and ask "What is that?". Bulleit on the other hand, was designed to evoke a sense of place. The designer and the distillers agreed that they wanted to see the bourbon inside, but other considerations were taken into account to make it as authentic as possible. The bottle was created to resemble a flask, something that could have been put into a saddlebag for a long journey, and the wraparound label created to go off center on the back, giving the appearance of hand labelling. This got me thinking about a number of the different bottles behind my bar. I particularly like the design of the Domaine De Canton bottle, it another eyecatcher. Makers Mark is a bit of a pain to deal with because it was designed not to fit well in a rail and instead go on the back bar. Johnny Walker's bottle shape is reputed to be designed so that the maximum number of bottles could be packed on each railcar. Do you as a bartender give much thought to bottle design? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 Last week, I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful dinner at Ten01 one of the best restaurants (and cocktail bars) in the city. The reason for the dinner was to sample Bulleit Bourbon and hear about the brand from both Tom Bulleit and Hollis Bulleit. Even better, my friend Kelley Swenson who runs Ten01's bar and Tim Davey, who will be joining me behind the bar at Beaker & Flask created cocktails to match with the 4 course menu. 

Our first order of business was to taste the Bulleit bourbon either neat or on the rocks. While most of the time I do like a cube in my bourbon if I'm sipping it, with Bulleit I like to drink it neat because I enjoy that nice spiciness inherent in the whiskey. Next up was a variant on the French 75 but featuring Bulleit. It made a perfect complement to my steak tartare although I may have finished my cocktail far too fast as I was left finishing half of my plate without a cocktail in hand (my fault, not the restaurants). We moved into a couple of variations on the Manhattan to pair with our main entrees, and finished up with a delightful combination of Navan and Bulleit to pair with our dessert, a flourless chocolate cake with sage ice cream and caramel sauce.

Throughout the meal, Tom Bulleit regaled us with stories about the history of Bulleit bourbon, explained the differences between Bulleit and other bourbons, and generally spoke about bourbon history in general. Overall, I learned a lot about one of my favorite bourbons and had a wonderful time meeting the people behind the brand.

Well, last night was pretty much a bust at the restaurant. In Portland, when the weather is even remotely nice on Memorial Day Weekend, everyone heads out of town and goes to either the coast or to the mountain for a nice three day weekend. With that said, tonight will probably be even slower, so again I'll be off early and to bed on time.

Sunday and Monday though, I'll be throwing a couple of barbecues. On Sunday, I'll be mixing up one of my favorite bbq drinks, a Stone Fence. Simply good bourbon, good n/a apple cider and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters served on the rocks, its simple yet surprisingly complex. It pairs perfectly with a warm spring afternoon and grilled meats. On Monday, I'm throwing some brats on the grill, and while most will probably be reaching for a cold beer, I'll make sure that there is a pitcher of sangria handy for those who might want some. If I'm feeling particularly adventurous, I might even make a few Mint Juleps for the crowd as well.

What drinks do you like to make for your summer and springtime parties? For me, spring and summer are the perfect time to enjoy bourbon. Sitting on my back porch, sipping a Mint Julep with my dog at my feet, listening to the birds in my trees is a pretty relaxing way to spend an evening. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend.

 While I was in Seattle this week, I tasted some new bitters made by someone called "Scrappy". I was quite honestly very impressed with the four flavors that I tasted. His grapefruit and orange bitters were exactly what I've been looking for in fruit bitters (that said, I'm still going to be keeping my Angostura Orange bitters behind the bar, I love Angostura Orange more than any bitters on the market). Even more exciting though, were his chocolate and lavender bitters. The chocolate had a deep, rich cocoa flavor, and the lavender featured a strong perfume of lavender followed by a subtle but delicious lavender flavor. You can check Scrappy's Bitters out here. You'll be glad that you did.

This week I went with my good friend Jacob Grier to Seattle to check out some of the cocktails there. Our first stop was Rob Roy  a cool bar in the Belltown neighborhood. With an updated throwback look, dark lighting, black leatherette banquettes, a Hi Fi on the shelf, it reeks of cool, and yet the bartender, Anu Apte was as nice and welcoming as could be imagined. I started out with a Dark and Stormy with housemade ginger syrup, which was perfect. Next, Anu mixed me a Saffron Sour, and finished the drink with a bit of grated sandalwood. I have to say, I was pretty blown away by the sandalwood, it was extremely aromatic and added an interesting flavor note to the drink.

Next up we hit the legendary Vessel. Formerly home to Jamie Boudreau, Jamie is at Tini Bigs now, Vessel was manned by Jim Romdall and Rocky Yeh the night we arrived. Rocky led us through a tasting of some rare rums, all delicious and some very hard to find in this part of the country. By the time we'd made it through the rum tasting, the night had gotten late and it was time to pack it in and head back to Portland. I need to get back up to Seattle soon, I want to check out Liberty and Barrio next time I am up there.

 Jacob then went on to describe why New Zealand is the perfect place for distilling vodka. Humans have only been on the New Zealand landmass for about 800 years, making it one of the most prisitine places in the world. Add a lot of rainfall to ensure the cleanest, freshest water possible, and the world's benchmark for clean air and you have the perfect place for distilling vodka. 

I have to say, I enjoyed 42 Below. I'm still not going to be drinking much vodka, but its an enjoyable product and has a great price point.

Next, Jacob led us into a tasting of Corzo tequila blanco. Now, I'll say upfront that I really like tequila. I'm usually a Cazadores reposado man, and I find many of the blancos to be too harsh for my palate, but the Corzo blanco was exceptionally smooth.

Tequila is grown in 5 states in Mexico, and Jacob pointed out that there are really two styles of tequila; tequila from the lowlands and tequila from the highlands. Lowland tequila tends to have a smokier, fuller body which you may have experienced if you've had any Herradura tequila. Highland tequilas include Corzo, Don Julio and Tezon, and are characterized by a cleaner, sharper flavor. The Corzo blanco was peppery, without being overwhelming. I got some cherry wood on the end and it was rather light and elegant. Beautiful tequila.

After Jacob led us through the tasting, he let the crowd experiment with making some of their own drinks. He encouraged people to play with the flavors in both the tequila and the vodka and offered tastes of Corzo blanco infused with watermelon and cucumber, something I'm going to have to remember.

I had a great time visiting with Jacob and the rest of the people at the luncheon. I wish all brand ambassadors were this good. Not only did I learn about the brands, but I also got to learn quite a lot about the history and creation of both tequila and vodka.