Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1051430
f a l l 2 0 1 8 | 2 7 During this "remix" of a traditional cocktail competition, four former Top Chef contes- tants from the show's 15th season prepared a passed appetizer before collaborating with Duke Spirits Regional Sales Manager Miguel Rodriguez to conceptualize a cocktail meant to pair—in a somewhat unconventional twist—with one of their opponents' dishes. Attendees, meanwhile, had the opportunity to closely interact with these Top Chef favorites while tasting their creations. Held at a private residence in Newport Beach, the event offered an uninhibited view of the coastline through floor-to-ceiling windows. As guests mingled and drank Old Fashioneds with Duke Bourbon, the guest chefs assembled their dishes. Tyler Anderson, who owns Millwright's Restaurant and Tavern in Connecticut, served up waygu sliders; Cali- fornia-based Joe Sasto prepared puffed pasta "nachos" with burrata cheese sauce, cecchi beans, and pickled grapes; Chris Scott, chef/ owner of Butterfunk Kitchen in New York, composed an oyster dish smoked in a glass vessel with brioche and whisky malt vinegar; and Joe Flamm, winner of Top Chef season 15 and Executive Chef of Spiaggia in Chicago, made stuffed peppers with soppressata and bread crumbs. The competing chefs had access to four Duke spirits for the cocktail competition: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the not- yet-released Extra Añejo Tequila, Grand Cru Founder's Reserve 9-Year-Old Bourbon, and Double Barrel Founder's Reserve Rye. Duke's charismatic CEO and co-founder Chris Radom- ski served as the event's emcee, while the judg- ing panel comprised reputable neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duma; renowned chef Hubert Keller, an active annual participant in Newport Beach Wine and Food; Duke Spirits co-founder Ethan Wayne, son of late actor John Wayne; and motivational speaker Tom Ferry. For his cocktail, Anderson crafted a libation featuring Duke Bourbon, bay-leaf syrup, lemon juice, and aquafaba, which is typically used as a vegan alternative to egg white in cocktails; the mixture was then smoked under glass to mimic the approach used for Scott's oyster dish. Sasto added a kick to a Margarita with the Duke Ex- tra Añejo Tequila, grilled limes, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and a dash of hot sauce to match the heat of Flamm's stuffed peppers, serving the drink in a chili salt–rimmed glass. Scott, meanwhile, riffed on a classic Peni- cillin by combining Double Barrel Founder's Reserve Rye, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup into a Scotch-sprayed glass to accom- pany Sasto's nachos. And last but certainly not least, Flamm crafted a Boulevardier with Duke Bourbon, Carpano Antica, and Campari that naturally complemented the meatiness of Anderson's sliders. With Scott emerging as the winner, the success of the event seems likely to establish a new tradition for future iterations of Newport Beach Wine and Food. Winner Chris Scott created a Penicillin cocktail with Duke Spirits Double Barrel Founder's Reserve Rye, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup in a Scotch-sprayed glass. Joe Sasto prepared puffed pasta "nachos" with burrata cheese sauce, cecchi beans, and pickled grapes. Joe Flamm, winner of season 15 of Top Chef, made stuffed peppers with soppressata and bread crumbs. ■cr