Spirits Competition
By TOM FIRTH - COMPETITION DIRECTOR Given the range of styles, prices, and products entered in the spirits category of the 2013 Alberta Beverage Awards, it was a category that I watched closely to see which products would be the favourite of the judges. We worked the palates of our spirits judges hard during the competition, switching flights between white and brown spirits, liqueurs, and everything in between. Asking a panel to score samples and determine the best Añejo tequila, and then to switch gears later to a flight of spiced rum is a difficult task. Our spirits judges were drawn from some of the finest drinking establishments in the city and two retail shops with some of the best whiskies in the world on their shelves. We had Christopher Cho from CHARCUT, Franz Swinton from Añejo, and Nathan Head of Milk Tiger Lounge, while on the retail side we had two of the top whisky experts in the city, Andrew Ferguson of Kensington Wine Market and David Michiels of Willow Park Wines and Spirits, who rounded out the diverse panel. We know you’ll enjoy the results of their hard work and expertise!
Plum Wine & Sake BEST IN CLASS Artisan Sake Maker, Osake Junmai Nama Genshu Sake, BC, Canada, $43
About the only thing Plum Wine and Sake have in common is their Japanese roots. Plum wine is mainly produced in Japan and Korea, and to a lesser extent in China. In Japan fruit wines made from non-grape fruits are called Ume. Plum wines, or ume can vary greatly in sweetness. Sake is the term we in the west associate with Japanese rice wine, though it is actually a generic Japanese term for liquor. In Japan, rice wine is called nihonshu. Sake or nihonshu is made from rice in a process more similar to brewing than wine making. Sakes range in style from dry to savoury to very sweet. Some are served at different temperatures to different effect. Many of the sakes available in North America today are actually brewed here. (AF)
JUDGES SELECTION Seol Joong Mae Plum Wine, South Korea, $12
Artisan Sake Maker, Osake Junmai Nama, $35
JUDGE: ANDREW FERGUSON Andrew has been at Kensington Wine Market since 2003 as the In-House Single Malt Scotch expert and comanager, and has been organizing and guiding premium whisky tours in Scotland (fergusonswhiskytours.com) since 2008. Andrew has been a contributor for Culinaire Magazine since the beginning. 58