Ted Kilgore, one of 10 St. Louis bartenders who told us about their favorite cocktails of the year in last week's Go! magazine, is a finalist in a national sherry competition that could win him a trip to Spain.
And the neat thing about the Vinos de Jerez Cocktail Competition is that it requires that all submitted drinks be on a current bar or restaurant menu. Which means: You can get Kilgore's El Maestro right now at Taste (1831 Sidney Street in Benton Park; moving soon to 4584 Laclede Avenue in the Central West End).
He suggests pairing an El Maestro with Taste's octopus salad. As he wrote on his competition application:
"The octopus salad is comprised of chilled slow-roasted octopus, warm shallots, mushrooms, anchovies, pickled leeks and radish sprouts, all served with toasted housemade bread on the side. When you drink El Maestro with this salad, you get a cornucopia of flavors and textures, as if you were on a trip to the Spanish seaside."
If the judges agree, Kilgore may find himself on a trip to the Spanish seaside. The competition's winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Jerez, Spain, the birthplace of sherry.
Below is a recipe for El Maestro, which you can make at home, provided you stock artichoke liqueur and celery bitters in your wet bar. Kilgore also demonstrated how to make one for the Riverfront Times in this September video (he says he's since removed Aperol from the recipe and "No. 1" from the cocktail's name).
El Maestro
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz El Maestro Sierra Oloroso 15 Años Sherry
1/2 oz Hayman's Old Tom Gin
1/2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz Cynar
2 dashes Bitter Truth Original Celery Bitters
3 slices English cucumber
Instructions
1. Reserve one cucumber slice, and combine all other ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 30-45 seconds.
2. Strain drink into a chilled highball glass with ice (preferably one large cube).
3. Rub the reserved cucumber slice along the rim of the glass, then lay it on top of the drink as garnish.
Recipe adapted from Ted Kilgore, Taste
