MSA_Pure_Spirits_2019_Q2 - 30

IMPERIAL

kevin
VAN DUREN
DISTRICT SALES MANAGER,
GRAND RAPIDS

alexandria
FULBRIGHT
SPIRITS SPECIALIST
It's clear that Alexandria Fulbright enjoys her job. "I get
to spend my days going in and out of different bars and
stores interacting with some of the best people this state
has to offer, while tasting some of the best spirits made
in Michigan," she exclaims.
Given the industry's craft distillery trend, Alexandria
is in the right job at the right time. "More people are
open to trying craft liquors," she says, "and they want
more information about what they're consuming: where
is it made, what kind of ingredients do they use, is it their
own production or was it sourced from a big house?"
Alexandria's favorite brand is Adictivo Tequila. "I was
lucky enough to spend a week in Jalisco, Mexico, with the
Partida family when Imperial launched the brand," she
says. "It was an incredible experience filled with education and all the tequila you could drink. They took us out
to the fields, showed us the ovens, and we even got to
see how the bottles are produced. Adictivo has a special
place in my heart, and it doesn't hurt that it's absolutely
delicious!"
In fact, she's excited about the growth of tequila
overall. "More and more quality tequilas are becoming
available to us," Alexandria says, "and it seems like
people are finally getting a real taste of what the spirit
should taste like instead of the harsh shot they associate
the name with."
Her favorite spirit overall is whiskey, which blends
right in with her favorite cocktail - along with the recipe,
so you can make it yourself or assign it to your favorite
bartender:
Midnight Manhattan
2 ounces American Fifth Bourbon Whiskey [Lansing]
½ ounce Long Road Nocino green walnut liqueur [Grand Rapids]
Chocolate bitters
Orange peel
Add bourbon, liqueur and bitters to an Old
Fashioned glass with a big rock ice cube.
Stir and garnish with the orange peel.

30 PURE SPIRITS

Kevin Van Duren clearly enjoys the
beverage industry-he's been in it for
15 years, working a variety of jobs,
from bartending to sales.
"What I enjoy most about the
industry is educating people about
craft spirits, wine and beer," Kevin
says. "I'm seeing more and more
people wanting to be educated on
the product in the glass and willing
to search out truly fine spirits."
He recognizes that some liquors
(especially from larger companies)
achieve domination through major
advertising dollars rather than
through the quality of the product.
However, he's seeing consumers
begin to break away from such spirits
and choose carefully crafted local
products. "It feels great when you
can turn someone ... to drinking a
small-production, handmade expression of terroir."
Within the industry, Kevin says,
"The trend I'm most excited about
is the low-ABV cocktail. I love seeing
people mixing Long Road Cherry liqueur with sparkling water and lime.

It's simple, delicious and won't knock
out your party two cocktails in."
As far as his personal preference, Kevin says, "I spent a lot of
years working in a very competitive cocktail environment, making
hundreds of drinks a night, so when
I'm at home now sipping a libation,
I tend to lean to nice aged rum or
Blanco tequila neat. I love to enjoy
the complexity of the spirit itself."
One rum he especially enjoys sipping
is Samaroli Caribbean Soul Blended
Rum [Italy]. "It's a fun mix of Cuba
and Scotland," he explains.
And if you'd like to mix up a rich,
earthy cocktail, Kevin recommends:

The Third Ward Flip
1 ounce carrot-walnut-cinnamonpineapple simple syrup
1½ ounces Neisson Blanc Rhum
[Martinique]
¾ ounce Mr. Tom's dark rum [Fort
Myers, Florida]
1 ounce cream
1 egg
Build in a shaker with ice and shake
like a boss. Strain over crushed ice and
garnish with pineapple leaves.

MSA_Pure_Spirits_2019_Q2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MSA_Pure_Spirits_2019_Q2