Legent Bourbon, the new collaboration between whiskey legends Fred Noe, from Jim Beam’s seventh-generation Master Distiller and Shinji Fukuyo, from the founding house of Japanese whisky and Suntory’s fifth-ever Chief Blender, made its LA debut last week at the Sparkle & Slay Holiday Soirée Hosted by Paul Zahn at Ella inside the Sixty Hotel Beverly Hills. 

Drinks were designed by Zach Patterson of Melrose Umbrella Co., with a menu  combining Italian and Asian dishes from Ella’s Chef Brian Min that included unagi beignets with pickled ginger, kombu cured hamachi, charred lamb ribs and Thai tea budino with salted caramel for dessert.

Guests on hand sampling the unconventional cocktails included Danielle Nottingham, host of NBC’s California Live; Mia Mastroianni of Paramount TV’s Bar Rescue; and I Heart Media Latina Life Podcast hosts Milena Monrroy and Jen Aguillon Weissler.  

To help ring in the new year, Legend brand ambassador and L.A. Weekly contributor Zahn shared recipes to his specialty cocktails that include fringe flavors like olive oil and sauteed shiitake mushroom infused bourbon:

Matchacilin

¼ tsp matcha

3/4 oz. honey/galanga syrup

¾ oz of lemon juice

1 oz. Legent Bourbon

1.5 oz. aged umeshu

1 egg white

1 dash yuzu bitters

 

Bourbon Cocktails

Matchacilin (Patrick Rivera)

 

Legentary Smash

2 oz. Legent Bourbon

0.75 Jasmine tea syrup

8-10 mint leaves

1 yuzu wedge

3 lemon wedges

 

Shiitake Sky

1/5 oz. Olive oil & sauteed shiitake mushroom infused Legent Bourbon

0/5 oz.sherry

0.75  oz. lillet blanc

0/25 oz.BSCS

 

Bourbon Cocktail

Shiitake Sky (Patrick Rivera)