unprecedented surge, with new versions
and European classics more widely avail-
able now. Long-time bitter booster Fran-
cesco Lafranconi, executive director of
mixology and spirits education, South-
ern Wine and Spirits of Nevada, says
even hotel and chain accounts are open
to taking on classic twists or craft-like
drinks with bitters involved.
Giving classics a fresh twist is easier
now that most bars hew to the drink-
making tenet that commercial mixes
and frozen juices are to be avoided at all
costs. It almost goes without saying that
cocktail bars will continue to opt for fresh
ingredients whenever possible, and the
wave has washed over a number of chain
restaurants as well.
“
For a chain with 205 restaurants, it’s
actually quite aggressive to have all our
mixes fresh now,” says Mary Melton of
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro. “We decided
a couple of years ago to elevate what we
offer at our bars to match our food. The
trick is consistency, but we worked it out
so our ingredients—our sweet and sour,
for instance—are simple and fresh.”
While the inconsistent quality of
the citrus supply nationwide and wor-
ries about execution are enough to de-
ter many chains from in-house mixes,
Melton notes that overall freshness won
out in the end at P.F. Chang’s, if only to
match current customer expectations.
old drinks get new life
The notion of signature house cocktails
is hardly limited to solo establishments.
Paying homage to the lore of the Bloody
Mary being invented—as the Red Snap-
per—at the original St. Regis in New
York in 1934, every unit in the chain is
charged with creating its own signature
version of the cocktail. For instance, the
St. Regis Deer Valley’s “7452” Bloody
Mary is named for the altitude of the re-
sort (7,452 feet high) and is distinguished
by black lava sea salt (a nod to the ski
town’s mountainous geography) and a
head of wasabi-celery espuma (symboliz-
ing abundant snow).
Beverage Director Kevin Hines did not
invent the 7452, but he is charged with en-
suring its consistency; part of that involves
having the wasabi cream base prepared
fresh daily by the kitchen staff, after which
it is dispensed at the bar via a whipped
cream charger. Since the St. Regis Deer
Valley opened in 2010, more than 10,000
7452
Bloody Marys have been sold.
Ice-ing on the Cocktail Cake
Ice has been a matter of conjecture and
controversy, but according to Martin
Cate of San Francisco’s Smuggler’s Cove,
the large, clear ice block or ball is here to
stay, especially as a way to enhance the
profile of the evolved classic cocktail. “I
don’t think they’re good for shaking or
stirring drinks, but they create a great
visual impact when you serve them, and
guests respond well to them,” he says.
Of course, as a rum and Tiki maven,
Cate keeps his eye on the growth of tropi-
cal drinks, and sees the concept of multi-
ple rum drinks made with fresh juices and
mixes built on classic models like the Mai
Tai and Painkiller. “Many non-Tiki bars
have Tiki drink sections on their menus,
and these drinks are once again sitting
alongside categories like flips, punches, ju-
leps, etc…it’s great news in the continuing
war to eradicate what happened to tropical
drinks in the ’70s and ’80s,” he says.
In the past few years, many bars
couldn’t resist the siren call of bottling
or barrel-aging their own cocktails—now,
carbonating cocktails and draft service
systems have caught the attention of a
number of bartenders. But those tech-
niques haven’t been road-tested enough
for anyone to know whether they are a
passing fancy with limited appeal, like fat
washing, or indeed the next big thing.
As for the dogged search for the new
classic cocktail, though King Cocktail
himself, Dale DeGroff, says the idea
of a new classic is oxymoronic, he’s not
opposed to tweaking oldies and cocktail
geeks at the same time. For the launch of
his new eponymous bitters, he offers the
Manhattan Redux—made with Absolut
Vodka, Cynar, Dale DeGroff Pimento
Bitters and grapefruit zest. Sounds like it
could be…a classic.
■
St. Regis Deer Valley’s Beverage Director Kevin Hines
“
Many non-Tiki bars
have Tiki drink sections
on their menus, and these
drinks are once again
sitting alongside categories
like flips, punches, juleps,
etc…it’s great news in the
continuing war to eradicate
what happened to
tropical drinks in the
’70
s and ’80s.”
—
Martin Cate
[
New
Classic
cocktail
]
Martin Cate of San Francisco’s Smuggler’s Cove