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Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/808089
www.cheersonline.com 21 March/April 2017 • www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com 21 March/April 2017 • www.cheersonline.com March/April 2017 • www.cheersonline.com 21 March/April 2017 • reposados, anejos and extra anejos. Other fl ights may showcase three expressions from a single distillery. Flights are served in snifters, set on wooden paddleboards, hand- crafted by Matador founder Zak Melang. At Citrico, Shikari serves a fl ight of three mezcals in clay copitas accompanied by orange or grapefruit slices and Himalayan salt. Often guests who try fl ights will then order a glass of their favorite. The mezcal fl ight is also a popular after-dinner option. COCKTAIL CONNECTION Mixed drinks—from the hugely popular Margarita to classics such as the Paloma—are the best vehicle to interest guests in new expressions of agave spirits. Bartenders often add a small proportion of mezcal to a tequila cocktail to provide just a touch of smokiness. "People are willing to try agave versions of the more popular traditional drinks," says Ellerbrook. For instance, a bartender might substitute a smoky mezcal for bourbon in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. One of the Livery's most interesting cocktails, he notes is the Soledad Fire. Priced at $11, it muddles jalapenos with Del Maguey Vida mezcal, pineapple juice, ginger juice, lime and coconut, served in a mesquite-salt rimmed glass. At Capitol Bar, Hopper eases his customers into mezcal with cocktails such as the Mezaloma, which is a Paloma with the addition of ½-oz. of mezcal. To sweeten the exploration, the drink includes Chef Ryan Hembree's habanero honey. "It's a totally different version of the classic with just a touch of smoke," he says. Hopper's spicy signature Margarita muddles Serrano chiles and cilantro for a colorful green and red tequila cocktail with a New Mexico red chile salt rim. "Nothing beats the sales of Margaritas," says Shikari at Citrico. One version uses barril mezcal, which is gaining popularity. The short Tragos list ($11 to $12) includes the Tlaxcalita Bella, made with tequila, cranberry juice, lime and fresh mint; and the Guavazcal, mixing guava and lime juices with pechuga de maguey mezcal topped with ginger beer. "We sell a huge amount of Margaritas," says Livesay. Matador's core menu offers seven Margaritas, priced $8 to $10.50. All are made with 100% blue agave tequila and fresh juices. There's also a Paloma made with mezcal. "We are working on mezcal cocktails, but a lot of people are still unsure about it," Livesay says. "We keep our mezcal cocktails very simple and focused to show respect for the spirit and the amazing mezcaleros who create it," says Rubel. Cocktails at Estereo are $12; one example now is a drink made with Vida mezcal, Cruz de Fuego Mezcal Espadín, agua de Jamaica, lime juice and house-made piña bitters. Those ingredients are force-carbonated and served on draft. SPICING UP THE CLASSICS Playing upon the Raven & Rose historic setting in the Ladd Carriage House, the drinks lists speak to nerdy West Coast cocktail history, says Shenaut, "because of course you would have had barrel-aged 'Mexican Brandy' in your fancy cocktail in Portland in 1883." Among the half dozen tequila cocktails featured are Caroline's Fancy ($14), made with San Matias Single Barrel tequila, dry Curaçao, demerara, cardamom bitters and orange peel; and Cloud Cap ($12), a mix of Fortaleza reposado tequila, Nardini amaro, Clear Creek cherry brandy, a whole farm egg and grated nutmeg. Mezcal variations include the Full Bloody Irish ($12), made with a local pepper vodka, Vida mezcal, Bloody Mary mix, fresh horseradish and pickles with an Irish stout fl oat. For Valentine's Day, Citrico offered a "water with chocolate" drink spiked with tequila; the mezcal version was a salted chocolate drink. The restaurant celebrated its third anniversary in March with a chef 's tasting menu paired with mezcals. Cavan focuses on variations of classic cocktails, with a proper Paloma that is made with Cimarrom Blanco tequila, Squirt soda, lime juice and salt ($9). Also on the menu are the All Points Up, made with house-infused, Fresno-pepper tequila, French apricot liqueur and lime juice; and the Wilde #9, made with Peloton de Muerte mezcal, Aperol, Punt e Mes and cocoa tea bitters. The latter is a Negroni-style cocktail, notes Estell. The bar director is on the lookout to add sotol, bacanora and raicilla to Cavan's backbar. "We will continue to build our agave collection," says Estell, "especially at the artisanal end of the range." Thomas Henry Strenk is Brooklyn-based writer specializing in all things drinkable. "We keep our mezcal cocktails very simple and focused to show respect for the spirit and the amazing Mezcaleros who create it." — Michael Rubel, general manager of Estero in Chicago "Nothing beats the sales of Margaritas." — Noor Shikari, co-owner of Citrico in Brooklyn, NY