CRAFTED COCKTAILS A CULINARY APROACH TO CLASSIC MIXOLOGY

WITH JASON KOSMAS

•  2001  -­‐  Pravda  was  awarded  Best  Mar)ni  Bar  by  Time  Out  New  York  under  his  management  and  restructuring  of  the  bar.      

•  2004  -­‐  named  Rising  Star  Bar  Chef  by  Star  Chefs.    •  2005  -­‐  Employees  Only  received  Best  Classic  Cocktail  Bar  by  New  York  

Magazine  within  their  first  year  of  opening.      •  2007  -­‐  readers  of  City  Search  voted  EO  the  Best  Cocktail  Bar  in  New  York  

City.    •  2009  -­‐  Employees  Only  was  voted  Best  Bar  in  New  York  by  readers  of  New  

York  Magazine.    •  2009  -­‐  named  in  the  5  Best  Bartenders  in  New  York  by  Forbes  Magazine.      •  2010  -­‐  Neighborhood  Services  Tavern  where  he  was  awarded  Best  

Bartender  in  Dallas  by  D  Magazine.  •  2010  -­‐  Kosmas  and  Zaric  released  SPEAKEASY:  Classic  Cocktails  

Reimagined  From  New  York’s  Employees  Only  which  was  nominated  for  Best  Cocktail  Book  at  Tales  of  the  Cocktail  in  2011.      

•  2011  -­‐  Employees  Only  took  home  the  greatest  honors  for  Best  Drinks  Selec)on  and  Best  Cocktail  Bar  in  the  World  at  the  Tales  of  the  Cocktail.    

•  2012  -­‐  Marquee  Grill  was  listed  as  one  of  the  top  bars  in  the  South  by  Food  &  Wine  Magazine.  

WHO AM I?

WHAT IS A CRAFTED COCKTAIL?

•  Made by hand with exceptional and often, crafted ingredients.

•  Honors the spirit and is an expression of its ingredients.

•  The definition of “hand made” involves the expertise involved.

WHAT IS A CRAFTED COCKTAIL?

CRAFTED INGREDIENTS

CRAFTED INGREDIENTS

CRAFTSMAN VS. ARTIST

What is a recipe?

What is a recipe?

BECOMING A MASTER

•   The  experBse  is  something  to  be  learned  from  others  and  honed  by  ones’  self.    

•   When  you  embrace  the  knowledge  that  others  have  to  give,  you  become  the  last  link  in  a  long  lineage  of  bartenders.  

•   You  also  realize  that  you  will  need  to  pass  this  knowledge  on  too,  one  day.  You  are  only  a  master  when  you  have  students.  

BECOMING A MASTER

Rock

Rock Rock

The Mixologist

The Sage The Rock Star

Confidence

The working bartender

HISTORY OF MIXED DRINKS

The Archaic Age (1783-­‐1830)  

PUNCHES  &  BLENDS  

PRIMORDIAL  COCKTAILS  

RECIPES  CREATED  WITHOUT  USE  OF  

TOOLS  OR  TECHNIQUE  

REGIONAL  RECIPES  

The Baroque Age  (1830-­‐1885)  

·∙  First  part  of  the  Golden  Age.                                ·∙  FoundaBons  of  mixology  are  laid.  ·∙  Specified  tools  are  established.                      ·∙  Recipes  are  cataloged  into  categories.    ·∙  Commercially  available  ice  appears.    ·∙  Technique  is  established.          

The Classic Age (1885-­‐1920)  

·∙  Second  part  of  the  Golden  Age.    ·∙  Cocktails  with  juices  egg  whites  and  syrups  become  popular.    ·∙  The  shake  becomes  the  signature  technique  in  drink  making.    ·∙  Many  classic  cocktails  are  established  during  this  era.        

The Dark Age  (Prohibi`on  1920-­‐1933)  

•  In  the  US,  cocktails  go  underground  or  out  of  the  country.    

•  Drinks  in  the  US  suffer  from  lack  of  quality.  

•  New  drinks  involve  hiding  bad  hooch.  

The Deco Age  (1920-­‐1939)  

·∙  New  cocktails  come  out  of  Caribbean  and  Europe.    ·∙  In  post-­‐ProhibiBon  US  cocktails  made  popular  are  standardized.    Term  “American  Bar”  globalizes  cocktails.  

The Industrialized Food Age  (1945-­‐1965)  

•   Factory  Farming.  

• Fresh  is  replaced  with  processed.  

• Tiki  redirects  cocktail  direcBon.    

• Bartenders  use  solely  liqueurs  and  mixes  

The Second Dark Age  (1965-­‐1991)  

•  Counterculture  moves  away  from  alcohol.  

•  Drinking  is  dictated  by  billboards.  

•  MarkeBng  agencies  become  the  “mixologists”.  

•  Highballs  rule  and  cocktails  become  shots.    

The Renaissance  (1991-­‐2009)  

•  Premium  and  craX  spirits  appear.  

•  Classic  tools  re-­‐emerge.  

•  MarBni  craze  creates  ingredient  driven  movement.  

•  Proper  cocktail  driven  bars  emerge.  

The Platinum Age  (Present)  

FLAVOR PHILOSOPHY •  MAKING  A  3D  COCKTAIL  •  TASTING  NOTES  •  CLASSIC  SET  UPS  •  COCKTAIL  COMPONENTS  

–  SPIRIT  SELECTION  –  SWEETENERS  –  CONCENTRATED  EVIL  –  CITRUS  –  BITTERS  – GARNISH  

Building blocks of a cocktail

Finding balance

Making cocktails with YOUR SENSES

SMELL

TASTE

HEARING

SIGHT

TOUCH

GUT

Nose your ingredients. Taste ingredients before mixing. Taste cocktail. Listen to your shake. Watch you pours, colors Feel the spirit pouring out from bottle to glass. Feel how cold the glass is Listen to Your Inner-bartender

Making cocktails with YOUR SENSES

INTIUITION Listen to Your Inner-bartender

Sweet vs. sour

Sweet & sour vs. strong

Sweet, sour, strong + 3D?

TASTING NOTES RETHINKING  HOW  WE  “SEE”  COCKTAILS

A new vocabulary

Dominant Flavor •  The  obvious  flavor  in  the  cocktail.    •  The  driving  force.    •  Can  be  created  by  any  component  in  a  cocktail    

Body or mouthfeel •  The  texture  of  the  cocktail-­‐the  mouthfeel.  •  Created  by  temperature,  air,  sugars,  alcohol.  •  Sweeteners  increase  viscosity.  •  Higher  alcohol  makes  full  bodied.  

dryness •  From  wine  lexicon.  Antonym  of  “sweet”.  •  RelaBonship  between  sweet  and  sour.  •  Sugar  and  sweeteners  decrease  dryness.  •  Citrus  increases  dryness  •  Tannins  increase  dryness.  

complexity •  Richness  of  a  cocktail  •  BiZers  add  to  complexity.  •  Gin  adds  to  complexity  •  Herbal  and  spiced  ingredients  add  to  complexity.  

Contrasting and complimenting flavors

•  3rd  dimension  of  a  cocktail.  •  OXen  fills  a  void  in  body  or  complexity.  •  Berries  and  gin  •  Whiskey  and  stone  fruits  •  Lemon  with  “old  world”;  lime  with  tropical  

finish •  Short,  dry,  lingering,  long,  crisp.  •  Citrus-­‐crisp/short  •  Tannins-­‐dry  •  Spices-­‐lingering  •  High  alcohol-­‐long    

CLASSIC SET UPS OLD  FASHIONED/SAZERAC  [great  way  to  showcase  dark  spirits]  

•  Swap  out  base  spirit  •  Swap  out  sweetener  •  Swap  out  bigers  •  Swap  out  garnish  •  Swap  out  rinse  

CLASSIC SET UPS

CLASSIC SET UPS NEGRONI/BIJOUX/WIDOW’S  KISS  [spirited  3  ingredient  cocktails]  

•  Need  a  good  base    •  Need  a  spirit  with  complexity  •  Need  a  spirit  with  acidity  and  body  •  Bigers  op`onal  

CLASSIC SET UPS PISCO  SOUR  [great  way  to  showcase  light  aroma`c  spirits]  

•  Lime  adds  great  bigerness  and  sour  

•  Egg  white  creates  a  plalorm    •  Swap  out  the  base  spirit:  

 cachaça,  mezcal,  tequila,    aroma`c  rum,  white  dog    

•  Swap  out  sweetener  •  Swap  out  spice  •  Swap  out  bigers  

CLASSIC SET UPS DAISY/MARGARITA  [essen`ally  a  sour  sweetened  with  liqueur]  Examples:  MARGARITA,  SIDECAR,  WHITE  LADY,  COSMOPOLITAN  

 

CLASSIC SET UPS FIZZES,  SILVER/RAMOS  [great  way  to  combine  delicate  spirits]  •  Gin  is  obvious  first  choice  •  Swap  out  cream  for  another  body  enhancer  

•  Trade  out  hydrosols:  other,  oleo  •  Add  a  liqueur  •  Change  sweetener  

CLASSIC SET UPS COLLINS/MULES/CUPS  [good  showcase  for  aroma`c  ingredients]  •  Can  be  any  base  spirit  •  Can  use  any  soda/carbona`on  combo  •  Lemon  or  lime  work  well  •  Herbs,  spiced  syrups  and  cucumbers  work  •  Can  swap  out  liqueurs  for  syrups  •  Vermouths  work  well  with  sweeteners  

CLASSIC SET UPS SOURS  [to  make  rich  full  flavored  cocktails  with  a  deep  dark  spirit]  •  Whiskey,  brandy,  aged  rum  &  

tequila  •  Sub  the  sweetener  •  Add  a  fruit  •  Use  wine  •  Float  or  sink  a  liqueur  or  cordial  •  Use  egg  white  

SMASHES/JULEPS/MOJITOS/CAIPIRINHAS  [mint  is  not  the  only  item  you  can  smash]  •  Ginger,  mint  and  other  herbs.    •  Choice  of  sugars  •  Fruits  can  be  combined  •  Citrus  muddled  adds  bigerness  (oil)  •  Any  spirit  can  be  showcased  

 

CLASSIC SET UPS

COCK

TAIL

COM

PON

ENTS

•  LOOK  FOR  SPIRITS  THAT  CONTRIBUTE  TO  THE  FINAL  COCKTAIL.    

•  ALL  SPIRITS  SHOULD  BE  RELEVENT.  •  ALL  SPIRITS  SHOULD  BE  OF  

SUFFICIENT  QUALITY.  •  LOOK  FOR  LIQUEURS  THAT  ARE  

MADE  WITH  NATURAL  INGREDIENTS.  

•  FIND  SPIRITS  THAT  HAVE  INTEGRITY.  

 

Spirit selection

•  STUFF  TO  CUT:  HONEY,  AGAVE,  MOLASSES,  MAPLE  SYRUP,  SORGUM.  

•  REDUCED:  FRUIT  SYRUPS,  WINES,  JUICES  •  STUFF  TO  BE  LIQUIFIED:  GRANULATED  

SUGARS.  •  OLEO  SACRUMS:  LIME,  LEMON,  ORANGE,  

GRAPEFRUIT.  •  LIQUEURS:  SECS,  FRUIT,  HERBAL,  FLORAL.  •  CORDIALS:  LIME,  GRENADINE,  ORGEAT,  

FALERNUM  •  RECONSTITUTED:  JAMS,  PRESERVES  DRIED  

FRUITS  •  PUREED:  FRUITS  

 

SWEETENERS

•  WATER  IS  ADDED  IN  THE  EXECUTION  OF  A  COCKTAIL.  

•  COCKTAILS  SHOULD  UTILIZE  THEIR  FULL  FLAVOR  POTENTIAL.  

•  EVERY  INGREDIENT  PREPPED  IS  AN  OPPORTUNITY  TO  ADD  FLAVOR.  

•  ANY  TIME  YOU  CUT  WITH  WATER,  YOU  ADD  FLAVOR.  

•  LIQUEURS,  BITTERS  AND  CORDIALS  ARE  PURE  EVIL  WHEN  USED  RIGHT.  

 

Concentrated evil

 

 

bitters

•  Bitters and tinctures are

concentrated flavors in a bottle.

•  Expand when mixed with. •  Can be used for garnish. •  Add color. •  Add complexity to a

drink.

•  Is  the  finishing  touch  of  a  cocktail.  

•  Should  be  relevant  to  the  cocktail.  

•  Can  impart  finishing  flavors,  aromas  as  in  citrus  oils.  

•  Garnishes  help  people  visually  iden`fy  with  the  cocktail.    

•  The  more  pleasing  the  look,  the  beger  the  impression.  

•  Adds  color  contrasts  and  creates  interest.  

 

garnish

Use of lemon or lime in a cocktail

QUANTITY:

1 OZ

¾ OZ

½ OZ

¼ OZ

Citrus is used to balance, add depth and flavor cocktails. Here are the outcomes Lemon/lime forward cocktail For body For balance For Freshness

Lemon for old world fruits and spirits Lime for new world fruits and spirits

SELECTING:

DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF FRUITS IN COCKTAILS

Aromatic Spirits, gin, eau de vie, pisco, Deep spirits, aged spirits Lighter spirits, aromatics, lighter aged brandies Spirits distilled from plants

BERRIES

STONE FRUITS

POMME FRUITS

TROPICAL FRUITS

HOW TO SET UP A CRAFTED COCKTIAL BAR

BARTENDER AS THE CRAFTSMAN

STANDARDIZED RECIPES

PROPER TRAINING

MIS EN PLACE

EXECTUITON

BOH RELATIONSHIP

HANDLING INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

EDUCATION

ACCESSIBILITY

It is important to take the ego out of the bartender. It is important to instill pride amongst the bar staff. Bar as a whole agrees on all recipes together. Some bars use jiggers. Free-pouring needs to be precise. Tools and technique are taught. “Everything in place” Proper set up of the bar is critical. Unified set up of stations is important and necessary. As much as possible should be “stationed” to provide speed and consistency. Providing proper staffing, back up or support staff is critical. Most bartenders are not aware of the delicate balance between kitchen and bar. Most bars have the kitchen order ingredients, and store them in the walkin. Respect must be accknowleged. Properly cutting garnishes to balance speed and freshness A properly stocked bar will ensure a well-oiled machine. The most effective way to create cocktail culture. Servers, bartenders and even guests must be educated as to what they are drinking and why. If the cocktail does not speak to a person’s lifestyle, it is lost on them. Be appropriate with menus and selections for guest. The drink is for them, NOT you.

Preparation vs. execution FOLLOWING THE KITCHEN MODEL

•  PREP IS DONE BEFORE SERVICE •  AT THE OPENING OF THE DOORS ALL INGREDIENTS

MUST BE READY FOR SEVICE •  ALL STATIONS ARE PREPARED FOR SPEEDY SERVICE •  GARNISHES ARE PREPPED TO POINT OF SPEEDY

EXECUTION

OLD  FASHIONED    

2  OZ  KNOB  CREEK  RYE  WHISKEY  ½  OZ  SIMPLE  SYRUP  1  RAW  SUGAR  CUBE  3  DASHES  ANGOSTURA  BITTERS  LEMON  TWIST,  FOR  GARNISH      MUDDLE  SUGAR,  BITTERS  AND  SIMPLE  SYRUP  IN  THE  BOTTOM  OF  A  MIXING  GLASS.  ADD  ICE  AND  STIR  UNTIL  CHILLED  PROPERLY.    STRAIN  INTO  A  ROCKS  GLASS  OVER  FRESH  ICE.  GARNISH  WITH  LEMON  TWIST.  

NEW  YORK  SOUR    

2  OZ  KNOB  CREEK  RYE  WHISKEY  ¾  OZ  LEMON  JUICE  ¾  OZ  SIMPLE  SYRUP  1  EGG  WHITE  ¾  OZ  DRY  RED  WINE  ORANGE  AND  CHERRY  FLAG,  FOR  GARNISH      POUR  WHISKEY,  LEMON  JUICE,  SIMPLE  SYRUP  AND  EGG  WHITE  INTO  A  COCKTAIL  SHAKER.  ADD  ICE  AND  SHAKE  VIGOROUSLY.  STRAIN  INTO  A  ROCKS  GLASS  OVER  FRESH  ICE.  GARNISH  WITH  ORANGE  CHERRY  FLAG  AND  FLOAT  RED  WINE.  

 YELLOW  JACKET    

1  ½  OZ  PARTIDA  REPOSADO  ¾  OZ  ST  GERMAIN  ½  OZ  YELLOW  CHARTREUSE  1  DASH  REGAN’S  ORANGE  BITTERS    LEMON  TWIST,  FOR  GARNISH      COMBINE  ALL  INGREDIENTS  INTO  A  MIXING  GLASS.    ADD  ICE  AND  STIR  UNTIL  CHILLED  PROPERLY.    STRAIN  INTO  A  CHILLED  COCKTAIL  GLASS.  GARNISH  WITH  LEMON  TWIST.  

Cocktail RECIPES PART 1

MANHATTAN  COCKTAIL    

2  OZ  CINZANO  SWEET  VERMOUTH  1  ½  KNOB  CREEK  RYE  WHISKEY  ½  OZ  GRAND  MARNIER  3  DASHES  ANGOSTURA  BITTERS  LEMON  TWIST,  FOR  GARNISH      COMBINE  ALL  INGREDIENTS  INTO  A  MIXING  GLASS.    ADD  ICE  AND  STIR  UNTIL  CHILLED  PROPERLY.    STRAIN  INTO  A  CHILLED  COCKTAIL  GLASS.  GARNISH  WITH  LEMON  TWIST.  

FRAISE  SAUVAGE    

1  STRAWBERRY,  FOR  MUDDLING  1  ½  OZ  PLYMOUTH  GIN  ½  OZ  LEMON  JUICE  ½  OZ  SIMPLE  SYRUP  1  OZ  PROSECCO  1  HALF-­‐STRAWBERRY  FOR  GARNISH      MUDDLE  STRAWBERRY  IN  A  COCKTAIL  SHAKER.  ADD  GIN,  LEMON  JUICE  AND  SIMPLE  SYRUP.  ADD  ICE  AND  SHAKE  VIGOUROUSLY.  DOUBLE  STRAIN  INTO  A  CHILLED  COCKTAIL  GLASS.  TOP  OFF  WITH  PROSECCO.  GARNISH  WITH  STRAWBERRY  HALF.  

PISCO  SOUR    

1  EGG  WHITE  2  OZ  BARSOL  PISCO  ¾  OZ  LIME  JUICE  ¾  OZ  SIMPLE  SYRUP  FRESH  NUTMEG,  GRATED  FOR  GARNISH  DASHES  OF  ANGOSTURA  BITTERS,  FOR  GARNISH      COMBINE  EGG  WHITE,  PISCO,  LIME  JUICE,  SIMPLE  SYRUP  IN  A  COCKTAIL  SHAKER.  ADD  ICE  AND  SHAKE  VIGOROUSLY.  STRAIN  INTO  A  CHILLED  COCKTAIL  GLASS.  GARNISH  WITH  NUTMEG  AND  BITTERS.  

Cocktail RECIPES PART 2

Q&A