THE LOCALS
BAR MANAGER PROFILE
Miri KolicI Upstairs At The Kimberly Hotel
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Photo courtesy Upstairs at The Kimberly ike so many in the fine beverages world, Miri Kolici had to travel and work at many different bars in multiple countries before landing his current job in the States. Kolici is currently the bar manager at Upstairs at the Kimberly Hotel in New York City. He’s been bartending for almost a decade and landed in the Big Apple after leaving the United Kingdom where he held bartending jobs in Manchester and London. He got his start working at an English establishment that will seem very familiar to Americans. “I got my start at the bar at Megabowl bowling alley in London,” says Kolici. “We mainly served mixed drinks and beers since it was a college town.” Upstairs is the bright, window-filled restaurant and cocktail lounge located thirty stories above the streets of Manhattan in the Kimberly Hotel. It is as well known for its view as for its food and drinks. “The highest rooftop bar in Manhattan with 360 degree views of the city including the iconic Chrysler building. The bar has a retractable roof making it a year-round hotspot with a wide range of wines, liquors and creative cocktails.” Executive Chef David Andrews has worked at some of the finest restaurants in New York and is known for his small plates. Some of his creations include Kobe burger sliders, braised short ribs and parmesan polenta and spiced duck cigars. The bar area, managed by Kolici features an expansive cocktails list that was created by mixologist Alex Ott. The use of over sixty different liquors
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guarantees that guests will never be stuck trying the same cocktail twice. Their most famous drink is “The Chrysler.” This champagne cocktail also contains honey, Hennessey black cognac, lemon and lime. If champagne isn’t your thing, the “Rum Service” is touted on their menu as the “manliest drink alive.” This rum based cocktail also contains honey, pear and lime. Kolici believes that a great bartender can’t be timid when it comes to innovating new drinks. “Don’t be afraid to be creative and daring when trying to create new cocktails. Gain knowledge on the ingredients and liquors you want to use and test them out to see how well they pair with each other.” A talented bartender is confident in his or her creation. “Some people are going to love what you create and others won’t due to varying palettes but if your flavors go together and are mixed well you will usually have a hit.” Kolici, like many in the bartending field, has favorite ingredients to work with. “Freshly squeezed lime and orange wedges add flavor to refreshing cocktails. I also use ginger powder to give some of them an extra kick.”
The Chrysler
He also stresses that a great bartender needs to strive to make customers happy by providing amazing service as well as delicious cocktails. “Over the years, I’ve found that customers will happily pay premium prices for authentic cocktails and positive interaction with the bartender.”