cheers
WINDSOR’S #63 Bring on the bourbon BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ PHOTO BY DEBBY WOLVOS
F
or some, it’s all about that bass. But when it comes to Windsor’s #63 cocktail ($10.50), it’s all about that bourbon. “From day one, our drink program has centered on paying homage to classic cocktails of the Prohibition era and shining a light on the spirits as the stars of each cocktail above all else,” explains Brent Karlicek, beverage director of Upward Projects, the parent company of Windsor. “The #63 is our version of the Brown Derby, made famous in the 1930s.” The Brown Derby is itself a play on a De Rigueur, which made its debut in the 1920s and featured whiskey, grapefruit and honey. “Los Angeles hotspot Vendome Club started playing with the recipe, eventually swapping out the whiskey for bourbon.” Like Vendome, Windsor uses bourbon, opting for Buffalo Trace’s McAfee’s Benchmark for its sturdy palate and oaky, even finish. “It stands up to the ripeness of the freshly squeezed pink grapefruit and sweet silkiness of the local honey,” Karlicek says. Both elements are added to the bourbon in a mixing glass with ice and shaken. The cocktail is strained into a coupe glass and finished with a squeeze of the grapefruit peel on top. The result is sweet, spicy and smooth going down. 5223 N. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602.279.1111; www.windsoraz.com.
JUNE 2017 |
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| UPTOWN