ISSUE 30
WINTER 2019
ISSN 2052 0603
REACT, RESOLVE, REFINE
THE PERFECTION ISSUE The Cocktail Lovers - 1
IN-xxxxx
WE DIDN’T INVENT TEQUILA Tequila has been around for centuries, but we took the time to get it right, crafting a small-batch spirit that’s worth sipping slowly. It requires Mexico’s finest 100% Weber Blue Agave, hand-selected and distilled in custom copper stills for a smooth finish every time. We didn’t invent tequila,
The perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly. Handcrafted and imported exclusively from Mexico by The Patrón Spirits Company, Las Vegas, NV. 40% abv.
WE JUST PERFECTED IT.
2 - The Cocktail Lovers
IN-tro
ARE YOU, LIKE MARY POPPINS,
P R A C T I C A L LY P E R F E C T
I N E V E R Y W AY ?
NOPE? DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT
– NO ONE IS.
So why choose Perfection as the theme for this issue? Simple. Because most of us beat ourselves up trying to be what we perceive as perfect, particularly at this time of year, and while there’s nothing wrong with having goals, true perfection is unattainable. Mind you, there are some people who come pretty darned close. Like Dave Arnold and Don Lee, the two bright minds who’ve created all kinds of wizardry during their respective careers, and at Existing Conditions, the bar they’ve opened together in New York (p.12). Alex Kratena and Monica Berg are another duo who strive for perfection in their work. We have the exclusive on their brand new range of super sexy premium liqueurs and find out how they’ve designed the perfect bar station (p. 24). We couldn’t talk about perfection without speaking to Leo Robitschek, Bar Director at Make It Nice. He might not say it but the pursuit to provide the perfect environment and service is at the core of everything he does (p. 30). As for the rest of the issue, Jane Ryan checks out whether there is such a thing as a perfect ratio for making cocktails (p. 38); Yael Weisberg talks to the experts about the perfect temperatures to serve your favourite drinks (p.48); Miles Watson finds the perfect whisky bar (p. 52), and Danil Nevsky goes globetrotting in search of the perfect new bars to perch in (p. 60). Enjoy the read. Please imbibe responsibly
Ms S & Mr G thecocktaillovers.com
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The Cocktail Lovers - 3
IN-gredients
7. IN-the know
30. IN-the spotlight
Getting personal, conducting a bar top orchestra and swapping out citrus – just a few of the things we're looking forward to in the next few months
Leo Robitschek, Bar Director at the NoMad and Eleven Madison Park talks about the ethos of parent company, Make it Nice
25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season
Making things nice
36. IN-dulge Just add ice‌
Drinks bottled for perfection
12. IN-the hotseat Dave Arnold and Don Lee
In pursuit of drinks perfection with the boffins of booze
16. IN-spire The details that count
Four bartenders who refused to settle for second best and designed their perfect bar kit instead
38. IN-the spotlight
Ratios: the key to cocktail perfection?
Are ratios the key to cocktail perfection? Jane Ryan gets the measure
42. IN-the mix Ace the base
Get the base spirit right and nail your cocktail repertoire
48. IN-focus
Drinks degrees of separation
24. IN-spire
Perfection in three acts: with Alex Kratena and Monica Berg
Making the liqueur category sexy, refining the bar station and putting the subject of perfectionism under the microscope, the duo have the 'P' word licked
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Yael Weisberg checks out the best temperatures to serve your favourite drinks
IN-gredients
52. IN-focus
Editors: Sandrae Lawrence Gary Sharpen Sub-editor: Sally Briggs
Winning ways with whisky
Creative Director: James Cheverton at Burnt Studio burntstudio.com
Black Rock may well be the perfect whisky bar, for whisky lovers and newbies alike, finds Miles Watson
54. IN-formed Mains & Martinis
Restaurants where the cocktails are as good as the food
56. IN-formed Word up
News, views, reviews and interviews from the cocktail front
Photographer Adam Goodison adamgoodisonphotography.com Contributors: Stuart Bale, Isaac Dann Tim Etherington-Judge Vicky Lees, Danil Nevsky Yael Weisberg, Miles Watson On the cover: The iceman cometh: Stuart Bale gets to grips with perfecting ice. Bartenders can check out Crucible, Stuart's co-working space which allows people to play around with equipment that can only usually be found in big budget bars. It also functions as a full creative agency with a melting pot of talent. Find out more at: crucible-london.co.uk Photographed by Adam Goodison Ice kindly supplied by cooliceman.co.uk
60. IN-ternational What's hot right now
Danil Nevsky rounds up his pick of the latest bar openings around the world
For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: mail@thecocktaillovers.com T: 020 7242 2546 thecocktaillovers.com Printed by Stephens & George Distributed by Gold Key Media
The Cocktail Lovers are proud winners of Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication, Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2016 and The London Evening Standard Progress 1000 – London’s Most Influential People 2015 and 2017
Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers Magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited. The Cocktail Lovers Issue No. 30 Winter 2019 The Cocktail Lovers magazine is published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. in London, UK PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY The Cocktail Lovers - 5
Contributors
Yael Weisberg
Tim Etherington-Judge
Born in New York and based in Amsterdam, Yael Weisberg is a senior brand strategist with a deep and abiding passion for potables, as well as a persistent curiosity about the world and its inhabitants. She works with brands of all sizes to produce fresh insights, generate content and cultivate extraordinary experiences. She's also a writer.
Tim is the founder of Healthy Hospo, the first organisation dedicated to building a healthier, happier hospitality industry around the world. Which is why we've asked him to join us as our regular columnist. In each issue he'll be investigating our themes, starting here with Perfectionism (p. 57)
In this issue Yael gets the lowdown from the experts on the perfect temperatures to serve your favourite drinks (p. 48)
Tim is also running 42 marathons in 42 days to raise money and awareness for mental health. Dig deep and donate at: healthyhospo.com/424242run
Vicky Lees
Danil Nevsky
A self-confessed creative problem solver, Vicky is a Londonbased set designer, art director and prop stylist working her magic for a variety of clients including Siemens, Apple, Amazon, Virgin Atlantic Retail Therapy and Highlife Shop. Her work has appeared in an array of top quality publications including Wallpaper*, The Telegraph, GQ, Esquire, Wired, ES Magazine and The Guardian.
Danil is co-owner of the world's largest bartending social media network Cocktails For You, followed by close to a million people worldwide. In between travelling around the globe covering bar shows and cocktail competitions, he's also a bartender and consultant.
Vicky's talent can be seen in our Ace the Base feature (p.50).
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For this issue Danil puts those air miles to good use and rounds up the latest bar openings – taking in recently opened hotspots everywhere from Shanghai to St. Petersburg (p. 60).
25
IN-the know
REASONS TO BE A COCKTAIL LOVER THIS SEASON Keeping our pearlies white, doing a Marie Kondo and putting our heroes to work, just a few things we're looking forward to in the upcoming months
N1
Bowing at the altar of Dior See this dress? It was created in 1955 but would still knock spots off any cocktail outfit today. It’s just one of many damned perfect (in our opinion) styles on show at Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, coming to the V&A on 2 February. We’ll be toasting it with something suitably elegant – like an ice-cold Martini served in a Nick and Nora glass, natch. Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams is on at the Victoria & Albert Museum from 2 February until 14 July 2019. vam.ac.uk
christian dior (1905-57), Écarlate, afternoon dress, haute couture, autumn/winter 1955, y line. photo © laziz hamini. victoria and albert museum, london
o
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IN-the know
2
THREE
Keeping our pearlies white
Becoming a label lover
Love red wine but don’t like the tell-tale signs it leaves on your teeth? Neither do we. That’s why we’re packing this. wineblock.com
Why restrict flavour to inside the bottle, when you can take it outside as well? Have a munch on the label of Vilkmerges Ziemos Elis Ale and get a hint of the taste within. vilkmergesalus.it
four
05
Making mead
Sipping comfortably
Just what you need when you’re chillin’ with your favourite dram of Macallan: an exclusive pair of limited-
Yes, mead! Try your hand at making your own version of this delicious honey-based drink in the two-hour workshops at gosnells.co.uk
edition velvet slippers. These bad boys by Rob McAllan are stitched in gold, with look-at-me accented heels. Say whaaat? robmcallan.com
07
N6 o
Spending a penny
Or 709,383 pennies to be exact. This isn’t any old coin, it’s a genuine gold coin embedded with a teeny, tiny droplet of Old Vatted Glenlivet 1862, thought to be the oldest whisky in the world. Definitely one for high rollers. lux-coins.com
Whisky wizardry no 2: What better way to make use of reclaimed barrels than transforming them into a show-stopping bar cart? This one by Mats Christeen for The Balvenie is a work of art. toddsynder.com
NINE
8. Collecting a gold star
Putting our heroes to work
…as in the chic Hennessy XO x Opening Ceremony East Meets West Travel Bag. Not advisable for carrying your Hennessy XO on board, of course, but pretty fly for anything else. openingceremony.com
David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Prince – just a few of the icons on hand to help dry up your barware. Stars for bars no less. redcandy.co.uk
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IN-the know
10
Tasting coffee in HD Think your coffee tastes good now? Try it in a Kruve cup. Like an audio equaliser, it’s designed to amplify and soften flavour notes for perfectly balanced brews every time. kruveinc.com
12
Doing a Marie Kondo
ELEVEN
…or if you’re a cappuccino lover, make like a barista and give good sprinkleage. Just don’t let anyone know you’re using a stencil. Aerolatte Cappuccino Artist Stencil. menkind.co.uk
14
and chucking out anything that doesn’t fill us with joy. Making more room for gorgeous goodies like the wine stoppers, corkscrews and cocktail picks at fsobjects.com
13. Cleaning up
We don’t condone drinking in the shower, but if you do, this little gizmo is just the ticket. urbanoutfitters.com
Losing the guilt No need to remember to wash your water bottle, the Larq does the job for you. Cleverly self-cleaning every two hours and neutralising up to 99.9999% of odours, this is one nifty piece of kit for 2019. livelarq.com
FIFTEEN Getting personal
SIXTEEN
Everyone likes seeing their name in print. Even better when it’s on a supercool reversible apron. Order yours from msbartrends.com
Perfecting our G&Ts Great gin? Tick. Cool tonic? Got it. Fancy glass? Of course! Lemon cut just so? Er, not quite. Get yourself a Savernake G&T customisable knife and you’ll be right on point. savernakeknives.co.uk
N 17 o
Turning things round Why drink your wine upside down? Because these glasses mean you can, that’s why. monsterzeug.de
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IN-the know
EIGHTEEN
Conducting a bar top orchestra
19
Who’s in for playing musical wine glasses? Not big, not clever but heaps of fun. firebox.com
TWENTY ONE
20
Rounding off the night
With a cocktail and naughty treat from the Nightcap Menu at The Westbury. Served from 9pm every evening. westburymayfair.com/polo-bar
22
Spreading the rum love Spiced rum marmalade anyone? Join the (breakfast) queue! firebox.com
Letting the bake off be-gin Fancy a GT&C? Who wouldn’t? It’s gin and tonic with CAKE! Get your bake on with the mouthwatering recipes featuring Fentimans Tonic at fentimans.com/bakery
Swapping out citrus
23
Lemons and limes are soooo last year. Grab yourself a bottle of Supasawa and let the five citrus acids add some zip to your glass instead. Bonus sustainability points for its one-year shelf life. supasawa.co
Sucking up
TWENTY FOUR Seeing art in the glass Martin Jakobsen describes his new glass Pygo as ‘hidden imperfection in perfection’. Far be it for us to disagree. jakobsendesign.com
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Laugh in the face of the no-alcohol imposters, we’re going for REAL wine gums. Available in Riesling, Chardonnay and Merlot flavours. thefoundry.com
25
JOINING THE CLUB
Just when you thought Louis XIII Cognac couldn’t get more luxe, they go and integrate NFC technology into the decanter to give clients exclusive perks. louisxiii-cognac.com
IN THE HOTSEAT
DAVE ARNOLD AND DON LEE Individually Dave Arnold and Don Lee are revered for their scientific approach to creating outstanding drinks. Together at Existing Conditions, New York, the bar they co-own with Greg Boehm of Cocktail Kingdom, the boffins of booze are dynamite. We caught up with them to talk about perfection
12 - The Cocktail Lovers
photograph eric medsker
IN-the hotseat
IN-the hotseat
What’s the ethos behind Existing Conditions? DA: Our ethos can really be broken down into two things – we focus on the guest experience and our own practice. We want our guests to have their best experience and feel happy, comfortable and welcome. We’re not trying to shock and awe people, for us everything happens behind the scenes. We want our drinks to be understandable from a flavour perspective. As for our practice, we’re trying to be our best selves – using innovation that helps us become better at what we do – and provide experiences that people can only have at our bar. We use techniques and technology in a way that’s delicious without being pretentious. We also value employees who have creative input and encourage them to be creative. DL: Our long-term success is based on the people that come out of our establishments. Dave and I are both selfmotivated, life-long learners and we like surrounding ourselves with people who are curious about the world and try to staff our restaurant in that way. Curious people attract other curious people – we want to create an environment where curious people have the resources to explore their creativity and the opportunity to educate themselves and others. Dave, in a previous interview with us, you said that you’re never satisfied with anything you do and consequently, you’re not satisfied with what others do either. That sure sounds like a perfectionist to us! Do you define yourself as such? DA: In your definition, yes, I would consider myself a perfectionist. But I don’t believe I’ll ever reach a place of perfection as I’m constantly trying to do better and striving to do more. There’s no such thing as a perfect anything – we should always be trying to place a goal, and once we get there trying to get to additional goals.
DA: It can be both – I prefer to work with someone who has integrity and with integrity they’re always trying to do better. It depends on what you mean by good or bad. From your extensive research and incredible knowledge, what’s the: Perfect temperature for serving a Martini? DA: The colder the better, but if you’re a Martini drinker/ enthusiast and want to taste the vermouth then you want it to be no colder than -5°C. Anywhere from -5°C to 0°C. Angle for shaking a cocktail? DA: There’s no perfect angle for shaking a cocktail. It may be true that a longer throw is better for texture, but the majority of what happens in a shaker is down to the ice you’re using, whether you’re vigorous enough and how you strain. Vessel for stirring a cocktail? DA: There’s no perfect vessel but it would come down to how it looks, how it sounds at the bar, how easy it is to clean and whether or not it affects the drink. DL: The best vessel is like the best cocktail, the one that’s in your hand.
Curious people attract other curious people – we want to create an environment where curious people have the resources to explore their creativity
Another one for you Dave, your award-winning book is called Liquid Intelligence: The Art & Science of the Perfect Cocktail, yet in it you say that perfection is the goal but mercifully unattainable. Why the title? Honestly, my editor chose the title and as a result I believe it helped sell more books! Do you regard the quest for perfection – in yourself, or in others – as a good or bad trait?
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