THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE APRIL 2017
THE NIGHTOWL
85
SIP » UNLEASH » MIX » MINGLE » PULSE » SHAKE
MAD MIXOLOGIST
Getting down and dirty with the Valley’s hottest shot slingers it down. I did get the bartender position; it should be noted, but months after this “drink request.”
What is your No. 1 pet peeve when working? When you are bartending, it is your job to make sure everyone at your bar is comfortable, safe and having fun. And every so often, there is “that guy.” Be he too eager to jump into another group’s conversation, or he be a little too eager to chat up the pretty female enjoying a cocktail. It’s my job to protect the group/female from said fellow while also protecting the fellow himself, from his ego, his feelings, his own experience. It’s a very delicate job, and one that drives me crazy when I have to do it all night while still focusing on making great drinks.
Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!
H
ead bartender Conor Cook joined awardwinning chef Matt Carter—of The Mission, House Brasserie and Zinc Bistro fame—last year as Carter took on his newest venture called Fat Ox with partners Brian Raab and Mark Drinkwater. The venue, housed in the historic former space of The Quilted Bear in Scottsdale, is focused on giving guests a modern take on Italian cuisine—from all regions of Italy, not just those using marinara sauce. Its approach to cocktails is the same. Cook was drawn to the concept as his focus in crafting cocktails is to pay homage to tradition while experimenting with flavors and textures. His road to Fat Ox has been an interesting one, starting on more the hospitality side of the business at the JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson and JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix before taking on a bar position at RnR in Scottsdale and then traveling back to his native Seattle to work. When love brought him back to the Valley in 2016, the matching with Fat Ox was kismet. Today, he works hand in hand with the culinary team to develop drinks that pair well with the menu. The entire second self of his bar is stocked
with Amaro, aperitifs, digestifs and other Italian and European-based spirits new to many guests. Starting this month, Cook and Fat Ox have something new up their sleeves – a barrel-aged cocktail program using spirits they’ve aged in house. The new menu—which will join the more than dozen regular and specialty cocktails available daily—includes a traditional barrel-aged cocktail (think Manhattan) that will change regularly; a barrel-aged negroni; and a revolving “experimental” barrel-aged cocktail, which will also change regularly. We sat down with Cook to learn a little bit more about his work behind the bar and some of his favorite things to drink in his free time.
Tell me about the oddest drink request you’ve gotten. Ever eat a scorpion? Neither have I –but I drank one! Back when I was a bar back, I had a manager try to entice me into eating a scorpion by saying it would go a long way in showing my dedication to the job and get me closer to a formal bartender position. Eager to get behind the bar I earnest, I chopped off the scorpion’s tale and paired it with a nice Mezcal, drinking my scorpion cocktail down in seconds. And while it was certainly gross, the Mezcal gave the little bugger (literally) a nice smoky flavor that helped me choke
What is your go-to drink when you’re at a bar other than your own? Growing up, my dad was a gin guy. And while the handful of times I snuck a little of his gin as a kid and hated it, by my early 20s I fell in love with its herbaceous flavor and versatility. If you think about it, gin is kind of the “original” flavored vodka, albeit not a sweet flavor, but certainly a rich, earthy one. It is not uncommon to see me enjoying gin on the rocks with lime or in a gin martini, which I like slightly dry with a big lemon twist. Brand-wise, I have always loved London Dry, but also recommend Leopold’s American Small Batch Gin, which is harder to find. Most gins are made by simultaneously distilling juniper and other botanicals within the same still. Leopold’s distills each botanical: juniper, coriander, pummelos, orris root, Valencia oranges and more, separately to bring out only the purest flavors and aromas to be blended together for a softer and brighter spirit.
What does ordering a gin and tonic say about a person? Given the above—it says they are brilliant bartenders and know a great spirit when they taste one! Or, it says they are my dad. Or, perhaps more broadly, it often means the guest has his or her mind on something other than just a cocktail list— perhaps his/her date or the amazing menu.
What is one cocktail you would love for us to feature in the magazine this month? With 15 specialty cocktails—not to mention the barrel program cocktails coming onboard—this is a toughie. But The Navigation is something really special.
What do you like about this drink? The Navigation is neither a stereotypical “men’s” or “women’s” drink the way some others are often pigeonholed. I also like that it starts with a good base spirit in Ketel One vodka—no well base here—and uses a unique ingredient custom-made at Fat Ox, our housemade chamomile syrup. The preparation of it also makes the drink really special. We rinse the glass with Chartreuse before pouring in the Ketel One, chamomile and fresh lemon juice, leaving just a touch of the sweet-yet-spicy spirit in the glass to mix with the other flavors.
THE NAVIGATION
Yield: Makes 1 cocktail
2 oz. Ketel One vodka 1 oz. chamomile tea syrup 3/4 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice One egg white Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, rinse a chilled coupe glass with green chartreuse. Strain into the large coupe and garnish with a large lemon peel. WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM