THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2016
THE NIGHTOWL
83
SIP » UNLEASH » MIX » MINGLE » PULSE » SHAKE
MAD MIXOLOGIST
Getting down and dirty with the Valley’s hottest shot slingers
CHOSEN COCKTAIL
2 Ounces 100% de Agave Tequila 1/2 Ounce Lime, Fresh Squeezed 1/2 Ounce Passionfruit Puree 3/4 Ounce Pomegranate Juice 1/2 Ounce Blood Orange Juice 1/2 Ounce Agave Nectar
Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!
D
ubbed “Spirits Guru” by Food & Wine Magazine, Adam Seger takes a true chef ’s approach to his creative libations, mindfully combining fresh ingredients and handcrafted elixirs in novel ways at Tanzy in Scottsdale. Seger’s mixing style has put him on an international stage, being the first American to present cocktails to The Russian Cocktail Club in Moscow as well as giving the first Mixology Master Class to The International Association of Culinary Professionals. Seger is a Certified Culinary Professional, a Wine & Spirits Judge for The Beverage Testing Institute and a Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Sommelier.
Tell me about the oddest drink request you’ve gotten: A guest asked me once for a “dirty cosmo,” which doesn’t exist. They are actually two totally different types
of martinis. A dirty martini mixes in the actual olive brine flavor to the martini, while a cosmo is more or less a cranberry martini, usually with some lime and Triple Sec. Can you imagine cranberry and olive brine together? Actually—don’t. I did end up saving her though with something fun—a little something I called a Mojitonico. Rather than rum, I used gin as in a martini and mixed with tonic, basil, fresh thyme, cracked pepper and cucumber.
What is your go-to drink when you’re at a bar other than your own?
What is your No. 1 pet peeve when working?
You like what you like. Jack has a great heritage as does Coke. I would, however, try to upgrade them with that real sugar Mexican Coke and then add a dash of Angostura and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice. Baby steps to them seeing the light!
Guests who walk over to the cocktail garnish station and just start snacking away without asking. Yes, it really happens! Really, I always think? Did they even wash their hands today, I think? Always happy to hook a guest up with a cherry or two if they ask, but funny enough if they just order their drink first, they usually find my cocktails have plenty of fruits and/or veggies, so no need to forage the bar for added garnishes!
I am always on the hunt for new cocktail innovations, or even simple twists on classics with fresh ingredients in them, especially local ingredients. But, when nothing inspires me on the cocktail menu, I go for a Porter or glass of Champagne.
What does ordering a Jack and Coke say about a person?
What is one cocktail that you would love for us to feature in the magazine this month? El Corazon: Tanzy’s signature passion fruit, pomegranate, blood orange margarita with kosher salt and Tellicherry peppercorn rim.
Build in a pint glass and shake vigorously with fresh ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass with a kosher salt and Tellicherry Peppercorn Rim. (Dampen the rim with a lime wedge, then set upside down in a bowl with equal parts Kosher salt and freshly ground Tellicherry.)
What do you like about this drink? Passion fruit and pomegranate each individually taste great in margaritas, as does blood orange. I normally do not like cocktails with a bunch of different juices as they end up tasting like Hawaiian Punch. But with El Corazon, the cocktail is musical harmony. Pomegranate is the “base guitar,” passion fruit the “tenor” and blood orange the “surround sound.” The salt and Tellicherry peppercorn rim balances out the bold fruit and makes this cocktail work perfectly with our menu. And for those who don’t know, Tellicherry is the Beluga caviar of black pepper, which I learned about while working for Thomas Keller. WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM