THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016
THE NIGHTOWL
103
SIP » UNLEASH » MIX » MINGLE » PULSE » SHAKE
MAD MIXOLOGIST
Getting down and dirty with the Valley’s hottest shot slingers Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!
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amed after the iconic Camelback Mountain, The Camby Hotel is all about “refined revelry.” Thanks in part to lead mixologist Libby Longlott, the hotel’s lounge The Bees Knees is abuzz with the perfect blend of the classic and cutting edge. Longlott, who got her start in the restaurant industry on the East Coast and honed her craft at The Parlor in Phoenix, is focused on giving locals and hotel guests a modern cocktail bar experience with a Prohibition-era feel. Think classic cocktails-meets-unexpected twists, including infusing spirits with honey from the bar’s honeycomb displayed in a glass case.
Tell me about the oddest drink request you’ve gotten. Just a few weeks ago, I got a request to make vodka cocktail as close to the flavor of a dirty martini as humanly possible, but without the salty olive brine that gives the drink its signature flavor. Given that a dirty martini only has three ingredients— either a vodka or gin combined with dry vermouth and olive brine—I needed to get creative to find a replacement for the olive brine. I started with the vodka and dry vermouth, then put combinations of other ingredients to the side to test what might work. And I found a fabulous one—a combination of celery bitters and dill, which I mixed with the spirits. I served it in a martini glass, but used cracked black pepper on the rim instead of salt to enhance the earthiness of the celery and dill. It was a hit!
What is your No. 1 pet peeve when working? I have a solid tie. First, guests often get a bad rap for being difficult, but most are quite friendly and helpful. So much so, in fact, they often pile up their used dishware on the bar and push it forward to me so I can easily grab it, rather than clearing each individual guest’s area one by one. There is just one problem; I store all of my fresh herbs and garnishes on my side of the bar. So when folks try to pile up dishes and help, they often end up grazing my ingredients, which means I throw them away. Tied with this very sweet, yet ultimately unnecessary gesture, has to be the impatient service team member or customer.
Craft cocktails often have layers and layers to the recipes—not to mention fresh ingredients that take time to cut, squeeze or even torch—so when folks expect a specialty drink in 90 seconds flat, it is nearly impossible to meet that expectation.
What is your go-to drink when you’re at a bar other than your own? My go-to drink has to be the negroni. Because the base of a negroni is so simple—gin, vermouth and Campari—I love to see how my fellow mixologists put their own signature or spin on their version of the cocktail. Some add salt, for example, to take the edge off the bitterness. Others work to enhance the botanical flavor from the gin. After that, I
Sounds like this person might play it safe, and needs a gal like me to get him/her out of her comfort zone. I love a challenge. It’s often when I do my best work.
ordered agave cocktail. This cocktail embodies everything about fall without being overdone or artificial. The maple syrup acts as a flavorful sweetener, perfectly complementing the spices in the pumpkin puree, while still allowing the base spirit of tequila to shine through. The lemon juice also adds certain brightness to the drink, and in this case, balances the cocktail better than lime juice.
What is one cocktail would love for us to feature in the magazine this month?
PUMPKIN SPICE MARGARITA
love to try something from the bar’s signature menu as well.
What does ordering Jack and Coke say about a person?
Pumpkin Spice Margarita
What do you like about this drink? What I like about this recipe is that it’s an easy sipping seasonal twist on a frequently
Combine the following: 2 oz Forteleza Reposado Tequila 3/4 oz lemon juice 3/4 oz pumpkin puree 1/4 oz organic Vermont maple syrup
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