This is meant to be a reflection of over a decade of experience in NYC’s top cocktail bars. There will be a heavy focus on my last and longest stretch of 3+ years in the East Village. Cocktail enthusiasts all over the world travel to this establishment in the East Village just for a seat and a chat at the bar. I worked night after night having conversations with guests, which was not always easy due to the volume of guests and the intricate cocktail menu. Navigating a conversation while remembering the order of 100+ ingredients and where they were placed on the bar top or below your waist in your well not only took patience, but time. The question I was asked most was how do you know what is in each bottle. Referring to the “cheaters” on our bar where the guests can see, almost like a centerpiece. The answer, they are labelled, but also after rounds of drink building it becomes muscle memory. Bottle shape, size and location were indicative of what was inside the bottle. The second most asked question is why I am writing this blog. How do you come up with these cocktails? Each recipe will have some sort of explanation to take you through my creative process. There is no right way to create anything. There are helpful tips for a starting place, but everyone creates in a way that makes most sense to them. The one thing that should always be true of cocktail creating is that if you cannot taste an ingredient then it does not belong. Remove it, and if the cocktail did not change keep it out.
How to use the blog/site: not sure what to call this right now other than a working database of information sharing. Recipe’s with full articles will be highlighted in color. Anywhere there is a syrup or an infusion, the name of that ingredient will be linked to its recipe. Each article will contain tags at the top.
I will be updating this site daily, weekly, or whenever I feel it is right to write. All the work done here are my original creations including the artwork. The illustrations for the articles are inspired by album covers. Music played a huge role in my relationship with creating cocktails and building bonds with coworkers and guests. The one thing that tends to go unnoticed in most places is the music, which seems to be a playlists that is set for the day, week, month or year by a manager and it frankly is ass. Here, behind the bar, we were in control of the music and that helped create a flow to the evening. Channel Orange with your Pink Matter, a little Casiopea with your Wavy Cap, how about some Aaj Shanibar with your Cyranoid; music played an integral role in having a good night versus a shit one. If you are into esoteric shit and enjoy cocktails, then this is the place for you. If you want to learn more about how to create cocktails, this is the place for you. If you find yourself wondering what the hell are all these ingredients on the cocktail menu, this is also the place for you. What I am trying to accomplish is removing the gatekeeping aspect of the cocktail industry because knowledge is wealth not money, so who the fuck cares.