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By Kathleen Furore
Frozen or on the rocks? Rimmer or no rimmer? House or premium liquor? Those are the basic questions guests have to answer when ordering cocktails. The question that the bartenders pouring those cocktails must answer isn’t quite as easy to answer: “How can I craft the kind of creative cocktails that will make those customers happy and make them want to order more?”
The first step in the process is figuring out just what “creative” means in the world of mixology. Is it experimenting with different ingredients? Upgrading presentation?
It’s a little bit of both, according to Shelby Mastro, who has developed cocktails for a variety of restaurants throughout her career, and currently serves as the bar manager at Cielo Mexican Restaurant in Braintree, Massachusetts.
“So, I usually break creative cocktails down into two categories: riffs on classics and wholly original drinks,” Mastro explains.
Riffs on classics, she says, are easy. “Take a Paloma, add some muddled strawberry and cracked pepper and you have a fun new spin on a classic drink!”
It’s a different story when it comes to original creations.
“Those drinks are a bit tougher. You throw flavors together hoping for the best — something new and innovative —but ultimately preparing for the worst,” Mastro says.
And what about presentation?
“When it comes to presentation, I always say people drink with their eyes long before they take their first sip,” Mastro says. “So, I’m always trying to keep my garnishes fresh and exciting with micro flowers, exotic fruit, smoke, or even flavored ice.”
Mastro’s Golden Berry Smash and the Dragonfruit Spritz are two examples of her approach to creative mixology. The gin-based Golden Berry Smash features golden berries — tart, sweet, orange-colored berries native to the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Andes (they’re exotic enough that they’re often confused with gooseberries. The spritz is a refreshing drink made with dragonfruit, lime, citrus syrup, tequila and soda, then garnished with micro-flowers.
The Garnish Game
Mexican and Latin restaurants have upped their game when it comes to the way they garnish many of the drinks on their bar menus.
For example, at Moe’s Cantina in Chicago’s busy River North neighborhood, the Horchata Paradise — homemade horchata, rum, and prickly pear puree — is topped with walnuts and cantaloupe garnishes.
Many garnishes are actually “extras” that accompany the cocktails.
At Barrio Queen in Surprise, Arizona — one of the brand’s eight Arizona locations — garnish comes in the form of jamaica/blueberry syrup that’s served with the popular Toloache Margarita. “We prep it at the bar in a sidecar, deliver it to the table, and pour some on top to create a cascading effect,” Chris Kelton, manager, says. “We leave the rest in the glass on the table so the customer can add it and make it the cocktail as sweet as they want. The contrast of the dark color creates a delightful burgundy elixir.”
Popsicles are the creative garnishes Cocina de Barrio uses to enhance the Signature Craft Cocktails menu available its three locations — two in San Diego and one in Encinitas, California. The La Tia Chata — a luscious libation of Rumchata, vodka, horchata, creamer and lime — comes with a coconut popsicle; the Popsicle Margarita offers customers a choice of popsicle flavors.
And then there are the garnishes that are, quite literally, hot.
Examples include the Holy Water, a potent mixture of house-infused spiced rum, orgeat syrup, lime juice, and lemon that’s garnished with half of a lime that’s been hollowed-out, filled with liquor, and lit tableside at Amaru in Chicago; the Polanco on Fire at Paraiso Taqueria in Washington, D.C., which features Abasolo Whiskey, Nixta, Cocchi Americano, and smoke; and the Smoked Sage & New Mexican Hatch Chile Margarita at Wolf in the Woods in Mission Hills, California.
Balance Required
With all of the ways mixologists can add flavor and flair to the cocktails they craft, can they go too far with creativity behind the bar?
Mastro says they can. She recommends balancing bar menus with a selection of both craft cocktails and more basic but high-quality drinks.
“A bartender can go too far with creativity when the drink doesn’t match with their current clientele,” she says. “The Smoked Trout Skin cocktail I came across in a Boston bar would not sell at my current restaurant, not because it wasn’t tasty, but because I have no audience for it.”
There are times, she adds, when basic works best in the craft cocktail world — those times are when cocktails are made with premium spirits, especially tequila, Mastro explains.
For simple fruit-forward Margaritas, Mastro says brands like Primo, Volans, and Codigo “should be the stars of the show, mixing those brands with just a bit of citrus juice, agave, and fresh fruit purées such as those from The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley.”
For bartenders at Mexica/Latin concepts who want to upgrade their cocktail menus but aren't sure where to start, Mastro offers this advice:
“When it comes to upgrading the cocktail menus, you simply start by asking yourself questions. Do we want to highlight a certain region of Mexico? Do we want to explore spirits outside of tequila, mezcal, rum, and cachaça? Do our customers have more traditional or experimental tastes? Do we want to add tiki or prohibition cocktail influences? Once you’re able to answer such questions, a menu has already started to take shape!”
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