Cheers

Cheers Nov-Dec 2014

Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.

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www.cheersonline.com 38 • November / December 2014 crackling fi replaces and burning piles of leaves. "These will be bold in terms of color and fl avor, and the aromatics of the cedar plank are pure holiday." Gramercy Tavern, a 140-seat American restaurant in New York operated by the 12-concept Union Square Hospitality Group, follows the seasons for the beverage program, says wine director Juliette Pope. During the fall/holiday period, guests are more apt to remain at the table, sipping a cocktail, fortifi ed wine like port or Madeira, or a complex spirit, she says. Darker spirits such as rye, bourbon, Cognac and aged rums are the base for many of the cocktails at Gramercy Tavern around the holidays. The Fall Classic is an ode to the apple, with bourbon, Calvados, apple cider, lemon, Angostura bitters and a thyme-infused simple syrup. Gramercy's Concord Crush blends Tito's Handmade vodka and lime with a local Concord grape purée, while the Cranberry Daiquiri shakes Goslings rum and lime juice with a cranberry syrup infused with cinnamon and orange, garnished with spice- and citrus-poached cranberries. All cocktails are priced at $14. Maialino, another Union Square Hospitality concept in New York, lets the farmers' market fare drive menu ingredients. "We're always adapting to what's available seasonally, which as winter approaches typically means root vegetables, hearty winter greens, etc.," notes bar manager Chris Johnson. The guests at the 92-seat, Roman-inspired trattoria who gravitate towards the best-selling Negronis and Aperol Spritzes in the summer tend to become partial to the Boulevardier ($12) as the thermometer dips, Johnson says. Maialino's version is stirred with Elijah Craig 12 Year Old bourbon, Campari and Carpano Antica, served over a large rock. SPICING IT UP "Lately, we've been excited to use bigger, spicier scents and fl avors, evoking a rustic feel reminiscent of a campfi re," Johnson says. The smoky Lion's Mane ($12) has Famous Grouse Scotch, Zucca Rabarbaro Amaro and Carpano Antica, served up with an orange twist. "The smokiness from the Zucca and the peat from the Scotch meld together, and the Antica gives an herbal, coffee note to the drink." Bartenders reach for amaro year-round, but the deep, warming spice notes are especially fi tting around the holidays, Johnson adds. Guests at the 201-room mountainside St. Julien Hotel and Spa in Boulder, CO, also crave warming, spice-driven elements, THE BOULEVARDIER Maialino restaurant's version of this cousin of the Negroni, combines Elijah Craig 12 Year Old bourbon, Campari and Carpano Antica; stirred and served over ice. R+T Sidecar 2 at Omni ThThe www.cheersonline.com SPIRITS OF THE SEASON The rum-based R+T Peach Sidecar at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort.

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