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.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/537558
www.cheersonline.com 8 • July/August 2015 DRINK CULTURE What makes a great summer cocktail— popular flavors, drink styles, spirits? A great summer cocktail can typically be made with rum or gin. The goal is to create a beverage that is light, cit- rusy, effervescent and refreshing. You will see drink menus shift that way in the hot months to come. What drinks are customers drawn to this time of year? Everyone is different: Sometimes cus- tomers want a Manhattan, sometimes they want a Grapefruit Collins. But if there's anything that attracts people, it's a cocktail with crushed ice. What are some of the signature cocktails on your menu this season; what was the inspiration for developing/offering them? At Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant, we have a classic Painkiller and a Jet Pilot on the menu at the moment. They are classic Tiki cocktails that are popular in the summer months. The Painkiller features a house blend of dark and light rums, coco- nut cream, with fresh pineapple and orange juice. It's served in a snifter of crushed ice with grated nutmeg on top. The Jet Pilot is the exact opposite in flavor. It's made with a house blend of rums complemented with a hint of Angostura bitters and St. George ab- sinthe, a house-made falernum syrup with fresh lime and grapefruit juice. It is served in a snifter with crushed ice as well. Any tips for creating summer cocktails, unique garnishes, mixers or food/snack pairings? I recommend sticking with what is in season. Go to a farmers market and pick some stuff out and play with it. Don't spend too much time on the gar- nish—keep it simple and manageable. What is your own favorite cocktail in the summer and why? To me, nothing beats a Barr Hill gin from Caledonia Spirits and Fever-Tree tonic. The gin is made in Vermont with raw honey and juniper. Keep an eye out for it. It might change your life. CHEERS Q&A WITH KRIS RIZZATO, BAR MANAGER AT BANKERS HILL BAR + RESTAURANT IN SAN DIEGO Tony Abou-Ganim Modern Mixologist Timothy Baldwin Director of Food and Beverage The Little Nell Stephen Beaumont Beer expert/author Heather Berry Director of Beverage and Bakery Operations The Cheesecake Factory R estaurants, Inc. Sandy Block, MW Vice President of Beverage Operations Legal Sea Foods David Brown Vice President Operations Support Houlihan's Cindy Busi Director of Worldwide Beverage Hard Rock International W esley Cort Director, Restaurant & Beverage Development and Operations Norwegian Cruise Line Doug Draper Director of Adult Beverage & Bar Development HMSHost D ale DeGroff King Cocktail Matt Durbin Vice President, Beverage & Bar, Carlson Restaurants Tylor Field III Vice President, Wine & Spirits Morton's The Steakhouse John W. Fischer, M.S., CHE Professor The Culinary Institute of America Doug Frost, M.S., M.W. Consultant Beverage Alcohol Resource, Inc. Jill Helmerick Director of Beverage Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Patrick Henry President Patrick Henry Creative Promotions Inc. Daniel Hoffman Director Equipment & Beverage Specifications Global Operations Services Marriott International Inc. Doug Jackson Senior Director of Beverage Development Darden Restaurants Scott Kinsey Director of R&D and Corporate Chef Hooters of America, Inc. P atrick Kirk Director of Beverage Innovation Buffalo Wild Wings E dward M. Korry Department Chairman, Beverage and Dining Service College of Culinary Arts Johnson & Wales James Kramer Vice President Beverage Operations Landry's Restaurants Inc. Monica Tary McGill Vice President of Beverage & Training Cheeseburger in Paradise L arry McGinn Partner iMi Agency Mary Melton Director of Beverage P.F. Chang's China Bistro Robert Plotkin President BarMedia Blake Rohrabaugh Vice President, Beverage Operations and Innovation Bar Louie Restaurant Operations Fernando Salazar Vice President, Food and Beverage Wyndham Worldwide Glenn Schmitt President MarkeTeam K evin Settles President Bardenay Restaurant Stacey Smith Beverage Director Pappas Restaurants David Tetens Director of Beverage & Bar Development/ North America Division Starwood Hotels and Resorts R yan Valentine Director of Beverage Operating Partner Cameron Mitchell Restaurants S uzan Waldschmidt Director of Beverage Outback Steakhouse Editorial Advisory Board Cheers