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at 606 R&D, a recently opened restaurant in the Prospect Heights area of Brooklyn, New York. "On the food menu, we serve a lot of fresh, local produce and that carries through to our seasonal cocktails," he adds. A current experiment is a Martini made with ramp-infused vodka (see sidebar). On the mixer side, a unique off ering is a classic New York Egg Cream, spiked with Old Forester Bourbon. Cocktail prices range from $10 to $12. DIY: PROFUSION OF INFUSIONS Operators turn to premium mixers as they deliver consistency At the Wynn in Vegas the Pear- a-Sol (above) is a popular drink. Cheeseburger in Paradise offers a pineapple infusion jar (to the right). "We're very green oriented," adds Elijah Venanzi, a bartender and quality throughout the year. "When I think of fresh, I think of hand juicing at the bar, we can't do that," says Melissa Davis, director of adult beverage for HMSHost, the Bethesda, Md.- based airport foodservice company that operates about 400 bars and restaurants serving adult beverages in about 85 airports in U.S. and Canada. "Drinks using mixers always taste the same and they are always in season," she points out. As a concession to freshness, many HMSHost operations will use fresh citrus wedges to add a spark of fl avor to cocktails. But hurdles to using more fresh products are insuffi cient space in airport facilities and not enough time, as travelers turn tables quickly. Prep is another concern. Davis recalls an LTO that involved fresh pineapple. "I got so much pushback from the fi eld because of the time and labor needed to core and cut pineapples." Given the mix of HMSHost accounts, says Davis, "We have gone mainly the commercial mixer route." She relies upon leading companies such as Finest Call, Master of Mixes and Monin. "We have mandated a prepared strawberry fruit puree because it seems fresher to guests than a syrup," says the beverage director, "and we use a sweet and sour mix because it really is a premium product." For a signature drink at its Tequileria concept, HMSHost contracted for a proprietary Bloody Mary mix incorporating Cholula Hot Sauce. "Th e concept is sort of affi liated with Cholula so it made sense that our Bloody Marys get that spicy kick," points out Davis. A Skinny Margarita is also made with sugar-free syrup. "Th at's another great application for mixers," says Davis. "It's an easy way to make low-cal drinks." Master mixologist Patricia Richards, at the Wynn Encore president of beverage at Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc. Th e company operates nearly 200 restaurants under 14 diff erent brands, including Old Chicago, Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom. "Despite our brewery craft beer focus, high-quality cocktails and wine are still a substantial part of our business," he adds. Concepts have diff erent price tiers but cocktails range $8 to $9.50. "We take a fresh approach," asserts Stuart Melia, vice 26 | JULY/AUGUST 2012 Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, who oversees 25 bars and outlets, says that she tries to use as much fresh product as possible. "Sometimes the purees off er a more consistent fl avor profi le and are less labor intensive." She uses Boiron and Perfect Puree of Napa Valley. Th e signature Pear-A-Sol ($15), for example, blends Absolut Pears, with pear liqueur, pear puree and house-made sweet and sour. "When I create a recipe, I test whether the fresh fruit or the puree tastes best," Richards adds. Cheeseburger in Paradise also uses mixes and purees in many of its cocktails, says Monica McGill, vice president of beverage www.cheersonline.com