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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/490399
www.cheersonline.com 33 April 2015 • "From my perspective, people want a quality drink, but they don't want it to take 10 minutes to make, and they don't want to be confused by the selection," Pace says. "We keep things simple, and make sure we can make the cocktail properly and fast." CHANGE THEM OUT As with any menu, most operators want to keep their specialty cocktail offerings fresh, innovative, and seasonal. So rotate your cocktail offerings on a regular basis—at least twice a year, Casey says. Updating the menu three to four times a year is better, she notes. "Holidays are basically their own season, and you can have a Christmas drink that doesn't really work once you get into January," Casey says. Stanton rotates most of Sable's multipage cocktail menu four times per year. He prefers to feature seasonal varieties whenever possible, such as this past winter's Hot Buttered Sazerac ($14), with Bulleit rye, cinnamon syrup and Fee's Old Fashioned bitters. But you do want to keep some specialty standards available all year. One page of Sable's menu is devoted to "The Keepers," a selection of 10 specialty drinks that remains fairly consistent. Popular offerings on this menu include the Kentucky Grazer, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Pimm's, mint, lemon and celery bitters. Nico Osteria also updates its specialty cocktail menu on a rolling basis. About 80% of the drinks rotate to incorporate seasonality and traditional Italian ingredients. One example is the seasonal Chestnut cocktail ($14), which includes roasted chestnut- infused Buffalo Trace bourbon, fresh lemon juice and chestnut honey; it's served on ice and topped with grated nutmeg. DITCH THE DOGS When you've put the time and effort into developing specialty cocktails that you and your bar staff love, it can be hard to let go of them. But sometimes you have to. You can't get too attached to your menu, Eggleston says: You have to be willing to try new things based on customer demand. "There are a lot of drinks we love that have come and gone, but if something's not selling, there's no sense in letting it take up valuable space on the menu," he says. That said, you have to do what's right for your concept. Sable keeps certain drinks on the menu even if they aren't necessarily top sellers, because Stanton wants to maintain the restaurant's reputation of being a cutting-edge cocktail destination. "It's important that our menu showcases what's important to us and what we're capable of," he explains. "A unique cocktail may only appeal to a small number of people, but those guests who are seeking an innovative cocktail experience will continue to drive our business in that category by recognizing our dedication to the craft and recommending us to others." Melissa Niksic is a freelance writer based in Chicago. SHOWCASING SPECIALTY COCKTAILS WITH EVENTS Just as many restaurants offer beer or wine pairing dinners, some operators are doing the same with specialty cocktails. Russell House Tavern in Cambridge, MA, offered a six-course dinner option with cocktail pairings for $75 per person this past December. Each course was paired with a handcrafted Privateer rum cocktail. For example, the Blackstrap Cured B.L.T. (house- cured bacon, smoked tomato and peppercress) was paired with the Ipswich Daiquiri (Privateer silver reserve rum, lime, celery juice, simple syrup and celery bitters). "Cocktail pairings can be harder to do than beer/wine pairings, but the event was very successful and really elevated the profile of our restaurant," says bar manager Ashish Mitra. He hopes to hosts more cocktail pairing events this year. Restaurant Nico Osteria in the Thompson Chicago hotel recently hosted a Thursday evening cocktail series called No Key Required, says head bartender Matty Eggleston. The first theme of the series was Paris, 1920- 1930s, and the event featured drinks inspired from Parisian cocktail handbooks from that time period. Selections included the Spa Water (absinthe, mint, aloe vera, cucumber), and the Pompadour (Jamaican rum, Pineau de Charentes, lemon); drinks ranged in price from $13 to $20.—MN Gilley's BBQ & Saloon in the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas offers just five specialty cocktails, all of which can be made easily and quickly.