Cheers

Cheers-Oct 2016

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 18 • October 2016 sweetener. "Rather than just use simple syrup, we've been using honey to bring out the fl avor notes and freshness in our cocktails," Melton says. And not just any honey. For the July menu, the chain began procuring specialty honey in small batches from sources in Florida, Texas, Arizona and Southern California. These honeys have better "stories," Melton explains, and fl avors that are more unique with character. Honey purchased in bulk often tastes like clove, she adds. Melton has found that honey pairs well with barrel-aged tequila and Woodford Reserve bourbon. P.F. Chang's uses orange blossom honey in drinks such as the Anejo Buzz, made with 1800 Añejo tequila, Cointreau, honey water and fresh lemon juice. The drink is shaken, and then topped with a mint sprig and lemon wheel. The same honey complements the whiskey in the Twisted Whiskey Sour, with Woodford Reserve bourbon, Cointreau, orange juice and honey water with a dash of orange bitters. "The fl avors of the orange blossom match really well with the whiskey in our Whiskey Sour, giving it a freshness, but also an almost-brooding-like quality," Melton says. "Honey is such a pure product," she explains. "It helps bring out the notes of smokiness, toastiness or vanilla in spirits that rest in barrels." And when mixing honey with tequila, Melton notes, "you can pick up the agave notes a little more easily, and the earthy notes become stronger." CLASSIC COCKTAILS REMIXED P.F. Chang's began in 1993 as a joint venture between Paul Fleming, who would later start the Fleming's Prime steakhouse chain, and restaurateur Philip Chiang. The fi rst location opened in a Scottsdale, AZ-based luxury shopping mall. The company today also includes Pei Wei Asian Diner, a fast-casual restaurant concept with 196 locations. Melton, who joined P.F. Chang's 12 years ago, started her beverage alcohol career as a bartender in the 1980s. From there she advanced into bar and nightclub management and then wholesaling. One of Melton's professional role models is "King Cocktail" Dale DeGroff, the legendary bartender who popularized classic and craft beverages while working at New York's Rainbow Room in the 1980s. Melton says she found inspiration from DeGroff 's books and industry presentations. This shows in her cocktails, many of which are modern riffs on classic drinks. The Chang's Mai Tai, for instance, is made with Bacardi light rum, Myers's dark rum, orange curacao and tropical juices. P.F. Chang's updates its cocktail menu seasonally; most drinks are priced at about $9.50. This past summer the chain offered the Cucumber Collins, made with Belvedere vodka, honey water, cucumber, muddled Thai basil and fresh lemon juice. "I try to make sure that our seasonal drinks go with whatever people are eating that time of year," Melton says. "The Cucumber Collins is terrifi c with a summer salad. People obviously eat lighter in the summer, heavier in the winter." For its Moscow Mule, P.F. Chang's adds a twist by using house-made ginger beer. The chain also offers a Monkey Mule, which eschews vodka for Monkey Shoulder whisky and adds house-made ginger beer with a touch of peach syrup. BUILDING ON THE BASICS Bartenders such as DeGroff taught Melton classic techniques such as how to stir a Manhattan and basic, must-know drink recipes like the Sidecar. She passes this knowledge along to her bartenders, setting the ground rules before introducing her cocktail twists. "I think that when a guest sits at a bar, they have certain expectations about the bartender," she says. "They expect the bartender to know what they should drink and why. When to stir and when to shake. What pisco is made out of and why it works well with certain ingredients." Knowing the rules and being able to teach them to her bar team "allows me to then incorporate the riffs into our cocktails," Melton adds. "And that's been the evolution of our cocktail development." INTERESTING WINES, UNEXPECTED BEERS The wine selection at P.F. Chang's spans an array of styles and vineyards of origin, as well as price points. There's something to fi t any budget, be that a $5 pour of white zinfandel or a Orange blossom honey complements the Woodford Reserve bourbon in the Twisted Whiskey Sour, "giving it a freshness, but also an almost-brood- ing-like quality," says Melton. P.F. Chang's this past summer offered the Cucumber Collins, made with Belvedere vodka, honey water and cucumber poured over muddled Thai basil and fresh lemon juice, which pairs nicely with a summer salad.

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