Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined
Jason Kosmas
Language: English
Pages: 176
ISBN: 158008253X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Time-honored cocktails like the New York Sour and the Sidecar were born during the era of Prohibition, the blessedly bygone social experiment that turned drinking into an underground adventure. In those days, hard beverage options were usually made with homemade hooch and flavorings of dubious origin and quality.
Thankfully, a cocktail renaissance has emerged in many of today’s bars, where inventive drinks showcase both the artistry and craft of bartending. At their moody and atmospheric West Village bar-restaurant Employees Only, master mixologists Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric can regale you with colorful tales of cocktail origins—or just pour you a mean drink. In Speakeasy, Kosmas and Zaric take their inspiration from traditional favorites, then use the finest spirits, the freshest ingredients, and a good measure of reverence for their craft to elevate the mixed drink to artisanal status.
More than 80 imaginative libations that riff on the classics are showcased in this one-of-a-kind collection. Recipes emphasize fresh fruits and herbs, homemade syrups and infusions, and a careful balancing of flavors, with a mind toward seasonality. A Ginger Smash is offered in four different versions: kumquat, pineapple, pear, or cranberry, depending on the time of year. The Millionaire becomes the Billionaire with the addition of homemade grenadine and 107-proof bourbon. And the South Side becomes the West Side by replacing the gin with sun-kissed Meyer lemon–infused vodka. With the specter of Prohibition firmly in the past, Speakeasy shares recipes for the choicest potent potables, reimagining the finest drinks of yesterday for today’s thirsty imbibers.
How to Love Wine: A Memoir and Manifesto
Whiskey: A Global History (Edible Series)
World's Best Cocktails: 500 Signature Drinks from the World's Best Bars and Bartenders
Making Homemade Wine (Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletin A-75)
Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined
subcategory of aperitifs. Overall, they are lighter in sugar and contain little or no fruit juices. The aperitif cocktail is the ultimate expression of a bartender’s skill in blending and balancing subtle nuances against more pronounced flavors. Aperol spritz Campari spritz Elderflower spritz Fernando Manhattan Cocktail Contemporary Manhattan Martinez Classic Martinez Nerina Negroni Tifozi Americano Pêche Bourbon Sazerac Provençal Classic Dry Martini Vesper Secret Crush
“organic,” and the public was paying attention. The bartenders saw change coming to their craft, too. The days of the vodka Martini were numbered. So they launched a project to change the way people were drinking in their town. Little did they know that they would help destroy bottle service, bring back classic cocktail culture, and singlehandedly revive the mustache. PAVING THE WAY FOR CLASSIC COCKTAILS Our story begins in 1998, when we were young, eager bartenders behind the wildly
agave FINISH: medium, with grapefruit oil overtones GLASS: rocks GIN RICKEY The Gin Rickey (see photograph) is the most prominent member of the Rickey Cocktail family, which basically calls for a shot of any straight spirit, a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice, and club soda, served tall. The story has it that the founding father of this cocktail trend was a retired Civil War colonel and lobbyist, Joe Rickey. The man loved his bourbon with soda and a squeeze of lime. He refused
intoxications. Drinking culture is dictated by billboards. Marketing agencies push cocktails that make drink making easier and skill-less. Highballs rule this era. Disco and “shot” drinks become popular. The Renaissance (1991-2009) Premium and craft spirits appear in the marketplace. Classic tools and methodology reemerge. The Martini craze paves the way for new ingredients in cocktail making. Proper cocktail-driven bars emerge. The Platinum Age (Present) Classic and crafted cocktails
despite advertising claims, this does not work well for muddling. Muddler This large bar tool is used to crush fruits, herbs, and sugar. The best muddlers are fashioned in the shape of a baseball bat and are about 8 inches long–long enough to reach the bottom of the mixing glass. Muddlers come in wood, metal, and food-safe plastic. Wood is ideal because it has some give to it and you can really pulverize ingredients quickly and with force. Do not buy a painted muddler; with time, the paint will