making every element fit your
personality, craft + vision
We have a holistic view of service,
but we’re
ever-mindful of our guests and the
entire room.
They anchor our core values.
Cocktail Technique
Always have high expectations for service. Any informality must be earned through a commanding knowledge of our offerings and an ability to speak about them with authority. This should be a natural informality, the kind afforded only to those who know their craft intimately and are able to speak to it with confidence.
We use a combination 28 oz. weighted and 18 oz. weighted metal tin set. The 18 oz. tin is much larger than most metal-to-metal shaker combinations for a specific reason. With an inward bevel, this larger shaker creates a much better seal while maintaining a good balance between the two tins. Under no circumstances should these shakers be used as ice scoops or bottle openers.
Mouth-feel as the key factor: With a shaken drink, you are looking to activate the ingredients and create a slight froth when strained. This is what David Embury calls the life of the cocktail: You don’t shake it to put it asleep, but rather to awaken it so that the first sip excites the guest as it hits their palate. A stirred cocktail should have the mouth-feel of extremely cold velvet, smooth over the tongue.
When stirring a cocktail, first take a mixing glass from the freezer. Add cocktail ingredients, ice, and give a couple quick stirs to mix the ingredients. If making other drinks, it is best to start stirred cocktails first, letting them “cook” while you prepare shaken cocktails. Stir until proper dilution and temperature is achieved, strain into a chilled glass, and serve as quickly as possible.
Cocktail Technique
One of the most foundational characteristics of a great cocktail is balance. This is often achieved via three important components: something strong, something sweet, and something sour. The basic sour formula can be easily adjusted based on individual preference and offers a beginning point to numerous drink subcategories. When composing any varietal of the sour, consider how ingredients interact in terms of the drink’s overall composition. Each component has its own voice. When combined correctly, a great harmony can be found.
Following these five important steps will help you to make consistently great cocktails. This intuitive process should allow you to think less about individual steps and more about the larger operation of your bar. As a result, sales and volume should increase, drinks will be crafted to the highest of standards, and the bar will operate in an efficient manner.
Prepare shaking tin and assure that all ingredients are on hand. This should happen before the bar opens.
Begin building the drink. Start with the smallest or least expensive ingredients and work up to the most costly, adding them at the end. This ensures that when a mistake is made, waste costs are lower.
Recommended Order:
bitters
muddled ingredients
juice
syrup/sweetener
modifier
spirit
Once built, add ice to mixing vessel. Stirred drinks should be iced first to allow for the extra time this type of drink requires to dilute, while shaken drinks should be iced as close to serving time as possible. Retrieve glassware right before the drink is ready to be served.
Garnish drink and serve quickly so that it remains cold and does not dilute Always check citrus wedges and other garnishes to make sure they appear healthy and presentable.
After the drink is made and served, reset to zero and return all tools to their original position and clean station. Ask guest if they would like to open a tab or close out.
Receive / process payment and continue to the next order.
Spirit: 2.00 oz.
Sweetener: 0.75 oz.
Citrus: 0.75 oz.
Fix: over crushed ice
Collins: with seltzer
Traditional Sour: egg white
Fizz: traditional sour + seltzer
