I have put up a few of my cocktails I have had on various lists and bars. Some of them easy others a little bit more complex, all interesting and usable. But I always worry that the drinks I put out are going to come off as pretentious, obnoxious and arrogant. The simplest of drinks are often the best, the effortlessness of the flavours balancing with one another.
We make cocktails for a couple of reasons, our primary goal in anything we do is to make the customer happy, seeing their faces light up when you slide that glass across to them and they take that first sip of your elixir. The second and the sometimes the most egotistical, is to challenge ourselves and try and scramble up our bars food chain. Who makes the best cocktails, who is the best, who is at the top of the totem pole.
Whatever you make, however simple it is. Take pride in it, hold it as your own and show the bar world what you are made of. But remember to keep challenging yourself, going one step further every time you make it. Use the most complicated of ingredients but never ever forget your grass roots training.
I put out the challenge now, to all the bartenders, mixologists and liquid chefs to email me with their cocktails. We will showcase cocktails from around the country every week plus the cocktails that really stand out will be showcased in myBartender magazine.
Get shaking and sending your recipes in. shawn@newyorkbarstore.com
