March 15, 2022
Food & Drink,
Seven Rays cocktail by Lauren Corriveau
Cheers to all the ladies of the world!
It’s Women’s History Month, and in honor of the strong female leads that make our life worth celebrating, we’ve nabbed some incredible cocktail recipes from some of the best femme bartenders in the United States.
Representing the crews of Gin & Luck Hospitality Group and Death & Co bars, these four cocktails represent some of the most unique and thoughtful flavor combinations we’ve seen come across a bar.
See also: Loverboy Launches A Healthier And More Accessible Cosmopolitan
"I would say the thing I’m the most proud of in my leadership position here at Death & Co is just the opportunity to work alongside incredible female leaders within our company," says Alex Jump, Bar Manager at Death & Co in Denver. "From Devon Tarby, one of our company owners; to our kitchens and marketing team, there is no shortage of women leading teams at Death & Co and Gin & Luck. Not only that, but the support I’ve received from our ownership and leadership in my work with Lauren Paylor for Focus on Health, a wellness podcast that she and I spearhead together," she continues. "I’ve always felt like I’ve been surrounded by a strong female leadership presence in my career, and I’m proud that that has continued here at Death & Co."
Clink your glasses with your besties, and say a toast to the fabulously talented women in your life.
Pop Quiz
Created by Devon Tarby, VP of Food and Beverage at Gin & Luck, this mix of bourbon and chocolate mole bitters creates a dynamic twist on the classic Old Fashioned.
“This was the first drink I ever created, while I was at The Varnish,” Tarby says. “Louis Anderman came in with a batch of his new Miracle Mile chocolate mole bitters (recipe in beta) and asked me to taste and come up with something on the fly. I totally panicked, then remembered the golden rule of falling back on a core cocktail family.
“I then reasoned that chocolate mole would probably pair well with the cinnamon and cola notes of Ramazzotti, and landed on a simple old fashioned variation,” she continues. “The touch of Demerara was a departure from the way I learned to make old fashioneds that use liqueurs as the sweetener, but was necessary to round the sharp edges of the mole spice. Louis liked it, so I took that to mean that I passed my ‘pop quiz.’ I’ll always be super proud of this one.”
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
- ½ oz. Ramazzotti
- 1 tsp simple syrup
- 2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Directions
Stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into an Old Fashioned glass over 1 large ice cube. Express the orange twist over the drink, then gently rub it around the rim of the glass and place it into the drink.
Seven Rays
This earthy cocktail comes courtesy of Lauren Corriveau, Head of Creative Development & Programming at Gin & Luck Head of Creative. The odd ingredients came from her time at Nitecap in NYC’s Edition 12 menu, which was fruit and vegetable themed.
“I knew I wanted to challenge myself by incorporating mushroom; an ingredient I’m personally not very fond of,” Corriveau says. “The goal was to find harmony in the juxtaposition of earthy, savory shiitake mushroom and bright, floral fruit. There was a lot of skepticism during the development phase whether the combination would be effective, but I’m proud to say it became a best seller that season (and one that I enjoyed as well). It has a fun little flavor journey that builds and evolves as you sip. I love that element of surprise!”
Ingredients
- 1½ oz shiitake mushroom infused Suntory Toki Whisky*
- ½ oz Bertoux Brandy
- 1 tsp cane syrup (2:1)
- ½ tsp Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur
- 2 dashes Miracle Mile Yuzu Bitters
Directions
Add all the ingredients to a shaker. Stir and strain into a single old fashioned glass over block ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Lover’s Knot
Cozy up with your favorite romantic and sip on this cocktail that pairs gin, cognac, Grand Marnier and more. This recipe is the brainchild of Alex Jump, Bar Manager at Death & Co in Denver.
“The drink is inspired by a Tuxedo #1 and was one of the more challenging recipes I’ve written,” she says. “I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted the drink to be, but I had been asked by our Bev. Director Ty to write a cocktail using a higher end mark of Grand Marnier for our menu at D&C back in 2019. The cocktail came out a lot more refined than I had ever intended it to be.
“I’m a nerd for a deep cut cocktail name,” Jump continues. “Since it’s a Tuxedo variation, I wanted to name it after a high-end women’s clothing item, so I named it after the tiara that Princess Diana was gifted from the Queen to wear on her wedding day.”
Ingredients
- 1 oz Tanqueray 10 Gin
- 1 oz Paul Beau Hors d’Age Cognac
- ¾ oz El Maestro Sierra 15 yr Oloroso
- ¼ oz Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire
- ½ teaspoon orgeat
- 2 dash absinthe
Directions
Add all ingredients to a shaker. Stir and strain into a nick and nora glass, then garnish with a lemon twist.
Dark Web
Inspired by her time in Southeast Asia, Death & Co. NYC bartender Tiffany Nahm creates an intoxicating cocktail with mezcal, brandy, rum and cane syrup.
“I wanted to showcase the funky fruit and grassy flavors that reminded me of hanging with my mom in southern Thailand,” she says. “I’m most proud of this cocktail, because I feel that these unctuous ingredients came together seamlessly to create a really obscure but approachable cocktail. This cocktail embodies the style of flavors I lean on most for writing drinks.”
Ingredients
- 1 oz Derrumbes San Luis Potosí Mezcal
- ½ oz Clairin Vaval
- ½ oz Rhine Hall Mango Brandy
- 1 tsp Cor Cor Okinawan Rum
- 1 tsp Pandan Cane Syrup
- 1 lime shoulder
Directions
Build ingredients over ice in an old fashioned glass and stir. Garnish with a lime shoulder.
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