 |
Gone are the heydays of gin and tonics, whiskey sours and Scotch on the rocks. Your grandfather’s cocktails have been replaced by the new kids on the rocks—Margarajito Lemonade, Summer Breeze and Spice Vanilla Mojito.
These concoctions were among the finalists for Sidewalk Café Drink of 2006 this June at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Eben Klemm, director of cocktail development for the restaurant group B.R. Guest, won the contest with a cocktail called “Vini.”
Vini is certainly not your grandfather’s drink. Your grandfather would not have drank anything pink, save a little Pepto Bismol when grandma’s cooking didn’t turn out well. Vini is made with citrus vodka, Limoncello, lime juice, watermelon puree and an orange twist.
The chic drinks of this past summer have alcoholic drinks of all sizes, colors, and textures were shaken to life by mixologists who compared their infusions to pieces of art or brain-bending inventions.
“We’re looking for balance and ingredients that work well together,” said Anistatia Miller, one of three judges and co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail in Malverne, N.Y. “We don’t want something with too much sweetness, or too much spirit. This is liquid cuisine.”
Francesco Montagnani, a bartender at the Manhattan restaurant Smorgas Chef, showed considerable precision when mixing his contest drink—the “Bjorn Borg,” named for the champion tennis player. Montagnani crushed gooseberries and strawberries with a twist of his wrist and a push of his wooden muddler. Then he added small doses of cranberry juice and Wild Turkey Bourbon. He shook the drink and poured it into a chilled rocks glass, triggering applause from the audience of cuisine and drink aficionados.
