NEW YORK Mixologist Eben Freeman recently brought together bartenders from around the United States and the world for three nights here celebrating bartenders and their different cocktail making styles.
Freeman, who works for Mangkut Group, a food and beverage consultancy in Asia, has been holding similar Cocktail All-Stars events overseas in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia, demonstrating there what's been going on in the cocktail scene in the West.
Last week's event in New York was designed to introduce the city to the various cocktail flavors and styles from places around the world, Freeman said. He said he also wanted to better acquaint New Yorkers with bartenders from their own city as well as from other cocktail scenes in the United States.
Click here to view photos from the event.
The first night, "Things Eurasian: An Exploration of Ancient Flavors and Modern Science," was held at Public's Monday Room. Guest bartenders created drinks to be served alongside a food menu created Public's Michelin-starred executive chef Brad Farmerie. The event also featured how technology is incorporated in drink making. Dave Arnold, director of culinary technology at the French Culinary Institute, was on hand to demonstrate distilling habanero tequila using a Rotavapor.
The second night, "Old Shanghai on the Bowery," was held at Double Crown's Madam Geneva. The event had guest bartenders using Western spirits and cocktails alongside Asian street-food-inspired dishes made by Double Crown's chef Chris Rendell. Some bartenders also featured flavors from Asia in their drinks. Marshall Altier's Trans Continental Clipper, for example, used a pisco infused with Indian five spice mixture, mixed with lemon juice and house-made grenadine served in a glass rinsed with Absinthe. Misty Kalkofen used a curry simple syrup in her Delhi Daisy, which also featured tequila elderflower, lemon juice and aromatic bitters.
The third night, "Old-Timers Night: An Old-Fashioned Experience," featured bartenders over the age of 40 and highlighted the use of old and aged brown spirits and high-end booze. The lineup included cocktail writer and scholar Dave Wondrich, James Menite of Porterhouse and writer Toby Cecchini.
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