Monthly Archives: February 2012

Our initial menu was a mix of about half original drinks I created, and half classics / contemporary classics.  As I tend to be interested in really far out flavor profiles, I was concerned that having a menu of completely our own cocktails would be too aggressive for the typical consumer, as the mixology thing was still a pretty new concept to Detroiters. So I wanted to have an offering of some easy, palatable drinks that would at least give our new customers an entry point, if not set the mixology world ablaze. Anyways, that was my thinking.

After about a month it became clear that the more complex, challenging drinks were consistently our most demanded. Our customers want the new and exciting; the stuff that is pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a drink. This one, the Lost Art (of Keeping a Secret), was probably the most adventurous on our initial menu remains one of our best sellers. People have described it as tasting like “spicy chocolate cake” and “curry in a drink.” It’s complex, yet all the different flavors work in harmony to produce a well balanced cocktail.

The Lost Art (of Keeping a Secret)

In a Boston tin, combine an ounce of 100% agave tequila blanco, an ounce of winter falernum, a half an ounce of Cynar, a half an ounce of lime juice and a mint sprig. Shake vigorously over ice, and strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve with short cut straws.

Nice Ice: The Big Cube

Harry Craddock famously said in his 1926 Savoy Hotel Bar book, "Never use the same ice twice."

Building a drink with the right ice is a matter of having the correct ingredients. The Lost Art, for example, is shaken over a mix of large cubes and smaller half cubes, which emulsifies, chills and dilutes. The drink is then strained over a large cube, which has been chipped by hand and re-frozen.

We use the large cube when the drink has already been diluted, since the large cube melts very slowly and doesn’t dilute / chill much on it’s own.  The large cube can also be used for something like a premium whiskey if the customer wants a bit of a chill, but doesn’t want a whole glass of melting cubes in his spirit.