Market Watch, December 2020

DECEMBER 2020 MARKETWATCHMAG COM MARKET WATCH 61and Blood and Sand all feature liqueurs to name just a few At the Beacon Theatres Wonderbar in New York City co beverage director Lynnette Marreros The Constant Gardener 18 is her take on the classic liqueur based Pimms Cup blending Pimms No 1 liqueur CioCiaro amaro blackberry infused Saison Pale rum house made ginger syrup and lemon juice This cocktail brings me back to visiting pubs on the East Side of London Marrero says Here we upgrade the original recipe by using a fruit infused rum and bolstering the Pimms with complementary amaro Grant Gedemer food and beverage director for the Godfrey Hotel in Chicago asserts that as classic builds and fresh ingredients continue to be the biggest trends in cocktails right now sugary liqueurs like sour apple and peach schnapps are trending down in favor of more bitter earthy and herbal liqueurs Brands like Aperol Campari and Chartreuse are definitely popular right now he says They work well because you dont need a lot of ingredients to make a well balanced cocktail with them and people are favoring simpler recipes right now Bar 1896 s Greene notes a preference for legacy brands Ramazzotti amaro and Yellow Chartreuse Ramazzotti is so well rounded with fruit and spice and it pairs perfectly with whiskies and fresh juices while Chartreuse brings big herbs to drinks that would otherwise fall flat he says The venues Arugula Smash 16 created by director of wine and service Sarah Gilbert features Yellow Chartreuse Hendricks gin grapefruit and lemon juices and fresh arugula and cilantro Contemporary And CreativeWhile classic recipes and historic liqueurs will always have a place on bar menus innumerable new liqueur brands have entered the market in the last ten years or so and bartenders continue to push the enve lope with their unique creations I really like St Germain elderflower liqueur I know its so common now but its really useful in some of my most nuanced cocktails Wonderbars Marrero says Her Clara Bow 20 which she created along with New York City mixologist Jim Kearns features St Germain Four Roses Bourbon house made grenadine fresh lemon juice and mint At Café Rule Wine Bar in Hickory North Carolina assistant front of house manager and bartender Megan Camp bell offers her drink The Regulator 10 which blends St Germain with Hendricks Midsummer Solstice gin house Arizona We dont have any restrictions when we use liqueurs they save time and bring a shelf stable ingredient to your bars arsenal With so many brands and flavor profiles to choose from bartenders are learning just how useful liqueurs can be Many of us are searching for new unique flavors and liqueurs help to fill that void Greene says Lots of older brands have made a comeback on menus its a great part of the cocktail world that was almost forgotten about And now there are small distilleries making new liqueurs so the options have never been better Classic And ConsistentAt Minibar Allen notes an apprecia tion for such storied liqueur brands as Giffard Disarrono Galliano and Combier because they offer a certain authenticity Theyre not trying to be cool theyre just being themselves a little folk y and from a place of tradi tion he says Theyre solely aimed at providing enjoyment to humans Combier was the town candy maker 200 years ago Allens Amaretto Sour 14 features a split base of Disaronno amaretto liqueur and Wild Turkey 101 rye plus lemon juice egg white and Angostura and Peychauds bitters A liqueur can be a nice way to add that last tiny twist that makes your version of a classic stand apart he adds His This Old House 14 is a variation of the classic Rusty Nail blending Drambuie Scotch whisky liqueur and Monkey Shoulder blended malt Scotch in a St George Absinthe Verte washed glass while his New World Brandy Old Fashioned 14 mixes Bordiga Maraschino liqueur Capurro Pisco and Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva rum Adding amaro to a Manhattan or a liqueur to an Old Fashioned can spruce it up making it an exciting variation on guests favorite cocktails Concord Hills Buck says At Petite León in Minneapolis co owner and bartender Travis Serbus offers the First We Take Manhattan 12 comprising St Agrestis amaro and equals parts J Carver straight rye whiskey and Dolin Rouge sweet vermouth The drink is basically a Manhattan with the vermouth boosted up to an equal proportion and amaro added as a bittering agent Serbus says St Agrestis brings flavors of cinnamon clove allspice mint and sarsaparilla to the drink this amaro just screams nostalgia to me which is why I love it Classic cocktails are always popular and liqueurs are a major ingredient in many of these drinks the Sidecar Negroni The sugar content of liqueurs allows bartenders to showcase sweet and bitter flavors such as in the Grapefruit Spritz pictured at the IO Roof lounge in Chicago which uses St Germain liqueur alongside the bitter taste of grapefruit