In the sea of Little Rock nightlife, bartenders are the captains. They can turn your night around with a soothing cocktail and save your pride by cutting you off. They’re in control of their tiny ship and all of those bottles behind the bar. Even the dusty ones. We turned to three Little Rock bartenders to see what they could do with under-loved cocktail ingredients. First, Lee Edwards took on falernum. From there, bartenders paid it forward, challenging their peers to use cardamaro and genever to create three original cocktails for Sync. Here’s what they mixed up:
Lee Edwards
Beverage Director, Yellow Rocket Concepts
Challenged by: Sync staff
Ingredient: Falernum, an almond-based sweet syrup commonly used in tropical drinks
Cocktail: Cucumber Chartreuse Swizzle
Tastes like: Can we consider this a health drink? The cucumber and lemon juice make for a light, refreshing cocktail that soothes the sometimes harsh bite of chartreuse and gin.
What’s in this green concoction?
It’s an ounce of yellow Chartreuse, a 1/2 ounce gin, 3/4 ounce Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, 1/2 ounce lemon juice and 1 ounce cucumber juice.
How do you come up with your cocktails?
It varies from restaurant to restaurant. Big Orange is steeped in classics; Local Lime is an expression of geography balanced with the food. Heights Taco & Tamale Co. has not been firmly fleshed out. I anticipate one more weekend [research and development] excursion will get me more settled. Past that, there is a process. First, there need to be goals for the list: Are there certain spirits that must be incorporated? What season is it and are there fresh items available? Once all that has been determined, testing begins.
What books do you turn to for classic recipes?
The Savoy Cocktail Book is the bible. But Ted Haigh has his [James Beard Foundation] award-winning book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, and there are countless others. The Ritz-Carlton has a great book from its Paris hotel from the early 20th century that I love.
What’s one ingredient we won’t find in your drinks?
I don’t use fake things. I use real ingredients. If it has fake coloring, chances are I won’t use it. However, the bartenders have increased capacity to have a political voice. We shall see if that translates to any change going forward.
David Burnette
Bar Manager, South on Main
Challenged by: Lee Edwards
Ingredient: Cardamaro, an amaro made from aged wine and flavored with cardamom
Cocktail: Devil May Care
Tastes like: Much sweeter than we thought. It may be cognac-based, but the pear liqueur plays against the spice of the bitters and cardamaro to attain a nice balance.
Walk me through the ingredients.
We’ve got 1 1/2 ounces of VSOP cognac, 1 ounce Cardamaro, 1/2 ounce pear liqueur, a barspoon full of allspice dram and a drop of Fee Brothers’ Black Walnut Bitters.
What ingredients will you never use in a drink?
I despise peach schnapps and Sour Apple Pucker, and I refuse to use tobacco tinctures or infusions because they are potentially very poisonous.
What do you drink at home?
At home I drink wine, beer and whiskey. I love the ease of pouring a good beer or a glass of nice, cheap wine. I’m also a huge bourbon fan, so I’ll often scour local shelves for the latest releases.
Where do you turn to learn the classics?
My first resource is always a quick Google search. If I can find a recipe that David Wondrich, a highly regarded beverage historian, has given a stamp of approval, I use it. His research into cocktail history is quite arguably the most extensive.
I also like to consult The PDT Cocktail Book, Jerry Thomas’ The Bon-Vivant’s Companion and The Savoy Cocktail Book. The Cuban cocktail manual from El Floridita is also a good read.
Why did you choose to challenge Gene?
He’s an amazing bartender who doesn’t get enough praise or press coverage. I’ve really enjoyed sitting at his bar.
Michael “Gene” Lee
Bar Manager, The Pantry
Challenged by: David Burnette
Ingredient: Genever, or Dutch gin
Cocktail: Genever Last Word
Tastes like: The classic Last Word, with a slightly milder bite thanks to the lack of dry gin.
So, what’s in this?
It’s a modified Last Word, so it’s equal parts Bols Genever, Luxardo, green Chartreuse and lime juice.
You have genever in one of your summer cocktails. Why do you like it?
It’s a littler sweeter, and less heavy on the botanical than gin. You get less of that Pine-Sol smell, less of the juniper taste. Bols Genever has a touch of aging, too. People will say “oh, I don’t like gin.” But this is nothing like London dry gin. This is what gin used to taste like.
Where do you turn for drink inspiration?
I read a lot, especially online. I follow a lot of blogs and a lot of cocktail enthusiasts on Twitter. I also read things like Imbibe magazine. A lot of my inspiration I get through food. For one drink last year, I knew I liked pineapple and peppers together, so I made a whiskey cocktail with those flavors.
Are there any spirits you avoid using?
I don’t really like to work with vodka, just because it really doesn’t have any flavor. You’re just using it as a way to make another flavor alcoholic. If you want alcohol and strawberries? You use vodka. I rarely use flavored vodka because I’d rather just infuse it myself.
What do you wish people in Little Rock would quit ordering?
Mojitos in the winter and margaritas when they’re not at a Mexican restaurant. If you want a good margarita, go to Local Lime. Not that I can’t make one, but it just makes more sense in that environment.