Fruit

According to David Wondrich, the Whiskey Smash comes from the Baroque Age (see opposite page) of the cocktail. Obviously, it served as inspiration for our seasonal Ginger Smash cocktails, but it is in all its features a julep—the only difference being that the Smash has some ornamental fruits for garnish and is always shaken so that the mint is “smashed”—hence the name. From all the smashes in the Baroque Age, it appears that the Brandy Smash was the most popular (same drink, different base spirit—try it out for yourself), but somehow the whiskey version stuck with us. Maybe sampling Dale DeGroff’s rocking peach whiskey smash sealed the deal for us, or maybe it was just that we loved the term “smashed.” In any case, this is a very simple drink to make, and we suggest that you use our homemade Mint Syrup in place of simple syrup for a far more dimensional cocktail experience. This cocktail is one of the very few that contains no juice but nevertheless should be shaken and smashed.

This fall version of the Ginger Smash has been with us for years, but it truly came together with the addition of allspice dram, a highly bitter and aromatized liqueur. It contrasts two of our favorite ingredients—pears and ginger. Gin mixes very well with pears because it helps open up the subtle aromas that these pome fruits are prized for. Green Bartlett pears are our choice in this cocktail because of their tartness and solid nature. Feel free to try whatever pear you can find in its peak of season.

We had just finished working with the team that developed 10 Cane rum and wanted to use this excellent grassy pot-stilled spirit in a cocktail. Naturally, we gravitated toward fresh, sweet, and tangy pineapples, which are so common in the Caribbean. We added maraschino to the mix to help give a fruit punch to the more vegetal ingredients. The result is a cocktail so tropical and multidimensional that it will make your head spin, so tasty and good looking that you will fall in love with it instantly.

This version of the Ginger Smash was the last seasonal version added to our menu. When it was being created, we had become enamored with tequila and wanted to showcase it in the springtime. Pairing ginger with kumquats—small citrus fruits that come to market at the end of winter—we found the perfect canvas for 100-percent blue agave tequila. Its texture, slight velvety sweetness, and spiciness from fresh gingerroot make this drink one of our new favorites.

This version of the Ginger Smash is the original Employees Only seasonal cocktail. We set out to create a cocktail composed of ingredients that warm you up on a winter day. The result was so tasty and fresh in aroma that it was a “smash” from the start. It remains, to this day, one of our best sellers.

The Grapefruit Gimlet (see photo) came as an inspiration upon tasting Charbay ruby red grapefruit vodka. Unlike other flavored vodkas, this producer actually uses real fruit in a natural process of infusion. Charbay pays Texas ruby red grapefruit growers premium prices to leave the fruit on the tree until they are overripe. Then they are shipped to California, where father-and-son distillers Miles and Marko Karakasevic grind the whole fruits—skins, pulp, and juice—then let them sit in alcohol for six months to extract the real fruit flavor. This essence is then strained and added to clear vodka. The result of this infusion is unlike any other flavored vodka. The beauty of our Grapefruit Gimlet is that it consists of only three ingredients: Charbay grapefruit vodka, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. This recipe is very simple to make and really accentuates the grapefruit vodka. Make it and taste it and you’ll feel like you’ve just bitten into a sweet, ripe ruby red grapefruit through the skin. It’s refreshing and full flavored, and it begs for another sip.

The story of the Roselle highlights the creative process at Employees Only. After seeking a hibiscus cordial, bar manager Robert Krueger infused the dried blossoms into syrup for a delicious result. The citrus and floral elements immediately suggested a pairing with gin, and the botanicals in Tanqueray No. 10 specifically led to grapefruit. A quick shake revealed that the red of the hibiscus turns an iridescent rose when mixed—inspiring the drink’s name. The resulting drink is a reminder that a confident bartender should never be afraid of mixing a pink drink—or of drinking one, for that matter.

The Fraise Sauvage was inspired by the famous pre-Prohibition classic, the French 75 (page 70). The name itself is a play on words in French, meaning “wild strawberry.” This cocktail uses our EO homemade Wild Strawberry Cordial to create a cocktail in the classic style. We shake together Plymouth gin with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and strawberry cordial, then top it off with demi-sec champagne. For our first summer menu at Employees Only, we wanted to put on the list a cocktail that would be a crowd-pleaser. Fraise Sauvage is the EO equivalent of the ubiquitous Caprese salad. The flavors of gin, strawberry, and champagne are a timeless combination and showcase how simple flavors can become complex when combined. To make this cocktail without the strawberry cordial, simply muddle a whole fresh strawberry, then follow the rest of the directions.

We use the Amelia to transition the Cosmo drinkers into our dangerous world of subtle flavors. We chose vodka as the base spirit to showcase St-Germain without muddying its flavor. The Amelia is named in honor of an older Greek woman who gave Jason food and lodging when he ran out of money while traveling through Greece.

The original recipe for the Vesper was created not by a bartender but by popular spy novelist Ian Fleming. In Fleming’s 1953 book Casino Royale, Agent 007 instructs the bartender to prepare him a Martini with “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice cold, then add a large, thin slice of lemon.” Bond named this drink after Vesper Lynd, his first love interest in the series. Kina Lillet vermouth, with its flavor notes of quinine, no longer exists, so we replaced it with Lillet Blanc and a dash of Angostura bitters. We opted for a blend of Charbay clear vodka and Plymouth Navy Strength gin to finish off our interpretation. This is the cocktail that introduced the phrase “shaken, not stirred,” which changed Martini drinking forever. Thank you, Mr. Bond.

Pêche bourbon is simply the French way of saying “peach bourbon.” These two items are as compatible a pairing as strawberries and vanilla. We wanted to showcase our peach-infused bourbon without overshadowing any of its subtle beauty. We blended it in the most straightforward way, with sugar and Peychaud’s bitters, then followed the ritual used to make the classic Sazerac cocktail (opposite): we first “season” the serving glass with French peach cordial. The ingredients swirl together in a slow dance, exciting the palate, then leaving it longing for more. This is a very delicate yet powerful cocktail. It is a great aperitif; it pairs well with grilled meats and seafood; and it is sublime as an after-dinner drink with a fruit tart or cake.

The term “tifozi” is slang used to describe hardcore Italian soccer fans, and there is nothing more hardcore Italian than this aperitivo. The Tifozi (see photo) is an EO original based on the Americano cocktail (opposite), intended to be a humorous salute to its namesake. It is bitter, sweet, sour, and fizzy with the addition of San Pellegrino Aranciata, a natural orange-flavored soda. The lime wheels add freshness and life to the cocktail.

I love a good bread and butter pickle, so I decided to create my own version. While I don’t have the classic spices here, my blend of rice vinegar and yuzu juice approximates the same acidity of the original. These are terrific with (or on) sandwiches. Of course, I like to eat them straight, too.

On the weekends, barbecue sauce shows up at nearly every meal. I’ve made countless versions over the years, but this is still one of my favorites. I draw flavors from around the globe to get just the right balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy. You can brush this on any meat while it’s grilling to build a sticky glaze. When mixed with homemade mayonnaise, it becomes an amazing spread.

Chloe’s favorite breakfast dish has become mine, too. I wouldn’t trade our weekend ritual of whisking the batter together for anything.

One saturday, Greg Brainin, my director of creative development, threw this together for his daughters. When he made it for me the following Monday, I knew it would become a regular weekend treat for my family, too. It’s as comforting as a classic buttery coffee cake, but the crunch of raw sugar and sea salt in the topping makes it taste refreshingly new.

In spring, I like to make my own syrup in lieu of maple syrup, which I prefer in the fall and winter. The first berries of the season, which aren’t very sweet, are transformed by the golden caramel that melts into the firm fruit.

One summer morning, I decided to make good use of the ripe stone fruit I had picked up at the farmer’s market. I didn’t have any brioche at home, but I did have a loaf of sourdough. It turned out that the tanginess of the bread was delicious with the sweet fruit. And amaretto adds just the right hint of almond.

I started shopping in supermarkets only after we got our country house and I needed to stock the kitchen there. When I went into the Whole Foods near my flagship restaurant, I was astounded by everything they sell. They have a machine that lets you make your own almond butter! I like to grind it so that it’s almost smooth but still a bit chunky. On grainy bakery bread with bananas, it’s heaven. This is what I eat for breakfast every morning. It’s best with a cup of hot coffee.