Fresh Herbs Enliven LA CocktailsBy Joshua Lurie
For dineLA.com
Using fresh fruit and house-made syrups are no longer enough for LA’s top bartenders and mixologists. Leading cocktail practitioners are now implementing fresh herbs to make their drinks more fragrant, flavorful and nuanced.
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
Seasoned bartender Vincenzo Marianella first started working with seasonal, market-driven ingredients five years ago at Providence. “Fresh for me is mandatory,” he says. “It’s like shaking the cocktail with ice.” Marianella recently stocked sage, thyme, tarragon, rosemary and lavender. After all, he appreciates “the earthiness, the dryness, the freshness” of fresh herbs. “It always adds an extra layer of flavor.”
Copa has herbaceous options on the menu, and you can also choose your own adventure with Copa’s Market Menu Cocktails. Choose a spirit, market fresh herb, fruit, organic juice/nectar and vegetable. Some Marianella recommended combinations include gin with watermelon and tarragon or highland tequila with grapefruit and thyme. No matter the match, he’s looking for “the highest quality ingredients with the best balance.”
-217 Broadway, Santa Monica, 310.576.3030,
copadoro.com
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
Providence bartender Zahra Bates inherited Marianella’s market-driven tradition and made the program her own with personal touches like house-made bitters. She operates seasonally, so there are no stand-bys, but many “Providence Cocktails” incorporate an herbal note, including the Dorian Gray, made with Martin Miller’s gin, Campari, Aperol, fresh lime juice and rosemary. “I like to add something unique that you may not get a chance to try,” says Bates. “That opens up an avenue for people to try something new when making cocktails at home.”
Her Tarragon Julep is a play on the minty Kentucky Derby classic. “Tarragon bitters helps to balance the sweetness from Bourbon and sugar, and fresh herbs clean it up a bit,” says Bates. Vanilla sugar accentuates the vanilla note in Buffalo Trace bourbon, and fresh strawberries also factor. As tradition dictates, Bates serves her julep in a frosty metal cup, saying, "It has to be nice and cold to the touch."
-5955 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, 323.460.4170,
providencela.com
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
Matt Biancaniello has taken the market-driven approach to new heights in a corner of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. He considers farmers markets “a constant palette of inspiration,” and shops at them five days per week. “What happens is I start using this stuff and you can’t use anything less,” says Biancaniello. “It also goes beyond if the drink tastes great. It contributes to farmers and a quality of life.”
Biancaniello’s market-dependent bounty yields herbaceous options like a Rosemary Honey Kumquat Pisco Sour, Blueberry Sage Smash and Shiso Gimlet. This month is “full tilt boogie” for heirloom tomatoes, so look for Bloody Marys garnished with onion flowers. His Kentucky Bubble Bath combines Bulleit bourbon and homemade lavender syrup. “I love having things that are unique that people haven’t seen before,” says Biancaniello. “That opens up a whole other world.”
-7000 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood,
hollywoodroosevelt.com
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
213’s latest downtown bar replaced the exclusive Doheny and honors rum. GM Joel Black said herbs “give a nice aromatic component” and “add another flavor profile.” Given that, he enlisted several bartenders to fill a page of “House Originals.” Allan Katz’s spicy Camptown Swizzle combines El Dorado 3-year white rum infused with Anaheim and Serrano chilies, lime, house-made pineapple syrup and cilantro. Brian Summers was inspired by Thailand’s Tom Kha Gai soup, creating the Rum Kha Gai cocktail with Matuselum Platino rum and many of the same ingredients, including lime, house-made ginger syrup, coconut water, condensed milk, Sriracha, Kaffir lime, and a Kaffir lime leaf garnish. Rum is the only base spirit on the cocktail menu, but Caña is a full bar, so Black can make you a Gin & Terragonic, featuring “cucumber forward” Hendrick's Gin, lime, Drambuie honey liqueur, tarragon and tonic water.
-714 W. Olympic Blvd, Downtown, 213.745.7090,
canarumbar.com
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
Drink smith Damian Windsor first started working with market ingredients at the Park Hyatt Sydney Hotel in 2000. At The Roger Room—next to Largo at the Coronet—Windsor continues to keep things fresh, topping his bar with ingredients like basil, mint, jalapeño, habanero and a number of fresh fruits. He enjoys using fresh herbs since they contribute “versatility, plus the freshness…It’s not necessarily just mint and basil. Mint goes really well with lemon. Make cilantro lemonade, throw a pepper in. Throw a mango in. I like the progression.” Four Aces combines Canton ginger liqueur, Hennessy Cognac, muddled grapes and basil, with a basil garnish. Spring Street resulted from a visit to New York’s Milk & Honey where Windsor drank two drinks side by side: a Mojito and Harvey Wallbanger. His hybrid incorporates vodka, mint, orange juice, Galliano and crushed ice.
-370 N. La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, 310.854.1300
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
Julian Cox’s bar has served as a formidable counterbalance to chef John Rivera Sedlar’s kitchen. Examples of his “market fresh mixology” appear in Aguas Frescas like the Jugo de Piña, with tequila blanco, Thai basil, pineapple and a cava float; and one of his signatures—Blood Sugar Sex Magic—rye whiskey with red pepper, agave nectar and basil. There’s a separate category for Cocteles Aromaticos, which are “aromatic stirred and strong.” For spring, he featured a Smoked Manhattan, spraying a sprig of rosemary with atomized green Charteuse and flaming the sprig with lighter. The “smoked” rosemary’s stirred with Old Overholt rye, served in a martini glass and garnished with half a sprig, so it smells like Christmas when you sip.
-1050 S. Flower St, Downtown, 213.749.1460,
riverarestaurant.com
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
Michael Shearin oversees Celestino Drago’s beverage program at City National Plaza. At the modern bar with a communal wood table, Shearin features some herbaceous options. Arancia Messanica is a smoky cocktail combining Sombra mezcal, red bell pepper, cilantro, agave nectar and limejuice, with a smoked salt rim and red bell pepper garnish. The name translates from Italian as “Clockwork Orange,” due to the color. Shearin bares his fangs with the Draculino, a reddish-pink cocktail involving Distillery No. 209 Gin, Dimmi liquori, Harry's strawberries, basil and lemon juice, garnished with a toothpick that spears a strawberry and basil leaf. “I feel like fresh herbs add such an aromatic freshness,” says Shearin. “They help to “lift” the aromatic properties of the drink which creates even more complexity.” This summer, Shearin plans to experiment with Kaffir lime leaves, lemon balm and orange blossoms.
-525 S. Flower St, Downtown, 213.228.8998,
dragocentro.com
courtesy of Joshua Lurie
Noted bartender and luxury ice smith Michel Dozois consulted on the cocktail list at this new market-driven restaurant next to the Pasadena Playhouse. Bar manager Lacey Murillo is a believer in using fresh herbs, saying, “It adds more flavor, adds another dimension to the cocktail.” She previously made a cocktail with Thai basil, sweet chile oil and mezcal. Recent selections included the Raspberry Thyme Smash with Hendrick’s gin, lemon wedges and simple syrup, with muddled thyme and raspberries served on crushed ice. There’s also a Basil Ivy Cocktail with vodka, basil, fresh limejuice and simple syrup, served up.
-37 S. El Molino Ave, Pasadena, 626.440.0044,
elementskitchen.com
Library Bar, courtesy of Joshua Lurie
