DRINK/EVENTS - Cocktails with Charlotte Voisey at The Eldridge

We checked out the Time Out Dining & Libation Society's 'Cocktails at The Eldridge' last night....a night of delicious cocktails with master mixologist Charlotte Voisey, sponsored by Hendrick's Gin and Palm Beer. The four hour event was a simple, open bar mixer featuring great cocktails at the lower east side 'secret' hot spot, the Eldridge. The event itself was crowded and a little difficult to navigate. The crowd was appropriately fitting for the event, mostly young professionals, still dolled up from work and happy hour ready. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves, and more importantly the cocktails.

The cocktail list:
Solerno Blood Orange Bellini:
Solerno, Boiron blood orange puree, prosecco

Modern Miracle Margarita:
Milagro Silver, Solerno, agave nectar, fresh lime juice

Stoli Snow Maiden:
Stolichnaya, Solerno, apple juice, Luxardo maraschino liquor, fresh lemon juice

Little Miss Hendrick's:
Hendrick's, Aperol, clementine, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, edible gold flakes


Unfortunately, our attempt to try out each of the highlighted cocktails was foiled, as the very popular margarita sold out within the first hour. However, the three others were delicious. Our favorite was the Little Miss Hendrick's, for it's underlying yet not overbearing sweetness and the always wonderful flavor of Hendrick's. We were also swayed just a bit by the gold flakes (straight from a salt shaker - a nice added touch). The Bellini was ultra-sweet, and mm-mmm good and the Snow Maiden was also extremely tasty (with a punch!).

Well known in the world of mixology, Charlotte Voisey was named U.K. Bartender of the Year in 2004 and won the IBA World Female Bartending Championships in 2006. Her cocktails can be found on menus across the world.

www.dlsociety.com

Excerpts from Voisey's speech:
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"The four drinks featured were made with very fresh ingredients, seasonally inspired and made with very good base spirits. Because it really does matter what you put into a cocktail.

"The specific theme for this evening is the blood orange. Featuring Solerno, a new blood orange liqueur from Italy...hence the margarita, which some of you have been coming back to the bar for more... the Belini, which is a little lighter in alcohol...it has a blood orange puree...a french Boiron puree...and probably my personal favorite this evening, the Little Miss Hendricks: Hendrick's gin, which is a boutique gin from Scotland, infused with cucumber and rose, really has inspried a new generation of gin drinkers. i think that three years ago, we wouldn't have been standing here in the trendiest bar in New York, enjoying gin cocktails together...but here we are, a sign of the times. Little Miss Hendrick's is made with freshly pressed clementine, a little bit of lime, and aperol - which is an italian - very similar to campari...a little less forceful, a bit more delicate, and of course Hendricks Gin. And i've garnished the Little Miss Hendrick's with some gold flakes - we ARE in the eldridge, and therefore, we ARE having a glamorous evening out...."

On respect for the bartender's creations:
"I think it's part of the bartender's role to really make everyone feel welcome and have exactly what they want to drink. That said, when we put a cocktail menu together, its because we spend a lot of time and effort to put our very best strengths together, and we're proud to show you. So often, when people come up and take a long look at the cocktail menu, put it down and say, "I'll just have a beer, thanks" it's kind of like, "Oh wow, all that work we put into the cocktail menu didn't inspire you at all." So sometimes it's nice to just check in with the bartender and see if there's a speciality, something that they're famous for, what's fresh. What do you have that tastes fantastic? 'Cause you could be missing out on something if you order your regular drink every time you go out."

On the mixology trend:
"I think there's a few reasons. First, I think that the art of mixology and drinking follows behind gastronomy and eating. And if you follow the way that we dine out and what's available to us...what we expect when we go to restaurants has significantly risen. And I think it's the same with mixology.

"There's also more availability of historic information. Us bartenders, we get together and geek out with historic bartending...it's really rather dull but we find it interesting. We like to think about what people would drink in the 1800s, and research those recipes. And the fun part of it is to bring back fun recipes from the 1800s and serve them in 2008, 2009 with a modern twist. Take an historic idea and serve it today with a contemporary twist. People think they're tasting something wonderful and new and actually it's steeped in history...so the availability of historic information plus the inspiration we get from gastronomy helps fuel this wonderful interest in the classic cocktail."

On trial and error:
"Inspiration to create new cocktails comes from many places, but a big one of them is trial and error. 'What would happen if we mix this and this together?' That's what happened with [the process of] maturing spirits way back when. Someone decided to store some freshly made spirit in a barrel, put it on a boat. And when it got to the destination, it tasted so much better. And now we're enjoying 45 or 50 year old single malt whiskeys."

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-jmd, ca