Female Mixologists Set Cocktail Trends
Leave it to the female pros to stir up creative cocktails with an edge
Banish the word bartender; it’s professional cocktail artist or mixologist. To shine in this relatively male-dominated industry takes more than knowing how to mix up a cocktail. The expertise encompasses a shot of personal journey, a mix of determination, with a shake of talent…on the rocks.
LOGAN LAVACHEK
Mixologist, The Roof on The Wit
After graduating from DePaul University, Logan Lavachek thought finance was her path. Quickly realizing crunching numbers didn’t suit her vibrant personality, her bartending experience, which started at Sepia, was taken to a new level when she moved into her current position at The Roof. “When you put your energy and passion into anything, you get results,” she explains of her fast rise. The hottest drink trend, according to Ms. Lavachek? “Punches, but in a classy, creative way. They bring people together.” Her “try this” drink is the Calvados Cocktail, which she describes as robust in flavor and perfect for forgetting those gray winter days. It includes Calvados, Cointreau, fresh orange juice and orange bitters.
Calvados Cocktail
2 parts Calvados brandy
2 parts orange juice
1 part Cointreau
1 part orange bitters (Fee's or Angostura Orange)
Combine all ingredients together in a mixing glass, add ice, shake until chilled, pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon or orange twist.
JENNIFER CONTRAVEOS
Mixologist, Mercadito
What happens in Vegas didn’t quite stay in Vegas, as Jennifer Contraveos' passion and cocktail career made its way back from Sin City to her current home, The Windy City. In Las Vegas, she gained experience by working with the best of the best, including Thomas Keller at Bouchon, BOA Steakhouse and well-known Tony Abou-Ganim, “The Modern Mixologist.” After 12 years on the Strip, she moved to Chicago in 2005 and worked at Connie's Pizza, where she built a bar concept and trained bartenders. La Madia knocked on her door in 2007 and she started rocking out a consulting business and mixologist competitions. “What I love about the bartending world, the community is very strong and I can go anywhere and find someone who’ll take me under their wing,” Ms. Contraveos says. She likes to 'wow' Chicagoans with a Chicago-inspired cocktail, the Dickens Flip, which contains rye, cherry heering, Bénédictine, angostura bitters, a whole egg and cinnamon.
Dickens Flip
.75 oz Old Overholt Rye Whiskey
.75 oz Cherry Herring
.5 oz Benedictine
.25 oz Angostura Aromatic Bitters
.25 oz Demerara Syrup (2:1)
1 whole egg
Pinch of cinnamon
Expressed orange peel, discarded
Brandied Cherry
In a mixing tin, combine first five ingredients. Dry shake to whip and emulsify. Re-shake with ice. Double strain into small rocks glass with no ice. Express an orange swath and discard. Garnish with a brandied cherry
Tagged as: food and wine, wine, spirits, Mercadito, Matchbox, The Silver Palm and Blackbird
is a self-taught cook and Founder of The Cooking Chicks (www.thecookingchicks.com), Chicago’s top women’s food organization for home cooks boasting over 600 members. She is also a successful Realtor, with a full-fledged growing food career who’s hired for private dinners and special events. Her experience encompasses live demonstrations with Kenmore Live Studio and Sears, she is currently touring to food and wine events with Alexia All Natural Foods demonstrating recipes and creating brand awareness.
BENTHETIPSYBEAR Posted on 13:40, Dec 8th 2011
For the Dickens Flip - I'm sure you mean to put the first *six* ingredients into the mixing tin. Otherwise the egg is left out!
Cheers! -Ben