Bartender Josh Perry Shakes Up the 1833 Cocktail Menu
Story and Photos by Camilla M. Mann
May 24, 2016 – Late last week, lead bartender Josh Perry set
up a bar beneath the redwood tree and invited media folks to preview of his
brand new cocktail menu. Though Perry has been part of the Restaurant 1833
staff since March of 2015, this is the first cocktail menu that showcases all
of his own creations.
“I started developing this menu in January,” Perry said. “I
was looking for maximum flavor with minimal ingredients.” As we eagerly eyed
the menu, devouring the cocktail titles and descriptions, he continued, “You
should see the six hundred and twenty five recipes that didn’t make the cut!”
Standing over a tray of his Coconut Milk Punch, Perry told
us the story of how he started mixing drinks two decades ago – when he was six
years old. It was Easter Sunday and his grandfather decided it was time for him
to learn how to make an Old Fashioned. When he got to describing the pour,
Perry held up three fingers, “’Normally you would pour two fingers’ worth. But
my grandfather said ‘your fingers are small, so make it three.’”
The Coconut Milk Punch takes four days to make
and involves seven different strainings; Perry describes it as a clarified piña
colada. It features copper pot-distilled Trinidad rum and a liqueur that oozes
the essence of the Caribbean with flavors of vanilla, ginger, and clove. While
I can appreciate the craftsmanship involved, it was not my favorite of the five
we tried that evening.
Perry’s Hummingbird was inspired by the lavender
bushes just outside the kitchen window. The cocktail includes a homemade
lavender tincture, something akin to lavender bitters, made from those fragrant
bushes and is decorated with a lavender sprig.
While Perry mixed and poured, Chef Jason Franey brought out
some bites for us to share, including the Guajillo Chile-Crusted Baby Back Pork
Ribs, Seasonal Mushroom Flatbread, and Homemade Falafel. As Perry talked about
how the bar menu must complement the restaurant menu, we finally made it to his
favorite cocktail: the Banana Boulevardier.
Boulevardier is the mysterious cousin to the
Negroni. While the Negroni is simultaneously sharp and smooth, substituting
whiskey for gin lends the Boulevardier a robust richness. “I love the
Boulevardier because it takes such classic flavors of the original cocktail and
throws in a twist that is both bold and nuanced within the drink,” explained
Perry. When I asked what he would pair with his favorite cocktail, he paused
for a moment and said, “The Banana Boulevardier goes very well with the Fire
Roasted Sunchokes or our market fish selections.”
My favorite cocktail of the night was his Smokey
& the Bandit. A concoction with both bourbon and mezcal, it was sort of
like a sultry, supple kiss—tongue-tingling with a lingering sweetness and just
a caress of heat from the homemade poblano-tabasco syrup. Perry let me try the
syrup aside from the cocktail and I was instantly smitten. My mind began
spinning with a dozen of other applications. But in the cocktail, it provided
the perfect balance of sweetness to the citrus, smoky, and spicy flavors.
The menu is officially launched. Up next for Perry, he has
submitted a cocktail for Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender
competition. “I am currently waiting to hear back on the results of my
submission. If selected, I will be traveling to London to compete in the
finals,” he said. While he didn’t share the name of his drink, he did share
that the cocktail contains Bombay Sapphire, mango curry, sherry, Rangpur limes,
Thai basil, and egg whites. Whether the cocktail is honored, or not, I hope it
makes it to the menu at 1833. It sounds fabulous.
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