Cocktails and Mocktails at Reserve: Behind the Scenes with Katie Harmon

March 9, 2023

Our team at Reserve thoughtfully crafts not only our wine and food, but our cocktails and mocktails as well. This month, our incredible service manager, Katie Harmon, shares the inspiration behind our cocktail program!

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Before I get individually specific with each drink, I want to pinpoint the clear direction of our cocktail program as a whole. These values have been established by our Executive Chef, Luke, Beverage Director, Ben, and myself. We aim to focus on:

aligning with and echoing our culinary program – with nuanced seasonal changes, sourcing locally whenever possible
creating in-house accoutrements to pair for garnish as well as incorporating components made in-house that assist in the structure of the drinks themselves (syrups, bitters, garnish, etc.)
aesthetic – from color, chosen glassware, garnish, and variety between presentation of each individual cocktail
guest accommodation & creating a menu that does not only cater to those guests that choose to enjoy an alcoholic cocktail (mocktails are amazing too!)
collaboration; (in my humble opinion) a beverage program should not echo one palate or one voice, the more feedback and ideas the better

Ok, let’s get into each cocktail!

CLASSIC RIFFS

Chauncey Billups

Pierre Ferrand 1840, Beefeater, Rittenhouse Rye, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
Expressed lemon peel garnish
Served up in a Nick & Nora

This cocktail is a riff off of a traditional Chauncey. I updated the build to be more interesting and, additionally, I used more unique expressions of each spirit component to create subtle (yet complex) nuances on the palate. The expressed lemon peel really elevates and lifts this very spirit-forward cocktail. This cocktail also offers guests less familiar with cognac an opportunity to test those waters (and Pierre Ferrand 1840 is a lovely and approachable cognac to lean into).

Let’s Go Camping

El Mayor Reposado Tequila, Banhez, Sfumato Rabarbaro, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
Housemade meringue garnish on a skewer (to look like a little marshmallow) with expressed orange
Stirred and served in a Lowball with a giant rock

This cocktail is a riff off of a classic Negroni Mezcalito with several distinctive differences: instead of Mezcal Joven, campari, an artichoke-driven amaro, and sweet vermouth I used Reposado Tequila and Mezcal Joven, an earth-toned rhubarb amaro, and a rich, sweet vermouth. The balance of sweet and smoky/savory flavors work so interestingly well together! This cocktail also has the most unique garnish – a skewered meringue – that acts like (and appears to be) a toasted marshmallow.

The creative focus for this drink became incorporating flavors and aromatics that would emulate the experience of toasting marshmallows around a campfire. The pressure point during this creative process was the garnish; I wanted to create a garnish that emulated a marshmallow in sweetness and aesthetic without being as rich and heavy as an actual marshmallow. Chef Luke and Chef Claire assisted me with the creative conceptualization of this drink, pointing me in the right direction, and our Pastry Chef, Rawan, taught me how to make and shape meringues. Cheers to them!

Calling Mr. Marshall

Coppercraft Single Barrel Bourbon, Watershed Nocino, Averna, Cocchi di Torino
Garnished with a skewered Toschi cherry
Served up in a chilled Coupe

This cocktail is a riff off of the classic Manhattan. The name is inspired by the original creator of the classic, Dr. Iain Marshall, who supposedly made the iconic original cocktail for Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston Churchill’s mother) at the Manhattan club in New York City back in the early 1880s. Calling Mr. Marshall was created by Jason, and is also partially inspired by a Black Manhattan, or a traditional Manhattan that contains amaro (an Italian bittersweet and botanically-driven liqueur). It’s balanced, perfect, and absolutely delicious!

Reserve New Fashioned

Rittenhouse Rye, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, burnt honey, bitters

Unfortunately, I can take no credit for this one – a previous bar manager created this little dream. It’s been on the menu for some time and has been our most beloved and most ordered cocktail for over a year.

IN HOUSE CONCEPTS

Sake to Me

(pictured in the middle)
Daiginjo Sake, Empress gin, star anise syrup, lemon, maraschino liqueur, Romana Sambuca
Garnished with an edible flower and atomized Sambuca
Served up in a Nick & Nora

This cocktail is most certainly a visceral stand out on the menu. The ingredients may seem adventurous to some guests, but this drink is incredible and very worth leaning out of your comfort zone for. This cocktail is our team member, Joey’s; her original concept was to create a Sake-based cocktail that had a beautiful and bright color. After playing with more expressive and fragranced liqueurs (Creme de Violette most notably), she added Empress gin to achieve a more cohesive structure along with the gorgeous violet color. The star anise syrup and the Sambuca brings such a stunning mouth feel and aroma while lemon juice adds the acidic component that lifts this cocktail and maraschino liqueur helps achieve the roundness it deserves.

Bergamot in Wonderland

Italicus Rosilio di Bergamotto, Ferrari, Blueberry shrub, Angostura bitters
Expressed Lemon peel garnish
Served in a Champagne flute

Personally, I am very in love with Italicus (which is a rose, bergamot, and citrus based liqueur created in Italy in 2015) and I wanted to bring it into Reserve. Joey and I worked together to R&D this cocktail and I love it. It’s sweet but balanced, has the acid and the bubbles… It’s just fantastic.

Lychee Preachee

Plantation 3 Star Rum, Maraschino Liqueur, Lychee Cordial, Lemon, Cinnamon simple syrup
8 dashes Angostura bitters garnish
Served in a Highball glass

This concept is something I’ve been working with for quite some time. The inspiration came to me, loosely, as an adaptation of a Rum-inspired Last Word. It turned into something pretty drastically different, but essentially, you will still see certain components of a Last Word (which is, in fact, my favorite classic), you’ll still see maraschino liqueur and lemon (originally, I began with lime, but changed the citrus component to fresh lemon). Additionally, I have seen lychee being used more frequently in the last several years amongst industry professionals and instead of the juice itself, I decided to go with a lychee cordial that would be richer and offer more viscosity in structure in comparison to a juice. This R&D took some time, but I’m really happy with the result. The garnish is simple and unique and this drink is insanely crushable and thirst-quenching. Another personal favorite of mine.

NA COCKTAILS

Orange You Glad

Fresh Orange juice, simple syrup, cream
Garnished with fresh, half-wheel sliced orange
Served in a Highball over ice

This cocktail is our team member, Jason’s creation and it is inspired by an orange creamsicle. It’s rich, but not too heavy – beautiful, and delicious. The cream sits on the top of the drink and it’s garnished with a fresh half-wheel slice of orange. This drink is perfect going into springtime.

Spill The Tea

House Infused Tea, red currant syrup, ginger water, ginger beer
Garnished with a lemon wedge, set atop a mount of ice
Served in a globe

Ginger lovers unite – this drink is sharp and creamy. The spice from the ginger is such a great kick to balance the sweet heaviness from the tea. Joey and I played with this cocktail for days to finally nail it – I knew that it needed to be sweet but I wanted it to remain refreshing and make guests long to eat food alongside it. I’m very happy how it develops on your palate the more you drink. I love the glass and presentation as well.

Ina Garten

Lime, mint, cilantro, juniper simple syrup, Thai chili
Mint sprig garnish
Served in a footed parfait glass

My goal for the non-alcoholic drink menu was to have something creamy (Orange You Glad), something tea-infused (Spill The Tea), and something tart (Ina Garten). This drink is definitely just that – tart, bright, acidic, and refreshing. It’s also a beautiful lime green color and served in a sweet parfait glass. It has just the right amount of sweet heat from the Thai chilies, which makes it more interesting. When I thought about the name, Ina Garten popped in my head. It was perfectly cheeky, and I love that.