It was only a matter of time until Cleveland's cocktail scene began to catch up with its food scene. Just as local chefs now routinely rely on fresh ingredients to construct their menus, area bartenders are following suit. Vanishing from bars are the bottles of Rose's concentrated lime juice, replaced by freshly cut citrus, squeezed at the last possible moment. Fading, too, are apathetic bar jockeys who know little and care less about the spirits behind them and the people in front of them. Today's enlightened bartender – or bar chef, or mixologist – is truly passionate about the art and craft of the cocktail.
"With the evolution of the dining scene in Cleveland, customers are becoming more educated and sophisticated about food," explains David Haynes, bartender at Dante. "That sophistication naturally carries over into cocktails. Customers are no longer satisfied with a cold Budweiser."
That trend often appears in the form of classic cocktails, a category of pre-Prohibition drinks with names like Manhattan, Sazerac, Aviation and Old-Fashioned. In many of Cleveland's top bars and restaurants, artificially colored "martinis" are giving way to refined potions with balance, complexity and pedigree. More than just nostalgia for the "good old days," this classic cocktail craze signifies the dawning of the second Golden Age of Cocktails.
"You see it any every market – pre-Prohibition era cocktails are always the beginning of an improved cocktail culture," says Chris Minnillo, bartender at Duck Island Club. "You can't run until you can walk, and these drinks are the foundation for all that followed. They aren't classics for no reason; they stand the test of time because they taste great."
The reason they taste great is no accident, adds Minnillo. Like any great recipe, they adhere to a formula that produces equilibrium and deliciousness. The heat of the alcohol is offset by the sweetness of fruit or simple syrup. Aromatic bitters add depth and enhance flavors. Citrus notes brighten the drink while water or ice softens the blow. Truly a sum-of-its-parts creation, a well-crafted cocktail can be a revelation to imbibers accustomed to one-dimensional drinks.
Since opening the Velvet Tango Room nearly 15 years ago, Paulius Nasvytis has been championing classic cocktails in much the same way Parker Bosley did for local cuisine. His dedication to fresh ingredients, impeccable technique, and unwavering consistency has served as inspiration to a new generation of bartenders.
"Bartending went from being an honorable profession before entering a downward spiral accelerated by the advent of cocktails with stupid names and crappy ingredients," notes Nasvytis. "A whole generation of bartenders lost the ability to make a proper drink. It's a whole different game now. A lot of younger bartenders have been taking notice of what we're doing here and are following suit."
And that's precisely what it will take to expand this trend beyond a small niche of well-heeled cocktail geeks. More often than not, it's because of a trusted bartender that a customer will first venture into that great cocktail unknown. A diner who trusts a chef is more likely to spring for one of his or her more creative specials. Same holds true when bending elbows at the bar.
"A bartender shouldn't just be an order-taker," says Joe DeLuca, owner of the consulting company Beverage Resources. "A bartender should educate the guest and inspire them to try new products. They should be able to offer historical perspective on classic cocktails and spirits. We don't want chefs in the kitchen who don't know their cuts of beef, and we shouldn't have bartenders that don't know their spirits."
Thanks in no small part to Nasvytis at VTR, Cleveland is enjoying the same sort of cocktail revolution that is taking place in New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia, albeit on a much smaller scale. But Cleveland might also be better than those cities when it comes to learning the ropes.
"What's great about Cleveland as opposed to some of the larger markets is that we have places where customers can step gradually into the scene," says Everest Curley, a former bartender now with Premium Beverage. "It can be very intimidating ordering a drink in some of those other places."
At Dragonfly, bartender Mike Gulley is doing his part to get customers excited about fine spirits and drinks. In addition to crafting classic cocktails with modern flair, Gulley holds informal seminars on liquors and mixology.
"We need to get the younger crowd interested in cocktail culture," Gulley says. "The way we do that is with the democratization of the cocktail – making them more approachable, less pretentious, and more affordable. I mean it in the nicest way when I say Velvet Tango Room is a museum, while we're an amusement park. I want you to come here and experience three different cocktails, not just one."
We'll drink to that.
WHERE TO SAMPLE CLEVELAND'S FINEST
As Paulius Nasvytis likes to say, "You can't boil an egg until you learn how to boil water." At Velvet Tango Room (2095 Columbus Rd., 216.241.8869, velvettangoroom.com), tipplers can sip faithful representations of history's finest elixirs. To ensure exacting consistency, cocktails are built gram by gram on a chemist's scale. Try the Ramos Gin Fizz, a labor-intensive beverage made from small-batch gin, orange blossom water, citrus juices and egg whites that has the ethereal consistency of clouds.
"The reason I go to work everyday is so that I can buy a cocktail at Velvet Tango Room," says Chris Minnillo of Duck Island (2102 Freeman Ave., 216.621.7676). "But at $15 a pop, who can afford more than one?" In Minnillo's hands, less expensive spirits are transformed into well balanced – and affordable – cocktails so that we can say, "Another round, please," without flinching. Duck Island's Manhattan may not be made with $60 rye, but the drink still tastes like a million bucks.
"I like to take cocktails from the Golden Age and put a modern spin on them," says David Haynes of Dante (2247 Professor Ave., 216.274.1200, restaurantdante.us). As comfortable behind the range as he is the bar, Haynes is a bona fide "bar chef," artfully melding spirits with kitchen ingredients to deeply satisfying results. To pack three layers of olive flavor into his Dirty, Filthy, Nasty martini, he mixes the gin with kalamata olive brine, floats the drink with olive brine foam, and garnishes it with chopped dehydrated olives. Filthy delicious.
A well-crafted cocktail is never one-dimensional; it should produce a harmonious symphony of flavors – and maybe a surprise. Take a sip of Crop Bistro's (1400 W. 6th St., 216.696.CROP, cropbistro.com) New Fashioned and you'll experience successive waves of heat, sweet, sugar and spice. Maker's Mark bourbon is muddled with chipotle-cured cherries, providing a bracing but welcome dose of spice in the finish. That subtle kick in the pants makes it impossible to ignore your drink.
Taking things to the next level is Mike Gulley of Dragonfly(1865 W. 25th St., 216.696.7774, dragonflycleveland.com). Part of a growing trend of molecular mixologists, Gulley uses high-tech equipment and techniques to produce unconventional – yet delicious – cocktails. In a process called "fat washing," bacon flavor is introduced to bourbon while leaving no actual fat. That bourbon is then used to make a meaty Old Fashioned. When topped with maple syrup foam, it becomes the breakfast of barflies.
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