Complex cocktails
The A-Z Cocktail, conceptualized by Bompas & Parr and available at W Hotel in Times Square during January 2019, boasts one ingredient for every letter of the alphabet. “It would be all too easy to randomly combine a minibar’s worth of ingredients and make something undrinkable. The challenge here was to create something beyond novelty for its own sake and end up with a balanced drink,” says Harry Parr, cofounder of Bompas & Parr and the cocktail’s creator.
The ingredient list includes eight types of rum, three types of cognac, one of mezcal, one of gin, six liqueurs and two types of bitters, as well as vermouth and other aperitif wines from around the globe. The objective? An unusual drinking experience—one that consumers would be hard-pressed to create at home. “The idea with mixing so many rums is to get a more intriguing flavour pro le than what you might be able to achieve with a simple serve,” says Parr.
The beverage program at upscale Mexican eatery Xixa in Brooklyn offers deconstructed takes on classic cocktails. These complex creations feature multi-ingredient ice cubes which are then dropped into the drinker’s liquor of choice. The Old Fashioned Cube, for example, freezes together 23 ingredients to recreate the spicy, citrusy, smoky essence of the cocktail. The ice cube is added to a couple of ounces of alcohol, and the flavour pro le evolves with each sip as the cube melts, for a progressive and unique drinking experience.
Why it’s interesting: With millennials and generation Z drinking less, it takes more for alcohol to grab their attention. Bars and restaurants are stepping up their game in response, leaning into sensational, compelling cocktails that pique drinkers’ interest and offer a unique experience that can’t be recreated at home.
