HOW I MAKE THAT DRINK (AND WHY IT'S SO GOOD)

José is currently the Beverage Manager & Head Mixologist at the Bedford Stone Street, a destination restaurant in New York City’s financial district. But he’s had an interesting journey to get there.

Born in Mexico City, he grew up in a very religious household, on account of his father, Eduardo, having started an evangelical Catholic sect, Comunidad para niños y adolescentes Arcoíris del espíritu Santo — Rainbow of the Holy Spirit Community for Children and Adolescents. José says, “since I have memory I was part of the group, and started teaching catechism and preaching at 14 until 20.”

He eventually gravitated towards different spirits, moving to New York and landing his first bartending job at Tribeca Canvas, the restaurant by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, where he learnt at the feet, so to speak, of famed Japanese bartender Shingo Gokan. From there José helped to open Cosme, Chef Enrique Olvera’s Mexican fine dining concept, which made the list of the world’s best restaurants. He spent  four years there as bartender.

After a few years in Miami, he returned to New York, again to somewhere closer to his cultural upbringing, the mind-blowingly imaginative (said from experience) small, Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant Claro, across the river from Manhattan in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Here he curated an impressive selection of agave spirits and made some gorgeous cocktails (once again, said from experience). 

After that, our hero went the few miles to Williamsburg, where he bartended at Maison Premiere, during which time it was twice voted one of the best 50 bars in North America. 

For this delicious and sophisticated drink, José said he derived his inspiration from Margaret of Austria, the 16th Century Duchess of Savoy, who lived between 1480 and 1530. “And also the region,” he says. “The ingredients in the cocktail come from France, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland.”

                                                                                  Bob Guccione, Jr

The Drink

The Duchess of Savoy 

This cocktail was inspired by one of the best New York classics, the Adonis — sweet vermouth and sherry. With the same idea about making a low-ABV [alcohol by volume] wine-based cocktail, I used Ingredients from the Savoy region, the corner between France, Italy and Switzerland. 

This cocktail had to be elegant for the Duchess and with a different element, which is the orange vertex peel. For this, we cut a long orange peel and manicure it with cuts to create a vanishing point effect.

Ingredients

1 oz Pasubio Amaro
.50 oz Cocchi Barolo Chinato
.50 oz Rhum J.M Shrubb Liqueur d’Orange
.75 oz amontillado sherry
.25 oz aquavit
3 drops orange bitters 

Preparation

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Pour into a Nick & Nora glass and garnish with an orange vertex peel.