EDP 2018

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THE COLORADO BUCK
When the Pasadena Hilton was built in
1971, no one could have foreseen the
craft cocktail movement that headed
this way four decades later. Good thing
the hotel’s September remodel, which
included the new Corner Craft Cocktail
+ Bar, kept pace with this welcome
development. Located to the left of the
expansive lobby as you enter, the bar
has a cool, clean and sleek look; a retro
Italian vibe with gray and beige tones
is accented by walnut trim, and large
windows overlook Los Robles Avenue.
The bar offers a number of original
cocktails, including the Colorado Buck. It’s so named not only for the
whiskey in the drink, but also for Colorado Boulevard’s location in
the heart of Pasadena. This is the whiskey cocktail for non-whiskey
drinkers as it is mild and subtle. The addition of fresh strawberry and
mildly effervescent ginger beer brings lightness to the drink, lending a
playful accent to this very adult cocktail. The fresh mint, not meant to
be submerged, offers a refreshing olfactory burst, resulting in a drink
that’s easygoing and easily consumed. Beverage Manager Marcos Villanueva
suggests pairing it with the duck egg fettuccine with shiitake
mushrooms, or hoisin-glazed lamb ribs.
INGREDIENTS
Two fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Juice of half a lemon
1¾ ounces Tincup Whiskey
Dash Angostura bitters
1 ounce Fever Tree Ginger Beer
METHOD
Muddle strawberry, lemon juice and agave. Double strain into shaker. Add ice,
bitters and whiskey, and lightly shake. Pour into a highball glass, add ginger
beer and serve with mint-sprig garnish.
THE ROSE BOWL
When Twohey’s opened its second location
in Pasadena last October, creating
a brother to its 75-year-old Alhambra
location, the new eatery was designed as
an upscale tavern — a classic American
diner for the 21st century. Located
just off the 210 Freeway, the vibe of the
place, now called Foothill, is decidedly
different from Twohey’s burger joint,
exuding a postmodern feel. There are
communal tables, semi-private two- and
four-tops and tables with comfy chairs.
The palette is decidedly beige and silver,
the white marble bar a counterpoint to
the earth tones dominating the interior.
The food and cocktail menus rotate often, but The Rose Bowl, an
Arroyo riff on a pisco sour, remains steadfastly on the menu. Light,
bright and viscous, this cocktail offers simplicity and depth while, with
the aid of the fresh fruit, avoiding the sourness and stringent acidic
notes of a traditional pisco. The egg whites create a creamy texture,
as well as a light frothiness. The pink hue, reminiscent of the roses at
the Rose Parade, is appealing; however, this is not a sweet cocktail.
Bartender Albaro Olguin suggests sipping it with either the Channel
Islands rockfish with charred fennel, or the Dutch-style burger with
Napa cabbage and dill aioli.
INGREDIENTS
1 strawberry
2 dashes Fee Brothers Peach
Bitters
¾ ounce egg whites
3/8 ounce lime juice
3/8 ounce lemon juice
¾ ounce rose syrup
½ ounce Uncle Val’s Restorative
Gin
1½ ounces Campo de Encanto
Moscatel Pisco
METHOD
Muddle strawberry in a shaker, then add the rest of the ingredients. Dry shake,
add ice and shake another 10 seconds. Strain into a glass coupe and garnish
with an edible rosebud.
PIRATE’S GOLD
Ombra is an open-air wine and cocktail bar,
which opened in mid-2016 at the Americana
at Brand in Glendale. Seeking to set their
cocktail program apart from the mainstream,
proprietor Andrea Scuto scoured
bars in Los Angeles and New Orleans. “I
searched and searched for what was different
and unique,” he says. “Cocktails spark
people’s imagination.” Scuto’s cocktail
menu changes quarterly, to keep it fresh
and interesting, but unique drinks like
Pirate’s Gold will always remain. And as
this cocktail suggests, Ombra is pursuing less traditional cocktails with
a bit of theatrical flare.
A mélange of rum, tamarind and ginger beer, accented with fresh
citrus, it seems like this should taste bold. “This is a big boy,” says Andrea.
But it’s really not a heavy drink, just a robust cocktail, with citrus
that lightens the dark notes of the tamarind and brings out the brown
spice and sweetness of the rum. Sample this with Ombra’s flatbread
topped with blue-cheese spinach, caramelized onions and provolone
cheese, or their jalapeño and whole-grain-mustard deviled eggs.
INGREDIENTS
1¾ ounce Sailor Jerry’s Spiced
Rum
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce housemade tamarind
syrup(1-to-1 ratio tamarind
paste, sugar and water)
½ ounce True Roots Ginger Beer
METHOD
1. Shake all ingredients together. Pour over ice cubes in a tumbler.
2. Spray edible gold spray around lip of glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick
and lime wedge.
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