INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Would you say that you have any mentors?

Chris Dimitri was one. My father was a bartender. When I was younger, I never thtought I was like my father. My father’s outgoing, a conversationalist, the life of the party. My father went to being a maitre ‘d. I was always shy as a kid, never thought I’d be able to stand in front of people and talk to them. Looking back, my father and I are more alike than I ever realized.

Who are some other bartenders that you really admire, and how come?

I could mention a lot of guys. Tony Abou-Ganim, who came up before us. Gary Regan, Dave Wondrich, who brought this information to the forefront. In terms of contemporaries, I was amazed by Scott Beattie, who was out at Cyrus at the time. I was really amazed at the complexity of ingredients an the simplicity of flavors that he created. Another person, Jim Meehan, is a genius. I don’t think there’s another bartender I’d rather hang out with and have conversations. He’s just a humble, sweet guy.

What was the last cocktail you developed, and what was your approach?

I’m opening a new restaurant in Dallas, in development. It’s going to be called Marquee Grill & Bar. I’m developing the menu right now and am going to be playing with a lot of ingredients that I haven’t before. It’s going to be a fresh start…It’s going to be open in the beginning of April.

Could you mention one specific drink?

I don’t have a name for it yet, but it’s reposado mezcal with yellow chartreuse, St. Germain and lemon juice. I was looking to create a mezcal cocktail. I’ve been playing with mezcals more frequently. Texas is the second biggest state for tequila, but for most part, the cocktails tend to be margaritas. I just thought Dallas in particular had an advantage over other cities in that tequila’s in the DNA, so I wanted to reintroduce what mezcal could be. I’m going to have a lot tequila and mezcal in my cocktails.

What’s a great simple cocktail recipe for people to make at home?

I’m calling it a Distinguished Gentleman from Kentucky. It’s an old fashioned variation, a little bit of sugar, a few dashes of peach of Peychaud bitters, a dash of Benedictine and bourbon – Maker’s 46 – two ounces. Stir it up, strain it over ice and serve it with a lemon twist, a mint sprig and seasonal fruit.

If you could only fill your glass with one more cocktail, what would be in the glass?

To this day a Negroni is still my favorite cocktail of all time. The first time I drank a Negroni is when my brain switched.

Who would make it?

Dushan Zaric.