I moved to the Palms with the opening of the new tower almost 2 years ago at the N9NE Steakhouse. Working in the steakhouse really is the dream job. It's one of the busiest restaurants in the city and is the perfect playground for mixing great cocktails. We get large groups of young, hip trendsetters that are just getting their night started. It's a place to have dinner while getting ready for a long night in the hottest nightclubs in town which are just next door or upstairs. We constantly have some of the most famous people in the world coming through the front doors and hundreds more just hoping to get a glimpse. That's where I come in. My job is essentially to keep the party going and flowing. I push out up to 1800 cocktails in any given night and it's important that they come out fast tasting great so patrons keep ordering. An important part of our night is the selling of shots. I've made rounds of shots ranging from 1 to 80 at a time. You have to understand that when you are doing shots for large parties, you really have to make them taste great to everyone in the party, both men and women. It's the bartenders job to create the center line where everyone will be happy and it will taste great.
One night, a coworker came to me and said that "everyone on that table is talking absinthe, make those shots that you do and show them why you're the best in town!" I whipped up my original creations that I experimented with just days before: The Gargoyle, Van Gogh, and The Green Fairy. Absinthe, mixable? Who would have thought? Get creative, and put your heart in it, good things happen and people will remember what you did for them. Make the Gargoyle with fresh lemon and rock candy syrup as a lemon drop and bang! It's really that easy. The other day I sent out 3 tasters of the Senjo -Le Tourment Vert mixed with Japanese Yuzu orange juice and rock candy. Next thing I knew, the guys were blown away and ordered 2 rounds of 47 each! I only go through 1 bottle of Jaeger every month, because it's pretty one dimensional - shot of Jaeger, and that's about it. But mixing creates another dimension to Le Tourment Vert, so the selling possibilities grow exponentially.
I have tried a couple different types of absinthe exclusively in traditional form. I found the others to be very strong and borderline harsh! Le Tourment Vert is the perfect absinthe for the American palate. Since it is only 100 proof it's not overwhelming like the others I've experienced. As an American bartender, it is such a treat to be one of the pioneers of the new generation who gets to create with it. It is a virtual blank canvas, open to create whatever you can dream of. I can be the artist and "paint" whatever I feel and it's never been done before. Frozen Absinthe Electric Lemonade are words that would get you kicked out of Europe by the old time purists; but at the The Palms Pool, people are lining up for it! We host crowds who want to try new things and be seen with the latest trends.
In mixing Le Tourment Vert, I have found a couple of key components that really set my cocktails apart. I feel that it is very important to look at the traditional American way of service and incorporate that into the mix. What do we do in America? Sugar cube, Ice, Water. Those ingredients to me should be the basis to all mixed absinthe cocktails. I use rock candy or simple syrup in almost all of my creations. You have to - that's the American palate, we like sweet things. The water is in the the cocktail via the simple syrup and the ice in the mixing tin. When you mix a cocktail, shaken or stirred really makes a difference. Stirring ads about 18% water weight through melting and makes for a stronger drink. Shaking, on the other hand, adds about 28% water weight and creates a mellow flavor. This is very very important to me. A good strong shake will essentially crush that ice and make for a nice mellow, cold, drinkable cocktail.
I really enjoy the flavors that I add to my mixed cocktails. I use fresh fruits and juices whenever I can. I have found that citrus is one of the best compliments to absinthe out there. When you use the simple syrup and mix the fresh citrus, be it lemon, lime, orange or yuzu, you create the perfect flavor balance. The strong, sour acids with the sweet sugar, lead to a beautiful herbal finish. From that base of lemon and simple syrup you can create a lot. Mix that with fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries or pomegranate juice and you have great combinations. The yuzu goes great with simple syrup and fresh strawberry or pomegranate. I normally just run fresh berries in the blender to create my purees. As for the pool cocktails, which are currently the hottest things on property, the sky is the limit. I created the mixes with pina colada, strawberry daquari, frozen lemonade and so on. We also recently came up with a ginger infused Tourment mojito that I aptly named the Quasimojito. No one expected Le Tourment Vert to be the number 2 seller at the pool! People would have said I was crazy for mixing yuzu and strawberry and absinthe. But I know my audience. I knew I could make it taste great.
My message to people that are looking to Le Tourment Vert is simple. Try it out. Unlike other brands which in my opinion are too harsh with to much alcohol content, Le Tourment Vert is extremely smooth, drinkable and mixable. We here in America have been held back for too long. There is a certain mystery and intrigue that comes with the world of Absinthe. I can't believe how this has snowballed into such a huge thing. Le Tourment Vert has come to America and it's here to stay!
To the Maloof Family and the Palms Hotel, thank you for hosting the biggest party in Vegas every day of the year! And to Michael Morton, Andy Belmonti and The N9NE Group, thank you for the honor and privilege of letting me be a part of it!
