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Maven Erin Hayes

Lost Lake

QUEEN’S CLUB SMASH

2 Ripe Strawberries

6 Mint Leaves

1 oz Aviation American Gin

1 oz Cocchi Americano

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.5 oz Campari

.5 oz Demerara Syrup

4 Dashes Letherbee Absinthe Brun

Muddle fresh strawberries in tin. Add mint and lightly press. Add all other ingredients to tin. Add ice and shake well. Fine strain into a goblet filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint bouquet.

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Maven Erin Hayes

Lost Lake

Chicago, IL

BIO

Native Chicagoan Erin Hayes has worked in the hospitality industry since her very first job making milkshakes and lattes at Grumpy's Cafe. As soon as she turned 21, she graduated to bartending — though it wasn't until Erin began work for the Boka Group at Lincoln Park restaurant Perennial that she discovered a passion for spirits and cocktails. Erin went on to run two unique cocktail programs with the Boka Group at The Hotel Lincoln before pursuing her love of all things rum and tiki under the tutelage of her mentor, Paul McGee. Erin is a three-time Speed Rack competitor and was voted to the Chicago wildcard position at the National Speed Rack Finals in 2015. Today, Erin serves as the Bar Manager at Lost Lake in Chicago, as well as the Midwest Regional Brand Ambassador for Aviation American Gin and Vice President of the Chicago USBG Chapter.

We are doing a Throwback Thursday, because if you did not know, Lost Lake underwent a tragedy and their bar had a fire.  Because of the amazing support of the bar community, they are back up and running!

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Maven Bridget Maloney

Heartwood Provisions

RUBY TUESDAY

2oz Woodford Reserve Rye

.5oz Meletti 1870

.5oz Cocchi Torino Vermouth

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

4 Dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters

Place all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, stir and strain into a coupe.

The inspiration for Ruby Tuesday came from visiting the Woodford Reserve distillery in Kentucky.  There, Bridget, and a group of bartenders from across the country tasted Woodford while eating things like sorghum, chocolate, orange and parmesan. The tasting helped bring out the different nuances that you will find in Woodford. Wanting to incorporate this experience into a cocktail, Bridget uses Cocchi Torino vermouth, one of her favorites, Meletti 1870 for some orange flavors, Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters, Angostura Bitters and Woodford Reserve Rye. It is a delightful smooth take on a manhattan that Bridget will be happy to make you at Heartwood Provisions.

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Maven Bridget Maloney

Heartwood Provisions

Seattle, WA

BIO

Bridget Maloney was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, relocating to Seattle while she was in high school.  She started working in the food and beverage industry at a young age, working her way up to bartending. Upon graduating from Boise State University, she quickly returned to the world or cocktails.  Since then she has worked at a variety of different places all over Seattle, finally finding her home at the newly opened Heartwood Provisions.  She is the founder of Women Who Love Whiskey, a non-profit she started with a  few other whiskey loving women that provides education and support for women in and around the Seattle area. She has participated in Speed Rack, Camp Runamok, Portland Cocktail Week, the Cocktail Apprentice Program through Tales of the Cocktail, and was named one of the “Female Bartenders You Need to Know About” by Thrillist in Seattle. If that is not enough, she also helped spearhead Mavens Mixing Drinks by getting together all the Mavens.  Thank you for all of your support Bridget.

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Maven Clairessa Chaput

Franklin Cafe

SMOKE SHOW

2 oz Fidencio Clasico Mezcal

.5 oz Barrel-Aged Fernet Branca (2 months) 

.5 oz Demerara Syrup (1:1)

1 Dash Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters 

Stirred and Strained, Served down, Orange peel garnish

The inspiration for my cocktail came from my curiosity of what maturation to Fernet Branca would taste like, so I aged it in a 11 liter American oak barrel with a number 4 char.  The result was so unusual and tasty, I immediately knew I wanted to do a crazy spin on a Toronto.  And knowing how well Fernet and scotch taste together, due to a cocktail named The Smoking Gun, I felt mezcal would be really interesting to try and it worked!

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Maven Clairessa Chaput

Franklin Cafe

Boston, Massachusetts

BIO

I've lived in Boston now for ten years and have almost worked all of them in the South End neighborhood.  I am currently the General Manager and Beverage Director of Franklin Cafe (a 20 year old neighborhood staple).  Been in the industry for 16 years with 11 behind the stick.  Favorite thing about Boston is how amazing our bar community is to one another, we are like family and only want to support each other.  Outside of work, I am a New York sports fan and love living in enemy territory even more, have a habit of dancing every and anywhere at anytime, and am known for my incredibly boisterous laughter.

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Maven Karen Grill

The Bon Vivants

NINE IN THE AFTERNOON

2oz Rutte Dry Gin

.5oz Mandarine Napoléon

.25oz Luxardo Maraschino

1 Barspoon Lemon Juice

2 Dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

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Maven Karen Grill

The Bon Viviants

West Hollywood, CA

BIO

Karen was most recently the USA National Champion for the Beefeater Gin MIXLDN cocktail competition.  She previously worked at Sassafras Saloon.  You might have seen her competing in Speed Rack, but now an attaché with The Bon Viviants.

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Maven Katie Blackstock

Hazlewood

URBAN GARDEN

Fresh Muddled Ginger

2 oz Bourbon

1/4 oz Averna

1/2 oz Lemon Juice

1/4 oz Simple Syrup

2 Dashes Cardamom Bitters

Top with Soda

This is by far... one of our favorite drinks, and when we visit Hazlewood, we always order!

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Maven Katie Blackstock

Hazlewood

Seattle, WA

BIO

Katie was our featured talent on our Bar Back Kickstarter video campaign, so she might look familiar!  Blackstock is a very talented artist and musician in Seattle. When she is not behind the bar or traveling, she’s the lead singer in MASZER, which is a well received up and coming Seattle based band.  She has been a Ballard staple in this rapidly growing Seattle neighborhood.  Stay tuned because this won’t be the last time you see Katie’s face!

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Maven Stephanie Teslar

Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails

FAR EAST SOUR

1 ½ oz Thai tea-infused Copper City bourbon (or any other light and mildly sweet bourbon such as Maker’s Mark)

¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice

¼ oz Luxardo Amaretto

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

½ oz Rich Demerara Syrup (2:1)

1 Fresh Egg White

Shake all ingredients without ice, add ice and double strain up into a coupe. Garnish with 2 luxardo cherries.

I was inspired actually on a whim to make this drink. I already featured the whiskey in a different cocktail on the menu, when a guest came in and asked for that ingredient, but in a more simple drink. They mentioned that they enjoyed whiskey sours, so I took that ingredient and poof! It was so delicious I wanted to keep making that version of the drink.

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Maven Stephanie Teslar

Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails

Phoenix, AZ

BIO

Whether she’s infusing esoteric spirits with local ingredients, using her love of the culinary art to expand the horizons of cocktail ingredients, or resurrecting Prohibition-era recipes, Stephanie Teslar’s curiosity in the art of cocktailing is never-ending. Steph’s interest in the bar began at the age of 17 in her home state of Pennsylvania. Steph fell in love with fine wine and went on to study and be certified through the Court of Master Sommeliers as well as the Society of Wine Educators. Her love of spirits soon lead her to move to Phoenix to run bar programs for Kimpton Hotels. Since she arrived at Blue Hound in 2012, her experiments behind the bar have not gone unnoticed, earning her nominations for a variety of industry prizes including Phoenix New Times’ “Big Brain Award” for culinary excellence. She also won the Arizona Restaurant Association’s 2014 “Foodist Awards” for master mixologist.

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Maven Lana Gailani

Seamstress

LAST MAN STANDING

4-5 mint leaves 

1 tsp lemon juice 

1 tsp 2:1 demerara syrup 

1 tsp Angostura Bitters 

1 oz Amaro Abano 

1 oz Wild Turkey Rye 101

Add all ingredients to stirring glass, stir with ice and strain into large rocks glass over one large cube of ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.  

“Last Man Standing” was named for Jimmy Russell, distiller of Wild Turkey. He is the last working distiller of his generation, and one hell of a great guy. This cocktail is bitter, yet softer than you might expect. It’s unusual. It’s robust in flavor, but it’s low proof - which means that if you’re drinking them all night, you might also be the last man standing.

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Maven Lana Gailani

Seamstress

New York, NY

BIO

Lana Gailani abandoned academia for restaurants, trading a basement office for a basement kitchen. She spent several years working in fine dining pastry before switching sides and training as a sommelier. After a stint at Michelin-starred Hakkasan, she discovered a love of spirits and began bartending at Empellon Cocina, where a deep love of agave was born. These days she’s preaching the mezcal gospel at Seamstress, Pouring Ribbons, and Holiday Cocktail lounge. When she’s not pouring drinks, she’s dreaming of joining the circus.

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Maven Zulcoralis Rodreguez

Esquire Tavern

ARMARGO LIMÓN

1oz Amaro Lucano 

3/4oz Real Minero Largo 

1/4oz Carpano Antica 

1/4oz Nectavé Agave Nectar 

1/2oz Lemon Juice 

3 Dashes Bittermens’ Orchard Street Celery Shrub

Pinch of Salt 

Fevertree Bitter Lemon

For the original cocktail, Zulcoralis wanted to create a cocktail that is bitter, herbaceous, yet light and refreshing that complements the hot summer in Texas. Amargo Limón delivers that flavor profile and can be enjoyed at a cocktail bar or while tubing on the river.

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Maven Zulcoralis Rodreguez

Esquire Tavern

San Antonio, TX

BIO

Zulcoralis Rodriguez, 29, hails from the tropical island of Puerto Rico and made a home for herself and her family in San Antonio, Texas. She has worked in the hospitaily industry for several years, but had her sights set on making her mark. Currently, Zulcoralis holds the position of head bartender at the historic The Esquire Tavern, oldest bar on the Riverwalk, where she has worked for the last three years. Her latest accomplishments include being Miss Speed Rack Dallas 2015 and was named one of the top 8 women to watch in 2015 by Beverage Director magazine.

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Maven Naderia Wynn

Cava Mezza

PAY ME WHAT YOU OWE ME

1.5oz Ron Zacapa 23

.5oz House Made Amer Picon

.5oz House Made Falernum

.5oz Fresh Lime

.25oz All Spice Dram

.5oz House Made Orgeat

2 Dashes Decanter Bitters

"Pay me what you owe me" is the name of my cocktail. Every year I pick a spirit and try to use that as my primary spirit in any cocktail event or competition. This year it's rum. I really wanted to call this cocktail B____ better have my Rummy, but it might not have been appropriate for a national ad campaign, so I went with the second line of the song. This cocktail is the essence of me showcasing what I enjoy doing as a bartender. I love to develop flavors on the back end so that the cocktail doesn't get too complicated. This is a tiki inspired cocktail featuring Ron Zacapa 23.  

You can find this drink by joining Naderia at Cava Mezza in Washington, DC.

Photo: Rob Chicoine