Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1787
is decked out in vests, ties, centered hair parts and, in some cases, abundant tat- toos. "The style we want to project is a kind of late 19th-century ambiance fused with contemporary, state-of-the-art spirits and mixers," says Manager/Main Mixologist John Gertsen. Gertsen holds a degree in biochemistry, but when, in a post-grad epiphany, he real- ized that hospitality was his true vocation, he signed on as a bartender at Boston's #9 Park, another Lynch venue. Soon he was managing a booming program there with Lynch as his mentor. In 2004, Lynch, never at a loss for culinary ideas, gave John carte blanche to develop an ambitious project in her Fort Point cellar. It materialized two years later as Drink. He loves the space and its natural retro ambience. Today, the bar zigs through the entire room, facilitating face-to-face inter- action for the crowd. With its emphasis on old-school conviviality as well as on custom-mixed cocktails, Drink has become a mecca for nouveau bar-hoppers. It has developed a reputation among critics and cocktail bloggers as a classic lounge with an emphasis on the resurgent craft of mixology. All of that despite having no formal cock- tail menu. This philosophy holds that the cognoscenti will simply ask for their favorite brands of spirits and elixirs, and the uniniti- ated will discover what they like through staff-coached tasting. Says John, "Without a list or a display of bottles, we can ask people, 'What are you in the mood for?' "As people respond, new concoctions are born. In this manner, Gertsen and his crew have compiled a virtual 500-or-so-cocktail list. John also has earned a Masters Certifi cate of Wine from Boston University's Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center. And Drink bartenders Misty Kalkofen and Josey Pack- ard are certifi ed by the rigorous BAR (Bev- erage Alcohol Resource) 5-Day Program, having passed a mixology test that includes blind tasting of base spirits for fl avor and brand identifi cation. Armed with such formidable expertise, your personal 'tender might get you into such subtly fl avored spirits as bacon-infused bourbon. She can then draw up a bespoke cocktail for you, enhanced perhaps by homemade bitters, fresh juices and fresh- picked herbs. Drink is similarly imagina- tive in throwing a party. The bar celebrated Kentucky Derby day with a live broadcast accompanied by classic bourbon cocktails like Horse's Necks. The centerpiece was a batch-made Mint Julep with Eagle Rare bourbon, ladled from a voluminous silver punchbowl. Cocktail fans in Boston, Gertsen ob- serves, trend toward tequila, Del Maguey wild-harvest mezcal and New Orleans whiskey. He predicts that South Ameri- can cocktails like the Brazilian Batida with cachaça and the Pisco Sour will gain favor here. As for Gertsen himself, he personally likes a cold beer now and again. But that's another story. august 2009 / the tasting panel / 53 PHOTO: JUSTIN IDE/JUSTINIDE.COM T he Boston Beer Summit made its annual appear- ance at the Castle at Park Plaza, aka the Old Ar- mory, a 19th-century fortress manned in style by a volun- teer militia of wealthy Boston brahmins. On this weekend, the stadium-sized hall was packed—literally—with beer lovers. Each entrant was given a tiny cup on a necklace and set free to sample. The crowd was largely weekend revel- ers, but a solid phalanx of self-described beer snobs was there for serious tasting of brews from craft breweries like Fisherman's Brew from Gloucester and Kennebec River Brewery from Maine. At the Edison Brewery table, Aidan Demarest mixed what he dubs "the poor man's champagne cocktail or the thinking man's whiskey and a beer" for a thirsty mob. Beer cocktails—the next big thing? You decide. Either way it's enlightening. The Enlightenment 1 oz. bourbon ¾ oz. pomegranate syrup ¼ oz. fresh lemon juice Edison Light beer Shake fi rst three ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with Edison Light beer and garnish with a lemon peel. Aidan Demarest, Director of Beverages and Spirits for The Edison in Los An- geles, and Rhonda Kahl- man, CEO of Edison Beer of Boston, mix up Aidan's crowd-pleasing Enlighten- ment cocktail. Boston Beer Summit PHOTO: CLARE DEMAREST An overfl ow crowd celebrated the 10th Annual Boston Beer Summit for New England's top-notch local breweries at the old Boston Armory. A retro cocktail, made right. PHOTO: CLARE DEMAREST