Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/205467
The CRUSADERS Ryan Fischer Bar Manager and Leigh Lacap, Head , Bartender Craft & Commerce , Ryan Fischer and Leigh Lacap are on a two-pronged mission. Obviously, they want to make the best drinks possible, which is something they effortlessly pull off at their downtown gastropub. However, they also want their cocktails to emphasize the excellence of the spirits they use. "Ever since we came out of Prohibition, people have been throwing in every ingredient under the sun to cover up the taste of inferior spirits," Fischer states. "With all of the great craft products that are out now, we don't have that problem anymore." This focus is especially evident in some of the classic drinks they love to make, which they end up re-inventing by not trying to re-invent them. "I love making Daiquiris," Lacap states. "When you make that drink the way it was originally made, it can totally change a person's perception on what a classic cocktail can be about." Ryan Fischer, Bar Manager of Craft & Commerce, strives to put the flavor of the spirits at the forefront of his drinks. The OUT OF TOWNER Ryan Kuntz, Bar Manager/Proprietor El Dorado , Ryan Kuntz sees the San Diego cocktail scene differently than most, mainly because he's not from around here. "I'm from Spokane, Washington," he says. "I tend to be a little more blue-collar than some." While he may have a working man's approach to things, his pedigree is decidedly upper crust, as he was trained by New York bartending impresarios Phil Ward and Sam Ross prior to El Dorado's opening. The duo's influence can be felt throughout the rustic bar's stellar program, especially in terms of drink simplicity. "We follow their philosophy of never making a drink with more than four to five ingredients," Kuntz states. "The last thing we want to do is to overwork a cocktail to the point where we can't taste the spirit." Ryan Kuntz, Bar Manager/Proprietor of El Dorado. 142 / the tasting panel / november 2013 TP1113_109-156.indd 142 10/24/13 9:17 AM