Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/21004
SHOTOLOGISTS JAREN SINGH, 30 Stonehill Tavern at St. Regis Monarch Beach, Dana Point, CA W ith his exotic Irish-Japanese good looks, Jaren Singh bartended through college, earning a bachelor’s degree in English lit. “Mixology was supposed to get me through school,” he starts, “but for the last ten years, it has become my passion.” Working with the Michael Mina group for the past four years, Singh’s marvelous take on the two-ounce pour is actually a perfect match for Chef Mina’s signature modern American small plate trios at Stonehill Tavern. “We’ll look back on our first foray into Shotology and say, ‘Remember when . . . ’ This is something we have actually been doing for a while, but liqueurs and spirits are now better than ever. Shotology may seem piggy- backed on the mixology scene, but the bottom line is that it’s as real a move- ment as tapas or small plates are in the culinary world.” ■ ■ ■ ■ BLOOD FOR HARLEM 1 part HARLEM Kruiden Liqueur 1 part Johnnie Walker Black 1 part Cherry Heering Mix the ingredients in a shaker and pour into a shot glass. Garnish with a blood orange wheel. NICK NISTICO, 27 JB’s on the Beach, West Palm Beach Jaren Singh. t’s a natural progres- sion from bar chef to Shotologist,” explains Nick Nistico, who handcrafts cocktails at JB’s, a high-end fine dining seafood restaurant in south Florida. Nistico’s culinary background led him to bartending and allowed him to take his profession up a notch, taking ingredients from the kitchen to the bar. “I ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ HARLEM NIGHT NURSE 1 oz. HARLEM Kruiden Liqueur ¼ oz. Tanqueray No. Ten gin White crème de cacao Homemade orange cacao syrup Orange oil In a small shaker tin, add the first four ingredients and shake thoroughly. Twist an orange peel over the shot glass. Strain and pour. 96 / the tasting panel / december 2010 Nick Nistico. RICHIE PETRONZI, 34 Burger & Beer Joint, Miami A Richie Petronzi. HARLEM NIGHTS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 1 oz. apple-smoked bacon fat–washed HARLEM Kruiden Liqueur ½ oz. fresh pressed apple juice ¼ oz. fresh lemon juice ¼ oz. Grade A maple syrup Fresh tarragon Stir for 20 seconds. Double-strain and garnish with tarragon leaves and a slice of honey-smoked bacon. t this high-end burger and beer establishment in trendy South Beach, Richie Petronzi boasts about the restaurant’s “99 bottles of beer and plenty of HARLEM.” Petronzi grew up in New York as well as on the Jersey Shore and got to know working life in the kitchen before his career evolved to the front of the house. “There’s definitely a culinary approach to making shots,” he says. “From whisky neat, to these spectacular HARLEM creations, the two-ounce pour is coming of age with the Shotology movement.”