Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/566135
1 18 / the tasting panel / september 2015 Austin's Masterful Mixologist As last year's Broker's Bowler Cup champion, Brett Esler not only knows how to make a cocktail, he can also woo an audience! This year's cocktail, English Summer, used fresh honeydew juice and lemongrass syrup to highlight Broker's versatility. The sip reminded Esler of a "picnic," so his presentationn included sunflowers, the Texas flag and a crudité platter. "The performance is part of the drink," Esler says, sitting outside of Whisler's, where he works behind the stick in Austin, Texas. "You want to engage the tasters, and court them with your drink. It's all about having a great time." Since moving to Austin in February of 2014, Esler has been having a great time. "I love it here," he says, gesturing to the bar and its neighborhood. "I get to spend time with my dogs, see live music and explore new spots." Esler traveled a long path to Austin, from the Jade Bar at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona, where he started honing his skills as a bartender. Esler then helped James Beard–nominated chef Kevin Binkley open Bink's, in Scottsdale, AZ. It was there that he learned about molecular gastronomy, and, as Esler recounts with a laugh, "nitrogen, fancy cocktails, and all kinds of science! It was crazy." After three months at Bink's, an ill-fated romance led him to Texas, but Esler stuck around town, embracing Austin's unique and friendly vibe. "Even though Austin is a big city, and it has that big-city feel, it's still a close- knit community, especially among bartenders," he says. "We're like family." Since moving here, he's worked at Whisler's, a sunny and open cocktail bar that shares space with one of Paul Qui's famous East Side Kings food trucks. So what's in the future for the creative mixologist? "I enjoy what I'm doing a lot," Esler muses. "But one day, I'd either like to own my own bar, or become a brand ambas- sador for a spirits company. They get to travel a lot and talk about what they love." Brett Esler: An English Summer by Brett Esler, Whisler's, Austin, Texas ◗ 2 oz. Broker's London Dry Gin ◗ Lucid Absinthe Supérieure ◗ 1 oz. fresh honeydew juice ◗ ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice ◗ ¾ oz. lemongrass syrup ◗ Rosemary Hit a Collins glass with two spritzes of absinthe to coat the inside of the glass. Add Broker's Gin, honeydew juice, lemon juice and lemongrass syrup to building pint, add ice and shake hard for 8–10 seconds. Strain cocktail into the Collins glass and top off with Scotman's pebble ice. Slap a piece of rosemary against the forearm a couple times to release aroma and garnish. PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING