Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/977771
may 2018 / the tasting panel / 1 19 Blue Smoke delivers what you would imagine from a Danny Meyer barbeque spot: the hospitality and comfort of Southern food accompanied by the elegance and attention to detail New Yorkers expect from Union Square Hospitality Group. As Beverage Director Julie DeRose says, "The guests who come into Blue Smoke are looking for delicious urban barbeque and approachable yet unique beverage options in a casual, fun environment." The Blue Smoke team added frozen flavors to their cocktail menu two years ago when they began using Kelvin Slush at both of their locations. DeRose says they were initially looking to simply change up their offerings, but "the feedback was so successful we continued with the slushies and solidified them as part of our summer cocktail menu." DeRose's crowd-pleasing cocktail The Dangerous Summer returned to the bar top at Blue Smoke this spring. The frozen treat, made with Kelvin Slush Citrus mix, white rum, maraschino liqueur, and lime, is a play on the Hemingway Daiquiri: a drink created at Cuba's Floridita bar for famed author and notorious boozehound Ernest Hemingway. "I love creating cocktails that are riffs off vintage cocktails, which are often forgotten or associated with having a high ABV and not being very approachable," DeRose explains. Hemingway allegedly loved his namesake cocktail so devotedly that he always ordered a double, "lending the cocktail its nickname, Papa Doble," explains DeRose. She says her slushy take on the boozy classic aims to give the cocktail new life as "a summer-centric, seasonal, 'crushable' beverage." "On a hot summer day in New York City, a cold boozy alcoholic drink is extremely satisfying," she adds. It goes without saying DeRose shares Hemingway's love of a strong, frozen cocktail, and judging from the glowing reviews Blue Smoke has received for its Kelvin Slush drinks, she's far from alone in that sentiment. "Our guests love the drinks because they're fun, delicious, and approachable, and our bartenders love the slushies because they are batched out, consistent, and ready to go during a busy shift!" she says. PHOTO: TIMOTHY MURRAY Julie DeRose, Beverage Director for Blue Smoke, is the mastermind behind the Hemingway- inspired cocktail The Dangerous Summer. JULIE DEROSE Beverage Director at Blue Smoke in New York, NY The Dangerous Summer* ◗ 64 oz. Kelvin Slush Citrus Mix ◗ 50 oz. white rum ◗ 17 oz. Lazzaroni Maraschino liqueur ◗ 17 oz. grapefruit juice ◗ 8.5 oz. lime juice ◗ 2 gallons water Serve in a skinny Collins glass and garnish with a mint spring. *The Dangerous Summer is the title of an Ernest Hemingway work published posthumously in 1985. Finished in 1960, it's cited as the writer's last book.