Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013 - (Page 106)

A GL A SS ACT Clockwise from top left: The bar at Parallel 37; Lay at work; the Nightshade and the Dolce Vita. 106 w w w. r i t z c a r lt o n . c o m of the glass is so dry there’s no juice left to squeeze into your drink.” So they all cut garnishes to order, gently removing the skin of the orange with a peeler not with a knife and giving it a quick twist to spritz the essential oils just before adding it to the glass. The seemingly small details like this are arguably what separate a good cocktail from a great one. (Purists will argue about the use of lemon versus lime juice in a Jack Rose, for instance, or at precisely what time a proper Astoria should be served.) Framed by a brown and cream-striped light fixture that glows like a firefly, the bar is the centerpiece of Parallel 37, which takes its name from the geographic latitude that runs closest to the city. It also reflects an emphasis on fresh ingredients from the area that gave birth to the local-food movement in the 1980s. (Think Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. Think “locavore,” a term coined here in 2005.) But there’s a rich tradition of cocktail craftsmanship in San Francisco, as well — not to mention the sort of Barbary Coast imbibing made far left: courtesy of the ritz-carlton Mole bitters? Huckleberry sHrub? tHey’re a few of tHe unique ingredients in lay’s signature cocktails. famous by the likes of Jack London — and, in more than a decade of tending bar, Lay has seen, and sometimes bucked, all the trends. In the early 2000s, when the cocktail revival was just getting started, some bartenders drunk with creative license lost sight of the importance of balance. (Sweet, fruity, muddled vodka drinks, anyone?) In reaction, many embraced the classics, ushering in a revival of pre-Prohibition drinks like Old-Fashioneds and Sazeracs. But the pendulum has found its middle ground: Lay and her likeminded contemporaries respect the old-school drinks, but they aren’t afraid to have a little fun. That’s why the Parallel 37 bar menu includes eight specialty drinks that change with the seasons — heavy on citrus and spice in the winter, turning to berries and stone fruit during the warmer months. There are light, aperitif-type cocktails like the Dolce Vita (a base of Roederer Brut Champagne with fresh grapefruit juice and Aperol) and bolder, more daring combinations like Lay’s signature Bar Fly, which pairs rye with poblano peppers, vanilla and lemon. Of course, guests can order all the classics — “but for our signature cocktails,” Lay says, “I want to feature drinks that are more inventive and make something that’s unique to us.” It’s a safe bet that most guests probably have never had a cocktail like the Mr. Posey, which flavors a base of Pig’s Nose scotch with the bar’s own mole bitters made with cacao, paprika and cinnamon. One of Lay’s specialty drinks, the Nightshade, includes a huckleberry shrub made with cold macerated fruit and the restaurant’s own vinegar — all garnished with a fresh sage leaf. Guests can request that it be made with vodka, to highlight the fruit flavors, or with gin, which brings sage to the forefront. In the Lucky Star, bourbon’s burn is soothed with a peach and spice tincture, maple and bitters. Lay’s approach to cocktails reflects a past spent in the kitchen — and on the slopes. She started http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013
Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... Los Angeles
Design
Technology
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Family
Local Knowledge
Sports
Abu Dhabi
Seoul
Fashion
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013