GoodSpirits2018Vol1 - 24

Corey Mitchell of Boise's
Saint Lawerence Gridiron,
on his favorite part of the

Fashioned in town. I'd have to agree with them. It's
the staple right now-probably the most popular
cocktail around Boise, and everyone wants to go
judge different Old Fashioneds at different places.
But people have been getting into Japanese whiskey
since it's gotten hyped lately-they're making some
of the best whiskies in the world. We brought in some
Japanese whiskey, like Suntory and Harmony. You
don't see a lot of it, so people get really curious and
want to experience it.

COREY MITCHELL

job: I really enjoy exposing
watching guests' reactions

FRONT OF HOUSE AND BAR MANAGER AT SAINT
LAWRENCE GRIDIRON, BOISE

to those creations. That,

saintlawrencegridiron.com

and no day is the same.

The Saint Lawrence Gridiron concept started out
as a food truck, serving barbecue and pub fare. A
popular food truck at that, with long lines waiting
for the savory dishes. But before a food truck was
even a twinkle in his eye, owner Brian Garrett's
approach to barbecue-that rich, delicious smoked
meat that boasts loyal fans all over the world-was
to explore tasty new ideas, coloring outside the
culinary lines. This eventually led to the food truck,
and then to a permanent location in Boise.
The story behind the name is equally creative. And
no, it has nothing to do with football. The ancient tale
goes that Lawrence, an early deacon in Rome, was
martyred in 258 A.D., specifically for giving the
church's riches to the poor. His torturers slow-roasted
him on a gridiron, but God protected him. The lightly
toasted martyr supposedly quipped, "I'm well done.
You can turn me over now." And thus he became the
patron saint of comedians and chefs.
Today, no humans are harmed in the making of
the restaurant's cuisine, which includes savory
smoked meats in sandwiches and entrées, with
accoutrements and sides that go way deeper than
the standard barbecue beat. Like brisket with house
pickles, house mustard, charred scallion oil, fennel
chutney and kil't greens. Or grilled bison with sweet
potato hash, bourbon mustard demi, apple and
Fresno compote, and chimichurri. And that's merely
scratching the surface.
Cocktails are equally creative, mixing up classic
and signature drinks that draw from global inspiration while using fresh, local ingredients.
Corey Mitchell, front of house and bar manager at
Saint Lawrence Gridiron, brought his bartending experience to Boise in the summer of 2017.

my creative side and

The stress can suck sometimes when you're deep
in the weeds, but it feels good at the end of a night.
You take that cold walk home, chill out and relax.
It gives you a sense of accomplishment, like
when you make custom drinks for people, which is
always fun-that's one of the things we strive for
here-you make something and have that person
come back day after day and order that same drink,
means that you're doing it right.

What's your favorite spirit? Favorite
cocktail?
I love rum. I have a sweet tooth from my mom.
Whiskey's king, in the northwest and in America,
but I've always been a fan of rum, the classic daiquiri-if I'm going to have an easy drink at the end
of a shift, that's usually what I have. Just clean and
crisp and easy.
When I go out, I'll get maybe a rum and coke. I
don't like bugging another bartender who's super
busy-the last thing they want to do is make a seven-ingredient cocktail that takes 20 minutes.

What are your customers' favorite spirits
and cocktails?
Whiskey and the Old Fashioned. I go through so
much whiskey. People say we have the best Old

24 MIX, BLEND, ENJOY RESPONSIBLY

What makes Saint Lawrence Gridiron
special?

http://www.saintlawrencegridiron.com

GoodSpirits2018Vol1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GoodSpirits2018Vol1