I had the pleasure of attending a class the other day put on by Alchemy Consulting out of New York. Toby Maloney is very well known and has been lead bartender at Milk & Honey, Pegu Club, and currently a managing member of The Violet Hour in Chicago. Toby and his partner Jason Cott put on a presentation for bartenders at Daniels Broiler and Chandlers. I hate to be judgmental, but I was the only one of about 10 who had tasted Elderflower, Maraschino, or even heard of a Dark and Stormy. This makes me feel that these classes are doing a lot of good, by summarizing the bigger picture of the cocktail world today and sparking an interest in people who might not otherwise be exposed to cocktail blogs and craft bartending books.
The class was put on by Diageo Reserve Brands, but Toby and Jason did a good job of just talking about drinks and cocktails mostly leaving marketing out of it. They went over the history of the cocktail, and all the basics of today’s cocktail world like fresh juices, using a jigger, bitters, and even ice.
The cocktail menu was two drinks of each spirit and featured The Violet Hours signature cocktail, the Juliet & Romeo. It’s made by muddling cucumber with salt, mint, rose water, and Tanqueray 10.
Toby Maloney went on to guest bartend at Vessel that night, which I was unable to attend, but I did get a chance to talk to him a little after the class. A great bartender who loves what he does and it shows. I learned a lot and my next project is to try and emulate (rip-off 
) his “summer” bitters and “winter” bitters…
Doesn’t Jason Cott look like he could be Robert Hess’s younger brother?
Article By: Mark Sexauer
Filed under: Articles
