DRINK
•
IN R D
K EXPER
T•
Sharing classic cocktails and chatter with Orange County Bartenders Cabinet founder, the restaurateur behind 320 Main, and one of Orange County’s leading mixologists, Jason Schiffer INTERVIEW BY: JEnniFEr hOOd | PHOTOGRAPHY BY: nikki thOrntOn
q: What was your first alcoholic drink? JAsOn sChiFFEr: I was more hardcore at 17, drinking Jack Daniels straight from the bottle. At 21, I chose the more approachable Jack and Cokes. Why Jack? Good advertising! It was the only brand I really knew. I thought it would be the least wussy thing to drink. Priorities you know! Nowadays I would prefer a properly made Old Fashioned with rye whiskey: Van Winkle Family Reserve if I were going to treat myself. q: Are there different styles of bartending and what style have you adopted when you create your drinks at 320 Main? Js: Yes, there are definitely different styles of bartending, from techniques to ingredients. On the west coast, you’re sure to see more fresh and local ingredients used verses the east coast. At 320 Main, our foundation is based in classics, the simple well-balanced drinks that are all about the quality of the ingredients and the technique used to make them. q: What is your specialty as a mixologist? Js: I’ve always liked the challenge of taking complex ingredients and making them approachable, while still maintaining their integrity. Craft cocktails can sometimes be overly complex or too esoteric. Although good, it can be hard to drink more than one. At 320 Main, we concentrate on making drinks that are not only interesting but enjoyable to drink more than once. q: Is there a cocktail scene in Orange County and what would you like to see more or less of? 62 |
| Holiday 2012 Issue
Js: There are bartenders across Orange County that really care about their craft and are making great cocktails. Before Prohibition, bartending was a trade just like any other. It’s slowly but surely moving in that direction again. It’s nice to see that the majority of new restaurants opening in Orange County are paying more attention to their bar programs than ever before. q: When in doubt, always order a ... Js: Beer. However, if you know you’re in a good cocktail bar; then ask for a drink menu. If you have the opportunity, let the bartender know what you like and ask for a recommendation.
Js: these are some tips to recognize a good bar or bartender: ➜ Fresh looking fruit (limes aren’t brown) ➜ Do the bartenders look like they care about what they are doing? These days if a bartender is using a jigger, it’s a good sign that he or she cares about being accurate with their proportions. An eighth of an ounce this way or that way can mean the difference between a balanced drink, one that is too sweet, bitter or sour, or one that is boozy or not boozy enough. ➜ One of the biggest tells that you’re in a good bar is if they have bar spoons and are using them to stir LM: their spirited, non-citrus drinks.
q: Where do you go when you want someone else to make you a great drink? Js: Gabrielle Dion or Ricky Yarnall at Broadway by Amar Santana make some of the best cocktails in Orange County. Both of them are geniuses in very different ways, and I love to try whatever they’re working on. q: Do you have any exciting new drinks on the menu at 320 Main for the holiday season? Js: My favorite new addition to our fall/ winter menu is the Detroiter, made with Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy, Cynar, Lemon, Honey and Stone IPA. It reminds me of home. The Cynar mimics the earthy smell of the fall leaves and the Apple Brandy gives that great apple flavor of fall. The IPA beer plays really well with the other ingredients and speaks to the blue-collar environment I grew up in. q: Having watched many people drink in your time, do you have any rules when it comes to drinking? Js: Be adventurous with your choices. Drink for flavor as well as to have a good time. Also drink intelligently by eating something and staying hydrated.
320 MAin 320 Main Street Seal Beach, CA 90740 562-799-6246 Keep up on your craft cocktail savvy, and find out about local mixologist happenings by following Jason and 320 Main’s blog at
320main.blogspot.com