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Cheers!
Note: All prices in US Dollars
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Ultimate Bar Chef of the Month...
January 2008
H. Joseph Ehrmann
H. Joseph Ehrmann, better known as H., started his career in 1986 as a cook on the beaches of New Jersey, under New Orleans’ renowned chef Duke Locicero. He went on to cook, serve, manage and bartend in Boston, Orlando, Washington DC, Vail and Phoenix before completing an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird (where he also bartended). That degree landed him in Geneva, Prague and Madrid where he spent several years traveling and studying the flavors, agriculture and traditions (as well as the distilleries, wineries and breweries) of Europe. After the completion of his MBA, he worked in several countries, industries and positions, building small and medium-sized companies as both an employee and consultant. In January 2003, he left the corporate consulting world to return to his passion, the bar business. By November he had restored one of the oldest saloons in San Francisco and reopened it as Elixir.
Since the heyday of the Barbary Coast years, San Franciscans have been whetting their whistles on the corner of 16th and Guerrero under several owners, and under this proprietorship, they’re doing it with some of the finest beverages in contemporary California. On that corner, the second oldest saloon location in this Wild West town, H.’s Elixir menu revives the pre-Prohibition cocktail culture of the Barbary Coast while incorporating a focus on utilizing California’s abundant agricultural resources and San Francisco’s infamous creativity and artistic vision. As the first Certified Green bar in the San Francisco, Elixir’s expansive cocktail menu and spirits collection focuses on the vintage, the organic, the local and the original, all while remaining a friendly corner bar. The bar has won numerous accolades for its cocktails, marketing programs, and atmosphere.
H. and his cocktails have appeared in Men’s Health, Imbibe, Valley Lifestyles, 7x7, San Francisco Magazine, Smoke Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, Beverage Media, Benefit, Restaurant Industry News, Restaurants and Nightclub Magazine, Food Arts, MSNBC.com, Tablehopper.com, CocktailTimes.com, ArdentSpirits.com and TheLiquidMuse.com. As Brand Ambassador and Mixologist for Square One Organic Vodka, he launched and continues to grow the brand across the United States and was nominated for Brand Ambassador of the Year at the 2007 Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans, where he lectured, designed a 5 course cocktail and meal pairing and competed in the Bar Chef Competition. He has designed custom cocktails for bars and restaurants around the country as well as product companies like R.H. Phillips Winery and exclusive private clubs like Mayacama.
In 2006, H. founded Cocktail Ambassadors, a consultancy for bar and restaurant operators as well as the product and service companies that supply them. He is a Co-Founder of San Francisco Cocktail Week, the Vice President of the United States Bartenders Guild San Francisco Chapter and a member of The Museum of the American Cocktail. His cocktail catering arm, Elixir Beverage Catering, provides quality cocktails on a mobile basis to the rest of California and he is currently in the process of designing his next beverage venue. He can be found in Elixir just about every day of the week
Cheers H!
Ultimate Bar Chef of the Month...
February 2008
Anthony Alba
Originally from New York Anthony moved to Las Vegas in 1989, since then he has called Los Angles, Chicago, and Florida home. He’s been in the food and beverage industry since the age of 14. Started in a local pizzeria washing dishes and worked his way to hold just about every position the there is in F&B. Since then Anthony has opened two restaurants of his own, one a deli and café at the age of 19 the other an Italian Restaurant at the age of 24. His beverage career started in 1999 at one of the hottest clubs at the time, Rum Jungle inside Mandalay Bay, then went to Hush at the Polo Towers then to Venus in the Venetian and finally found a home at the Rio in 2003 and was promoted as the Property Mixologist in 2006. His style would be describe as cutting edge and heavily influenced in culinary traditions, looking at cocktails in the same way a chef looks at a dish with all aspects in mind and always pushing the envelope.
He has been organizing, competing and hosting competitions in both flair and Mixology since 2002 and tasted Pisco in Peru, Tequila in Mexico, Sake in Japan, Plum wine is Thailand, Bourbon in Kentucky, a Long Island in Long Island and Kiwi’s in New Zealand. Recently Anthony has opened a beverage school at the Rio where he trains bartenders from every Harrah’s property Citywide. Not only does he create cocktails for the Rio but have also done work at Caesar’s Palace, Harrah’s, The Paris and Bally’s hotels. Combined these multi-billion dollar resorts have at any given time thousands bartenders, barbacks and beverage professionals. In addition to cocktail creating Anthony also implements beverage programs, organizes and executes monthly beverage events such as competitions, seminars and incentive programs for all food and beverage employees, analyzes Spirits and works on concept and development programs, researches and obtains new spirits on the market, keeps up to date with the current trends, and most importantly maintains an emphasis on the art of mixology.
Recently Anthony also worked as a Brand Ambassador for Navan Vanilla Liqueur to build momentum in Nevada. Anthony has redefined the way Navan is use in cocktails and introduce Navan into several high profile venues across the Las Vegas valley. Teaching about the brand and the category in general to bartenders, owners and operators as well as building rapport with new bartenders in the city, he has exposed the brand to an eager demographic.
Anthony has been featured in 944 multiple times, the Las Vegas Review Journal twice, BPM magazine, The Las Vegas Tribune, The Las Vegas Weekly, Fox 5 news, numerous international and online publications and the Style Network. Anthony is currently the Vice President for the Nevada Chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild and works closely with the local beverage community. In his spare time, he likes to get out to the track and race motorcycles, dabble in molecular mixology, make his own wine and beer and even distill his own spirits!
Some of his accolades include first place finishes at the Rio Bartender Competition (2005), USA West 42 Below Cocktail World Cup and he was part of the Grand Champion Team for the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup. Anthony is also known for his amazing garnishes and his titles for his work include the Starbucks Ambassador Competition.
Cheers Anthony!
The Ultimate Bar Chef of the Month...
March 2008
Bobby Gleason
Bobby "G" Gleason has been tending bars and creating cocktails since 1984. He began in the fast paced Nightclubs of South Florida before moving to Las Vegas. In 1989 he opened the Mirage Hotel and then went on to open Treasure Island and the Bellagio. It was at the Bellagio where Bobby worked with Master Mixologist Tony Abu Ganim and then studied under Francesco LaFranconi famed bartender and spirits educator both of whom inspired and motivated him.
Having the desire and passion to excel Bobby began competing in and winning many national and international cocktail competitions. He holds the title for the “World’s Most Sensuous Cocktail” and has won Bartender’s Magazine’s New York International Cocktail Competition and was the first United States Bartender’s Guild, Nevada Chapter Champion putting him in the upper echelon of the bartending community.
Bobby also is a National Ambassador of the United States Bartenders Guild and often serves as judge for cocktail competitions all over the world. After working as the Beverage Specialist & Mixologist at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino he took a position as Brand Ambassador of the Absolut Spirits Company Inc. a partner with Jim Beam Brands.
As the Master Mixologist & Manager of On-Premise Sales Training for FBLLC Bobby now has the resource to reach out across the nation to train Bartenders everywhere about Spirits, Cocktails, and proper barmanship. He will assist bartenders and management to develop cocktail menus for key national accounts, create exciting new cocktails to accompany new product launches, and in his words "Help the world enjoy (responsibly of course) great cocktails!"
He further states, "I couldn't be happier to work with such a great portfolio of products! The full range of spirits from Absolut, Jim Beam, and DeKuyper represent the finest in the industry, and to make great cocktails you must start with great ingredients!"
Cheers Bobby!
The Ultimate Bar Chef of the Month...
April 2008
Eric Tecosky "ET"
Eric has been bartending at Jones Hollywood in Los Angeles since 2001. He began mixing a decade before on the Sunset Strip where he created his first cocktail - the Jagermeister based shot Surfer on Acid. Since then his inventive spirit and taste have evolved. He strives to make fresh, thoughtful, original and gratifying cocktails.
A few years ago Eric and his coworkers at Jones took notice of cocktail trends in New York, Las Vegas, London and San Francisco.They quickly realized there was a better way to make drinks than was the norm in LA. Since then only the freshest ingredients are used in their cocktails. All flavored syrups are homemade and seasonal ingredients are used in the the cocktail of the week. Keeping with the rock’n’roll vibe of Jones, Eric’s cocktail menu features drinks like The Hendrix (Pear/Basil Margarita), The Bingenheimer (Rosemary Daiquiri) and Sticky Fingers (Homemade Limoncello). Eric’s recipes have been featured in many magazines and web sites including, Market Watch, Wine Enthusiast and The Tasting Panel.
In 2004, while working at Jones, Eric was making a dirty martini and ran out of olive juice for the millionth and last time. While struggling to get the new jar opened he asked himself, “How come no one bottles this stuff?” A few months later, Eric launched the first premium bottled olive juice, Dirty Sue. Dirty Sue is now distributed in many states across the US including California and Nevada. Dirty Sue is considered the best by the industries top taste makers. (www.dirtysue.com)
In 2006, Eric and a fellow bartender were getting tired of saving customers seats and/or drinks when they would leave the bar to have a smoke. Realizing that non-smoking laws had affected most of the US, Eric and his partner developed a new type of beverage coaster - The Seat Saver. The Seat Saver’s patented design has a hole that allows for a beer bottle, olive pick or straw. The Seat Saver then hangs from a beer or sits flat on any glass with a message as simple as “Be Right Back” or specific to any brand that advertises on them. Some of the first clients have been: Bacardi, Boru Vodka, Starr Rum & He’Brew Beer. (www.theseatsaver.com)
Eric is also a freelance writer for The Tasting Panel and 944.com. In the coming months he will be shooting a pilot for a new cooking show titled “The Bachelor Chef.” Eric will be on the show to pair original cocktails with the meals created by the chef and the celebrity guest. Eric has consulted for major liquor brands, restaurant cocktail menus and specialty drinks for weddings and events.
One of Eric’s favorite things to do behind the bar is create Custom Cocktails. When a customer isn’t sure what they want to drink, Eric asks them a few questions about what they like and don’t like. Eric then creates a Custom Cocktail specifically for that customer.
Cheers Eric!
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H. Joseph Ehrmann
Ultimate Bar Chef
January 2008
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Ultimate Bar Chef
February 2008 ...
Anthony Alba
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Ulitmate Bar Chef... Bobby "Bobby G" Gleason March 2008
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Eric Tecosky Ultimate Bar of the Month April 2008
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