“The Art of the Bar” – Cocktails Inspired by the Classics on June 17, 2010

“Mysterious, sophisticated, flirtatious…the cocktail is all of these things, a simple mix of ingredients that is greater than the sum of its parts”. My guests this week are Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz, accomplished mixologists and co-authors of “The Art of the Bar”, one of the most successful books about cocktails that has been written in the past several years. Jeff and Rob drew from years of “liquid inspiration” behind the bar of Absinthe Brasserie and Bar, the acclaimed restaurant in San Francisco that is the book’s setting. We’ll discuss the “The Art of the Bar” in terms of the history of the cocktail and the featured recipes, how and why they created the book, their thoughts on mixologists and bar chefs, their favorite drinks, latest projects and much more. I’ll be making one or two of the cocktails featured in the book to taste on the air because it’s always 5 o’clock on “Cocktails for Everyone!”, so make sure you join us!

Guest Bios:

Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz have over 16 years combined of bartending experience between them, with more than six at Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco. They are both passionate about great cocktails, which inspired them to collaborate on “The Art of the Bar” in 2006.

Jeff Hollinger, a native of Huntington Beach, attended the California Culinary Academy upon graduating from San Francisco State University. He went from a part-time bartending position at Absinthe to becoming the Bar Manager then General Manager. He is the co-partner of the recently opened Comstock Saloon, as well as the co-founder of San Francisco Cocktail Week. He resides in San Francisco with his wife and daughter.

Rob Schwartz now resides in Queens, NY with his wife and three children. For the last 5 years, he has been working for Southern Wine and Spirits as a sales rep covering on premise spirits in Manhattan and Brooklyn, getting to work with some of the best bars and bartenders in the country on some great brands.