“So what do you do for a living?” you ask a tablemate at a marketing lunch in an upscale hotel. “I’m a cocktail guru,” he responds. A cocktail guru? Is that really a job? And if so, how can I get one? The guru’s name is actually Jonathan Pogash, and yes, making drinks (or in his case, consulting with high end companies about improved cocktail service) seems an enviable life.
Jonathan tells me he learned the trade at the knee of master mixologist, Gary Regan, and began his career at the LeRoy Russian Tea Room. He has worked in many top venues and gives demonstrations at trade conventions like the annual New Orleans “Tales of the Cocktail.”
What does that have to do with me, you might wonder. Well, if you live in New York City, chances are you are tired of paying up to $20 for a cocktail. After seeing the film Cocktail with Tom Cruise, you might also think this occupation is a good way to meet attractive new friends. Jonathan offers classes at the Astor Center in New York City, so I decided to check it out and see what it was all about.
The Astor Center is a venue that holds many culinary and wine related classes. For seminars on wine you will find state-of-the-art sinks for spitting, but absolutely no one will spit one of Jonathan’s cocktail creations, so we have the seminar in the nicely appointed professional kitchen.
Arriving, I see two long tables – one to seat women who have come for a bridal shower, and one for the rest of us. At our place setting are all the tools a bartender can ever imagine, including the all-important Boston strainer, knives (for cutting lemon rinds into attractive twists), and muddlers (for making that all important mint julep).
What really gets our attention is the gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, arrangement of exotic fruits, fresh-pressed natural juices, juicy fresh cut watermelon, vegetables (celery, carrots, tomatoes), curious looking herbs, and spices on the center counter. Of course, you would expect fresh mint, strawberries, and raspberries, but Jonathan also laid out candy.
Everything looks fresh and even (gulp) healthy. Next to this display is the liquor – high-end gin, vodka, bourbon, along with liqueur and cordials. For people who love cocktails, it’s like waking up on Christmas morning and being dazzled by what is under the tree.
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