When you’re planning a party, festive drinks count as much as the food. A bespoke cocktail caterer called The Cup Bearer, run by Justin Pasha, aims to elevate the home bar and cocktails to an art form. He helps to plan events with distinctive drinks and all the luxe accessories that go along with them, bringing his full cherry-wood bar with him to party locations. “We can transform your living room and backyard into a Manhattan cocktail lounge,” says Pasha, who has served at parties at The Greenwich Polo Club and Baccarat as well as many private fetes. “We show up and create an experience. The drinks are a small part of what we’re doing.” With his white-glove service, details matter: crystal glasses, old-fashioned soda syphons, copper tools and hand-chipped ice. Before any party, he meets with clients twice: first to discuss signature drinks and then again for a tasting. In addition to classic cocktails, he can re-create memorable vacation libations—that Painkiller from the BVIs or Pisco Sour from Peru—or put a twist on a favorite, such as a passion fruit mojito with bitters. Hot right now? Think Havana-inspired beverages and tiki culture, such as an expertly prepared mai tai. thecupbearerct.com
CAN’T MISS COCKTAIL
THE PERSIAN LEMONADE
A mix of Crop organic cucumber vodka and fresh lemonade with muddled mint and a spritz of rose water
MORE OF A DO-IT-YOURSELFER?
The Cup Bearer can pre-batch cocktails and deliver them for self-service in crystal beverage dispensers. An aficionado of tools of the trade—“I have a complete obsession with cocktail gear,” he says—Pasha can also outfit your home bar so you’ll be well-equipped for any type of gathering. Here’s what you need in order to mix, shake and stir like a pro.
- A yarai, which is a Japanese mixing glass (available at cocktailkingdom.com)
- Quality hand juicer, zester and paring knife: “Freshness of ingredients is key,” he says.
- A Lewis bag, which is a canvas bag that you hit with a mallet to create crushed ice.
- Large metal bucket for storing ice and a metal scoop for transferring ice to glasses. It’s much more efficient than tongs, which can only move a cube at a time.
- Mixing glasses for Manhattans and martinis. (Rule of thumb: If a drink is just liquor, stir it; if it contains juice, shake it.)
- A martini stirring spoon
- Short-handled Hawthorne strainer
- A few types of bitters
PRO TIP
Vermouth should be refrigerated once it’s opened. It’s a wine and will go bad over time.
Photos: Trisha Keeler Photography