above: (left) Julio Enriquez, Moli bar director; (right) The master at work
Photographs by Venera Alexandrova
When we eat out, we expect to be delighted by the food and ambience, to taste something we can’t get at home. At Moli, the cocktails from bar director Julio Enriquez are an equally dazzling highlight of the experience. A master of his craft with 20 years of experience, mostly at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, he loves to create and experiment with seasonal and local ingredients. Because of this, the cocktail and drinks menu is updated regularly. He puts the same degree of preparation and nuance into the beverages that chefs put into their dishes. Julio, who is also the founder of Good Booch kombucha, shared advice on drinks to try as well as tips for mixing things up for home entertaining.
SCRIPT A KILLER COCKTAIL
“Look at it like food. You’re trying to reach all the senses,” Julio explains, noting that a good drink should be an experience with a beginning, middle and end. For instance, the opener could be aromatic, the middle might be sweet or sour along with the taste of a spirit, and the end could have a bitter component that lingers. One of his favorite drinks on the current menu is the Umeshu. The cocktail is a variation on a Manhattan that blends Beeswax Washed Iwai 45 Japanese Whiskey, Japanese sweet vermouth, plum wine, Luxardo maraschino, and saffron bitters with an ume jelly garnish. Umesha’s opening notes are saffron and citrus pee. Then you taste the waxy character of the beeswax into the light sweetness of the vermouth and then finish of a bit bitter.
PLAY WITH FLAVORS
Julio and his team often incorporate vegetables and unusual combinations in their cocktails and mocktails. A few ingredients he is partial to include mushrooms and badger-flame beets. “I like to push the boundaries of what is expected to be in a drink,” he says, mentioning a charred pineapple and parmesan cheese daquiri that he once concocted. It sounds odd, but “the moment you sip it, you see that it does work.” Another creative libation he can’t get enough of right now is the Dirty Diana, which is a cross between a mezcal margarita and a dirty martini with shiso.
RESTOCK YOUR BARWARE
Presentation is key at the restaurant and at home. The trends now are toward coupe glasses (they have dethroned the traditional V-shaped martini glasses) and what’s known as Nick and Nora glasses, which are bell-shaped and like small wine glasses. Julio suggests pouring champagne in a coupe rather than a classic flute.
ELEVATE YOUR ICE
Opt for the big-block cubes; you can buy trays on Amazon. If you want to make “clear” ice, they sell miniature coolers that clarify and filter ice. Julio suggests snipping mint, lemon balm or rosemary from the garden and putting it in the ice to liven up an Aperol Spritz and other drinks.
PLAY TO THE CROWD
If you’re having more than 20 guests, it’s a good idea to prebatch a drink. Pick a recipe you like and feel confident about. For margaritas, be sure to whiz them in the blender before serving.