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F R I D A Y , M A Y 2 3
Frank Caiafa of Peacock Alle y
"I like to go seasonal with seasonal ingredients, and fresh if I can
without a doubt. The other thing is we have to take into
consideration is volume," said Frank Caifa, bar manager for the
Waldorf=Astoria's Peacock Alley , when I interviewed him a little
while back for this month's Featured Cocktail. "I try to shy away
from muddled drinks because we get so busy. In the summer I’ll
have one or two. I like to mix it up. I like to have some savory,
classic, or my twists on the classics and some dessert style drinks
because some of the guests that come here are the post-theater
crowd."
Besides hotel guests, other crowds that visit the legendarily
swanky Peacock Alley include people who come for events or
before and after events as well as other non-hotel guests.
"I think people look for a different experience," Caifa said, citing an
early lesson he learned in his almost three years of working with
Peacock Alley . The hotel has a lot of European and English guests
so Caifa decided to offer English beers, which didn't go over as well
as he'd planned.
"The stumble we had was, I wanted people to feel at home and they
wanted to try different stuff."
The result of that lesson is a mix of high-end spirits and
housemade fresh ingredients. The Raspberry Beret features house-
spiced Grand Havana Rum, Cointreau and raspberry puree. Other
drinks include the SE Sidecar made with Evan Williams bourbon,
Canton Ginger liqueur and fresh sour made by the staff. The Au
Pear is made with Grey Goose Pear vodka, pear puree, sweet
vermouth and a house-infused white raisin and vanilla bean
grappa.
The menu also features luxury-priced cocktails. The Millionaire's
Martini, made with Jean-Marc XO Vodka, and an olive stuffed with
artisinal bleu cheese, is priced at $25, while the Grand Platinum
Margarita, made with Patron Platinum tequila, Grand Marnier 150(Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire), and fresh lime juice, goes
for $50.
When asked if customers who come to the Peacoc k Alley are
looking for luxury drinks, Caiafa answered, "They do because I
think people are here for special events. They might think, 'Wow I
wonder what it would be like to have a $50 margaritas.'"
P O S T E D B YS O N Y A M O O R EA T1 1 : 3 8 A ML A B E L S :C O C K T A I L S, F R A N K C A I A F A, L U X U R Y, P E A C O C K A, P R E M,W A L D O R F = A S T O R I A
1 C O M M E N T S :
Anonymous said...
Caiafa says that he likes to keep his ingredients fresh, which is a big
deal now, especially as everyone is growing and buying local. In
an interview he did with Behind the Burner (link here if y ou'd like
Standards & Pours
A B O U T T
Sonya Moore
Sonya is the online associate editor
at Nation's Restaurant News. She is
a New York-based fan of
consumable liquids and encounters
them in her life fairly frequently
and will bravely taste whatever
drink is put in front of her.
S U B S C R I
F R O M M Y
I'm not too proud to admit that
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to rea it:
http://www.behindtheburner.com/expert/frank_caiafa.html), he
talks about how it's very competitive with mixologists in New
York City and beyond; do you think that using fresher ingredients
and haute liquor is a big part of improving the cocktail? Or is it just
the quality that Waldorf Astoria is trying to put across (especially
with a $50 dollar margarita!)
Thanks!
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