Meet Zach and find out how his first Manhattan inspired him to make more cocktails.
Name:
Zachary Taylor
Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Go-To Cocktail:
Dry gin martini with a lemon twist
Instagram:
@cocktailhomecraft
Website:
cocktailhomecraft.com
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into mixology? Who/what/where taught you what you know?
A little after I had turned 21, my family took me out to have my first drink. I had no idea what anything would taste like. One of them said “get a Manhattan, it’s got whiskey”. So I did. I was brought a stemmed glass with a cherry in it, and I was confused, because in my head at the time, whiskey was “manly and this wasn’t.” Whatever that means. I was convinced they were messing with me. Eventually I tried it and enjoyed it. I actually liked it lot. It surprised me. I wanted to make it myself. So I bought a bottle of bourbon, some bitters, and maraschino cherries for the first time. And then I shook up an Old Fashioned thinking it was a Manhattan. Oops.
After that point I had always wanted to make my own cocktails. I followed different recipes that I had googled, or tried to recreate different drinks I enjoyed from different bars. But that wasn’t where I wanted to stop. Anyone can follow a recipe for a meal, but that doesn’t make that person a chef. I wanted to really understand cocktails. Why certain combinations worked. So I read, a lot. And kept reading.
Fast forward a few years, and I had some friends over to share cocktails I was experimenting with. One of them was Donald from The Liquid Collaborative, a private bartending service in LA. After that he invited me to join, and work with them at their events.
What are you excited about in the world of mixology right now?
I love the blow up of craft distilleries. There’s so many of them, especially in the LA area. The big brands will always be around, and that’s not a bad thing. But these smaller ones, many of them are doing some really special stuff. Often, they have the ability and willingness to explore different options and processes. Sometimes when I talk to people about the “untraditional” way of doing something, they’re against it. But if no one ever tried something new, we’d have nothing at all.
What is one recipe that you created on your own that you’re really proud of?
One of my favorites is my Sanguine Choke. I love a good Old Fashioned. This one is a play on that. When putting something new together a lot goes into trying to find balance between flavors. This one took me more time than usual to get to something I liked. Chocolate, bitter amaro, and celery may sound like a strange combination, but trust me this one is pretty great. 1⁄2oz Bourbon
3⁄4oz Cynar
1⁄2oz Crème de Cacao
2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters
1 Dash Celery Bitters
Celery Stalk
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir, and then strain over ice into an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a celery stalk
