Caroline Pardilla

Bartender Mentor No. 1: Matthew Biancaniello of Hollywood Roosevelt’s Library Bar

— by Caroline on Crack

Matt Biancaniello by Caroline on Crack

Bartendor Mentor Matthew Biancaniello

It’s no secret how much I love cocktails but the ugly truth is I really have no idea how to make them, except a Manhattan, that is. So I figured why not enlist the help of my bartender friends to teach me how to make my own damn drink for a change? Forget bartending school! This way I could learn special techniques and methods from the best in Los Angeles. So my “Bartender Mentor” today is one of my favorite bartenders in the city, Matthew Biancaniello, a mixologist at Hollywood Roosevelt’s Library Bar who is all about thinking outside the box. He’s gotta have some special techniques, right?

In this video we learn how to make the Breeder’s Cup, Matt’s take on the Gordon’s Cup. He usually serves this cocktail with an oyster, and it’s fabulous. The beet horseradish and salt complement the oyster perfectly. You can make this drink at home for a special brunch or just enjoy it on your yacht.

Here, Matt also shares where he gets his bar ware, fresh produce and even ice, also why a plastic muddler is better than a wooden one.

I’d like to say this video is going to be part of a professionally made series for my blog but my brother (the director and film editor) is usually pretty busy so who knows when he’ll have free time to do another one like this. But that won’t stop me from shooting and hacking together my own videos. So stay tuned! Anyway, hope you enjoy it. Cheers and happy drinking!

Breeder’s Cup
By Matthew Biancaniello of Hollywood Roosevelt’s Library Bar

  • 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 3/4 ounce Monin agave syrup (not agave nectar)
  • 1 bar spoon of beet horseradish
  • 2 ounces of Hendrick’s Gin
  • Cucumbers
  • Sea salt
  1. Muddle 3 or 4 slices of cucumbers that are sliced 1/4-1/8-inch wide with the agave syrup and lime juice in a cocktail tin.
  2. Add beet horseradish and Hendrick’s Gin. Pour in a scoop of ice and give it a 10-count shake.
  3. Strain it over a large cube of ice in a rocks glass. Slip a thin cucumber slice on the side of the ice and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on the ice cube.