Caroline Pardilla

Tales of the Cocktail 2011 Bar Room Brawl People’s Champion: Roger Room + Cocktail Recipes

— by Caroline on Crack

Damian Windsor by Caroline on Crack

Damian and his winning smile and cocktail-making skills.

So maybe LA missed out on a couple of awards at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards (Best American Cocktail Bar and American Bartender of the Year) but the boys of Roger Room in West Hollywood brought back the People’s Champion award for Moet Hennessy USA’s 2011 Bar Room Brawl, one of the largest competitions at the annual cocktail industry event! RR bartenders Damian Windsor and Jason Bran and Eric “ET” Tecosky (from Jones) competed against bar teams from Little Branch (NY), The Burritt Room (San Francisco), Sable (Chicago), Eastern Standard (Boston) and Teardrop (Portland), and came up on top, as voted by the people.

Each team had to create four original cocktails using Grand Marnier, Hennessy, Belvedere Vodka and 10 Cane Rum. Here are the Roger Room’s winning cocktails for you to try out at home. Variations of the Spiced Mule and Four Aces are currently on the bar menu but since the other cocktails had appeared in various forms in previous seasonal menus, the guys can do it up for you on request.

Four Aces
By Roger Room, Los Angeles

  • 2 oz Belvedere pure
  • 0.5 oz lime juice
  • 0.5 oz Canton ginger
  • 6 white grapes
  • 2 basil leaves

Muddle, add liquid, ice, shake, strain, top with 2 oz club soda.
Serve double old fashioned.

Spiced Mule
By Roger Room, Los Angeles

  • 2 oz 10 Cane rum
  • 0.5 oz lime juice
  • 0.5 oz liquefied ginger
  • 1 oz spiced simple syrup (nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, all spice)

Add liquid, ice, shake, strain over crushed ice. Top with 2 oz club soda.
Serve in tall glass.

Montresor & Fortunato
By Roger Room, Los Angeles

  • 1.5 oz Lustau Amontillado sherry
  • 0.75 oz Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
  • 0.5 oz Carpano Antica formula
  • Dash angostura bitter
  • Orange peel

Add liquid, ice, stir, strain, garnish with queen Spanish olives.
Serve up in a coupe.

King of the Road
By Roger Room, Los Angeles

  • 1 oz Hennessy VS
  • 0.75 oz Beefeater Gin
  • 0.75 oz Dolin Vermouth Blanc
  • 1 bar spoon Creme Yvette

Add liquid, ice, stir, strain serve on the rocks. Garnish with blackberry on a pick.

The Roger Room_
_ 370 N La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, California 90048 (map)
(310) 854-1300
Hours: 6pm-2am daily