Freshly Squeezed
From Garden to Glass With The Bartending Botanist
Ask Greg Seider which aspect of his childhood had the most impact on his adulthood —growing up on a New England farm or playing around behind the bar at his high school busboy job. And, well, he can’t quite say. The answer is probably equal parts both (shaken, not stirred, of course).
Mixologist extraordinaire Greg Seider redefines drinking responsibly. Credit: Greg Seider
Greg is recognized as one of Manhattan’s most creative mixologists. He’s got a taste for the organic & spent years infusing hotspots like Le Bernardin & The Mercer with drinks rooted in botany—fresh herbs & produce, hand-blended teas & rare spices—before opening his own place—The Summit Bar in NYC’s East Village.
The first & most important rule to follow is to buy the best & freshest ingredients.
His latest venture is the Upper West Side’s Manhattan Cricket Club. It’s a “throwback cocktail den”
for discerning barflies. Endlessly experimenting with ways to blend science & nature to elevate the classic cocktail, Seider proves happy hour can be as thoughtful as any other. Call it the new “drinking responsibly.”
At a time when bartenders spend more time crafting complex cocktails than you do drinking them, Seider rejects fussiness in favor of simplicity. He puts the emphasis on quality over quantity. “The single difference between a good drink & a really good drink is the ingredients,”
he says. “That’s it. So the first & most important rule to follow is to buy the best & freshest ingredients you can find.”
Blend science & nature to elevate the classic cocktail.
And while your cocktail might not exactly qualify as a health tonic, it’ll certainly provide some benefits your old pal club soda can’t. Oh yeah, & it tastes way better. “Hibiscus, which I love for summer, has one of the highest antioxidant counts of any plant in the world,”
says Seider. “Will putting it in a margarita counter the effects of the tequila? Probably not. But why would you want that?”
Point taken. Here, the author of Alchemy in a Glass shares two cocktails he’ll be shaking up during the dog days of summer & how you can treat your taste buds at home:
I'll Have Another
Yeah, you will. This take on a Dark ‘n’
Stormy will have you on island time, stat.
What you need
2 oz. aged rum (Seider likes Plantation Original Dark)
1 oz. Garam masala-infused agave*
3 tsp. fresh lime juice
1.5 oz. club soda (Seider likes Fever Tree)
Shaved ginger
How to make it
Put all ingredients, except club soda, into a shaker tin. Fill with ice & hard shake for eight seconds or until the tin is ice-cold. Top with club soda. Then strain over ice in a highball glass. Finely grate (or micro-plane if you want to be fancy) a bit of shaved ginger on top.
*Garam Masala-infused agave
2 Tbsp. coarsely ground garam masala
13 oz. water mixed with 13 oz. light organic agave
Bring all ingredients to a light boil. Remove from heat & cover for one hour. Use a bar strainer to filter out garam masala. Will last up to two months in the fridge.
The Summit Bar, NYC. Credit: Greg Seider
El Matador
Say hola to your new margarita & adios, amigo to that neon-green supermarket sour mix.
What you need
2 oz. blanco tequila (Seider’s favorite brands are Tapatio or Cabeza)
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1.5 Tbsp. hibiscus agave*
1 whole lime (for zesting)
Optional: Maldon sea salt rim (lighter & flakier then kosher salt)
How to make it
Put all ingredients into a shaker tin. Fill with ice & hard shake for eight seconds. Strain over ice in glasses rimmed with Maldon salt (if using). Micro-plane a bit of lime zest on top.
*Hibiscus agave
1.5 Tbsp. hibiscus leaves (or 8 to 10 hibiscus tea bags)
13 oz. water mixed with 13 oz. light organic agave
Bring all ingredients to a light boil. Remove from heat & cover for 30 minutes. Strain out tea leaves. Will last up to two months in the fridge.