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Summer Drinks at Skates
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Summer Drinks at Skates

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Summer Drinks at Skates

Amerafine

Skates on the Bay’s Mixologist Rob McCarthy has concocted four new cocktails for your summertime bliss, including one made with seasonal basil and others with bitters or citrus.

Amerafine – Campari, housemade vermouth, celery bitters & soda
Lower East Side – Woodford Rye, housemade vermouth, rhubarb bitters
Dismantled H2O Melon Punch – St. George Botanivore gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, 5 spice
Tortuga – Mt. Gay rum, lime juice, brown sugar-basil syrup

Summer Beer: Hailing from Portland, OR, Widmer Hefe Shandy Seasonal Ale – the original American hefeweizen gets a bold new citrusy aroma and flavor from lemon drop hops and natural lemonade flavor

Summer Wine: Bieler Pere et Fils Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence ‘Sabine’ Rose – aromas and flavors from savory lavender and rosemary to rose petal notesto citrus, wild raspberry and tart cherries

How does Rob come up with these cocktails?

“Crafting cocktails is all about knowing which techniques to use, and when to use them. Do I over caramelize the sugar in the house vermouth or do I add more bittering agents to bring out the flavor profile that I want.

“The most important thing is that I am in complete control of each ingredient and how it tastes in order to impart the final profile that I am after.

But where do the ideas for a new a cocktail come from? Rob says that sometimes a sensational meal inspires him to create a drink to pair with it. Or sometimes there is a happy accident that makes the cut.

“Sometimes I learn a new technique or come across a new ingredient and find several ways to exploit them. For instance, when I learned how to make vermouth I also made several different ones with completely different profiles and a drink or two for each one. ” Happy mixing, Rob.

More recipes from Rob:

Mixologist Meets Botanist at Skates on the Bay

Spring Drinks on the Bay

Skates is located at 100 Seawall Dr. in Berkeley | (510) 549-1900

By Mary Lou Thiercof|2016-07-15T13:43:17-07:00July 13th, 2016|Tags: cocktails, happy hour, San Francisco Bay, Skates, view|0 Comments

Spring Drinks On the Bay at Skates

If you were following the story of Mixologist Meets Botanist at Skates on the Bay, you will want to know about the splash of Spring Cocktails Skates is currently featuring:

·         Lavender Collins – Hangar 1 vodka, distilled locally in Alameda, Giffard Crème de Violette and their house-crafted lavender syrup. This is a wonderful twist on a traditional “poolside” – or in this case “bayside” – drink. Enjoy a slight sweetness with just the right amount of lavender to make it unique to the palette, yet still maintain a nice balance.
·         Parasol-Lillet Blanc – St. Germain elderflower liqueur, house-crafted honey syrup and Ruffino Prosecco. For folks who enjoy the bubbly, this is a smooth, slightly herbaceous spring, sipping cocktail.
·         Robin’s Nest – Hendricks gin, Giffard Crème de Violette, lemon juice and house-crafted maraschino syrup. Mixologist Rob McCarthy spends a lot of time fine tuning ingredients so they balance and complement one another. With the Robin’s Nest you get the distinct flavor of gin rounded out on the end with the juicy richness of maraschino cherries and lavender. It’s a great combination of unusual elements.
·         Young Man’s Game – Bulleit 95 Rye, Dubonet, Cointreau and Peychaud bitters. This is a drink for those ladies and gentlemen who like a little “mmph” in their adult beverage. If you haven’t experienced rye, this would be a fantastic introduction.

Stay tuned for the new cocktail menu coming out soon!

By Mary Lou Thiercof|2016-07-13T08:15:53-07:00May 7th, 2016|Tags: cocktails, play|0 Comments

Green Cocktails on the Bay: Where Mixologist Meets Botanist

It’s all the buzz down at Skates on the Bay. Cocktails garnished with fresh herbs and citrus. Meet the Bartenders: Rob McCarthy, Mixologist (r), and Greyson Schultz, Botanist (l). What a fun creative team behind the bar in Berkeley Marina. Each month Skates bases its culinary and bar menus on fresh ingredients available locally. So for the Mixologist and Botanist, it is all about inspiration from the herbs and citrus that are growing.

In March the bar menu was based on the theme: Manhattan March. “I love Manhattans,” quipped Bob. “So, I did some fun takes on the traditional Manhattan.” Fresh lemon peel tops off The Dublin which he concocted with Bushmills, dry vermouth and Nardini Amaro (herbs and bitter orange peel) liqueur. Using Tarragon with black tea infused Baker’s Bourbon in honor of the Jewish Holiday Purim (where you are supposed to drink heavily according to McCarthy), he created the Mordecai Manhattan with Bigallet China China Amer (anise, clove, mint) liqueur and cardamon bitters. For The Gentleman from Savannah, he used Southern Comfort with his own house-made honey-pear bitters with herbal Nardini Amaro liqueur. McCarthy shares his honey-pear bitters recipe with us:

Honey-Pear Bitters

8 oz ever clear (170 proof)
3 vanilla beans cut into 1 inch sections and opened
peel and pith from 1 large lemon
1 T of local organic honey
Shake this every day and sample for 2 weeks
Run this mix through a fine mesh strainer and place back into mason jar

Stay tuned for April’s bar specials that promise to create a Spring splash. Rob has created four great new Spring drinks: Lavender Collins, Parasol, Robin’s Nest and Young Man’s Game.

Skates on the Bay is located at 100 Seawall Drive in the Berkeley Marina

By Mary Lou Thiercof|2016-05-09T10:31:44-07:00April 14th, 2016|0 Comments