Rob Guimaraes smokes up a Cindermaker.
Most diners know that trained sommeliers are experts on wine, but not everybody is aware that knowledge of cocktails is also part of the qualifications for achieving Certified Sommelier status. Rob Guimaraes is fairly new in his position in charge of the beverage program at Union Common in Midtown, but he is no stranger to mixology. Although he hasn’t spent a lot of time behind the stick mixing drinks since the early part of this century when he was serving up a lot of Cosmos and Lemon Drops, he has worked in the beverage industry for quite a while, most recently at Skull’s Rainbow Room, known for their exemplary craft cocktail program.
Dealing primarily with the wine side of the business, Guimaraes learned the value of being able to balance acidity, flavors and weights when pairing wine and food. He transfers this knowledge into his latest program at Union Common, a new list of cocktails created and served tableside from a rolling cocktail cart. Union Common already has a great drinks menu, one that stands up against any other in town, so Guimaraes needed lofty aspirations to create new libations that were even higher-end than the regular list.
His solution was to concentrate on whiskey-forward drinks that feature premium ingredients. Clocking in at the $20 range, these cocktails are intended to be even more special that the regular drinks from Union Common’s bar. He also walks the fine line between popularizing the new service and getting so busy mixing drinks that he can’t serve every table and manage the wine program. Management hopes that the new price level is justified by the quality of the ingredients, the flair of the experience and the exclusivity of having your drink mixed by a certified somm.
The cart service has only been in operation for a short time, but it has already proved popular. Offered at any point in the meal, it begins with servers explaining the options to diners, then Guimaraes visits tables by request. The original menu included some flights of bourbons, scotches and ryes until a party put a hurting on the restaurant’s supply of Pappy van Winkle. Until they can restock, the current offering is four twists on classic cocktails plus four more signature cocktails that Guimaraes whipped up from scratch.
The classic twists include a Fifth Avenue, an upscale version of a Boulevardier, Connery’s Beach, a scotch-based cocktail that is sort of a hybrid between a Rob Roy and a Rusty Nail, a goof on a Vieux Carre called a Champs-Élysées and a boozy salute to Frank Sinatra in the form of a torqued-up Manhattan called Ol’ Blue Eyes.
The signature creations involve a little more theater for diners, with a toasted orange peel expressed and ignited over the surface of the Infidel’s Eden and a dramatic presentation of a smoky drink called The Cindermaker. In addition to the already smoky Caol Ila 12-year-old Scotch mixed with herbal Cinque Apertivo and rare VEP Chartreuse, the drink is swirled around in a bottle filled with smoke from a smoldering twig of applewood to add even more earthy aromas and flavors. A final layer of smoke is poured out of the bottle over the drink to tantalize the nose through the first few sips.
In the already classy ambiance of Union Common, with its Art Deco touches and appropriately vibrant soundtrack humming in the background of tinkling glasses and happy diners, the sight of a rolling cocktail cart mixing up personalized proper drinks fits in nicely. If you’d like a little pampering, make yourself a reservation some time soon. The cart service is available any time the kitchen is serving, so drop by soon!
