Eben Klemm, the “cocktaillier” of B.R. Guest Restaurants (Primehouse, Wildwood Barbecue) was perhaps the first of his kind, sparking the army of cocktail-as-religion barmen dotting the city from the mustachioed mixologists at Employees Only to the underground innovators at Milk and Honey. Klemm earned a degree in molecular biology from Cornell and managed a research laboratory before opening the Campbell Apartment at Grand Central in the late ’90s.
He brought all the methodology – and perhaps a dash of the madness — of a scientist to the emerging NYC cocktail scene, and has put that knowledge down in manual for the layman, The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink
, out now. Klemm was kind enough to whip up a special holiday cocktail just for us.
Herewith, in lieu of any actual vacation this year, the California Christmas.
California Christmas
1 ½ oz Goslings Black Seal Rum
½ oz triple sec
¼ oz almond syrup
dash grenadine
½ oz mango puree
½ oz fresh sour
Shake all with ice and strain into long glass filled with fresh or crushed ice. Layer surface liberally with angostura bitters. Garnish with holly berries and strain into a short glass.