By Mike Kostyo
Naomi Schimek
Naomi Schimek, Bar Director of Soulmate, says that the West Hollywood clientele who frequent the Spanish-Mediterranean restaurant love vodka, so she zeroed in on creating a vodka-based cocktail ahead of the concept’s opening. For the mix, she turned to brandy, her favorite spirit category, and sought out a unique feijoa eau de vie, a spirit distilled in Guasca, Colombia, from the guavasteen, a complex fruit with layers of floral aromatics. Passionfruit syrup, plus lime and orange juices, complete the tropical, transportive build. “The intense aromatic of the unaged fruit brandy is what binds and holds all the flavors,” she says.
For back-of-house ease, the cocktail is batched ahead of service, with the final build quickly accomplished with cobblestone ice, a hibiscus float, and a banana leaf and orchid garnish. Such quick, easy prep is essential for a cocktail that has become as popular as this one. “The Weekend in Palm Springs was an instant hit, so we decided to keep it on the menu permanently,” says Schimek.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Kostyo is the VP of Menu Matters, a private consultancy that works with foodservice professionals to analyze, understand and leverage food and beverage, industry and consumer trends. Kostyo has been a recurring guest on Fusion TV’s “The A.V. Club” show; has been featured on NBC News, CBS Radio and Gimlet Media’s “Why We Eat What We Eat” podcast; is regularly featured in newspapers and magazines; speaks at numerous conferences across the country; and was a judge on Food Network’s “Eating America.” For over a decade, he was the resident Trendologist and an Associate Director at Datassential, one of the food industry's leading insights companies. Kostyo has a master’s in Gastronomy from Boston University, plus certificates in the culinary arts, baking arts, wine and artisan cheese production. He is a regular contributor to Flavor & The Menu and can be reached at [email protected].
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