With World Cocktail Week running from May 6 to 13, it's the perfect time to pause and take stock of Miami's rapidly improving mixology landscape. More than a few creative minds are hard at work creating craft cocktails, leaving the Red Bull vodkas and Jack and Cokes in the well-deserved dust. One such artist is Sergio Fernandez, an award-winning bartender and the man behind Doma Polo Bistro's soon-to-launch mixology menu.
Part of the impetus behind Fernandez's new additions is molecular mixology -- a craft practiced by only a small percentage of those behind the bar. It is, in essence, the art of applying molecular gastronomy to cocktails -- i.e., the branch of food science where the chemical and physical transformation of food is explored using various techniques. Think suspended gels, foams, and spheres of various ingredients.
Inspired by the famous Ferrán Adrià's molecular gastronomy efforts at Spain's El Bulli restaurant, Fernandez, a Barcelona native, has been educating himself and experimenting with the concept for quite awhile. "It's about surprising your customer with the food, making it tasteful and fun," he says. "I transformed all that knowledge into mixing drinks."
To say Fernandez is highly trained would be an understatement. His certifications and experience include Court of Master Sommelier Level I, Beverage Alcohol Resource NYC (B.A.R.), Magna cum Laude Certified Wine and Spirits Professional Premier Group, and Master Sommelier Virginia Phillip Summer Wine Program.
With all of this education, Fernandez is introducing a new menu of cocktail options at the Argentine steak house, including one molecular mixology concoction per week. The new additions will join classic, pre-Prohibition recipes such as the Blood & Sand, the Singapore Sling, and Raffles Gin Fizz.
Short Order was lucky enough to sit down with Fernandez for a display of his mixology skills and a showcase of some of his upcoming menu additions. They include:
"James Bellini"
A tribute to LeBron James that replaces the standard peach purée with a jelly-like sphere.
White Hot Mojito
Mint and peach "caviar" pearls in a martini-style mojito, in honor of the Miami Heat.
Caipirinha with Passionfruit
Solid, edible cups with a creamy passionfruit foam.
Gin Martini Olives
Green olives stuffed with gin jelly.
Piña Colada Geometry
Alcohol-infused coconut and pineapple cubes in various shapes.
Radioactive Melon Splash
A glow-in-the-dark, fluorescent-green concoction.
Happy Spoons With Liquor Pearls
Spoons lined with various liquor spheres, from straight gin to piña colada to passionfruit.
The new menu rolls out today, so be sure to stop by weekly to check out the rotating additions. Cheers to that.
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