Bar Chef: Handcrafted Cocktails

At the Lucques family-owned renowned Los Angeles restaurants, it is the intention of Röllich, who runs the bar program, that the specialty cocktails reflect care and craft equal to the food delivered to the tables. He goes beyond effective pairings to consider the beverage as a dish itself. That being the case, selection and combination of ingredients is critical. Recipe by recipe, he takes readers through his process for developing a drink, suggesting when it can be made in batches or what other uses in the bar or kitchen might be found for an unusual component. Drinks such as the white bull, featuring gin and a sage and beer syrup, entice. Röllich includes recipes for home versions of various liqueurs, bitters, and tinctures. The result is a work that inspires rather than daunts, one that amateur cocktail makers will embrace.