Chicagoist Grills: Mixing Drinks with Jennifer Contraveos!
By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 29, 2008 4:00PM
We had the good fortune to attend a cocktail mixing event at La Madia last week led by their mixologist, Jennifer Contraveos. Jennifer is a Chicago cocktail-ing star, winning regional and national competitions and being named one of the top mixers in the city by Metromix. Formerly the head mixer at Graze, she’s taken over the helm at La Madia.
When we were taken into the back of La Madia’s busy dining room, we quickly realized this would not be like any other cocktail class. Rather than sitting and listening, we were taken through the mixing of cocktails step-by-step. Jennifer is vivacious, knowledgeable and encouraging. Attendees felt comfortable asking questions and even experimenting a little. Jennifer taught us to make simple syrup and sour mix, discussed the best order in which to pour ingredients, the correct tools and glassware. Then, she brought us up to make some of the exciting concoctions served at La Madia. We made an “Aprhodite,” a sweet cocktail filled with strawberries and a dash of balsamic vinegar, and a “Forget-Me-Not,” with Plymouth Gin and the brand new Veev Acai berry Liquer. After 3-4 people would make each cocktail, we would taste the various efforts and compare them, and she would give some advice. La Madia provided appetizers and pizza, and everyone ended the evening by making a “Moscow Mule” with cucumber and ginger infused vodka.
Afterward, we got to sit down for a talk with Jennifer about her career, her favorite drinks, and her commitment to quality and fresh ingredients. Stay tuned after the interview for the recipe for one of the wonderful cocktails we made that night!
Chicagoist: Most people start out behind a bar, making normal, everyday drinks. How did you get from “bartender” to “mixologist,” and into more culinary content?
Jennifer Contraveos: I actually made the transition rather quickly, because I didn’t actually learn to be a bartender; I learned to be a mixologist. I learned from Tony Abou-Ganim, when I was working in Las Vegas. He not only taught me to be a mixologist, he taught me how to tend bar, so I learned with the most proper technique. I learned right off the bat to appreciate the freshest ingredients, and I immediately started experimenting and teaching.
C: So have you ever worked in a neighborhood bar?
J.C.: I have a couple of times, just for fun; I love the fast pace. But I appreciate being a mixologist more than being a bartender.
C: How much interaction do you have with the chefs at the restaurants you create cocktails for?
J.C.: We get together whenever a new season comes up! Recently, it was when peaches came out – Jonathan (chef at La Madia) and I got together and said “lets experiment with peaches!” Back in the fall, we both did blood oranges, so he made a blood orange sorbet and I did a rendition of an old-fashioned with blood oranges. That’s how I’ve always worked with chefs, because I have the same pride in seasonal ingredients that they have.
C: When you’re done at the bar, and you go home and you don’t have 16 different mixers in front of you, what do you actually drink?
J.C.: I drink 2 different things, depending on where I am. I like straight flavored vodka and soda, especially grape or black cherry. Three Olives makes a passion fruit vodka I like. Or, I drink beer; I drink Old Style.
C>: Out of all the crazy ingredients out there, what is your favorite thing to use in a drink?
J.C.: Ginger. I really like ginger, because it has an aromatic quality and a spice. Depending on what else you mix it with, you can really bring out interesting flavors. I’ve done a different cocktail every season with ginger. C: Where do you go when you want to drink, if you’re in Chicago? J.C.: Well, I’ve got some friends who are bartenders, so it kinda depends. I don’t go out a whole lot, but I definitely like going to the Violet Hour. I like places where people care about the same things that I do. C: What is the worst thing you’ve ever come up with? Something that you tasted and immediately said: I’m NEVER going to serve this. J.C.: Probably the very first cocktail I tried to make with peaches. I wasn’t trying to make a fuzzy navel, but I wanted something with peach and orange and blueberry, and I went about it using artificial flavors. I thought that somehow it would get a little more traction, so I used blueberry vodka instead of actual blueberries, I used peach schnapps. It was when I took the artificial route when the whole drink fell apart. C; What do you make for people who don’t like fruity drinks? All of the drinks we’ve had tonight had tons of fruit and simple syrups. J.C.: I’ve got a couple of things I’ve done with whisky. I’ve infused Maker’s Mark with peaches and fresh lemon sour and mint. It’s really not sweet, it’s more of a balanced cocktail and it’s really delicious. If I want a more natural sweetness, I’ll make a mint julep. C: How much time do you spend on the road competing, versus in the restaurant? J.C.: I do a competition or event about once a month. The rest of the time, I’m either teaching the staff, designing drinks or often I’ll be behind the bar, making cocktails and tasting them with customers, interacting with people on a different level. C: Where did you get the idea for an interactive cocktail-making class, and do you intend to do more of them? J.C.: Pretty much, we just decided to wing it! We had an idea of what we wanted do, and it didn’t actually come into fruition until about 2 hours before you guys got here! We decided to let all the guests make the simplest cocktail, and have the rest of the presentation be interactive – I’ve been to a lot of these events, and they’re all talk. I wanted people to get up there! Who doesn’t want to make their own cocktails? Aphrodite, from La Madia 8 Strawberry segments In a glass mixing pint, muddle strawberries and simple syrup. Add lemon sour, vodka and balsamic vinegar. Shake vigorously in an ice-filled shaker, strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with black pepper La Madia is located at 59 West Grand Avenue. The restaurant plans to do more cocktail classes regularly – check on their website.
½ oz simple syrup
2 oz fresh lemon sour
1.5 oz Absolut Vodka
2 dashes balsamic vinegar
cracked black pepper