
I'm back from a press trip to Aspen. This one wasn't drink-related but I did some drinking while I was there. (Not as much as I wanted to- the altitude turned me into a lightweight.) Here are some observations.
- Classic cocktails are nowhere to be found. I'm sure bartenders can mix a traditional martini or Manhattan, but they're not usually listed on cocktail menus. A sazerac is not gonna happen.
- Most cocktail menus in Aspen are filled with drinks lead by flavored vodkas and other flavored spirits. This is usually a bad sign.
- Several bars have decent collections of scotch and cognac.
- Considering the audience, though, these last three trends make sense. Aspen is full of young people working and partying after work or apres-ski. I was surprised at how much the workforce makes up the social scene in town. Events seemed to have a mix of young locals with visiting older people, sometimes mixed together in crowds. Young people tend toward fruity sweet drinks, so bars are serving what most people want. The moneyed crowd drink single-malt scotch and wine.
- However, not every fruity drink is a lemon/grape/jolly rancher/pop rocks-flavored cosmopolitan. I stayed at the Sky Hotel, where the 39 Degrees Lounge has cocktails that contain flavored vodkas, but also include items like ginger syrup, fresh lemongrass, bitters, cilantro, and serano (sp?) peppers. I also spoke with the assistant food and beverage director for the adjacent Little Nell hotel, where the guy was specifically revamping their cocktail program. He told me he was making real grenadine and fresh sweet and sour mix instead of bottled, as well as instituting other improvements. I talked to him endlessly about tonic water, as I tend to do. I also saw one venue (I can't remember which one) that had a list of hot cocktails for apres-ski.
- I told a couple of beverage directors they could stand out with a local drinks section. I found two organic vodkas while I was there- Vodka 14 and CapRock Organic Vodka, both made in Colorado. Peak Spirits, who make CapRock, also make an organic gin, organic grappa, and organic eau de vie. Colorado has wine and plenty of microbrew producers as well, so this would be a cinch to implement.
- Regional shots are fascinating to me, perhaps because in SF people drink shots of Fernet, which doesn't make any sense. Anyway, in Aspen a few people told me they drink shots of Pearl pomegranate vodka there.
- Also, three different people told me their favorite tequila was the Don Julio 1942.
Overall, I think Apsen has quite a way to go in the fine drinking department. Everything in Aspen is expensive anyway, so charging an extra buck or two for drinks at the high end spots probably wouldn't scare away customers, and that money could go towards better mixers, fresh ingredients, and supporting local producers. And none of that requires that they serve drinks that aren't fruity or sweet.
But this is not to say I was disappointed in my visit. Aspen is a gorgeous town and I want to come back. Maybe I'll do a follow-up visit sometime next summer when there isn't that inconvenient snow everywhere.
Labels: cocktails, travel
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