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WWW.TAMUG.EDU/ADMISSIONSExquisite Homes Laffite’s Cove, Galveston TX 281.773.3477 bjennings@greenwoodking.com BET JENNINGS Top Performing Realtor® in Houston & Galveston Specializing in the Pirates communities: Laffite’s Cove, Pirates Cove, Pirates Beach & Pirates Beach West A long-time resident of Laffite’s Cove Director of Laffite’s Cove Board Pirates POA & West Galveston Island Board Director, UTMB Development Board GREENWOOD KING PROPERTIES a place to find your home 4237 Pirates Drive | $1,350,000 13615 Windlass Circle | $875,000 11815 Sunbather Lane | $2,195,000 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 43 DOWN THE HATCH BUSTING THEIR GLASSES Mixologists go to extremes and expense to make the ultimate cocktail story by MARK G HANNA | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA W hen it rains, it doesn’t necessarily pour. That was the point of a pop-up bar in London several years ago called Alcoholic Architecture. The bar, at the site of an ancient monastery, didn’t just pour drinks, but had guests wander about the club amid thick clouds of aerosolized cocktails. The clouds were created with humidifiers using fine spirits at a 1:3 ratio of alcohol to water. The intoxicating mist entered the bloodstream through mouth, nose and even the eyeballs. Signs on the door advised, “Breathe responsibly.” In the ever-expanding, never-dull world of mix- ology, taking cocktails to the extreme isn’t only a challenge, it’s a mission. Across the globe, behind- the-bar mixers bust their glasses coming up with the next showiest, most creative, most expensive and most unusual cocktails. When success comes, they move on to outdo themselves. “The most challenging cocktail recipe I ever de- veloped was our house recipe, the Rosewater Sour,” said Pasha Morshedi, one of the owners of Rose- water, 1606 Clear Lake City Blvd. in the Clear Lake area, and the heart of the establishment’s innovative cocktail program. “It was a struggle to develop a drink that had the pink hue I wanted without it being overwhelmed by the rose liqueur character that I wanted in the drink.” (Above) Bartender Noel Martin pours a Rosewater Sour at Rosewater in the Clear Lake area. (Opposite) The cocktail, developed by Rosewater owner Pasha Morshedi, is made with Roku Gin and topped with a red rose tincture.44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 DOWN THE HATCH The process was long and ongoing to find the exact color and taste Mor- shedi had in mind. He eventually gave up on the rose liqueur, and, surely while lightning was flashing outside the castle walls and sparks were flying in the laboratory, he tried using a scant amount of a spiced, red-wine syrup made in house. “The slightest amount provided a lovely color and the tannins from the wine helped to balance the floral quality of the rose liqueur and gin we use,” he said. “I remember mak- ing over a dozen iterations, and my girlfriend at the time, God bless her, endured all of them until we finally settled on the current recipe.” The extremes many bartenders have gone to, some with ample budgets, are good for the record books, but without their efforts, the world would be without some most unique sippers. Could we indeed think we are a civilized nation had someone not invented the $10,000 diamond-in- fused martini at West Hollywood’s now-departed Vaucluse Lounge? It was a simple drink actually, being a perfectly made gin martini. The slight exception was the gin having been infused with diamonds, plus there were $10,000 worth of diamonds in the glass. Two famed rappers actually purchased the drink, sipped them down and left the bar with the com- ment, “It tastes like a Rolex.” There is more bling at the St. Regis in Tokyo, which serves an $18,000 martini that comes with a 1-carat dia- mond in the glass. Sadly, the martini is made with vodka. It’s not mentioned whether there’s an extra charge to make it with gin. Back in the states, when it celebrated its 40th anniversary several years ago, The White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine, created its own anniversary cocktail called the Ruby Rose. It actually wasn’t much of an over-the-top cocktail — the ingredi- ents being pomegranate juice, Hangar 1 Vodka, St. Germain liqueur, orange juice and rosewater — but the chal- lenge was to not choke on the 4-carat ruby at the bottom of the martini glass. Kimberly Paul, the beverage di- rector at Houston’s Etoile Cuisine et Bar in Uptown Park and Brasserie du Parc on Discovery Green, is an award-winning competitor both na- tionally and internationally in making cocktails. She understands challeng- ing and extreme. “There are so many crazy situations I’ve been thrust into both competing and day-to-day, but one incident that always comes to mind is when a for- mer colleague left me a birthday party menu I was just a little unprepared for,” she said. “On the day of the party, which he was not there for, I was told that I needed to execute 30 frozen cocktails that needed to be layered with three different flavors. If we had had three frozen machines, it would have been difficult but possible. We had one.” Each layer had to be poured and kept cold while the machine was rinsed and filled with the next layer. The party, to her surprise, was a success. “It was a very intense, sticky night,” Paul said. And the colleague? Paul set him up making Sex with an Alligator shots, hardly simple, for his 100-guest bridal event he was bar- tending the following week, she said. “Yes, we’re still friends,” she said. And on the subject of busting your glass, there’s a tale of Rosewater and the tropical lady. “A lady came into the bar about four years ago, and she wanted some- thing tropical and sweet,” Morshedi recalled. “’Not too sweet’, she said, ‘but kind of sweet and fruity.’ And here’s where it went off the rails. All of us, every single one of us, have a different perception of sweet. Hell, on any given day your palate can change based on what you might have just had to eat or drink. “So, for this woman, I made her a tropical drink and increased the amount of sugar syrup by about 50 percent. This would have already started to seem unbalanced and over- sweet to me, but after I slid the drink across the bar, she eagerly took a sip and winced. ‘It was too tart,’ she said. It was a slow night, so I tried three more iterations of this drink, each sweeter than the last. At some point, I refused to give up on her and kept doubling down to help her find the diabetic sweet spot she liked, even though it was inconceivably sweet to me. I would have died drinking what she ended up loving. Best part was that after all that, she accidentally spilled her drink halfway through.” Speaking of sweet, thinking mai tai? Most people think they’ve had one, but actually, the original version of this goofy cocktail, made in 1944 by Victor Bergeron in California’s Trader Vic’s, hasn’t been available for decades — except at one location in Belfast, Ireland. So popular was his original mai tai, sales depleted the supply of the original rum, Wray & Nephew 17. The last time a bottle of it came up for auction, it sold for more than $50,000. The Merchant Hotel in Belfast, however, has a carefully guarded stash of the original rum, and for about $1,500 a drink, the original mai tai using Bergeron’s recipe is yours. The paper umbrella is extra. Obviously, extreme drinking can be challenging, just as challenging drinks can be extreme. Both also can be very expensive. To pursue either, it might be best to follow the advice of those who once wandered the London pop-up Alco- holic Architecture. Take a deep breath and enjoy. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 45 sales@outsideoasis.com sales@outsideoasis.com www.outsideoasis.com www.outsideoasis.com Outdoor LivingOutdoor Living $500 Off All Patio Additions Expires 1-31-21 Patios, Outdoor Kitchens, Hardscape, Pool Decks, Patios, Outdoor Kitchens, Hardscape, Pool Decks, Fire Pits, Coping & More! Fire Pits, Coping & More! FREE ESTIMATES CALL TODAY! 832-317-9509 OUTDOOR LIVINGOUTDOOR LIVING photo by MELISSA RIVERA Sex with an Alligator is a colorful drink layered with Chambord, Midori and Jägermeister. The cocktail isn’t a regular on the menu at Marais in Dickinson, but the bartenders are willing to whip one up on order. This is a drink with a dash of revenge from Kimberly Paul, beverage director of Houston’s Etoile Cuisine et Bar and Brasserie du Parc. Its name comes from those who claim it will bite you like an alligator or have you wondering what you’ve done. SEX WITH AN ALLIGATOR 1 ounce melon liqueur 1 ounce Malibu Rum 1 ounce Midori 2 ounces pineapple juice ½ ounce Chambord ½ ounce Jägermeister Mix the first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Drop a drizzle of Chambord and let it settle in the bottom of the glass. Float a thin layer of Jägermeister on top.46 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 DOWN HOME TIDE TO TABLE How a renowned Houston chef found his way to Pier 6 in San Leon story by SUE MAYFIELD GEIGER photos by STUART VILLANUEVA J oe Cervantez, executive chef of the newly opened Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House in San Leon, didn’t really know where San Leon was when he first started talking to Raz Halili about coming on board at the restaurant. Halili, vice president of Prestige Oysters, had a working relationship with Cervantez when Cervantez was executive chef at Brennan’s of Houston. “Raz mentioned he was going to open a waterfront restau- rant not too far from where I live in Pearland,” Cervantez said. “Since I’d been using his oysters at Brennan’s and was impressed with the brand, I decided to check it out. It was pretty rough since not much had been done since it was Bubba’s Shrimp Palace, but I saw Raz’s vision and I believed in what he was trying to do. “We were building our relationship, and after a few visits, he asked how I felt about coming on board. It took a lot of think- ing, but once I saw how things were coming together, I got ex- cited about doing something different, plus I love being by the water and it’s a much lovelier drive than going into Houston.” Pier 6, 113 Sixth St., officially opened in late October to rave reviews, and Cervantez is proud of how things are going, he said. “I created the entire menu, and every dish I put on there is something I want diners to eat, then come back and have a hard time ordering something else because the first thing they had was so good,” he said. “I’m focusing on fresh seafood and letting it speak for itself, adding touches here and there. Tide- to-table dining is a concept that Raz and I came up with since we’re able to utilize the bay, the Gulf and the local resources around us. The oysters we use are right off the boat.” Although the focus is on seafood, Cervantez wanted to make sure there was something for everybody, so prime steaks, chicken, hamburgers and many other choices are on the menu, he said. “We cater to non-seafood eaters, and those with shellfish allergies — even vegans are easily accommodated,” he said. “I wanted to make things that I like to eat, like our burger. It’s Executive Chef Joe Cervantez is bringing tide-to-table cuisine to Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House in San Leon. The concept, developed by Cervantez and restaurant owner Raz Halili, utilizes the bay, the Gulf and local resources. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 4748 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2021 DOWN HOME a two-patty, smashed-style burger that forms crusty edges, with cheese, pickles and our Sriracha mayo on a brioche bun. If you want lettuce and tomatoes, we can give you that, but my focus is on the Akaushi ground meat.” Of course, oysters take center stage here and people are ordering a lot of them, he said. “The Prestige roasted oysters and Streets of New Orleans — three Bienville and three Rockefeller — are big hits, as is the Tide to Fried, which comes with fish, crusted with shaved potatoes, shrimp, hushpuppies and house-made fries,” Cervantez said. “For creole lovers, the crispy snapper is corn- meal crusted, fried and served with shrimp étouffée and a popcorn rice salad.” Cervantez began his career at age 15 working at a Pearland restaurant. After grad- uating high school, he enrolled at The Art Institute of Houston, graduated in 2007 and began his journey with Hilton Americas in Houston. He went on to Brennan’s, Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland, then back to Bren- nan’s as executive chef. But his true begin- ning started in his mother’s kitchen, he said. “She cooked something special every day, and every dish had rice,” he said. “Every time I smelled the onions and spices hit the pan, it was a treat. When I was in seventh grade, I started experimenting with things in the pantry, and I especially liked to bake cakes.” Although Cervantez is content being in the kitchen, he eventually wants to take people out on oyster boats, where they can have the experience of pulling oysters from the reef and having him prepare them, he said. Now that he’s familiar with San Leon — surround- ed by Galveston, Trinity and Dickinson bays — he’s looking forward to navigating the waters, he said. “I want this to be an everyday restaurant and be affordable for everyone,” Cervantez said. “The priciest things on the menu are our steaks because there is nothing lower than prime here. One of the more popular items right now is the redfish on the half shell with our house-made chimichurri sauce and I’m happy to share the recipe.” REDFISH ON THE HALF SHELL WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE 16 ounces redfish with skin on For the sauce: ½ cup parsley, minced ½ cup mint, minced ½ cup cilantro minced 1 tablespoon garlic, microplaned ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, microplaned 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 lime, zested and juiced 2 cups olive oil Salt and pepper to taste For the sauce: using a microplane, which basical- ly is a small, handheld grater, zest garlic, ginger, lemon and lime in a medium bowl. Add the juice, minced herbs, pepper flakes and vinegar. Whisk- ing, drizzle in olive oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper. For the redfish: Sprinkle both sides with favorite blackened seasoning. Grill flesh side down on woodfire or charcoal for 5 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness. Turn over to skin side and brush with sauce. Grill for 1 minute, remove from heat and transfer to plate. Add remaining sauce over fish. “I’m focusing on fresh seafood and letting it speak for itself, adding touches here and there.” EXECUTIVE CHEF JOE CERVANTEZNext >