Sushisamba debuted a menu of signature cocktails created by Corporate Beverage Director Jason Ferris. The new libations focus on the distinct flavors of Brazil, Peru and Japan. “We really wanted to present some classic Japanese flavors and feature Nigori Sake in a cocktail,” Ferris said in a statement. “In the Kumori, I’ve tied these fresh, natural flavors together and brightened them with the addition of nori sea salt. The salt allows the fresh flavors to pop.” In addition to the Kumori, there’s the ¡Caliente! (Leblon Cachaça, mango and passion fruit juices and aji panca syrup) and Beijo (Cruzan Rum, St-Germain, Canton, muddled raspberries and Cava float).
ABSOLUT has embarked on a mission to reengage the bartending community with the vodka category. The brand’s director of sensory analysis and a self-proclaimed “ambassador for the liquid people believe has no taste or smell,” Per Hermansson is hitting New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles this spring to set the record straight and educate the bartending community on the nuances and intricacies of the country’s best-selling but often-misunderstood spirit. Look for more from the ABSOLUT folks and their defense of vodka soon.
Dushan Zaric and Jason Kosmas of New York City’s Employees Only are set to launch their own line of artisan bar mixers, called Employees Only Brands, starting with the versions of grenadine and lime cordial they have been using behind the bar for years. The products will soon be available in New York.
Lucas Bols USA, producer of Bols Genever, Damrak Gin, Galliano and Bols liqueurs, hired Jacob Grier as its Portland, Ore., area brand ambassador. Grier has been in the Portland cocktail scene since 2008 and most recently managed the cocktail program at the Carlyle restaurant. He also runs the blog Liquidity Preference, which provides commentary on cocktails and coffee.