TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Think Pink For A Crisp, Refreshing Summer Cocktail

Photo by MICHELLE BAKER

The rose water drink is not at all sweet, but crisp and clean with full flavor.

ADVERTISEMENT

By GREG and MICHELLE BAKER

Tribune correspondents

Published: July 15, 2008

Updated: 07/15/2008 07:33 pm

We first met Francesco Lafranconi at the 2007 Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival. There he was, in white linen pants and a pink pinstriped tailored shirt, sleeves rolled up, relegated to an oak barrel just a stone's throw from the painted naked lady. He was mixing a heavenly concoction of Dom Perignon, rose nectar and fresh blueberries. Sweat poured from his European brow, thanks to the Florida humidity.

You could tell he was a little perturbed that he had been reduced to the top of a barrel. Yeah, it may have fit the theme, but this guy has designed cocktail menus for Thomas Keller (owner-executive chef of The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon and, well, a god to any chef of talent) and Daniel Boulud (owner-executive chef of Daniel and runner-up to Keller).

We will never forget how unbelievably delicious those little plastic cupped champagne martinis were.

Lafranconi returned for the 2008 Food & Wine festival with a much larger working area. This year, he held seminars on how to make his most-perfect cocktails. We were the first to be seated.

Lafranconi is the founder and director of Southern Wine and Spirits' Academy of Spirits and Fine Services. He saw a need for that while in Nevada.

He's the kind of guy who felt bartenders should reflect a certain caliber of service and style. The long and short, he brought the sexy back to bartending - single-handedly - across the world.

He has mixed drinks for Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, Michael Caine, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Martha Stewart, just to name a few. So naturally, when he tells you what to do, you do it.

He demonstrated a total of three cocktails and provided a recipe menu of six.

We pounced on him after the demonstration and drilled him for secrets. Some are publishable, some are ours. He was very happy to allow us to provide you with one of the most hypnotic cocktails our pursed lips have ever sipped.

He calls it The Exotic Kisser, which does sound a little hokey and very fem. The drink is not at all sweet, but crisp and clean with full flavor. The rose water is something everyone needs at home at all times. We call drinks like these "time warp drinks" because the next thing you know, it's midnight and you've had far too many to count.

Just call it The Bone Crusher, if it makes you feel more masculine. No one will notice the rose petal garnish.

THE EXOTIC KISSER

1.5 ounces Absolut Vanilla

Float of PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

4 ounces rose nectar or water (available at Fresh Market)

1 lime wedge

Pour the vodka and the rose nectar over ice in a rocks glass. Swirl to combine. Float the pomegranate liqueur by slowly pouring it into the glass, allowing the liqueur to run along the side of the glass. Squeeze the juice of one lime wedge into the drink, but do not garnish with the rind. Garnish with one floating red rose petal.

Source: Francesco Lafranconi

Greg Baker is a classically trained executive chef with more than 20 years of trendsetting restaurant experience. Greg and Michelle are co-owners of Cooks and Company Personal Chef and Catering. Go to www.cooksncompany.com or www.culinarysherpas.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT