This past Wednesday we had the pleasure of attending the De Nolet presented by Ketel One Vodka, an event hosted by Ketel One Vodka and designed to tell the story of their heritage. There was a multi-sensory wall that displayed the entire history from the wheat that they use to correspondence between Mr. Nolet and John Adams discussing America’s independence from Britain. It was basically a super cool history lesson – with booze.
The event featured specialty cocktails that were created for the event by Jeff Bell of PDT, Diageo World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year There was a private tasting with Ricky Gomez, the Ketel One National Mixologist and Ambassador, and Hors d’oeuvres by Chef Marc Forgione.
Ketel One Specialty Cocktails
1691 – Ketel One Vodka, Ginger Beer, Fresh Lemon Juice, Beet Syrup, Simple Syrup and garnished with Lemon Wheel with Candied Sugar – Paired with the Beet Tartare.
Chamakay – Ketel One Citroen, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Caraway Liqueur and Garnished with a Lemon Twist – paired with the Gravlax.
Brooklyn Easy – Ketel One Orange, Fresh Pineapple, Manzanilla Sherry, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Mango Puree and Garnished with a Pineapple Leaf – paired with Taco.
Not for Nuthin’ ( Non-alcoholic Beverage) – Coconut water, Fresh Lime Juice, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Cane Syrup and Garnished with Lime Wheel.
We caught up with Ricky Gomez to talk to him about his thoughts on summer cocktails and some of his favorite places to drink while he is in New York City and what his process is when he creates a cocktail. Gomez said that his favorite bars in NYC, in no particular order, are: the NoMad (“because they do great cocktails in a fun social way”), Death & Co (“they consistently produce high quality cocktails”) and Dead Rabbit.
Gomez said that he has seen the rise of the punches and large format punches are going to continue to gain popularity this summer.
One of my favorite questions for bartenders is always to know what their process is when making a cocktail. Some bartenders start with a taste in mind, others a liqueur and since Gomez is a bartender and brand ambassador, he keeps the rich history of Ketel One in mind while referring to the tasting book to figure out the taste or to get an idea of the ingredients and then uses those ingredients to create a story behind the cocktail.
For more information on the De Nolet presented by Ketel One Vodka Tour visit Ketel One Vodka’s website.
Our Best Stories Delivered Daily
