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“Hey Oscar, could you make a cocktail with Gentleman Jack whiskey?” Sure thing! Oh, I could make something like an apple pie? Or stir a classic? There are so many options I could make, but none of those ideas spoke to me. I played with the idea of a whiskey sour until I landed on my favorite fruit: passion fruit, that is.
Now that’s something that speaks to me and just like Jesus, memories took the wheel.
I rolled up my sleeves and after some live trials on the bar and plenty of happy guests, I made a cocktail I’m proud of and want to showcase it.
Gentleman Jack as a spirit is smooth, bright, and very playful. It gave me all the right notes and a fantastic flavor profile to work with. I wanted to make a cocktail that highlights those features and some of my background. Passion fruit has always been a favorite pick of mine for fruit, it brings me right back to my childhood in Venezuela — sweet, tart, and bright!
These notes are something that remind me of the summer days I had by the river when I was younger with my dad and this drink gave me back some of those memories, like his love for coffee and sweets made of canela (cinnamon). Another member in the Jack Daniels family helped me bring this cocktail to life: Jack Fire. Yes! Cinnamon with passion fruit sits me right next to my ol’ man. I wanted to make something that was mine, not another whiskey sour, but something that tasted so good that made people feel warm and happy.
At the end of my shift while brainstorming, I realized that my inspiration for this cocktail was my dad. “Mala Vida” (Bad Life) was his nickname used by his friends and family in a sarcastic way since he was always in a good mood and was able to make everyone around him feel welcomed, loved, and warm. And he did give me the best advice: “Make your future in Boston.”
Join us Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. for Boston.com’s Cocktail Club with host Jackson Cannon and his special guest Oscar Simoza, bartender at Silvertone Bar and Grill in Boston. This week they’ll be making cocktails with Gentleman Jack whiskey, catching up about the Boston restaurant and bar scene, and sharing tips the pros use to make great drinks at home. They’ll be mixing the traditional whiskey sour and Mala Vida’s advice. Everything you need is in the shopping list here.
Oscar Simoza is a bartender at Silvertone Bar & Grill in Boston.
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