Drink of the Week: Marquee

by Steven Doyle

We sauntered into the sexy surroundings of Highland Park Village’s Marquee Grill and Bar last night in search of a fantastic cocktail and entered the realm of celeb bartender Jason Kosmas who is the beverage director of the restaurant, only to find he has slipped away on vacation.

This did not deter our thirsty selves, so we quickly bellied up to the bar where we ordered. And for good measure, ordered again.  

When in the dominion of a great bartender, we generally leave the ordering to the master only giving a slight hint of what we may be in the mood for. This evening we wanted to sample Makers 46, the more sophisticated cousin to the standard Makers that is lightly amber in color, with a sweet oak finish that is lush with soft caramel tones.

Enter Eduardo Panozzo, barman.

Tipping Panozzo off to the fact that we did not want umbrella drinks, and wished to skip any floral garnishes, he slipped us the guiding cocktail which speaks volumes to the bartenders voracity — the Manhattan.  Simply put, if you cannot make a decent dry Manhattan you best be working at an ice house tipping beer and breaking up bar fights.

Panozzo made the grade and was eager to offer something a bit more challenging. This guy wasn’t into naming drinks, he seemed to leave that to the patron’s imagination.  But what he lacked in siring tactics, he made up in pouring skills.

Making the frothy drink that included Makers 46, Benedictine, egg white, fresh lemon juice, a simple syrup, topped off with a drizzling of Pedro  Ximenez port, the drink was cold and inviting.

Allow your parched palate to guide you to this Drink of the Week.