| MEET THE MIXOLOGIST |

SMOKE SHOW

1 oz . Herradura Reposado tequila ½ oz . Sotol ½ oz . Agave 2 dashes Bittercube cherry bark vanilla bitters

In a mixing glass add ingredients and ice . Stir with a long bar spoon about 22-25 times until chilled . Strain into a 10-oz . rocks glass over a large ice cube . Garnish with an orange rip after expressing the oil .

Jennifer Seiler is director of food and beverage at the Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis .

The mixologists at the Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis crated this recipe .

What was your first job in the beverage or hospitality industry ? At Dona Le ’ s Café , which was a restaurant in Forest Lake , MN .

What is your favorite spirit to work with at the moment ? Mezcal . I like the intricacy of the spirit and supporting indigenous cultures .

What is the focus or specialties of the beverage program at The Hewing ? We focus on education and continuing to grow . The beverage industry is always changing , and that is what makes it so fun . We continue to push ourselves and the team to create change and think outside of the box .

You became a licensed herbalist and aromatherapist during the pandemic ; how are you applying that to the beverages ? I love blending notes . Learning how different scents complement each other allows me to try new things in cocktails and use different spirits to create the profile I am looking for when blending house-made syrups , shrubs , liqueurs , etc .

I also like thinking about the health benefits and incorporating certain elements to achieve that . For example , lavender , lemongrass and chamomile can have a calming , chill effect .

What drinks do you see guests enjoying or asking for these days ? Tequila ! Anything tequila-based , Espresso Martinis and also a lot more spiritless cocktails . Nonalcoholic drinks are still very popular .

What ’ s your current go-to cocktail or beverage ? A mezcal Old Fashioned .

Would you share a recipe for one of the most popular cocktails at The Hewing , or one of your favorite drinks ? The Smoke Show cocktail ( see above for recipe ) uses tequila and sotol .

8 | WINTER 2023 • CHEERS @ HOME WWW . CHEERSONLINEATHOME . COM