Mixologist: Kelly Woo
Above the call for beer pong and Jaeger bombs rises a new breed of bartenders known as mixologists – the curators of cocktails. As masters of the trade, they obsessively study the history, science, and art of the drink.
For Kelly Woo, a mixologist at Drop, the interest in mixology came naturally. A chef must know his ingredients. A painter must know his paints. And a mixologist must know his alcohol. “I love to drink,” he said laughing.
Woo started his bartending career at the Elbo Room in San Francisco. His mentor began training by havingWoo sample each of the 150 bottles of alcohol at the bar. “He told me, ‘You’re going to try until you can’t try anymore,’” Woo said. The two sampled 60 spirits that night.
With each sip, Woo learned the history of the drink. Folklores about monks who kept the secret recipe locked in their memory. Legends about suitors gifting a bottle to the maiden he pursued. Every bottle had a story. Taking his interest to the next level, Woo delved into the history of alcohol. He visited the library and read books about the Prohibition and long-lost records. “We’re talking about old leather-bound books, drawings scribbled on the inside, and pages that smell amazing,” he said.
Through his research and experience, he developed a reverence for fresh ingredients, classic recipes, and modern twists of flavor and culture. “The main difference between a bartender and mixologist like Kelly, that I’ve noticed, is that he is interested in the history of the drink and the art of making that drink. Not just the ingredients and the proportion, but the texture of even the ice – whether it’s crushed or cubed – everything about the drink,” said DJ Watts, a bartender who is currently apprenticing Woo at Drop. “He wants to craft the perfect drink.”
When Woo stepped behind the bar, he did not disappoint.
First up was the Lemon Apple Sour. He started with thinly sliced apples, freshly ripened to goodness. A special mix of fresh juice poured into the glass. Large chunks of ice, two shots of magic, and a handmade egg white froth completed the drink.
The finished products looked too pretty to sip. “Smell it first,” Woo advised. “The aroma is half of the taste.”
It smelled of warm apple cinnamon and sweet citrus. The first sip came down cool and refreshing. A good amount of sweet and just the right amount of sting.
An Espresso Martini was his second concoction. Woo began by drip brewing coffee – a process that involves pouring hot water over coarsely ground coffee – and waiting for the drops to fill the glass.
In the meantime, he cracked an egg white and sprinkled a dash of fresh cinnamon and nutmeg using a spice grater. All of the fresh spices sit in glass jars along the bar counter. The froth topped off the espresso martini. This is one for sipping, not for gulping. A cool dose of caffeine with a burning kick at the end to jolt every wild nerve in your body. A fun night lies ahead.
Last was the Smash. Whiskey wants you to know that it’s a tough drink. Take your first sip and it returns the favor by punching you right in the gut. The Smash is the tale of the old brute falling in love with a fair lady. She softens him up and the town can’t believe their eyes.
It’s a classic made with crushed strawberries and a fruity something to make it bearable for even the lightest of lightweights.
Woo’s talent is part intuition and part experimentation. “You end up just trying to figure out how things blend,” he said. “Take, for example, the chocolate cake shot. It’s crazy because you’re mixing two liquors and a sugar lemon and it comes out tasting like chocolate. But it’s not. It’s just liquid. And someone had to think about how to make that happen.”
His inspiration for creating drinks: candy. By mixing a variety of flavors, candy mimics different tastes. The same goes with drinks.
Before making your way to a local mixologist, leave your everyday order behind.
Don’t expect traditional vodka soda. Tell them how you like it – sweet, spicy, bitter. Choose your base liquor if you’d like. But leave the big decisions in their hands. And be prepared for the best.
