Meet The Mixologist: Johnny Kozlowski

Johnny Kozlowski is beverage director of The Avra Group, which operates Avra Estiatorio Greek/Mediterranean eating places in New York, Beverly Hills and shortly to open in Miami.

What was your first job within the beverage or hospitality trade? 

Sarcastically sufficient, my first job was as a bus boy working below the desk after I was 12 years outdated at a Greek restaurant in my house city of Studying, PA.

What’s your favourite spirit to work with in the intervening time? 

My favourite spirit is gin proper now — there are such a lot of nice ones on the market, they usually have distinctive botanicals that add such nice aromatics and complexities to cocktails.

Avra’s Wine Listing consists of greater than 1,200 varieties and spans the globe; what are a few of the extra uncommon choices?

At our a number of Avra places, I attempt to have one thing for everybody, however one thing new I simply added to the Rockefeller listing is Silva Daskalaki “Grifos.” The wine is from Crete in Greece, made type a white grape known as vidiano.

It has prolonged pores and skin contact made in amphorae clay pots, then aged is barrels. As a result of pores and skin contact, the colour of the wine comes off orange. It has a brightness and freshness whereas exhibiting off a profound construction. I purchased each final case in New York Metropolis!

How did Avra’s personal branded wine choices come about?

After we checked out having our very personal Avra wines, we most significantly wished the wines to be effectively made and balanced for his or her model. The principle query when going by way of the method was, “Do I need to have one other glass of this?”  

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We’re very pleased with our mates whom have helped us notice this. Our Cyclades assyrtiko was launched in 2021, our Napa Valley cabernet in Could 2022, and we’re very excited for our Provence rosé to come back, which we’re anticipating in January 2023.

Avra’s listing of spirits spans within the a whole lot with 25 varieties and consists of hard-to-find-American whiskies and Shibui Whisky from Japan. What spirits have been well-liked with friends?

The Shibui line up is completely beautiful and genuine because it comes from Okinawa — I put them up towards anybody. Nevertheless, what’s the hottest must be tequila.

I can’t keep in mind one other time the place all of the chat was about tequila. Clase Azul has all the time been in direction of the highest of convo. I simply introduced within the very coveted Dí de los Muertos 2022 launch from them. The bottle is outstanding in its flavors and colourful handmade decanter that’s completed off in Martinique rum casks. One other stunner is the one property Maestro Dobel “1967” Additional Añejo; really a sipper amongst one of the best.

Do the cocktails observe a Mediterranean theme to go along with the meals idea?

They do — and naming them is one in all my responsible pleasures. Their names observe every part from Greek mythology to Greek landmarks.

The cocktail program enjoys not solely conventional recipes, but additionally distinctive and enjoyable taste. We infuse Greek spirits, comparable to Rakomelo tsipouro (Greek grappa aged with honey/spices/herbs) within the Rockefeller location’s Onassis Manhattan and on the Miami location we use mastiha (digestive constructed from tree sap in Chios, Greece) to make our Mojito.

What’s your present go-to cocktail or beverage? 

My favourite cocktail proper now’s our Poseidon’s Potion on the Rockefeller location.  It’s a play on a standard cocktail known as a Final Phrase. I substitute Luxardo Maraschino with a rosemary syrup that we infuse in-house.