Being raised in a household that valued meals and wine, Clarke Anderson’s curiosity in meals science and culinary arts was sparked early on.
Nevertheless, after working briefly within the kitchen, he realized his true ardour was in beverage service and schooling after a transformative journey to northern Italy and southern France. “I had by no means felt such a robust connection between folks and their agriculture. That’s what I’m aiming for right here at dwelling.” Clarke’s profession started as a sommelier at Fogo de Chao in Atlanta, and he later joined Ford Fry’s group, serving to open no. 246 and The Optimist. He expanded his position over time and now helps information a number of beverage packages at eating places, together with St. Cecilia, BeetleCat, Marcel, and Le Loup in Nashville. He’s a Degree II Licensed Sommelier by The Courtroom of Grasp Sommeliers and a founding member of the Southeastern Sommelier Society.
At Le Loup, which opened in 2022, Clarke has created a complicated, intimate bar expertise impressed by New York and L.A. cocktail bars. Positioned in Nashville’s East Germantown neighborhood, the bar provides over 50 cocktails, with classes resembling Originals, Classics, Forgotten Classics, and Tributes. Clarke explains the significance of the design: “Customized-built wells behind the bar – impressed by a pilot’s cockpit & designed for optimized, streamlined execution – guarantee each bartender has all the pieces they want at arm’s attain. And Le Loup’s ice program is in contrast to the rest within the area, with a concentrate on correct temperature and distinctive execution by way of hand carving, house-frozen ice blocks, shaved granitas, and in-vessel specialty flavored ice – relying on what most closely fits every drink.”
Clarke has embraced buzzy substances like matcha, turmeric, and tepache in his cocktails. “Matcha provides earthiness; plenty of cocktails which have honey lack that earthy element, and matcha tends to offer us earthy elements from the inexperienced tea. Matcha is extremely caffeinated, so it offers a lift too.” For turmeric, he begins with a simple ginger honey recipe, and provides it. “We get contemporary turmeric in instances and course of it. You get a shaken whiskey bitter state of affairs with spice from ginger then plenty of earthiness from turmeric.” Lastly, tepache is a historic ingredient, in that it’s been made in pineapple rising areas throughout Central and South America for 1,000 years. “It’s a low alcohol state of affairs, so fermentation occurs slowly over a few days and offers us single digital alcohol numbers.
You may ferment all of it the way in which to get to 7%, however we cease it and refrigerate it, which provides some alcohol and a few sweetness. This drink is in regards to the steadiness: acidity from pineapples, sweetness from pineapples, and a little bit little bit of alcohol.” He provides key recommendation for bartenders working with these substances. “Cocktails are balanced by proportions, and including roughly of one thing—even whilst you suppose you’re cool giving somebody further booze—you’re throwing the steadiness of the cocktail off.” He additionally stresses utilizing contemporary substances and recommends not bulk-prepping sure gadgets. “In case you are making turmeric syrup, make simply what you want for a number of days.”
On the wellness pattern in cocktails, Clarke’s take is fairly clear: “Cocktails will not be nutritional vitamins. Lots of people are mixing these substances in NA drinks. In case you are searching for libation that makes you are feeling good, depart the alcohol out. If you’d like a wellness drink, omit the alcohol. You may add a NA spirit or membership soda. Takes trial and error as a result of dilution is totally different. Save your cash and work with modifiers like bitters and cordials. For those who do use NA, keep on with one thing extra of a modifier than base spirit.”
Finally, Clarke’s method to cocktails is about steadiness and precision, whether or not creating an alcoholic drink or a wellness-focused non-alcoholic one.
For this model, we’re utilizing the matcha simply excessive for garnish, which provides an exquisite fragrant addition to the drinker.
Picture by Emily Schultz
Bumble Bee cocktail
by Le Loup Nashville
Elements
- 1 egg white
- ½ oz. minted honey syrup
- ¾ oz. lime juice
- ¾ oz. flor de cana
- ¾ oz. diplomatico
Preparation
- Shake } pressure } dry shake } coupe } GF Twist discard } Matcha Mud.
Picture by Andrew Thomas Lee
Viva Maria
by Le Loup Nashville
Elements
- 6 JD* chili tincture
- 2 JD Peychauds Bitters
- .25 oz Pina Gomme Syrup
- .5 oz lime juice
- .5 oz mezcal
- 1 oz lunazul blanco
- 1.5 oz tepache
Preparation
- Etched rocks } Baller Ice } chili threads *Japanese dasher bottle.
