Aneka Saxon was impressed to grow to be a bartender by way of her love for taste and journey.
She discovered bartending to be the proper approach to recreate and share the distinctive tastes she skilled throughout her travels. Her restaurant, Dearly Beloved, is a cocktail-focused venue in Chicago designed to excite company’ palates.
“I wished to create a playground for adults to discover and journey the world of taste.”
The drinks are fastidiously curated, with a signature cocktail menu that pushes boundaries, a traditional cocktail menu with trendy twists, and a zero-proof menu that she considers her favourite.
“I’ve created a world of non-alcoholic drinks meant to welcome all forms of drinkers.”
Her determination to include bugs like tarantulas, beetles, and grasshoppers into her cocktails was sparked by the sustainability conversations surrounding agave manufacturing. “I wished to focus on beautiful Mexican spirits whereas initiating a dialog about meals sustainability,” she explains. The bugs are utilized in quite a lot of methods, together with infusions, syrups, and tinctures, and “Fortunately sufficient, they’re additionally scrumptious.”
Aneka takes balancing innovation and approachability significantly. “It’s very simple to nerd out and make concoctions that individuals don’t actually need.” After making a drink, she asks herself, “Do I need this once more?” If the reply is sure, she assessments it additional along with her colleagues. Regardless of her artistic concepts, Aneka admits that her personal conventional palate helps her preserve issues balanced.
“I like margaritas and lemon drops, so if I make a drink I take pleasure in, I often can assume different folks will, too.”
Aneka additionally teases that her uncommon elements might be featured in future particular occasions and themed menus. For novice bartenders, her recommendation is straightforward:
“Preserve experimenting, there are not any flawed solutions, however go gradual! Add little bits at a time, it’s laborious to go backwards.”
Aneka sees cocktail tradition evolving to be extra health-conscious. “I see health-conscious consuming being increasingly related,” she says, predicting a rising concentrate on low-proof, zero-proof, and wholesome elements, particularly as youthful generations grow to be extra centered on longevity.
