Meet The Mixologist: Jose Luis Betancur

Luis Betancur is beverage director at Boston-based Tuscan Manufacturers, which incorporates seven restaurant ideas and two retail markets. A sommelier and a Chilean native who immigrated to the U.S. at age 27, Betancur additionally teaches mixology and wine courses at La Scuola, the Williams Sonoma and Tuscan Market cooking faculty in Salem, NH.

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

My first job within the trade was as a busboy in a French restaurant by the South Finish of Boston. Nice wine and, after all, profiteroles.

What’s your favourite spirit to work with for the time being?

Rum at present due to the Tiki second and the summer time. It’s tremendous straightforward to cover and to get pleasure from in lots of basic cocktails.

Tuscan Manufacturers consists of seven restaurant ideas and two retail markets; how does the beverage program replicate the idea’s Italian tradition? 

By pushing the boundaries! We make all the things from scratch, together with many enjoyable syrups, leveraging all the things out of the fruit and herbs — peel, juice and pulp. We create cocktails with many dimensions whereas utilizing Italian liqueur and amari. 

What cocktails, wines and beer are Tuscan Manufacturers company excited about nowadays? 

The Soiled Martini is a basic; additionally the Espresso Martini and enjoyable, flavorful spicy Margaritas. Our trending wines embrace coastal wines like vermentino, vernacchia and falanghina, and a few obscure wines like Etna bianco from the majestic Etna Volcano. The beer pattern is altering; nonetheless some curiosity in IPAs, however now we will see extra mild and crisp refreshing pale ales and nonalcoholic beers like Athletic from Colorado.

As a local of Chile, are you a fan of the Pisco Bitter? 

I drank a lot pisco…a lot. I like a basic bitter, however my favorites are the Ardour Fruit and the Mango Bitter. In Chile you will discover so many fruits like cherimoya or custard apple. A little bit totally different than what the web will present you, custard apples are a creamy, sweet-granny apple with a contact of lemon — to die for.

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

A White Negroni or many summer time variations of the Negroni. Additionally Spritzers; they’re so versatile and you may create so many various flavors and types. It’s a class of its personal these days.

Would you share one of the widespread at Tuscan Manufacturers, or one in all your favourite drink recipes? 

This can be a tough one, now we have so many widespread cocktails from our proficient bartenders, however right here is the recipe for Makin Me Coconuts.