• Utilizing local cocktail ingredients • Seasonal beverage sensations • Memorable flavors made simple “A long time ago I went to a bar and ordered a classic martini, I can remember distinctly the bartender using a beautiful perfume bottle for the vermouth, instead of adding vermouth to the mixing tin, he spritzed the glass. When I asked him about it, he told me the vermouth wasn’t supposed to be a flavor it was supposed to accent the vodka. Needless to say it was the best martini I have ever had,” reminisced Molly-Lynn Christina Dale of Levy Restaurants. Dale has been in the hospitality industry for 19 years and with Levy Restaurants for three years. |
The utilization of local products is seen from kitchen to bar counter and Dale was pleased to ensure the use of local ingredients in all house-made cocktails by Levy, as they like to support local purveyors to showcase what Columbus has to offer visitors. A few of these local ingredients include items from Watershed Distillery and Root 23 Syrups, both based in Columbus, OH.
Watershed Distillery creates its Nocino Black Walnut Liqueur by steeping local walnuts in vodka for months and is produced only once a year when the nuts are in season. Levy’s homemade Black Cherry shub is also a delicacy. Shub is an intense concentrate of its ingredients, providing both a sweet and tart flavor to the drinks it is used to create. “We wanted to take a unique Columbus approach to drinks that guests are already familiar with. When you use great quality ingredients the challenge is not to hide them. Simple touches, like the Black Cherry [shub] simple syrup, are all that’s necessary to create memorable flavor,” explained Dale, “This is one of the thousand details that contribute to creating a great guest experience here at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.”
Levy Restaurants provided two cocktails utilizing the Nocino Black Walnut Liqueur to show the versatility of flavor, from a main liqueur to an accent ingredient.
The banquet bars housed at GCCC provide unique cocktail ingredients and local flavor. Make sure to ask your next F&B provider about how they can incorporate local ingredients into your cocktail scene as an added experience for your attendees.
The Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) continues to undergo a massive $125-million renovation and expansion project scheduled for completion in July of this year. Read more about it at http://bit.ly/GCCCRenovations.