If you’ve ever dreamt of building the ultimate home bar, a place where you can kick back and sink into that Negroni made just the way you like it, this episode might inspire you to start sourcing building materials. Today’s guest is Bob Peters, an award-winning mixologist from Charlotte, North Carolina. As one of the city's most creative and influential cocktail professionals, he joined me to share his passion for the beverage world, and tell us about his garage bar man-cave, where he’s found refuge, and created an outlet for experimentation, through the pandemic.
What we covered in this episode
- Bob Peters tells us why the pandemic is particularly challenging for restaurant professionals (2:22)
- How he’s transformed his garage into an online classroom (4:43)
- Bob Peters shares a few of the affordable cocktails on the menu at The Grinning Mule (7:32)
- How seasonality inspires his flavor combinations (11:12)
- Bob Peters talks about how culinary trends influence mixology (15:35)
- Bob Peters’ path to bartending (17:11)
- An introduction to the Charlotte bar scene (19:19)
- How local southern ingredients are represented in Bob Peter’s cocktail recipes (21:09)
- Where science meets creativity (23:50)
- The essentials of creating a great bar program (27:01)
- Why health consciousness is the next big trend in cocktails (30:27)
- Bob Peters’ favorite cocktail “trick” to wow customers (32:52)
- The rockstar bartender he’d love to meet (35:25)
- Books to inspire you behind the bar (37:18)
- Series of rapid-fire questions.
- Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast
Links to other episodes with mixologists
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- Edible flower in cocktail picture from @rachelmartindesign
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- Cheers! with Bob Peters
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- Bob Peters and Peas & Carrots cocktail
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- Copper Pear: combination of the @Copperdogwhisky smoked peat, pear, and rosemary.
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- Peas & Carrots cocktail
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- Bob Peters and punch
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- Bob peters and Boulevardier
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- Homemade hot chocolate with the spirit of you choice
Submitted questions from podcast listeners
Cocktail recipe with Bourbon?
One of my favorite cocktails, sort of a boozy Manhattan-ish cocktail. I make a bourbon Negroni, and one of my favorite all-time cocktails is the Boulevardier. Well, I substitute out Campari for cynar, which is a cousin of Campari. And it gets a little bit more bitter, a little bit less sweet, very herbal, and not quite as fruity as Campari lends itself to be, I love making this cocktail to people who enjoy Manhattans. I love making them a cynar Boulevardier, which in my build, goes like two ounces of a really good, strong-flavored bourbon. It doesn't necessarily have to be a hundred proof, but I love a good strong backbone bourbon with big shoulders that you can put flavors on and that still stands out like the Woodford Double Oak is one of my favorites to build a cynar Boulevardier with. I add two ounces of it and then three-quarters of an ounce of cynar and a half-ounce of some really nice vermouth. Then stir it and express an orange rind over it. It’s so simple, so delicious, so boozy and bitter. That's one of my all-time cocktails for sure.