Natalka Burian - A Womans Drink : Bold Recipes for Bold Women

For all of our friends, family, colleagues, and guests who have supported Elsa and Ramona over the years

Text copyright 2018 by Natalka Burian and Scott Schneider
Illustration copyright 2018 by Jordan Awan
Photography copyright 2018 by Alice Gao

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 9781452173412 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Burian, Natalka, author. | Schneider, Scott, 1986- author. | Gao, Alice, photographer. | Awan, Jordan, 1984- illustrator.
Title: A womans drink / by Natalka Burian and Scott Schneider ; photographs by Alice Gao ; illustrations by Jordan Awan.
Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2018] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018004035 | ISBN 9781452173290 (hardcover : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Cocktails. | Alcoholic beverages. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.
Classification: LCC TX951 .B84 2018 | DDC 641.87/4--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018004035

Design by Vanessa Dina
Typeset by Frank Brayton

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CHAPTER 1
DRINKING FOR ONE

CHAPTER 2
DRINKING WITH A PLUS ONE

CHAPTER 3
DRINKING WITH A CROWD

CHAPTER 4
DRINKING TO GET OVER... SO MANY THINGS

CHAPTER 5
DRINKING WITH FAMILY

CHAPTER 6
DRINKING TO GET SEXY

CHAPTER 7
DRINKING IN THE MORNING

CHAPTER 8
DRINKING WITH PEOPLE WHO DONT DRINK

CHAPTER 9
DRINKING IN A HURRY

CHAPTER 10
DRINKING WITH TIME ON YOUR SIDE

Some of the best times with friends and family begin with cocktails. Unfortunately, many people believe that craft cocktails are formal, inflexible, and nearly always the domain of men. The pre-Prohibition-cocktail craze has produced bars, books, articles, and nostalgia for a time when women couldnt vote or go out alone. The spirit of women in these spaces is demure, and accompanied. This often meticulously copied historical cocktail culture is wildly limiting. Mixing and sharing drinks should be an adaptable, informal, and joyful practice, and not a masculine pastime by default.

When my husband, Jay Schneider, and I opened Elsa in 2008, there were a number of excellent cocktail bars flourishing in New York City. Milk and Honey was the first of its kind, heralding the return of classic cocktails and craft originals, and from there, classic-cocktail dens grew exponentially. Most of these watering holes shared much in commonlengthy and intimidating drink menus, rules of conduct, and an old-fashioned sense of propriety. In this wave of cocktail bars, it was common to see mustachioed bartenders begrudgingly serving perfectly mixed drinks in dark, leather-covered interiors.

I was stunned by the overtly masculine decor and vibe at these places, and the sometimes joyless tone of the service. Each place was like a variation on the lastthe interiors were beautiful man caves, with professional, but sometimes surly, men serving the drinks. But the drinks, they were always great.

We wondered what would happen if we opened a bar where women would want to drink, too. The interior would be unapologetically feminine; the cocktails would still be perfect; the music, fun; the atmosphere, lively; and the service, knowledgeable, but kind and welcoming. Our goal with Elsa was to make drinking cocktails in New York more accessible and always fun.

Happily, we made that vision a reality on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and then expanded it to Ramona in Greenpoint, and to a second Elsa in Cobble Hill, two neighborhoods in Brooklyn. I love this line of work because it feels so aliveour businesses are an active part of our communities. Each location provides a place for people to gather to celebrate or plot, a haven to relax, a place to meet the love of your life or the love of your night. Weve held countless weddings, birthday celebrations, baby showers, and fund-raisers within our walls, and it really feels like weve experienced those hundreds of milestones with the members of our community.

That sense of community is strongest among our team of talented and ingenious staff. Our ability to grow and provide an always evolving experience to our guests relies on our collective creative power. So much about this journey has been collaborative. None of these projects would have materialized without the visionary talent of our entire team, but especially my brother-in-law, Scott Schneider.

I met Scott on his eighteenth birthday at a bar on Avenue A. Hed come to visit Jay, my boyfriend at the time, the summer before he started his first semester at Pratt. Luckily for us, Scott took a job a couple of years later as a bar back when we first opened the doors of the original Elsa nearly ten years ago, and has never left our family business. Scott now oversees the cocktail program at each of our bars, and has become our business partner.

Im lucky because I get to work with my friends and family every day, and this book is no different. I believe we are at our bestand are able to offer our guests the best experiencewhen we work collaboratively, and feel encouraged to try everything one, ten, or fifty different ways until it is the best, and unlike anything else out there.

The goal of this book is the same, to bring you the very best, to bring you something unlike anything else. There wont be any etiquette lessons here. There will be no pontificating about glassware or quality of ice. This book will show you how to make a lot of really great drinks, and empower you to improvise and experiment with each recipe. Forget those books and articles that perpetuate the false idea that innate skill, or tons of practice, or loads of special equipment are essential for showing your friends and family a good time. The truth is, anyone can make a perfect drink, even if that person knows nothing about artisanal bitters, has limited time, or is living on a budget.

No one should ever feel intimidated mixing, drinking, or even talking about cocktails. We will debunk some of the myths being circulated and encourage you to call anyone out on them, whether its a mansplaining suspendered bartender or a pompous uncle.

The recipes youll find here can be made in any kitchen, from your grandmas to the one at the Airbnb youre staying in. Many come with an Elevation Note, so if youre feeling ambitious, or you have access to some bar equipment, you can really go for it and put these drinks over the top. But, if you dont want to avail yourself of those notes, then dontthe drinks you prepare will still be delicious.