Congratulations to Julian Shaffer of Rye, the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Texas Exceptional Cocktails Award Winner!
Complementing a creative seasonal menu at Rye, the drink pairing curated by Julian Shaffer focuses on balance. Highlighting interactions between flavors, it features neat pours, cocktails, sake, and wine, and there is a separate lengthy cocktail list full of pleasant surprises.
Learn more about Julian’s journey in the industry and his favorite drinks below. Cheers!
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How were you introduced to the world of cocktails?
Bartending saved my life. I was in a really hard spot when I was young, and when I was 19, I got a job at a little bar, and it taught me how to take care of people. That's what kept me propelling forward.I have two big inspirations. One is my old bar manager from a restaurant called The Woolworth, Dex Gatlin. He really taught me how to be a bartender, be a human being that takes care of people in a respectful way, and to always make sure that things are moving forward. The other is my best friend, Jairo Castillo, another bartender in the city. He will always push me to go to the next level, to keep techniques on the cutting edge, and better take care of the people that we serve.
How have your cocktail tastes changed over the years?
There was a point where I thought that the techniques that you're using and the way that you approach things should always be very maximal. Milk washing, fat washing, infusions. The more experience I get, the best way I've come to understand things is to always use a few things and use them in the most complete way possible, analyzing flavors, what the end result is going to be, not necessarily what goes into it. If you have something beautiful on its own, just highlight that flavor, let people understand the truest form of what a cocktail can be.What are you drinking these days?
My go-to, pre-dinner drink, is always a negroni. The sweet, bitter, boozy balance is just perfect for me. My favorite cocktail that I have right now is our cherry blossom and coconut high ball. We use Giffard Lichi-Li Liqueur and reduce it by half, adding pickled sakura leaves we import from Japan to finish that reduction, so you get this really beautiful floral and earthy flavor and aroma that is brought back up with coconut water after the reduction, paired with London dry gin and topped with soda water. It is everything I think a cocktail can be.
What’s your ideal meal and pairing?
Pairings only exist in the frame of mind you are in when you're enjoying it. My favorite thing to eat and drink is sushi and sake. It keeps me inspired.Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
Unsweet tea.One of the biggest trends I've noticed is mocktails and people who want to enjoy a bar experience without having alcohol. The same way that we approach our cocktails, we also approach our mocktails. Fresh ingredients, using every single part of the ingredient, and making sure that the end result is delicious.
Do you have any sustainable initiatives with the cocktail program?
One way we maximize our sustainability and resources is our juice program. We have a super juice formula that allows us to create more fresh juice with less organic produce. Our programming follows the seasons so we're not trying to source ingredients that have a large carbon footprint or aren't easily available for us to source. These initiatives are followed by a very diligent and intentional cocktail designing process that maximizes the complete use of our ingredients.
What’s the biggest misconception about mixology or cocktails in general?
That you go to a bar to get drunk, and you don't go to a bar to be served, taken care of and be seen and recognized. Obviously, the two things can coexist, but I think that most people assume that the world of bars is a world of cheap tricks. But for me, it is about you're in a safe consumption site. People are taking care of you, they're watching you, they're seeing you, and they're representing you. The best experiences are always highlighted by how represented you feel in the space, and how comfortable and safe you are.What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a position like yours?
Work hard and close your bar the right way every night. Always pay attention to the small things that don't seem to matter. Make that the priority. Always make sure the waters are filled, always make sure that people are taken care of, and the rest will come with time. The more you do this, the more you build your palate. That will come. Make sure you know how to keep looking for ways to best serve the person in front of you and make them feel special.Hero image: Wendy Martinez / Julian Shaffer
Thumb image: Wendy Martinez / Julian Shaffer
