In The Glass

TECHNIQUE

Mar 30

At ATOMIX, Bartender Marc Rodriguez’s mezcal and beet cocktail pairing plays with the diner's perception.

At Atomix, the five-seat cocktail bar adjacent to the restaurant’s chef’s counter offers a playground for Bartender Marc Rodriguez to concoct distinctive drinks to pair with Chef Ruben Mosquero’s tasting menu of refined Korean dishes.

The cocktail pairings lean on heady combinations of spirits and savory flavors, like Rodriguez’s Oaxacan Passage, a walnut and pasilla chile-infused martini that accompanies the first course, or a combination of soju, celtuce, and dashima he serves alongside a dish of striped jack with spinach and seaweed. But when we come to the final savory course, Rodriguez throws guests a curveball. To pair with the wagyu beef, shishito pepper rice, and Korean mustard, he divvies out wine glasses to the guests and pours what appears to be red wine from a decanter. Smoky aroma fills the air and it’s apparent that the drink contains more than what meets the eye. The cocktail of mezcal, beets, and Szechuan peppercorn offers an equally earthy and light wash of the palate, with just enough acid to gracefully spar with the dish.

“It’s cheeky,” explains Rodriguez, “by this point guests are chatting and casual. For a second they are like ‘wait, are we ending a cocktail pairing with wine?’” Inspired by a dish of beef and beets that was previously on the menu, Rodriguez wanted to feature the root vegetable as a beverage counterpart to seared and sliced A5 wagyu. “To go with wagyu, I wanted something with body. It’s the final [savory] course, so you want it to be bold in flavor and in proof.”

A split base of mezcal and tequila sets the tone of the cocktail with subtle smoke and earthy fruit notes that mirror the fresh beet juice. Rodriguez then slips in a little red wine by way of cabernet franc that is reduced and sweetened to provide tannic structure and body while building a rich red hue. Lacto-fermented lime juice balances the drink with acid that’s “zippy but funky,” a Szechuan peppercorn tincture incorporates tingly heat, and a final touch of agave syrup ties everything together. Batched pre-service, the cocktail becomes a seamless transition and an unexpected moment to ignite the senses, masterfully tying together the dining experience with flair and flavor.