The brand-new Drawing Room ignites flames of passion (and fire) with the Saffron Sazerac—a modern cocktail with an old-world twist.
The Drawing Room’s Saffron Sazerac layers the coveted spice with house-made bitters, small-batch bourbon, and dramatic pyrotechnics.
After dark, the porte-cochère of the Shelborne Wyndham Grand South Beach embraces visitors with its seductive violet hues, a tribute to the storied glamour of the hotel’s mid-century past. Thanks to a $90 million renovation, the Art Deco gem has matured, as evidenced by its new signature cocktail bar, The Drawing Room. Mixology master Albert Trummer (formerly of Drogerie) is at the helm with potions he affectionately refers to, in his thick Austrian accent, as “medicine.” His old-world, apothecary-style bar is celebrated for its whimsical blend of Asian ingredients, fresh fruit, potent botanicals, pyrotechnics, and secret elixirs. Choosing a “cocktail prescription” may sound like an overwhelming feat, so we examined one standout—his enticing Saffron Sazerac.
Trummer’s Saffron Sazerac is a bourbon-based cocktail inspired by a pair of saffron-loving Michelin-starred chefs, Daniel Boulud and David Pooley, the latter of whom brought Trummer to America three decades ago to be a bar chef. In addition to being delicious, saffron plays nicely into Trummer’s apothecary theme, as the stimulating flowering plant was historically used in remedies to treat everything from headaches to depression. Further inspiration comes from another ingredient, the housemade bitters, which nod to the 19th-century druggist who developed the famed Peychaud’s Bitters at his apothecary in the Big Easy.
Trummer first concocts a “saffron bourbon essence,” an infusion of eight herbs with a teaspoon of organic saffron valued at around $300 per ounce, and strains it into two ounces of Woodford Reserve small-batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, which is then shaken over ice. He adds a dash of house-made bitters before shaking again, this time more gently. He next rinses a glass with house absinthe (infused with Trummer’s “special herbs”) and pours in the drink over one ice cube. Finally, Trummer sets fire to the surface of the drink to extract the flavors and oils from the botanicals and to reduce the proof of the powerful spirits.
The final flavor? The Saffron Sazerac is this South Beach alchemist’s drinkable masterpiece. The first sip brings an oaky and herbal impression, as sugarcane and molasses notes creep in on the finish. A flamed orange peel garnish allows the fruit’s oils to penetrate the drink and impart burnt citrusy-sweet accents and aromas. 1801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-1271