Bartender Submission - Ed Warner II

ED WARNER II BEGAN his journey in the beverage industry after realizing that the passion he thought he had for culinary art turned out to be a love for cocktail creation.

After his long career in the music industry, Ed switched gears to go to culinary school, but once he got behind the bar, he realized his true calling. Although he loved crafting dishes and blending flavors, he enjoyed transferring this skill to spirits.

Ed tells us that Andre Williams, the first general manager that put him behind the bar; Joe Herrera, who trained him as a bartender; and the chef he was an apprentice, Bruce Molzan, are his biggest inspirations. He attributes his development as a bartender, to his local United States Bartending Guild chapter. “There were so many people that put me onto the right path,” says Ed. “I learned my chops from other bartenders and love all the guys in my chapter. I don’t think we would be having this conversation without them.”

Some advice Ed shares for new bartenders is to take the time to learn your craft away from the bar, learn all you can about spirits, play around with flavors, and pay attention to bartenders you respect. “Stay focused, be fearless!” exclaims Ed.

Ed’s favorite ingredients to work with are vanilla and various fats. “Vanilla because any spirit that touches a barrel of it will bring out nuances of the spirit’s flavor profile. Fats customize a spirit making it taste different and familiar,” explains Ed.

When creating a new cocktail, Ed likes to take his time, though he says he has come up with some great spur-of-themoment cocktails. “When creating a cocktail for a competition, I usually make it for about three weeks in my head,” he says. ‘Then I decide to give it a shot. As a result, I have cocktails that I’ve been constantly tweaking for over five years!”

Follow Ed @theedwarnerexperience

Ed Warner II

Hilton Hotel Medical Plaza Houston, Texas

THE ALMEDA STRIP

INGREDIENTS 2 oz Waygu beef bacon-washed bourbon* 1 oz cherry vanilla chipotle syrup** ½ oz Liquor 43 ½ oz Cherry Herring 4 dashes Miracle Mile Sour Cherry Bitters Waygu Beef Bacon Candy (for garnish)***

PREPARATION Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into Old Fashioned glass over large cube of ice. Garnish with a piece of the wagyu beef bacon candy. *Washed Bourbon: Cook ½ lb Waygu beef bacon, drain grease in jar, add 750 ml bourbon, let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, freeze overnight. The next day, crack the fat layer and double strain the bourbon into another vessel. Pour back into the bottle when the bourbon is clear. **Cherry Vanilla Chipotle Syrup: Simmer 1 bag sweet dark frozen cherries until thawed with 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 Madagascar vanilla bean. Mash into syrup, bring to boil for 15 minutes and let simmer on low for 30 minutes. ***Waygu bacon candy: Brush cherry syrup from Luxardo cherries on bacon and sprinkle on demerara sugar and a little bit of Chipotle powder. Bake 12-15 minutes or until crisp (watch your bacon). If using an air fryer, bake 15 minutes.