#clairmclafferty

I recently had the opportunity to ask Clair McLafferty, author of The Classic & Craft Cocktail Recipe Book: The Definitive Guide to Mixing Perfect Cocktails from Aviation to Zombie, a few questions about how the book came about and her path in cocktails. I've known Clair for a while, and aside from being a nice human, she's also extremely knowledgeable about cocktail culture and process. The book really is a great guide through not only cocktails, but barware, and technique as well. You can grab your own copy here. 

Mary Katherine Morris Photography

The book does a remarkable job of indexing the entire world of cocktails, from the ingredients to the glassware. Can you touch on your process for researching and executing the flow of the book? I wish I could say that the flow was all my idea, but when the publishing company contacted me about writing a book in seven weeks (phew), they already had an outline in place. That was a huge help for me in structuring my approach, since it allowed me to break the subject matter down into small, easily manageable chunks. I'm a Type A nerd, so I immediately broke the outline down into a color-coded Excel spreadsheet [laughs]. Every time I finished a section, I changed the color and updated the total word count.

The research part was fun, and I did a lot of it while I was sketching out the content for each of the sections. Much of that time was spent poring over my library of cocktail books, but I also spent a couple evenings going through articles I had already written to find sources for information I'd need again.

In the intro of the book you describe your path from becoming a cocktail consumer, to learning more about the process, to eventually bartending yourself. What was your favorite component of bartending? What drink did you discover back then that you still enjoy today?  My favorite part was introducing customers to cocktails and seeing their faces light up when they realized they liked cocktails. I miss being behind the bar every day.

I was so fortunate to find many, many drinks that I still love. The most enduring (and what's become the most expensive) has been discovering how much I love whiskey. My collection has grown and grown and taken over the basement.

Did you learn anything new while writing the book that you hadn't known before? I learned a lot about mezcal and rum and how the two spirits work with different flavors. I also discovered that making oleo saccharums by muddling citrus peels with raw sugar is super easy and makes some delicious punches.

What's the plan for the book now that it's out in the world? Push it, push it good.

In all seriousness, promote it through social media and traditional media, schedule some signings (anybody in ATL want to host?), and generally get the word out.

This past weekend, while in Birmingham, I paid a visit to Octane Coffee to grab a couple photos of Clair McLafferty making some delicious cocktails. Not only is Clair consistent with her craft, she also dives deeply into the histories of what she’s making. As a writer, she eloquently relays her findings and explorations. Check out the interview (and her pup) below. 

Where are you from and what brought you to Birmingham? Though I was born in Charlottesville, VA, I’m prone to calling Birmingham home. My family moved down here when I was eight, and I’ve spent sixteen out of the last seventeen years here in the city. 

What do you love most about Birmingham? The people. Birmingham is an incredibly rich, diverse place, and its people are shaping it into a world-class place to live, eat, drink, and play.

What are you looking forward to most in 2014? Sleeping! It sounds so cliché, but for the past seven years I’ve been working an average of 50 – 70 hours every week. As of this month, I’ll only be bartending three nights a week and tutoring two others. I’m so excited for naps.

What time do you usually wake up in the morning? Weekdays, I try to get up around 9:30. The keyword there is “try.” On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’m up at 6:45 for personal training sessions. I usually don’t get up til around noon on weekends unless I have something scheduled.

How do you feel the vibe is at Octane compared to other cocktail establishments? We’re extremely lucky to have an amazing assortment of craft product and the freedom to experiment with it. Though we do have busy nights, we also have nights that allow us to have full conversations with customers.

Not to bury the lede, but Octane is the only bar where I’ve gotten into heated arguments about string theory on multiple occasions. In case you were wondering, it’s one of the most overrated concepts in theoretical physics.

You mention on your blog that you don’t consider yourself a mixologist. How would you describe what you do? I’m a really nerdy bartender. Birmingham’s cocktail scene is burgeoning, but it’s still a concept that’s new to a lot of people. Calling it mixology can add a level of pretension and definitely puts distance between the customer and bartender. As a bartender, I’m part of the service industry. If you distance yourself from your customers, it’s much more difficult to form relationships. You don’t just bartend. What else do you do?  When I’m not behind the bar, I’m a freelance writer, high school tutor and momma to my puppy Tessie. Would you like to see a picture? I have lots.

What was your introduction to cocktails? In 2011, I was interning at Birmingham magazine and was assigned to write a profile of Angel Negrin. At the time, he was bartending at Bettola and building their fabulous program. After talking for almost an hour, he made me the restaurant’s signature whiskey cocktail and another gin drank. I was hooked.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? Any mentors along the way? Books and travels. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to make it up to the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. in Philadelphia. Their technique is amazing – the bartender looked more like she was vibrating than shaking a tin. In early March, my bar manager and I roadtripped to Atlanta and got to drink at Kimball House and Paper Planes. We’ll be back.

Angel Negrin taught me just about everything that I know. He’s been an amazing resource for learning materials and instruction on technique.

What is one of your favorite cocktails made by someone else? The Improved Whiskey Cocktail. It’s a classic, and it’s kind of the cousin to the Old Fashioned. With whiskey, a bit of maraschino cherry liqueur and a dash of absinthe, who wouldn’t love it?

What is one of your favorite cocktails made by you? The Holy Hand Grenade was the first cocktail I created that I really, really liked. It’s herbaceous and balanced and just a touch bitter.

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 dashes Xocolatl molé bitters

.5 oz Cynar

1 oz sweet vermouth

1.5 oz Bourbon