Sometimes figuratively fresh drinks are literally fresh drinks. To start somewhere in the middle, we asked Austin what separates good drinks from great drinks. Leaning in, glancing left then right, as if sharing a secret; he stated “Just find quality ingredients to create better quality drinks. Honestly, farmers markets provide fresh, locally sourced ingredients. You don’t need every exclusive liqueur and alchemist secret under the sun to make your drinks shine and stand out.”
Stand out. Going above and beyond just the picked over produce at the supermarket unsurprisingly leads to better drinks. West Coast Weddings Founder and cocktail curator Austin Johnson is Best Bars Bartender on the Rise. From the Blood Orange Old Fashioned, to the Cucumber Citrus Spritz, simplicity was the blessing not a burden. With the fresh ingredients front and center, you appreciate and see them through a new lens when the orange was harvested in the past day versus the past month. Maybe focusing on the fundamentals isn’t new, but it is a novel concept. Who needs the latest and greatest technique and apparatus to unlock flavors if instead there’s a focus on the starting with a richer and more dynamic flavor. The key takeaway is that commit to firm foundation of ingredients before building on it.
We found out Austin goes to at least a dozen farmers markets a week, which explains the fresh flavor and ingredients. Apparently he also picks up food from farmers markets where it would otherwise get tossed with an app he built called FoodFull (He wanted us to plug It is the app eliminating food waste). I drove past probably four farmers markets in the past 24 hours, meaning we could all easily upgrade our drinks. Sometimes the solution is sitting in plain sight.
Trying some of Austin’s mango jalapeno infused tequila, the fresh filled taste was certainly apparent. He told us, “Having connected with some of the farmers, they’ll let me know what’s looking really good that week, and I’ll start with (the) fruits and veggies before I even choose the alcohol. Even then, I’ll try a dragon fruit with other mixers and a bottom shelf vodka or gin before committing just to make sure it pairs well.”
“If I get anything right, it’s cuz the fundamentals were right. The goal from there on is to enhance the experience and not stand in the way of it.”
Working with West Coast Weddings, Austin provides custom cocktails for obviously weddings and events, keep a lookout.