Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (8 page)

Name: Tobin Ellis
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Website:
www.barmagic.com

I paid a visit to America’s favorite city for sinning, Las Vegas, to place my bet against the house favorite, mixologist Toby Ellis. I love cocktails and was willing to gamble that I could win this Throwdown, even though deep down I thought I didn’t have a “shot.”

BarMagic principal Toby Ellis has two decades’ worth of bartending, hospitality, and nightlife experience under his be lt. In his years behind the bar, he has held the titles of cofounder and president of the Flair Bartenders’ Association, head bartender for Caesars Palace Las Vegas, and new store opening bar trainer for TGI Friday’s. This onetime New York and Washington, D.C.-based ad man has both organized and judged all styles of bartending competitions since 1997, as well as serving as a technical advisor and on-air judge for television programming on channels from A&E to NBC and even our very own Food Network. He not only does the judging; he’s also been judged and is a three-time mixology champion and a nine-time world finalist in competitions including Legends, Best in the West, and Cayman Masters.

When I caught up with him, Toby was wowing the crowd at the elite nightclub Pure in Caesars Palace, right across from my Mesa Grill restaurant. Yes, it’s safe to say I’ve seen what cocktail magic Toby is capable of weaving! One of his favorite concoctions (and the one he chose to highlight for Food Network and, unwittingly, this Throwdown) is a fragrant blend of basil, lemons, brown sugar, and South African cane rum. This is a man as passionate about cocktails as I am about food. Toby is a stalwart believer in the importance of fresh ingredients and adding flair to his bartending arsenal—two key ingredients in increasing the quality (and price) of the cocktail.

I know how to make a basic cocktail, but for something a bit more elaborate I needed a little help, so I treated myself to a lesson from master mixologist Dale DeGroff. This cocktail king shared his rules for a perfect cocktail with me: First and foremost, go fresh—no premade mixes allowed. Second, you want to achieve that perfect balance of sweet and sour. Finally, technique is key. Shaking on ice—hard!—for 10 seconds would help load my deck for a winning cocktail. It was time to belly up to the test-kitchen bar and see what I could do on my own.

I quickly came to the realization that I wouldn’t be winning this one with flair, so I relied on my chef skills, hoping to take Toby on with flavor. My cocktail started out as the Deconstructed Asian Colada. After some eye-rolling and laughter from Stephanie and Miriam, it became known simply as The Throwdown. I muddled limes with Thai basil, sugar, and ginger-infused simple syrup, threw in some fresh pineapple and golden rum, shook with ice, and topped it all with a sweetened coconut milk floater. Delicious, if I do say so myself. And with that, this Throwdown team was Las Vegas-bound.

Toby willingly accepted my Throwdown and prepared his awesome Serengeti cocktail for the occasion. You couldn’t let that smile fool you—Toby was all business and a true competitor. The judging criteria were presentation, taste, and marketing potential. The judges thought my cocktail was clean, refreshing, and citrusy, and very marketable. It seemed that luck was on my side, and this time, I pulled a winning hand. Winner or not, I’d raise my drink to Toby’s master mixology any day. Cheers!

SERVES 2

1.
Combine the lime, pineapple, mint leaves, Thai basil leaves, sugar, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker and muddle well. Add the rum and shake for 10 seconds.

2.
Fill 2 rocks glasses with ice, pour the drink over the ice, and float 1 tablespoon of the cream of coconut over each drink. Garnish with mint and Thai basil sprigs.

Combine the sugar, ½ cup water, and the ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain out the ginger, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.

SERVES 1

1.
Muddle the lemon, basil leaves, and brown sugar in a mixing glass. Add the Leblon cachaça, Domaine de Canton liqueur, and Angostura bitters, and shake with ice cubes.

2.
Layer crushed ice and basil leaves in a collins glass. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the glass. Garnish with the ginger-basil twist if desired, and serve.