Misty Kalkofen Comes Down From Mt. Grand Marnier, Invades Your iPhone

But, to see several different types of mezcal, and tequila... People were doing things that were much more interesting than your regular margarita. But also people bringing in spirits from other [places], Colorado whiskeys, and things like, I don't even know what this is.

But on top of that, food products. Bridget Albert used lemon sorbet in one of her drinks.

Bostonist: I noticed that, at least in the iPhone app, that there seemed to be more egg drinks than vodka drinks.

Were there any really messed up garnishes?

Kalkofen: A Peep.

Bostonist: What was the drink?

Kalkofen: I believe it was a shiraz-based Navan drink.

McLawschoolpants: How were you chosen [to attend the summit]? Was there an application? Were you asked? How does that work?

Misty Kalkofen: It's an application process. Anybody can apply; chances improve if you're a working bartender. The application included an essay, but the big thing was four recipes, three including Grand Marnier and one including Navan.

From there, it went through a vetting process. The first tier was the Grand Marnier Team, and after that they sent it to Steve Olson's [company] AKA Wine Geek.

My understanding is that there were over 800 applications this year.

Bostonist: What was the inspiration for [your Grand Marnier cocktail] the Studebaker?

Kalkofen: Well, I love the whole baked apple vibe. For me, apple and citrus goes together, so I wanted to do apple brandy and Grand Marnier. As far as sweeteners are concerned... I like something that adds a little bit of depth to your cocktail rather than just sweetness. I like molasses. I love the earthiness.

The naming of my cocktails was kind of fun. The deadline was coming up [for submitting the mixology summit cocktails], and I was having a really hard time—I was finishing up at [beloved Central Square establishment] Green Street and starting to work at Drink, so I was working my full shifts at Green Street and, on my nights off, training at Drink, so I was just crazy. Balls to the wall. And they were like, Drinks are due. Drinks are due. Applications are due. And I'm like, inspirationally void.

And so there was one night when I was at Drink and trying to work on my drinks, and Josey [Packard], who works at Drink, her wife Jill [McDonough] came in, who's a poet. She sat down at my bar. I love to try new things out on her because she's extremely honest and she has a really great palate. I made a flip of some sort and put it down in front of her and she said, "It's good, but it's not you. I've had your drinks and they're better than this." That's kind of how I felt about it, too.

So, she comes back in, and she's like, "I've got it."

"What've you got?"

"You need three drinks, right? For Grand Marnier? The Undertaker, the Studebaker, and the Mistress Maker: that's what they should be named."

I normally create the drinks and then I struggle with the name afterward...

McLawschoolpants: I have a list of names.

Kalkofen: That night, that was what I needed! I already had the Studebaker pretty much figured out, so as soon as she said it—it looked like motor oil because of the molasses that was in it. So obviously that's the Studebaker.

And as soon as she said Undertaker and Mistress Maker—for Undertaker, I was like high-proof spirit, bitter, all these things. I ended up with the Fighting Cock bourbon, Grand Marnier, a little bit of grapefruit juice, and Cynar for the bitterness.

And then the Mistress Maker—we have to go the opposite direction. Aphrodisiacs! Ginger, orange obviously from the Grand Marnier, and then chocolate. A little bit of bitters and citrus, and a little bit of sparkling wine.

Bostonist: If an inexperienced person were to happen upon a bottle of Grand Marnier for the first time, what's the first thing they should do with it? What's the first drink you'd tell them to make?

Kalkofen: A margarita.

I mean, obviously, the first thing I would say: taste it. Put it in a glass and taste it. And then I would mix a real awesome margarita. Quality tequila. Fresh lime juice.

Another thing I always encourage people to do with spirits is, if you're not used to mixing drinks but you like to cook, think about what you might do with similar flavors in cooking. What do you like orange with when you're cooking? Consider that a little bit. Obviously you can't do base spirits, but spices, or do you do orange and lemon together?

McLawschoolpants: Chicken. Chicken liqueur.

Kalkofen: Bourbon. Chicken bourbon.

Photographs taken at Drink, where Misty Kalkofen currently brings the thunder/sweatbands. Interview conducted at the Independent, where some amazing chalk inscriptions can be viewed in the restroom.