In 1987, veteran bartender Dale DeGroff started his 13-year run leading the bar program at New York City's legendary Rainbow Room. His classic cocktail menu, using fresh ingredients, was almost unheard of during the ‘80s, but changed modern bartending to this day.
, known as “King Cocktail,” is widely credited with sparking the modern cocktail revival in New York City. DeGroff’s work began in the late 1980s while he ran the bar program at the famedhired DeGroff to helm the bar for the second iteration of Rainbow Room’s four-room, 10,360-square-foot fine dining concept. Baum insisted on a classic cocktail menu that used fresh ingredients. That was almost unheard of, during the ‘80s, especially in Midtown Manhattan.
As DeGroff began to understand how busy the bar was going to get, he became nervous. How was the bar going to juice all that citrus, he thought. Baum’s response? “Hey, how busy do you think those guys were? If you’re too busy, I’ll find someone who can do it.” That never happened, of course. The Rainbow Room became known for fresh, citrus-forward cocktails likeand the Stork Club, drinks that traditionally called for orange bitters.
“I thought I could get more,” he says. But orange bitters, or any other sort of flavored bitter, didn’t take off for many years. DeGroff instead used theDeGroff broke one of his thumbs when he accidentally jammed it into a door during the early hours of service. After a trip to the emergency room, Baum allowed him to stay and direct, even if he couldn’t make the drinks himself. Injuries aside, “It took a good six months to become a good bar,” he says.
“It got more bitter as it warmed up,” he says. It was later changed to the more traditional rocks presentation, and an option was also offered with vodka.DeGroff says that this bitter, classic Italian highball was more of an immediate hit than the Negroni. Like the Negroni,had little precedent in formal dining venues stateside. “This one stayed on the menu, likely because the dilution helped get palates accustomed to the bitter flavors,” he says.
“Aperitif, sherry, and vermouth drinks should be served in stemware,” says DeGroff. “But the Americano Highball should obviously be in a highball glass.”A majority of the Rainbow Room’s guests were from out of town. DeGroff recognized that if your bar aims to please, the drinks list better be welcoming. When he addedto the menu, DeGroff says he was surprised to discover that older American customers recognized it. Baum supposedly watched in silence while the drink was prepared in its debut.
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