CleverRoot

5 4 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t Circle and Northern Virginia, and is also a rum category ambassador for Bacardi. We recently caught up with them in the kitchen—and behind the bar—working on a multi-course menu pairing. It turns out that the philosophy of pairing cocktails and food, they say, is very similar to that of fork and cork: either contrasting or complementing flavors work best. Big, bold, grilled bison steak is great next to a smoky, peated Scotch-based cocktail, while a dish with onions, carrots and leeks cozies up nicely to sweet and sour drinks that enhance the jour- ney of the food. On the flip side, earthy, creamy ingredients like mushrooms partner with aper- itif-style libations with vermouth or Sherry. "I always try to keep the drinks approachable and under two ounces, but still rich and complex," Coronado explains. "I can always tweak them to lean more toward vegetal, salty and savory." That works just fine for Spero, who prefers low-ABV sips as they tend to draw out more subtle notes and light flavors that just can't push through in boozier beverages. And what about the role of texture? When Spero was first starting out, he never really gave much thought to the mouthfeel of a glass of wine or a cocktail. "Juan was the first one who got me to think about how a dish tastes or feels in your mouth, and how that affects what you should pair with it," he recalls. "Those tiny details are what separate the really great chefs and bartenders." PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION Uni is one of Spero's favorite ingredients, and it usually finds its way onto his menus. He likes to buy it from Samuel's Seafood in Philadelphia, which has access to rich and creamy varieties coming from Japan as well as versions sourced from the West Coast—which he prefers for their chewier texture. For his uni toast, he steams tiny nubs of uni (generally overlooked by chefs seeking the more perfect- looking larger tongues), and blends them with Vermont cultured butter for creaminess and seaweed stock for texture. The mixture is piped on top of a charred classic cracker made with active dry yeast, garnished with sweet coriander blossoms and peppery arugula flow- ers and topped with shaved cured egg yolks. "Nothing can beat bread and butter; it's the most simple food, but it's beautiful," Coronado says. To sip alongside and "jump start" the pal- ate, he mixes up a cocktail using Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum ® , tomato water, Martini & Rossi Dry Vermouth and lemon juice, served in a high- ball glass rimmed with salt and garnished with Spero serves a unique cut of meat in the dairy cow, known for its chewy, grassy character, and topped here with reduced beef stock and seaweed pickled with rice wine vinegar and sugar. The dish's sweet and savory profile matches beautifully with the Cazadores Reposado Tequila cocktail, made with beet juice, lime juice and a passion fruit purée. PAIRINGS

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