Drinking in America

Self proclaimed coffee fiend and a fan of sweet & spicy, this Atlanta native is all about the flavors. From infusions to his very own barrel-aged bitters, Russell Donovan of Mood Lounge is all about being hands on behind the bar.  He’s a supporter of the little guys and would love to see the day when in-house distillation becomes the norm.  He has a few family moonshine recipes up his sleeve and we’d like to see them put to good use.

When patrons visit Mood lounge, what’s the signature drink they are usually looking for?

I find that people are very open to suggestions from our team. They might have a spirit base in mind, but we have a large and ever growing cocktail list that offers plenty of options. Usually after talking to the guest we can create exactly what they are looking for.

The menu at Mood lounge seems to have lots of classics with a twist. What’s your favorite classic cocktail to experiment with?

Probably the Martinez with 50 Pound Gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, angostura bitters and lemon twist. It’s the original. It is also very rewarding to create something interesting while maintaining simplicity and clean flavors.

What’s your least favorite drink to make and why?

I once had a guest order a Glenfiddich 30 and coke -I cried for days after that.

We’ve heard mixed reviews of Southern Comfort’s Fiery Pepper. Your thoughts on the Tabasco inspired spirit?

Mixed feelings. Sweet and heat is my favorite flavor combination. But as someone who has had a pepper garden and made my own hot sauces since age five, I have to say tabasco leaves a lot to be desired for my palette. Now a sriracha infusion…you’re welcome to whoever puts that on the market.

We’ve seen the whipped, fluffed, and candy vodkas. Any thoughts on dessert cocktails/spirits and the best way to drink them?

I prefer to add flavors and do infusions myself. Dessert cocktails are often forgotten and few people get really creative with them. That is a world waiting to be explored. As a coffee fiend, I see endless caffeinated possibilities or many options with twists on classic digestifs.

With choices like beer cocktails, savory ingredients, and barrel-aged cocktails, what has been your favorite trend to serve over the past year?

Barrel-aged cocktails are particularly great to me because there is so much faith and patience required. You produce something then put it away for months hoping that when you crack it open something wonderful has taken place. That’s not always the case, but when it works it greatly elevates the complexity of a drink. I’ve always barrel-aged my bitters and some of the spirits I make at home, so I was glad to see people really taking that art to the next level.

Any predictions for what’s to come in 2012?

With the surge in classic cocktails and prohibition era themed bars, the expansion of micro distilleries the last few years, and as hands on as we are getting in ingredient creation, I could see a growth in in-house distillation (even if the product has to leave and come back to keep the tax man happy). And if we do embrace that, I have a couple of old family recipes that I’d love to put to use.

Your most memorable night behind the bar was when____________.

A manager dropped a full bottle of Louis XIII onto a tile floor.