Happy Hour with Mike Jones

Talking all things cocktails with the Consulate’s star mixologist

By Brad Kaplan Wednesday February 15, 2017 02:00 PM EST

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At the Consulate, an art-filled Midtown restaurant and bar with a cuisine-hopping menu and an ethos that could be described as James Bond-chic, beverage director Mike Jones elegantly weaves together classic cocktail inspiration and global flavors. His stint as a server at One Flew South — the restaurant that brought fine dining and drinking to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — was the foundation for his career path. Looking back, that setting was especially appropriate given the Consulate’s promise to deliver a “culinary journey across the globe.” Here Jones give us a look into his worldview on cocktails.

First, what’s the quick history of Mike Jones and bartending? I began about a decade ago as a dishwasher/busser at Rare, but I didn’t get a true interest in bartending until I joined the team at One Flew South which had just opened. Four men at this restaurant have impacted my life the most, two of them changed my life — chefs Duane Nutter and Todd Richards, and beverage pros Jerry Slater, and Jeff Gelfond! Since then, I’ve worked at H. Harper Station, 4th & Swift, Seven Lamps, Restaurant Eugene, and the list goes on, but I feel it’s important to know the bartender’s foundation. I was just a server at One Flew South, but it was my “college!” First time you tasted a legit cocktail? The first time I tasted a true cocktail was at One Flew South. The first time I made a cocktail to serve to someone was at H. Harper Station. We were just opening, and there was a lady that ordered a gin martini. I was fresh out of Barsmarts a bartender education program and was trying to be a David Wondrich “disciple” — so I said to myself, I’m not making a martini for her, she really wants a Martinez! Long story short, the Martinez was the first cocktail I made, and that was NOT what that lady wanted, and this is so funny to me today. Thoughts on the recent emergence of an actual local distilling scene in Atlanta? About damn time! Least favorite thing about how the Atlanta cocktail scene is going? My least favorite thing about this city is this Hennessy margarita thing… to whomever this concerns, it’s called a Sidecar! I don’t know when this started, but people started asking for this drink, and I just have to say, hey man, everyone hold up. Any particular guilty pleasure spirit or cocktail or drink?Every once in awhile I may look for Hennessy (such an inside joke). Favorite drink to relax with? Double Four Roses with ginger beer and lime. Would you say you have a certain style or bring a certain philosophy to your cocktail making?
History and anthropology is what I love most about the food and beverage culture. A cocktail should tell a story and take you places, so each time you step back into your local bar, your mind is expanded more than the last time.

At the Consulate, I try to be both seasonal and global with the cocktails, with ingredients and things you don’t typically see, to feel like you’re at a bar overseas. You can get the same damn thing everywhere, so we’re really pushing ourselves to be unique. For example, right now, we’re featuring the cuisine of Russia, so we’ve added cocktails that draw inspiration from the region. From Russia with Love is vodka infused with lavender tea, burnt honey syrup with black peppercorn and fennel, dry vermouth, lemon juice, and orange blossom water. It actually comes in a tea cup with a saucer, with honeycomb as garnish.

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Mr. Jones’ Famous Elixir

“Funny thing is, this drink was conceived as a batched cocktail for a festival,” says Jones. “I had like 15 minutes to make it. Then after it was a hit at the festival, I turned it into an individual cocktail. It’s a reconstructed version of an Old Fashioned, taking from history, but it also touches on the julep by adding mint, and to cut the richness, I use lemon and orange. The peach liqueur... because we’re in Georgia!”

- 2 ounces Four Roses Yellow (or similar bourbon)

- 1/2 ounce Merlet Crème de Pèche

- 1/4 ounce gum syrup*

- Bitters Trio - Angostura, Peychaud’s, orange bitters

- 4 mint leaves

- lemon

- orange

In a mixing glass, combine Bitters Trio (a dash of each), gum syrup, 4 mint leaves, and one lemon and orange peel. Muddle, then add bourbon, crème de pèche, and ice. Stir for about 40-60 resolutions until well chilled (this varies based on type of ice used). Pour over a large ice cube, then garnish with a zest of fresh lemon and orange peel.

Note: Gum syrup can be purchased at select liquor stores. If making your own, gum arabic is also known as acacia gum or mesca. Some baking specialty stores or natural food stores carry it. You can also order it from Amazon. Be sure to buy food-grade gum.

Homemade gum syrup (from seriouseats.com):

- 3/4 cup water (divided)

- 4 tablespoons powdered gum arabic

- 1 1/3 cup sugar

Heat 1/4 cup of the water to a near-boil, about 3 minutes. Put the gum powder in a glass or small jar, then slowly stir in the hot water. Stir together until all the powder is integrated. (Some small white clumps may remain.) Let this mixture sit for 2 to 3 hours. When it looks more like a gel, stir again to smooth out the mixture. (It’s OK if there is a small layer of white foam.)

Heat the remaining water with the sugar until it forms a syrup, about 7 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and then slowly stir in the gum mixture. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes while stirring briskly. Do not bring to a boil. You’ll end up with a very thick syrup that may have a fine layer of white foam on top. Let this cool.

Once the syrup is cooled, stir again and skim off small clumps or thick foam, if any. Transfer to a glass jar or bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 months. Adding one tablespoon of vodka to the mixture before storing will extend the life of your syrup for another month or more.