Seven Grand Debuts Its First Ever All-New Seasonal Cocktail Menu

Dagny Taggart

Earlier this month, Seven Grand debuted its 2011 Spring-Summer cocktail menu, its first all-new seasonal drink list since the acclaimed whiskey bar opened in 2007. While seasonal cocktails have been offered at Seven Grand since its launch, many of the bar’s signature drinks have remained on the menu, until now. According to General Manager Angus McShane, Seven Grand serves over five hundred Old Fashioned cocktails every week, along with other classics like the Sazerac, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour and Mint Julep. All of these cocktails are such favorites they don’t need to be listed on a menu. “Given the awareness of the style of drinks we offer, we researched drinks from the same era, focusing on classic cocktails which were simple in their ingredients, but embodied a unique characteristic using whiskey as the base,” said McShane.

With that in mind, the Seven Grand crew looked at cocktail history from the mid-1800s to the present to develop its new Original and Vintage cocktail menus. The collaborative effort was led by McShane, a native of Australia who was previously the GM at The Edison, and was part of the opening team at Copa d’Oro. Perhaps McShane’s strongest influence on the new drinks is a global sensibility, a notable change from Seven Grand’s previous focus on featuring American bourbons and ryes in its cocktails.

Following is Seven Grand’s seasonal list of Original and Vintage cocktails.

ORIGINAL COCKTAILS

• Duck Hunter ($13) – Limited Edition Seven Grand Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Bourbon, Carpano Antica Formula, Amaro Lucano.
• Keihi Cocktail ($12) – Yamazaki 12 Year Old Japanese Single Malt Whisky, lemon and grapefruit juices, simple syrup, grated cinnamon.
• Dagny Taggart ($14) – Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Aperol, Torani Amer, rinsed with Ardbeg 10-Year.
• Irish Vandal ($11) – Jameson Irish Whiskey, lemon and grapefruit juices, simple syrup, muddled raspberries.

VINTAGE COCKTAILS

• The Scofflaw ($11) – Old Overholt Rye, Dolin Dry Vermouth, lemon juice, grenadine, Regan’s Orange Bitters.
• Whiskey Crusta ($12) – Famous Grouse Blended Scotch, lemon juice, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Angostura Bitters.
• The Boulevardier ($13) – Old Weller Antique 107, Carpano Antica Formula, Campari.
• New York Cocktail ($11) – Wild Turkey 101 Rye, lime juice, grenadine, brown sugar, absinthe rinse.

Kentucky River Fish Kill Punch

In addition to the cocktails, Seven Grand has also added two punches, each able to serve up to ten guests. The Original Cocktails list features the Kentucky River Fish Kill Punch ($85): Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Rye, Aperol, grapefruit juice, prosecco, grated nutmeg. The Vintage menu offers the Canadian Punch ($90), a Jerry Thomas classic from 1862 made with Rittenhouse 100, Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum, demerara sugar, pineapple, lemon, and Fever Tree soda.

New York Cocktail

The 2011 Spring-Summer cocktails will be offered for around six months, before they make way for an all-new Fall collection.

Seven Grand
515 W. 7th St.
2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90014
(213) 614-0737
www.sevengrand.la

Photos by Anne Fishbein, courtesy of 213 Nightlife.