This past weekend at Escape to New York, there was really no competition as far as featured cocktails go. The Kanon Bloody Mary was the star of the show–well, besides Patti Smith, Edward Sharpe and the other amazing acts we got to see perform. But since the final day of the festival was cancelled due to torrential downpours, our Bloody Mary got its very own day to shine during the official Escape to New York brunch put on by our friends from The Fat Radish. There were plenty of avocado toasts (our favorite Fat Radish breakfast item) to go around, and the endless pitchers of Bloody Marys were one of our favorite sights of the entire festival weekend.
In case you missed it, we've included some photos from our ultimate Sunday brunch to stimulate your taste buds–and because we wouldn't want to leave you out of the party, we've included the recipe below. Plus, we did a little Q&A session with one of the guys behind it all – Shane McKnight – who helmed the creation of some of the weekend's best cocktails. We’ve always said, the best people to know are the ones behind the bar. So get to know Shane a little bit better in our interview here and whip up our Kanon Bloody Mary next time you're in need of some serious hair of the dog– or just a friendly reminder of your first Escape to New York experience.
Kanon: How did you first get into the mixology industry and what's your favorite part of it?
Shane: Definitely working with good produce at restaurant bars, and then growing the confidence to enter fancy cocktail competitions started a huge change in my life and the way I worked. I started writing a cocktail every day.
K: Is there a moment you can recall that first made you realize that this is what you wanted to do?
S: Yes, in December of 1999, I figured out that if I used cocktail structures with a backbone, a cool story and made them with interesting ingredients, that I could get and keep people’s attention quicker and for longer. I was at the Black Cat Supper Club in San Francisco.
K: Do you remember the first cocktail you ever made?
S: My first night behind the bar was at a Brazilian Club in SF – I made a Caipirinha.
K: The most recent?
S: Batching the first 300 gallons of 19 different cocktails for Escape to New York. The last batch I made was for the Fresh Blackberry Elderflower Collins with Kanon Organic Vodka for the Glamping bar area at the festival.
K: If you could escape to anywhere outside of New York, where would it be?
S: I'm craving an escape to a tropical spot real soon and it's going to happen after Outside Lands which I'm doing right after Escape to New York.Sport fishing with my dad in Mexico...yeah!
K: Is there a particular show in the event lineup you were most looking forward to?
S: Edward Sharpe
K: The featured cocktail for our brunch with The Fat Radish on Sunday was the Bloody Mary. What's the secret to making the most badass version?
S: Stick to a classic base but spice it up with Cherry Pepper juice and give them lots of pickled garnish. Part of what you're craving in the "Bloody Mary" is the vinegar. It helps your stomach reset while the Kanon Vodka relaxes your mind a bit.
K: When you're off duty, what are some of your favorite spots to go to that make great cocktails?
S: Mars Bar and Globe Restaurant in San Francisco.
Make up the Kanon Bloody Mary, courtesy of The Fat Radish
Ingredients:
4 cups of organic tomato juice
1/2 tsp celery salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 pinches salt, 2 pinches pepper
Sweet splash of Sriracha sauce
1/2 tbsp horseradish
Directions:
Stir together and combine with 8 ounces Kanon Vodka. Serve over ice, garnish with celery and pickles.
Photos courtesy of Jessie Adler.
