When it comes to making cocktails, New York bartender Bre Lotz’s first goal is to create a cocktail that will resonate with her customers while highlighting the ingredients she chooses to include.
An industry veteran, Lotz has been bartending for almost 20 years; however, she only started developing her own cocktails in 2019. She now puts those skills to work at a popular underground-style bar in New York City.
“I am a creative person and I’ve always been into art, and I just didn’t know how to use my creativity to my advantage,” she says. When Lotz started creating her cocktails, she quickly recognized that she was meant for a career in mixology.
“I realized, wow, I actually have a knack for flavor pairings, and it’s just so rewarding to have an idea and put it through, kind of like trial and error and then having people enjoy it,” she says.
Selecting the right ingredients is one of the most important parts of that cocktail creation.”I’m kind of two people in one. I love very complex cocktails, but also I love being able to make cocktails that anyone can recreate and enjoy,” she says. “I don’t want it to just be that only select people can copy this and enjoy it.”
One approachable ingredient Lotz particularly enjoys using in cocktails is La Marca Prosecco. “La Marca is just a great, affordable, accessible brand and a great quality that you’re getting for the price,” she says. It’s also easy to find, making it something drinkers can grab off the shelf no matter where they might be.
While Prosecco-based cocktails like the spritz are often associated with warmer months, she believes they also belong in holiday celebrations. She created the Festivus Spritz to capture that festive spirit.
“When you think of a holiday, you think of warm flavors and warm spices,” she says. Her Festivus Spritz uses a gin from Mexico City that has flavors of rosemary and other warm herbaceous notes that we often associate with colder weather. She selected La Marca for the drink because it balances the flavor profile with its peach, citrus, and honey notes.
“It’s just so crisp and lively and bright, and that’s a nice juxtaposition to warmer flavors,” Lotz says. “It really adds those really effervescent bright and citrusy notes. And I mean, who doesn’t love a delicious spritz?”
In addition to being delicious, the drink is also easy to make. “It’s not just a bartender with vast knowledge making this, the average consumer can also make and enjoy this cocktail,” Lotz says.
Lotz says that whenever she starts to develop a new drink, she begins with a singular ingredient and then uses that as a base to build around; in this case, she started with La Marca.
“I obviously want that one ingredient to shine, whatever it may be, but I really want to use things that highlight the ingredient and work well together,” she says. While some bartenders might try to impress by loading a cocktail full of ingredients, Lotz prefers a simplified approach.
“I totally believe in putting things in a cocktail that all makes sense, not to just pile ingredients in there or do something just because it’s trendy or it sounds more interesting to add more things in there,” she says. “Adding more ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to make it a better cocktail, and everything should have a purpose.”
She sees the Festivus Spritz as a great drink to enjoy with friends when they visit your home for a celebration during the holiday months or as a welcome cocktail when you’re having people over for a meal. “It’s meant to be enjoyed with people, “she says. The drink also includes aperitivo, making it a great way to kick off a night of imbibing.
“It’s a very effervescent cocktail, thanks to the LaMarca Prosecco, but you also get that fall feeling,” she says. “There’s nothing better than that — a sparkling, refreshing cocktail, but with a warming sensation.”
Bre’s Festivus Spritz
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Condesa Clasica Gin
- ½ ounce Faccio Brutto Aperitivo
- 2 ounces cranberry soda*
- 3 ounces La Marca Prosecco
- Garnish with a sprig of sage and 6 cranberries
Directions:
- Built over ice in a glass.
- Add the gin, aperitivo, and cranberry soda to a glass.
- Top with chilled La Marca Prosecco.
- Stir gently to incorporate all ingredients.
- Add garnish.
*Cranberry Soda Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pure cranberry juice
- 1 cup sugar
- Sparkling water
Directions:
- Blend the cranberry juice and sugar in a blender to combine to create a syrup.
- Add 3 ounces of cranberry syrup to 8 ounces of sparkling water.
- Stir to combine.
This article is sponsored by La Marca Prosecco.
