Cocktail Class: Seven questions and a drink – or two – with Ben Poffenroth

The pioneering 1937 “Cafe Royal Cocktail Book” by William J. Tarling contained a recipe for a quaff called the Picador.

The recipe was as follows: 1/4 fresh lime or lemon juice, 1/4 Cointreau and 1/2 tequila. The instructions were simply “shake.”

Of course, origin stories for what’s now known as the Margarita abound. But when Ben Poffenroth wants to make one, he turns to Tarling.

“That’s the most stock-standard one I go to,” said Poffenroth, who’s been bartending since 2014. “It’s just a super-easy cocktail to make, and the ingredients are easy to get.”

Poffenroth, 31, is a partner and vice president of a local family of restaurants: Durkin’s Liquor Bar, Casper Fry and Madeleine’s Café and Patisserie – all in Spokane. He fills in wherever he’s needed, including behind the bar at Durkin’s and Casper Fry.

He sweetens up his classic Margarita with a little agave syrup and serves it in a coupe. It’s just four ingredients, plus lime for garnish. “No sweet and sour. No triple sec,” said Poffenroth, who describes the cocktail in a word: “refreshing.”

It’s also a crowd-pleaser.

“It hits a pretty wide spectrum of people,” Poffenroth said, noting the Margarita tends to be a warm weather favorite of cocktail connoisseurs and more casual sippers – even novices – alike. “It’s just a good balanced cocktail.”

Don’t ask for it blended. Neither Durkin’s nor Casper Fry is a blended-drink kind of place.

But, bartenders at both places “can always ask if they want it up or on the rocks,” Poffenroth said. “This recipe will work either way.”

Classic Margarita

2 ounces silver tequila

3/4 ounce Cointreau

3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 ounce agave syrup

Lime wedge, for garnish

Shake all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker then strain into coupe with a salted rim or rocks glass with ice and a salted rim. Garnish with lime wedge.

Mi Amiga

Poffenroth invented this ginger-grapefruit variation, which he likes “for the spiciness.” It comes from the pepper jelly, which also lends a striking green color to the cocktail, which he takes care to double strain. “One of my biggest pet peeves is ice particles in drinks,” he said.

2 ounces coconut-infused silver tequila

3/4 ounce freshly pressed grapefruit juice

3/4 ounce Domaine de Canton (or your favorite ginger liqueur)

1/4 ounce simple syrup

Barspoon of green pepper jelly

Dehydrated lime wheel, for garnish

Shake all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker then double-strain into coupe. Garnish with dehydrated lime wheel.

Q&A

What’s your favorite cocktail to make at home? A daiquiri of some sort.

What are your go-to spirits, liqueurs and ingredients? Favorite spirit this year is Plantation’s pineapple rum. It’s distilled with the pineapple instead of infused. Favorite ingredient is fresh juice from vegetables like beets, celery, turmeric. They add such a raw, fresh flavor to drinks.

Who or what inspired you to become a bartender, when and how? Honestly, I just wanted to be a more rounded restaurant owner, so I thought I should know how to bartend. The food side of things translated into cocktails, and I started having lots of fun with it.

What are your biggest bartending pet peeve? When bartenders don’t strain their cocktails properly.

What local bars do you imbibe at when you’re not working? Usually it’s somewhere that has food like Garageland and Clover. I like what the guys and gals at Volstead Act are doing, too.

What bartenders at what bars do you most admire and why? Besides my own bartenders at Casper Fry and Durkin’s, I admire Damon Boelte at Grand Army Bar in Brooklyn. That guy just does it all – from making killer drinks to putting out awesome food.

What cocktail or ingredient best represents you? Bourbon, always.