What do bartenders get up to after hours? In addition to continuing the night’s drinking, some experiment with extreme recipes, pushing the limits of palatability. Two veteran mixologists, Kirk Estopinal and Maksym Pazuniak from the astoundingly well-stocked Cure in New Orleans, have put together a collection of the inspired results of some of these late-night gonzo mixing sessions. Peychaud’s bitters as a base for a cocktail? Un-aged grappa? Pinot noir and rum? This is the antithesis of stuffed-shirt traditional cocktail purism. The beauty of Rogue Cocktails lays in how these guys make the most insane combinations not simply work, but achieve unexpected lyricism.The book and a lot more are available at
roguecocktails.com

Photography Jason Rowan

KEYWORDS: bartending, kirk estopinal, maksym pazuniak, new orleans, rogue cocktails