Junior Merino, Mixologist - Feature

The Liquid Chef

by Patricia Mack

No "Mad Man" dubbed Junior Merino "the liquid chef." His patrons named him.

"I had a knack for making unique cocktails," recalls the 33-year-old Merino, who was working at a steakhouse in New York’s Upper West Side when he discovered his talent as a bartender.

"I used a lot of unusual ingredients like carrot and beet juices, and I’d mix them equally with unusual spices," he says, "and that’s how I gained a reputation as the liquid chef." And, a faithful following.

"The regulars really encouraged me," says Merino, "and I think that’s what pushed me to experiment. It was a weird thing to do even in a cutting-edge city like New York, and even weirder in Latin America where I come from."

His appreciation for fruits and vegetables was second nature, according to the Mexican-born Merino. He was raised in Tecomatlan, in the Mexican state of Puebla, a rural community about two hours north of Mexico City. His parents farmed and raised cattle, so from a very young age he learned to prepare food from fresh ingredients. When his father moved to New York City to find work, and then his oldest brother followed, Merino just couldn’t stay behind.

"I was supposed to go to school here, but I really loved working in a restaurant with my brother," he says. But big brother was not happy with that arrangement. He insisted that Merino continue his education to become a graphic designer even though Merino’s heart was in restaurant work. After graduation, he managed to combine the two: he got a job at a restaurant designing menus, business cards and the wine list. But his passion for the hands-on work brought him to the position of daytime sommelier and the nighttime bartender.  Six years later, a reputation for making creative and memorable drinks firmly in place, he started his own company: The Liquid Chef, Inc. It is based in New York City, but he is the "official" bartender of Mexico. He created the cocktail menu at the Mexican pavilion at Epcot and is a consultant to Celebrity Cruises and Mexicana Airlines.

He has two mixology schools, one in Mexico and one in New York where he teaches "a little of everything" — not just the art of mixing drinks, but also things like history and how alcohol acts in the human body. He’s trained more than 720 bartenders in the U.S. and Mexico.

He takes his cocktail inspiration from many sources, all of them Mexican, he says.

"I am in love with the traditional foods of Mexico: vanilla, chocolate, peppers, tomatoes and the traditional liquors, tequila, pulque and mezcal…" he said. "It’s not just the taste, but the colors and the history, the flavors and the spirit."

 

COCKTAIL RECIPE Mezcal-Avocado Cocktail For frosting glass: Salt Grated lemon grass Dried cactus For the cocktail: 1 teaspoon Mexican honey ¼ of a Mexican avocado 1 ounce agave nectar (a sweet syrup commercially produced in Mexico) ¾ ounce licor de hoja de coca such as Agwa (a liqueur distilled from Bolivian coca leaf and herbs) ½ ounce orange liqueur such as Conroy 1½ ounces of fresh squeezed lime juice 1½ ounces mezcal Strip of lemon peel and sprig of lemon verbena for garnish, if desired Combine salt, grated lemon grass and dried cactus in a saucer. Dampen the rim of a slender cocktail glass with a little lime juice or mezcal.  Upturn the glass and coat the rim with the mixture. Set aside until ready to use. Combine the remaining ingredients except for lemon peel and sprig of herbs, in a blender with a little ice (do not add a lot of ice or the texture will be too watery). Blend. Pour into the prepared glass. Garnish, if desired.

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