Two Dallas Bartenders — from Monarch and Sanjh — Spill Trade Secrets

Most of us can appreciate a good cocktail, but Cristina Demas has taken her passion for crafting good things to drink to the next level. The mixologist rose through the ranks of her field, starting off as a bartender and now designing and overseeing cocktail menus nationwide for Maple Hospitality, the group behind high-rise luxury spots Monarch and Kessaku in Dallas.

She firmly believes that the look of the drink can be just as important as the taste.

“I think people will often go very far out there with ingredients, but people want something beautiful,” Demas tells the Observer. “My entire career has been to create a very balanced drink that’s both Instagrammable and able to execute in three minutes or less. [...] It's the fajita effect. You see something go out and you’re like, ‘Wait, what is that?’ Everybody wants it. It’s an easy sell.”

The fajita effect Demas refers to is more pertinent than ever in the age of social media. Going out to dinner is frequently documented on social media, and many people want a drink worthy of posting to Instagram. It’s the job of mixologists like Demas to create drinks that appeal to all senses, not just the taste buds.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much goes into stuff like that, you know?” Demas says. “I feel very passionate about it because it’s been my passion for the last 10 years. I remember watching bartenders and being, ‘Wow.’ I mean, it’s really a craft.”

Mixologists like Demas are commonplace in restaurants nowadays. Sanwar mal Khokar is the in-house mixologist at Sanjh, an upscale Indian restaurant in Irving. He trained as a mixologist in India for three years and managed a premium cocktail bar for Celebrity Cruises before starting his current position.
Sanjh’s cocktails are more than just beautiful and delectable — they make a distinct cultural statement.

“We have 12 cocktails on the menu,” Khokar says. “If you combine all of these cocktails, it will create a beautiful map of India.”

Drinks like the Monsoon in Meghalaya, Madras Bail and Bay of Bengal all use ingredients that are commonly used in specific regions of India. But Sanwar tells us that one of his favorite drinks to make is an espresso martini with a twist and he was happy to give a demonstration.

“Instead of using vodka, we are using scotch whisky,” he explains. “The harshness of the whisky is going to combine very well with the coffee.”

Watching Khokar prepare the drink is like watching an artist at work. He’s wearing gloves and an apron and using tools like custom ice cubes and tweezers to properly place the garnishes. The result was almost sculptural, with the garnishes balanced delicately on top of the martini glass. And, of course, it tasted incredible as well.

“Using the right tools and techniques is the most important,” he says. “While making the cocktail and designing the menu and playing with the theme or the different flavor profiles, we never know what the next person is going to like. It’s all about experimenting with different and unique ingredients.”
Khokar says that the key to balancing substance and style when crafting these cocktails has surprisingly little to do with the drink itself.

“The glassware and garnish seem simple, but it is quite appealing,” he says. “All of these factors are playing a very important role. [...] Using the right glassware, the right garnish, the fine ingredients. These are the factors.”

Demas, who still enjoys hopping behind the bar every once in a while, was also eager to make us a drink while we chatted with her at Kessaku. Her fruity concoction, Call Me in the Morning, was an experience before it even touched our lips.

The leafy grapefruit garnish seemed to almost sprout from the ice cubes, and the herb and sesame rim looked like a chandelier cascading down the front of the glass. You smell the rim before you taste the drink itself, which consists of Casamigos Blanco, Casamigos Joven and pamplemousse; the smoky scent and fruity flavors mingle nicely.

It’s truly a drink for all senses, just as she promised.

As for the inspiration for her creations, Demas says she can find it anywhere. Sometimes she starts with the look of it and works her way back. Other times, she’ll feel inspired to spruce up an existing drink.

“I’ll see something that sparks inspiration,” she says. “How do you take a classic drink that works and people love but they don’t always know what it is? You take those and you create a drink that’s more palatable.”

While these demonstrations were impressive and the final products delicious, we couldn’t help but wonder how these complicated drinks and their meticulous garnishes are constructed during busy dinner rushes.

“You have to have everything in your head and you line them up,” Demas says. “You want to make sure that you’re building things that don’t require any sort of foam that will go flat. You want to usually build a stirred cocktail first, and then you work your way forward. And then you often get people ordering off the signature cocktail menu because those are the fun things that make us unique. We usually get around 10 of those a time, so I always try to make as many as possible so that you’re not working against yourself.”

Khokar’s trick is to have as many of the cocktails already assembled as possible.

“We are keeping the ingredients nearby and within the reach of our two hands,” he says. “And we are keeping almost 80% of the drink ready in the bottle. We just need to pour it and add a few more ingredients and garnishes.”

At the end of the day, these full-time cocktail enthusiasts aim to create something they would enjoy.

“Our chef is a Michelin chef, and he always taught me that when you make drinks, you should make them how you would want to drink them,” Demas says, “And that stuck with me. I like making drinks the way that I want to as well as making them good for our customers and the food that we offer. I’ve always stayed very true to that, and I think that your craft should be a reflection of you.”