While other teenagers were spending their summers vacationing and partying beachside, The Gander beverage manager Andrew Lakin was bussing tables— happily. “I kept with it because I loved the excitement and energy of a restaurant,” he remembers. “The pretty waitresses, the loud and angry cooks, the difficult guests — it all just appealed to me.” While he began his trajectory with a degree from Bates College and post-graduation job in marine biology, he soon realized that a career in hospitality was calling. After several years at restaurants in Fairfield County, Lakin stepped into sommelier and beverage management positions at other notable restaurants, including GAIA (where he worked under established wine director Olivier Flosse), A Voce, and most recently The Gander. Here, we chat with the Norwalk native about the science behind bitters, what accompanies each of his drinks, and the two people he’d share drinks with (but not just any drink) any day of the week.
BoozeMenus: How did you go about creating the drinks menu for The Gander?
Andrew Lakin: The drinks for The Gander are best described as re-imagining the classics. Variations on the old tried and true recipes that incorporate a new flavor profile or seasonal ingredient are where we start our creative process. There is also a big emphasis put on unique and small-production spirits. We try to showcase these amazing products as much as possible.
BM: What's one recent cocktail you're particularly fond of?
AL: Most recently I am most fond of not one particular cocktail, but of our new rosé promotion, Hip Hip Rosé. Rosé is wildly popular in New York City in the warmer months. We have an incredible wine list, but being able to offer our guests five different bottles of great rosé from around the world for only $25 a bottle is truly special. Many people aren’t aware of the different styles of rose, and being able to try them in a fun and energetic environment for an incredible price is unique. I create cocktails or promotions that I would want to enjoy. This is definitely one of them.
BM: What cocktail ingredient is especially hard to source or create? Why do you go the extra mile for it?
AL: Over the past year, I have really gotten into making our own bitters. The possibilities are endless. It takes time to properly infuse the solution, and various ratios of aromatic to alcohol need to be tested. More than half of the bitters never actually make it to a cocktail, but it is still fun to learn and experiment.
BM: What's one of the biggest lessons you've learned in this industry, and who can you credit for it?
AL: The biggest lesson I’ve learned in this business was from my former mentor, Oliver Flosse. He taught me that with the wine and spirit business, there is both an art and a science to it. The art is having the knowledge of the product. Being able to taste the passion of the people that produced it, and to be able to share and express this passion to the consumer. The science comes in with being able to successfully operate a profitable business. The business needs to be filled not only with the collector worthy bottlings, but also the everyday wines and spirits that can be moved to generate revenue. Bottles do not generate business or cash flow by collecting dust in a cellar.
BM: How do you put your stamp on a drink?
AL: Made perfectly every time and served with a smile. To me, it’s the little things that matter.
BM: What went into creating the wine program at The Gander?
AL: We wanted the wine list at The Gander to be serious, but not take ourselves too seriously. We wanted to provide wines for every guest at every different price point possible. If you want a first growth Bordeaux with 20 years of bottle age, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for something unfamiliar and exciting, like a natural wine from the Republic of Georgia, we have that, too. Wine does not need to be pretentious. It needs to be enjoyed.
BM: Where's the last place you had a memorable drinking experience?
AL: After more than 15 years in the wine and spirits business, it is hard for me to be wowed by something new and different. To me, memorable and exciting is being exposed to a new product, a new wine region, and so on. Several months ago, we held a sake and shochu seminar and tasting at The Gander. I was blown away by the history of these products, the differences in style, and their use in contemporary cocktail culture.
BM: Where do you find inspiration?
AL: It is my job to incorporate and use the products that the wonderful wine makers and distillers of the world create. I find my inspiration in their hard work and passion.
BM: If you could have a cocktail with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be, where would it be, and what would the drink be?
AL: It would be one of two scenarios: The first would be with Stevie Ray Vaughn, in a dirty and smoky underground blues club in Austin, Texas. The drink would be bourbon — neat. The second would be with Hunter S. Thompson. This would take place on a beautiful white sand beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We would be sipping a beautiful barrel-aged rum on the rocks, with an ice-cold beer as a chaser.
By Nicole Schnitzler
(Photos from left: Bar Room by Bill Milne; Cocktail by Michael McCarthy; Dining Room by Bill Milne)