Master Mixologist: Justin Noel of MIONETTO

Justin Noel teamed up with Mionetto as brand mixologist two years ago. His appreciation for the brand stems from his admiration of the product itself, and the appeal of working with such a rich and diverse history, in today's beverage scene. Justin has been featured in various publications such as Chilled Magazine, The New York Times, New York Post, and Men's Journal.

Justin is a veteran mixologist with over ten years of experience. Having worked in almost a dozen different countries, Justin's travels have led him back to his original stomping ground in NYC. It was here, as well as London, where Justin really began his venture into bartending at the ripe age of 18. Since then, he has established himself as a premiere mixologist.

Justin began his career in the nightclub scene in NYC and Europe, before moving on to learning the hospitality side of the industry at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation in Georgia. He then moved to some of South Beach's more established venues such as Skybar at the Shoreclub Hotel, Tantra, and was part of the opening staff of the RitzCarlton South Beach. From South Beach, Justin went abroad from 2005 to 2008 running cocktail lounges and becoming inspired in New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and Greece. He also worked with several liquor brands as a consultant mixologist and events coordinator. In 2008, he returned to the states, settling back in NYC to work with Contemporary Cocktails Inc. to open Pranna.

From 2010 to 2013 Justin opened his own cocktail bar 1534, In 2013 he went on to work for Espolon Tequila as National Brand Advocate and created the advocacy program "COCKtail Fights." In the same year he opened Bleecker Kitchen & Co., and Sweetwater Social with his good friend Tim Cooper, which has garnered local praise from the trade and press, and has become an essential bar in the cocktail hierarchy of NYC. Through his consulting company, Closing Time Cocktails, Justin also dedicates his time to providing services and knowledge he has gathered over the years to help the incoming generation of bartenders and mixologists. His guiding hand helps many navigate the transition between being a bartender and established icon.

Broadwayworld.com interviewed Justin Noel for our "Master Mixologist" feature.

When did you first become interested in the cocktail culture?

I first became interested in the cocktail culture during my time living and working in New Zealand and Australia. I was in complete awe of what I was seeing at the bars at a time when I hadn't really seen it in Miami or Atlanta where I had been working before then. Really got me into wanting to learn more and play around with flavors and styles.

What innovations in mixology and bartending do you find fascinating?

Some innovations in mixology that I currently find fascinating are turning cocktails into vapor, the ever-changing world of craft beer, such as tea infused beers and the shift to low ABV style cocktails. Cocktails that include Prosecco are taking the market by storm because of this! Prosecco-based cocktails, like many of the ones I collaborated with Mionetto on, are becoming wildly popular again. Classics like the spritz cocktail are one the more popular ones I've seen lately.

How do restaurant and bar guests encourage your creativity?

One of my favorite parts of a night behind the bar is when a guest comes up and asks for me to craft something unique for them. Obviously most bartenders will tell you it is becoming increasingly more and more difficult to craft an "original" cocktail, so I take these moments as a challenge to try and be creative. I'll ask them what style drinks they like, what type of spirits they enjoy and what they are in a the mood for. This gives me the basis for how I should craft their drink. But most people assume that a cocktail will only be hard liquor, throwing in a base like Mionetto Prosecco makes the drink so unique and pleasantly unexpected. Sometimes they will reference a cocktail they had at another bar or restaurant and maybe say something like " it had this particular spice in it" or "they did this to the drink before they served it". After they tell me about their experience it makes me want to do some research and learn more about it. So from that simple interaction I become motivated and inspired.

What are your preferred "classic cocktails" and why?

My preferred "classic cocktails" are the Pisco Sour, the Sherry Cobbler, and a cognac basEd French 75. I love pisco as a spirit and there is nothing like a perfectly made Pisco Sour. It's definitely one of my go-to's on a night out. During the summer or hotter months of the year a nice Sherry Cobbler can't be beat. The Prosecco Cobbler cocktail I worked on with Mionetto Prosecco is such a fun version of this; we used Mionetto's Treviso Brut, paired it with citrus fruits and Peychauds's bitteres. It's super seasonable, tasty, tart, citrusy, and nutty all at once. Just easy daytime drinking. The cognac French 75 is just a delicious and somewhat forgotten classic. Something about a cognac and sparkling together that just works really well. I worked with Mionetto to create our own twist on this drink called the Nitz 75. I love how the flavors play and the bubbles just enhance the experience.

What are some of your favorite infusions and how you like to use them in drinks?

I love infusing things with tea. Tea is just an incredibly versatile flavor agent and one of the oldest consumed beverages in history. So many flavors can be extracted from a tea bag. It's also a lot easier to use tea than to go source a bunch of different herbs and spices in order to achieve something similar. Tea is easy to use; the flavor profiles that exist in tea are so expansive that you can find teas that work well with almost any style of spirit or to make syrups that instantly gives your cocktail an extra layer of flavor.

Tell us about a few of your signature cocktails and why they are distinctive.

Oh man. Over the years I have created so many. I would say that a couple of cocktails I am proud of the Napoleon's Loss, the Zanzibar, and the Gran Karma. The Napoleon's Loss incorporates two of my favorite agave distillates, tequila and mezcal. It's my tequila variation of the modern classic the Penicillin. I use anejo tequila, ginger agave, lemon juice, and finish it off with a little smokey mezcal. The Zanzibar is a savory cocktail where I incorporated tahini and some other Middle Eastern, as well as some African flavors such as ras el hanout. Exceptionally bold flavors that worked really well together. The Gran Karma is just a delicious mix of red grapes, white rum, coconut water with some sparkling Mionetto rose on top. It's a simple, nice mix of flavors that compliment each other and the blush sparkling on top is always a crowd pleaser.

Tell us a little about your company or restaurant.

Closing Time Cocktails is a beverage and spirits consulting company that focuses on helping brands build strategic marketing programs to target the on-premise or "the trade". I help find ways for new or existing brands find ways to engage bartenders and try to build a relationship built on transparency through education, promoting the brand champions, finding new and unique ways to host events or execute programs that bartenders buy into. All in the hopes of building a successful trade and brand relationship. Sweetwater Social, one of the bars I have an interest it, is my partners' Shaun Rose and Tim Cooper, and I's response to the hectic rat race that is Manhattan. Especially the human highway that is Broadway. It's an underground drink haven for those who need a place to relax and chill. We have games, shuffleboard, TV's, craft beers, and tasty cocktails. Sweetwater Social is all about welcoming people and giving them a place to let the stresses of their day pass away.

You can follow Justin Noel on Social Media: Instagram @jjnoel15; Twitter: @JJnoel1534

Mionetto USA is recognized as one of the fastest growing wine importing companies in the United States. Their story begins in 1997, when they set out to champion a new wine category with American consumers through the introduction of Mionetto's family of fine sparkling wines. Less than two decades later, our wines rank among the most popular and successful in the U.S., with Mionetto Prosecco leading the way. Mionetto USA's portfolio of offerings is rounded out with a selection of some of Europe's most prestigious wine estates, showcased by our MW Imports division. For more information on the Mionetto brand, visit: http://www.mionettousa.com/.

Photo: Courtesy of Justin Noel