Modern mixology walks a fine line between authentic craft and goofy gimmickry, and delineating between those two is really in the eye of the beholder. Old-school types never want much more than ice cubes in their booze, while those seeking a spectacle at the bar enjoy nothing less than listening to long talks on technique, sampling obscure adjuncts, and wading through waves of garnish to reach their cocktail.
Something of a middle ground is settling in at Djinn, the lobby bar of the Hotel Californian that opened last Halloween. The small space features top-shelf liquor, so purists can happily settle into one of the couches with a Manhattan or on the outdoor patio with a margarita. Yet the hotel also enlisted the cocktail consulting services of Devon Espinosa, a Los Angeles–based, culinary-school-educated chef turned mixology magician. That means there are also drinks that emerge shrouded in smoke or adorned with cursive writing in foam, or that require the guest’s own participation for mixing.
“My process is solely focused on creating a cocktail that makes sense with the rest of my menu and tastes great,” said Espinosa. “I then take what I created and figure out how I can present it to the customer in a new way. I don’t take myself too seriously, and I want my drinks to be fun, interactive, and whimsical to enhance the drinking experience. Techniques and garnishes, as crazy as they can be, still need to make sense with the liquids inside the glass.”
