Shift Drink
Meister-approved cocktails to try for yourself
Eric Giger, Sacramento, CA
Welcome to Shift Drink, showcasing and celebrating bartending talent across the country. Shift Drink will bring it with unique and inspiring cocktails created by local bartenders & mixologists, highlighting their cities. Let's visit Sacramento, CA, with bartender Eric Giger.
Cocktail: Beam Dream
Recipe:
- 1 part Butterfly pea flower-infused gin
- 2 1/2 part Clarified Jägermeister, lemon juice & pine-rosemary-infused simple syrup* (see below)
- Soda water
Glass: Collins
Tips & Tricks:
- Use the milk method to clarify lemon juice + pine-rosemary syrup + Jägermeister mixture (it could take up to 24 hours for full clarification Infuse gin with butterfly pea flowers for color (alternative: use food dye, but I did not, so I can't attest to the color outcome)
To make simple syrup:
- Bring 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water to boil, then add approx. 6-inch sprig of rosemary + approx. 1/2 cup fresh Douglass fir needles (safe for consumption!), take off the heat and let sit for 2 hours.
- Combine all ingredients, and serve in a Collins glass with soda.
Scroll down to get to know Eric & make the cocktail!
Beam Dream
Eric Giger
Photo by Nate Laird @Jagerlifeatx
Hey Eric, what inspired you to create this amazing cocktail?
Sacramento basketball fans say they bleed purple. When they win a basketball game, The Beam — a giant purple light — is shot into the sky at the arena, so I knew this cocktail had to be purple. Trees abound in Sacramento and Northern California, including fragrant evergreens, so I wanted to include a pine element. Not all pine is safe for consumption, but Douglass fir is. The pine needles I used came from our Christmas tree and the rosemary from my in-laws' property nearby.
What does hospitality mean to you?
Hospitality, to me, means creating a warm and safe environment for people to enjoy. My guiding light in hospitality is to treat others as I would like to be treated. I believe in treating guests as just that—guests—not annoyances.
Grab your tools, and let's make it together!
Video by Nate Laird @Jagerlifeatx
Eric started his cocktail journey while living in Colorado Springs, when he took an at-home bartending class. He developed and refined his spirit knowledge through six years of bartending in San Diego, CA, at some award winning bars. He is now back in his homeland of Northern California to be closer to family, friends, and Lake Tahoe.
