Going 10 Rounds With Top Bartender Yael Vengroff
The bar director of L.A.’s Spare Room was named American Bartender of the Year at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. We got her to tackle our speed round of questions.
Courtesy Cory Fontenot
What do you like to drink after a shift? “The highest-proof thing you’ve got. With a sherry chaser.”
What is the all-time best dive bar jukebox song? “‘Isis’ by Bob Dylan. Always the first song I play when I walk into the Abbey [in New Orleans].”
Name the first good drink you ever drank and where you had it. “I had my first Manhattan at Employees Only in New York and the Pandora’s Box opened right up for me.”
What book on cocktails is your go-to resource? “I love, love, love Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold.”
What’s your favorite bottle of booze that costs less than $25? “Rumple Minze.”
Courtesy Cory Fontenot
What’s your favorite bottle of booze that costs more than $100? “Any of the Rochelt Brandies. Which one are you buying?”
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What’s your favorite cocktail and food pairing? “Mezcal & a menthol cigarette.”
What drink are you most proud of creating? “There’s a cocktail on our new menu called the Glitter Freeze that was a total ‘happy accident.’ It’s a marriage of every product—pale cream sherry, vodka, bergamot, Clingstone Peach Bitters, frozen blackberry—I was obsessed with at the time.”
What’s your favorite shot-and-a-beer combination? “High-proof tequila and Champagne.”
What is the one tool that you always make sure to pack when you’re traveling for business? “Glitter.”
Yael Vengroff is the bar director at L.A.’s The Spare Room in The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. She was recently named American Bartender of the Year at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
Interview has been condensed and edited.
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