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/ 13 1 DESIGN, CURATE & DELIVER DRINKING EXPERIENCES
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DESIGN, CURATE & DELIVER DRINKING EXPERIENCES
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THE COCKTAIL ARCHITECT is a group of culinary creatives,
specialising in curating exceptional drinking experiences and lifestyles for
the hospitality industry. We are designing a future where everyone
eats, drinks and enjoys life consciously & organically. Our cocktails, wellness,
drinks & bites are based on creativity, seasonality, quality, and taste.
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The Cocktail Architect has amazing talent at creating unique drinks that set a tone. Being about balance and presentation, I knew my guests would be impressed, but not only be impressed, they would feel at home.
We are visionary artists supporting a community of likeminded brands, partners and individuals
who share our passion in food, drink culture, and design and hospitality innovation.
OUR SERVICES INCLUDE
• Bar Consulting for Restaurants & Hotels• Spirit & Beverage Innovation ( Brand Ambassador)• Special Events & Experiential Events• Marketing, Strategy and Business Development
“KEVIN WENDLE | Owner & CEO | Hotel Esencia
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Yusef Austin the cocktail architect
Yusef Austin is a native New Yorker since 1998, worked his way
up from bartending at The Mercer Kitchen to opening New York’s sexiest bar, The Boom Boom Room, under Andre Balaz'.
His signature drinks were an instant hit, becoming the best selling cocktails on the menu. When he wasn't on Top of the
Standard, Yusef was delivering spirits education all over the city as Brand Ambassador for Elit by Stoli. Yusef is often referred to
as the Rockstar Mixologist by Colin Cowie and has fuelled his
parties and guests for every type of event all over the world, from London to Gstadd, from Florence to South Africa.
Yusef consults for 20+ New York City restaurants for BRGuest Hospitality Group including Dos Caminos and Blue Fin, where
he is the head of Mixology. Yusef has his hands on the pulse of cutting edge styles and draws his cocktail inspiration from
travelling and nature. These days he can be seen at industry events representing Tres Papalote Mezcal together with
Cheech Marin. When he is not out mixing drinks, you will find
him refining his culinary skills in the kitchen, experimenting with new flavour combinations, pickling and preparing Kombucha.
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Nandini Natasha Austinthe culinary architect
Nandini arrived in New York City in 2008 from her London
home by way of Mauritius with the goal of bringing her hospitality & culinary skills to America. With 20 years'
experience working in the luxury lifestyle and hospitality industry, she has shaped some of the world’s most iconic hotel
brands, upscale restaurants, and bars from Morgans Hotel Group, The Metropolitan Hotel London to Colin Cowie
Celebrations. Nandini is a multi-preneur who likens herself to the Chaka Khan song I'm every woman. As a wife, mother,
storyteller, artist, foodie, and world traveler- it really is “all in her.”
Nandini, who loves to eat, drink and cook, spends her time writing about the latest food trends and cocktail innovation.
She also consults in the areas of business development, content marketing and experiential events. Her approach is
simple and her purpose is clear: she puts everything she loves into her work and she works at what she loves every single
day. When she's not busy exploring the ever-changing culinary landscape of the City, Nandini can be found at their home in
the creative heart of Brooklyn, revelling in the moment with her husband Yusef and her son, Revel, whose name was
inspired by just that activity.
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From L.A. to Dubai and all in between The Cocktail Architect has fuelled more parties than I can remember. I would recommend them to anyone serious about creating a lasting memory through cocktails...
“
COLIN COWIE | Colin Cowie Celebrations
capabilities
CAPABILITIES
• Bar Consulting
• Spirit & Beverage innovation
• Special Events
• Marketing & Strategy
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Bar, Restaurant & HospitalityConsulting Before creating a menu, we meet with you to understand your needs and clearly define your vision and concept. We begin by discussing what the needs are and what the type of menu concept will add value. We cover everything from researching, menu development, to the small styling details of the garnishes and glassware.
• Menu Development & Implementation• Standardised Recipes & Batching• Training, Development & Quality Control• Chef Collaboration : Ingredients & Pairings
We have a proven record of delivering consistently high quality cocktails, increasing
bar revenues and encouraging repeat clients.
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• Recipe Development for Spirits Brands • Signature Cocktails & Demonstrations• Liquor Sponsorships• Spirits Education
capabilities
Brand Ambassador & Innovation
We help tell your brand’s story to the right audience, in the right place, at the right time. Through our network, we connect you to the consumer to build customer loyalty.
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Special Events, Experiential Events
The Cocktail Architect curate catering bar experiences for all types that are both beautiful and purposeful. We'll discuss how to best express your brand and vision.When we design cocktails for an event, we start with a concept and develop our approach from there - conceptualising the event within a greater environment. Art, architecture, fashion, music, design, video and cutting-edge technology all play a role in creating the perfect immersive experience.
• Bar Concept and Themed creations Experience Design, (look, feel, glassware)
• Staffing, on & off premise Batching • Food Pairings & Bites
capabilities
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Strategy, Marketing & Business DevelopmentThrough our network of corporate clients, event planners and high net worth individuals, we connect you to relevant audiences to build consumer loyalty and engage the community.
We love storytelling and believe that every has drink has a tale to tell . We focus on designing high quality consistent cocktails to help tell your brand story and create unique drinking experiences.
• Sales & Marketing Planning & Outreach • Strategic Partnerships & Events• Digital Marketing & Content Strategy • Food & Drink Styling and Photography
capabilities
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bar consulting
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SUMMER COCKTAIL MENU CHEFS CLUB
The Cocktail Architect created a summer cocktail menu inspired by a twist on the
classics. In collaboration with the chef, we created cocktails to pair with menu. Signature
creations included a cardamom daiquiri with a dehydrated lime wheel and a spicy corn
margarita with a black salted rim. To launch the new menu we co-hosted a cocktail event,
inviting Food and Beverage Lifestyle media, corporate and social event planners.
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BAR PROGRAM AT HOTEL ESENCIA
The Cocktail Architect was hired for strategy,
planning and implementation for the new bar. The cocktail menu consisted of classic, tropical
and wellness cocktails. Our inspiration arose from using local ingredients we sourced from
from the farmers and spice markets. A favourite of the signature cocktails was the Jamaican
Cooler, a champagne cocktail infused with hibiscus tea. The project was completed with
bar training and service standards training.
bar consulting
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special events
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THE BLOODY MARY BAR EXPERIENCE
The Cocktail Architect Team was hired to create a Bloody Mary Bar experience for an
event at the Baccarat Resort in Santa Barbara. To appeal to the senses, the backdrop of the
speciality bar was dressed with jars filled with various pickled vegetables, from peppers to
olives. Huge muslin bags with sweet tomatoes dripping of juice decked the bar. Our
mixologists gave a cocktail demonstration on the art of creating your custom Bloody Mary.
Each cocktail was served with a sexy garnish from spicy shrimps to a mixed herb bouquet.
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special events
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COCKTAILS & FRAGRANCE FLIGHTS
The Cocktail Architect teamed up with MiN New York for a series of mixology events
called Journey of the Senses. We curated a cocktail pairing tasting and scent event,
allowing guests to sample custom crafted cocktails matched with notes from Killian
fragrances. A sexy black feather doused in the intoxicating perfume was wafted in front of
each guest before sipping our cocktail elixirs. Notes included black pepper, patchouli, amber
and cardamom. We ended the event by serving deliciously paired bites, including juicy
cumin spiced lamb cubes served with a mint yoghurt.
/ 2015
INTERVIEWat Hudson hotel, nyc
hotels / restaurants consulting
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hotels / restaurants consulting
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BLUE WATER GRILLnyc
BRG ARTICLE
booze menus
!
!Behind!the!Bar!
By!Nicole!Schnitzler!!Between!his!celebrity5stacked!private!bookings!and!his!consulting!work!for!BR!Guest!Hospitality,!Yusef!Austin,!otherwise!known!as!The!Cocktail!Architect,!is!a!hard!one!to!keep!up!with!—!and!always!has!been.!After!hitchhiking!his!way!to!San!Francisco!at!age!17!for!a!Grateful!Dead!tour,!modeling!in!Paris,!and!acting!in!New!York,!Austin!realized!that!bartending!was!the!most!efficient!way!to!make!a!living!with!his!busy!schedule.!Today,!when!he’s!not!working!on!the!menus!for!Dos!Caminos,!Strip!House,!and!Blue!Water!Grill,!he!travels!the!world!creating!cocktails!for!the!likes!of!Tom$Ford,!Neiman$Marcus!and!Naeem$Khan.!Here,!we!chat!with!Austin!about!Oprah’s!bloody!mary!bar,!his!mile!high!drink!of!choice,!and!the!supermodel!he’s!shared!burgers!with!at!dawn.!!BoozeMenus:$Where$is$the$last$city$you$returned$from$for$work,$and$what$was$the$project?$Yusef&Austin:&Santa&Barbara.&I&was&there&because&Oprah&threw&a&party&for&the&Selma&
movie&premiere.&I&designed&the&cocktail&menu&for&Saturday&night,&and&I&set&up&a&very&
cool&bloody&mary&bar&on&Sunday&at&her&home.&
!BM:$How$do$you$go$about$creating$drinks$for$an$event$versus$a$drink$menu$for$a$restaurant$or$hospitality$concept?$YA:&I’m&always&looking&for&fresh,&seasonal,&unusual,&fun,&and&different&types&of&
ingredients&to&make&up&an&events&menu.&Working&for&a&restaurant&group&has&actually&
made&me&better&at&my&craft.&You&have&to&work&with&less&and&make&a&cocktail&that&
people&are&going&to&have&to&come&back&for&over&and&over&again,&as&opposed&to&a&drink&
that&is&tasty&but&you&might&only&have&one&of.!
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brand ambassador
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TRES PAPAOLOTE
!
!Behind!the!Bar!
By!Nicole!Schnitzler!!Between!his!celebrity5stacked!private!bookings!and!his!consulting!work!for!BR!Guest!Hospitality,!Yusef!Austin,!otherwise!known!as!The!Cocktail!Architect,!is!a!hard!one!to!keep!up!with!—!and!always!has!been.!After!hitchhiking!his!way!to!San!Francisco!at!age!17!for!a!Grateful!Dead!tour,!modeling!in!Paris,!and!acting!in!New!York,!Austin!realized!that!bartending!was!the!most!efficient!way!to!make!a!living!with!his!busy!schedule.!Today,!when!he’s!not!working!on!the!menus!for!Dos!Caminos,!Strip!House,!and!Blue!Water!Grill,!he!travels!the!world!creating!cocktails!for!the!likes!of!Tom$Ford,!Neiman$Marcus!and!Naeem$Khan.!Here,!we!chat!with!Austin!about!Oprah’s!bloody!mary!bar,!his!mile!high!drink!of!choice,!and!the!supermodel!he’s!shared!burgers!with!at!dawn.!!BoozeMenus:$Where$is$the$last$city$you$returned$from$for$work,$and$what$was$the$project?$Yusef&Austin:&Santa&Barbara.&I&was&there&because&Oprah&threw&a&party&for&the&Selma&
movie&premiere.&I&designed&the&cocktail&menu&for&Saturday&night,&and&I&set&up&a&very&
cool&bloody&mary&bar&on&Sunday&at&her&home.&
!BM:$How$do$you$go$about$creating$drinks$for$an$event$versus$a$drink$menu$for$a$restaurant$or$hospitality$concept?$YA:&I’m&always&looking&for&fresh,&seasonal,&unusual,&fun,&and&different&types&of&
ingredients&to&make&up&an&events&menu.&Working&for&a&restaurant&group&has&actually&
made&me&better&at&my&craft.&You&have&to&work&with&less&and&make&a&cocktail&that&
people&are&going&to&have&to&come&back&for&over&and&over&again,&as&opposed&to&a&drink&
that&is&tasty&but&you&might&only&have&one&of.!
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brand ambassador
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ELIT BY STOLI
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clients
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HOTELS
The Standard The Plaza
Intercontinental Eden Roc
Baccarat Resort Hotel Esencia
Cosmopolitan Hotel Atlantis
One & Only Hotels Glenmere Mansion
HotelIHG
C Bar Mykonos
RESTAURANTS
Chef’s Club Dos Camino
IsabellasOmars
SkylarkLovageNYC
Atlantic GrillStrip House
Bills Bars and BurgerMetropolis
Omar’s La Ranita Nixs
Atlantic GrillBlue Water Grill
Blue FinLandry’s
SPIRITS
Elit by Stolichnaya Tres Papalote Mezcal
Double Cross Vodka Tequila Avio’n
CORPORATE
Normative
Sparkslife The Brandman Agency
Susan Magrino PR Niche Media
Tom Ford Facebook
ForbesTechweek
EVENT PLANNERS
Colin Cowie
Barbara Esses Daughter of Design
David Beahm Tinsel and Twine
CORPORATES
Cosmopolitan Techweek
Sparklife Gyro
Tom FordL’oreal
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contact us
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INQUIRES
T 212 634 4255
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thecocktailarchitect the cocktail architect
the cocktail architect
Inspiring everyone to celebrate life through and Revel in the moment through Cocktails, Bites and Hospitality.
