Shady Pines. Red Dragons. Perfect Lady Royales. Old Mule Skinners. Bitter Brambles.
The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog in New York City has just been awarded the title of The World’s Best Bar, along with the World’s Best Cocktail Menu, at the ninth annual Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards.
Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon are the bar’s co-founders, serving up a tapestry of cocktails that originate from 17th, 18th and 19th century recipes and are updated to agree with the modern palate.
McGarry – the youngest ever recipient of the International Bartender of the Year award – would often create between 50 and 70 versions of a single cocktail before landing on the right mix and his dedication to the cause exceeds all.
We spoke to Jack about what it takes to build the best bar in the world.
JOE: What has the reception been like since you won the awards last week?
Jack McGarry: It’s been absolutely phenomenal. Our sole focus was to make an Irish pub the world’s best bar. To achieve that goal is absolutely phenomenal. The American media have lapped it up, it’s been humbling and gratifying at the same time.
What kind of custom do you get over in the Dead Rabbit?
We obviously have our regulars who form the core of our customer base, but we also get – and massively welcome – a lot of first time custom, which we’re so grateful for, and it really helps us to build on what we had already. We couldn’t ask for any more.
The cocktails have some remarkable names, and stories behind them – how big a challenge is it to keep innovating and finding new recipes?
I wouldn’t say it’s difficult. It’s a challenge we embrace. The first menu was based on recipes from the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries and we let our menus run for a year. Then we have a smaller insert that changes every season. It keeps things fresh.
Every year we spend a lot of money on the menus and they tell a story. The second menu was based on Irish whiskey and we became very patriotic about it. We wanted to restore the dignity and reputation of Irish whiskey.
On the third book, we’ve gone a lot more contemporary; as well as whiskey there are many varieties of spirits, differents rums, cognacs, armagnacs, it’s very wide.
We challenge our barmen to bring something fresh to the table all the time, and that’s the way we work. We have three or four workshops before we launch an idea, and it allows us to get the drinks to the standard that the Dead Rabbit needs. It’s only when the standard is met that we launch the menu.
What advice would you have for anyone starting off in your business?
I would say the key thing is to want to look after people. Hospitality is key. The technical stuff is easier to learn, we’re constantly pushing ourselves. The key thing really is to be humble and to challenge yourself every day.
When we hire I’m looking at individual characteristics; is this a good person? Everything else can be taught, and it’s only with good people you can build a good team.
We now have a team that I would conceive as having for a long time, people who are constantly humble and trying to improve.
What’s the difference in the drinking culture over in New York compared to Ireland and the UK?
I’d say the consumers in New York would be a lot more versed on their booze. There are people with home cocktail bars, they research, they go to spirit tastings. That was beginning to happen in Belfast but in New York they’re much more knowledgeable. They really know their stuff.
I can’t speak for Dublin but in Belfast they’re a lot more forgiving; in New York you’ll be sussed out quickly if you try to bluff.
It’s important to train new staff to know exactly what’s going on because it’s so tough that they will be found out somewhere like New York. It’s challenging, which ultimately makes it all a lot more rewarding.
To find out more about The Dead Rabbit, click here.
