This is part two of our interview with cocktail guru Sly Cosmopoulos. Read part one, and check back tomorrow for more.
What Dallas restaurants do you go to most often? Eddie V's, Ocean Prime, and Sambuca are my favorites for steak and seafood. Now -- if I want the flair of the Southwest, I love to go to Iron Cactus and Cyclone Anaya's -- all these places have great food as well as great cocktails.
What does the Dallas drinking scene need more of? A little more creativity with the "themes" of the bars opening up. I would love to see a bar open up that makes me think, "Now why didn't I think of that?" A bar that takes you away with its atmosphere and cocktail creations. It could be something as simple as an aromatherapy bar that creates a "mood" of "Ahhh..." with their cocktails, taking various aromatherapy scents and flavors and liquefying that feeling. With the right atmosphere that could be rather unique, and, hey, seductive. (Now everyone is probably thinking, How much [has she] had to drink?)
What does Dallas drink scene need less of? Basic pubs. There are five on every corner.
What do you think Dallas drinkers expect? Fresh and unique and authentic drinks.
What's one thing that surprises you about the Dallas drinking scene? I think the drinking scene is great, but I have to say -- what about the dance clubs? Where are they?
What changes would you like to see in the Dallas drinking scene? More adventure when it comes to cocktailing. There are a couple of interesting trends that I've seen happening around the country, and what I love most is that these really stretch the boundaries of traditional cocktail making. One trend is the emotion cocktail -- yes, as far-out as this sounds, it's a cocktail that actually embodies human emotion. I created Passion, with Russian Standard Vodka, lavender syrup, raspberries, egg whites and red chile for a sweet and spicy combination. Then there's the culinary cocktail trend, where I've been playing with a very unique cheeseburger cocktail, a mix of beef-infused Flor de Cana rum, with a surprising lettuce and onion foam.