Before The Eddy’s bartender Kelvin Uffre was entertaining crowds with cocktail orders, he was rallying them via audacious vocals set to music. "I was singing and screaming in a punk/hardcore band called Millsted," he explains. "Some nights I was in a pool of beer and sweat with 40 or 50 hardcore punk fans inciting a mosh pit, and other nights I was serving." It was a trip to Champagne that exposed Uffre to Old World traditions of food and drink, and that which provoked him to step to the other side of the bar at the Crosby Street Hotel, where he was serving at the time. That in-house shift catapulted Uffre to step behind the bars of Bobo, Barrio 47, and Maison Premiere before he landed at The Eddy, where he heads up a menu of innovative cocktails that are as much on trend as they are classically rooted. Here we chat with the NYC native about his version of dealer’s choice, why cocktail names are on the out, and what food truck he’s chasing post-shift.

BoozeMenus: How would you describe your approach behind the bar?

Kelvin Uffre: My approach behind the bar is simple: I make my bed, I walk my dog, hit the gym, shower, iron my clothes, and make sure my home is in order. I enjoy greeting all my patrons with a warm and genuine smile, asking them how their night is going, followed by what they would prefer to drink. Whether they order a vodka soda or a Monkey Gland I always do my best to prepare their drink with the utmost care.

BM: How does your background in music extend to your role as a bartender?

KU: I’m sure there must be some correlation but I’m not sure if I’m conscious of it.

BM: While you have a diverse showcasing of cocktails at The Eddy in terms of base spirits and flavors, is there a common thread that connects them to create a cohesive list?

KU: I play with presentations and flavor profiles that might seem unconventional. I enjoy working with more obscure spirits and creating cocktails that highlight the profile of the spirit. My cocktail list is seasonal as well as most of my back bar. Colder months give way to higher-proof whisky, heavier gins, whose botanicals tell the story of the winter to come, bolder Amaro whose profile is akin to the season. I don’t run for the pumpkin, sweet potato and baking spices the minute fall arrives; I imagine what skiing in Vail smells and tastes like, I dream of apple-picking and what the ground would smell like. I guess the common thread is how I perceive cohesiveness.

BM: Which cocktail on the list best resembles you and your drinking philosophy?

KU: We have an 'Eddy Boilermaker'. For those of you that don’t know what a Boilermaker is let me break it down: it’s a cold-ass beer and a shot of something. Our boilermaker is baller. It’s a 375ml bottle of a funky Normandy cider and a shot of Marc Du Bourgogne.

BM: What is your process for developing new cocktails?

KU: I usually go the extreme with flavors, then begin to break them down. Jason Soloway, the owner of The Eddy, and my GM, Jennifer Brown, have a very strong wine background, so their feedback is extremely valuable. I also see the work I’ve done and try to focus on breaking new ground.

BM: Where do you find - or look for - inspiration?

KU: Inspiration is something that finds me and can come from anywhere so I just keep my antennae tuned in.

BM: What three bar ingredients (spirits, liqueurs, juices, bitters) could you never do without?

KU: Lime juice, simple syrup and rum, because if I could not make a Daiquiri I would cry for most of my shift, discreetly of course.

BM: If a patron requests dealer's choice, what's the first spirit or tool you reach for?

KU: If a guest asks for a dealer’s choice I ask them, “Stirred and boozy, or shaken and juicy?” Then I ask about a base spirit that tickles their fancy. If they leave it up to me, they’re getting a Cuba Libre.

BM: How do you think of the names for your cocktails?

KU: I’m terrible with names so I really have to research the history of the spirits involved. Sometimes I look through my record collection. I feel with the way things are moving, I’m going to start naming them serial numbers or giving them their own personal barcode. Names are no longer necessary and will soon be obsolete.

BM: What's the first food or drink you crave after a long night at work?

KU: The first thing I want to devour after a shift is a cold Stiegl which is an Austrian Lager, followed by Lamb and chicken combo over rice from the Halal truck on 1^st and 11^th Ave. It’s obscene what I do to that Styrofoam container.

By Nicole Schnitzler

(Photo Credit: Sophia Hoflin)