Master Mixologist Andrew Bateman of MARGARITAVILLE RESORT in Times Square

Andrew started his beverage career in 2004, shaking Roadhouse Teas as a Bartender at Logan's Roadhouse. In 2007, Andrew got a great opportunity to work at Emeril's Tchoup Chop to expand his restaurant knowledge and beverage skills. There, Andrew worked his way through the ranks to become the Beverage Manager. During this time at Tchoup Chop, Andrew successfully created, trained, and implemented the restaurants first in-depth sake and craft beer programs that involved specializing in local microbreweries and award-winning sake. In 2013, Andrew was recruited by Romacorp to lead their Concept Development Team. There, Andrew was responsible for the new TR Fire Grill Concept's beverage creative, training, implementation, and management.

It is Andrew's infectious passion for teaching, learning, developing, and enjoying great cocktails that lead him to complete the Certified Level from the Court of Master Sommeliers and graduate with a LEVEL THREE CERTIFICATION from the reputable Wine Spirit Education Trust.

In Andrew's spare time he enjoys golf, gaming, fantasy football and Sunday night poker games with the guys. He loves spending time with his wife outdoors while hiking and bike riding, but some of his favorite times are on the couch with his wife and their cats, binge-watching the newest drama on Netflix with a good glass of wine!

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew about his career and position at Margaritaville Resort in Times Square for our "Master Mixologist" feature.

When did you first become interested in the cocktail culture?

I first got interested in cocktail culture when I worked for an Emeril Lagasse Restaurant, Tchoup Chop, at an Orlando resort. I was introduced to the classic Trader Vic Mai Tai recipe and never looked back. The cocktail was perfectly balanced with subtle nuttiness and citrus. I had bartended before, but more pouring beers and slinging margaritas, after enjoying my first classic tiki cocktail, I knew I had to make this my career.

What innovations in mixology and bartending do you find fascinating?

One aspect of mixology that I am currently finding super fascinating is that there are great brands in the market that are using ancient distillation practices to create non-alcoholic "spirits". These are excellent "spirits" that have a ton of flavor. Seedlip comes to mind as a brand that has great tasting products that are fun to mix with and can create an elevated non-alcoholic beverage experience. Additionally, Spiritless' Kentucky 74 is a non-alcoholic bourbon that makes a terrific old fashioned.

How do restaurant and bar guests encourage your creativity?

This is such a great question! If I am being honest, there are moments in a bartender's career where the guests are the very best source of creativity and the most frustrating. There have been cocktails that I have created that I felt were going to be a homerun, cocktails that I thought would be written in the history books, only to come up short. No one "understood" the vision - pretty much no one ordered the drink. Then there are moments that a guest will say something or ask for a unique food pairing that will trigger creativity and great ideas will follow. Making great cocktails is more likely to be achieved through collaboration of some type. Very rarely do you come across a great recipe that only came from one point of view.

What are your preferred "classic cocktails" and why?

One of my favorite cocktails is the classic rum daiquiri. Rum, sugar, and lime create a symphony of great flavors that I just love. It is a great cocktail that seems simple of the ingredients, but it demands precision and great technique. When I am visiting a new bar I will begin with a daiquiri - if the bartender can knock it out of the park, the signature cocktails are usually balanced and tasty. #Lifehack

What are some of your favorite infusions and how you like to use them in drinks?

I really enjoy utilizing immersion circulators when infusing spirits. It gives me the opportunity to capitalize on intense flavors without any risk. I can infuse spirits that may have taken weeks to do and extract more flavor in a matter of hours. One of my favorite infusions is a pineapple/strawberry Aperol infusion. I will "cook/infuse" pineapple and strawberry in Aperol for a couple of hours. This makes for an incredible refreshing spritz cocktail, also works great in tiki cocktails as a modifier.

Tell us about a few of your signature cocktails and why they are distinctive.

Where do I begin, one of my favorite cocktails on our menu is the Midtown Margarita. It's a classic margarita with a touch of ancho chili spice. We also garnish this margarita with a rosemary cloud. What is a rosemary cloud you say? You'll have to come by the rooftop bar to find out! The cocktail is bright on the palate with a slight hint of spice on the finish.

If you are looking for a great Old Fashioned, our All Right, All Right, All Right is an old fashioned made with Matthew McConaughey's Long Branch Bourbon, Roasted Banana Liqueur, and allspice. This old fashioned has a classic feel with a hint of the tropics. We also serve this old fashioned with some banana chips to snack on. Fantastic!

Another great cocktail is our W40 & Agave. It's another margarita on our menu, but with a slight twist. We infuse our agave with earl grey tea. The bergamot found in earl grey tea adds another layer of florality to the cocktail that is pleasant. The earl grey really rounds out the cocktail experience with complexity.

My favorite thing about our cocktail program is that we have a great team that really enjoys making delicious cocktails. We focus a lot on mastering textures and balance on the palate. All the cocktails on our menu really focus on giving the guest the very best experience.

Give us your perfect pairing for a cocktail and a culinary selection.

One of my favorite pairings is our Shishito Peppers and the Pineapple Shuffle. The combination of pineapple, whiskey and green chartreuse is dynamite by itself, but when you add a charred smoky shishito pepper, it brings it to a whole new level. Combine all of that with the best view in Times Square, it's untouchable.

Margaritaville Resort is located at 560 7th Ave, New York, NY 10018. For more information, please visit https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-resort-times-square or call 212.221.3007.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Bateman

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