Posted By Michelle on July 16, 2008

This week’s addition of The Culinary Sherpas/ Tampa Tribune/ Flavor July 16, 2008

We first met Francesco Lafranconi at the 2007 Tampa Bay Food and Wine Fest. There he was, in white linen pants and a pink pinstriped tailored shirt, sleeves rolled up, quarantined to an oak barrel just a stones throw from the painted naked lady. He was mixing a heavenly concoction of Dom Perignon, rose nectar, and fresh blueberries. Sweat poured from his European brow caused by the Florida humidity.

You could tell he was a little perturbed that he had been reduced to the top of a barrel. Yeah, it may have fit the theme, but this guy has designed cocktail menus for Thomas Keller (owner/ Exec Chef of The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon and well, God to any chef of talent) and Daniel Boulud (owner/ Exec Chef of Daniel and runner-up to Keller) and now he was reduced to a rickety barrel top. We might also be annoyed.

We will never forget how unbelievably delicious those little plastic cupped champagne martinis were. In true snobbery, we at first turned our noses to his creation. Pink drinks were so 1999.

Mr. Lafranconi returned for the 2008 Food & Wine festival with a much larger working area. This year, he held seminars on how to make his most perfect cocktails. We were the first to be seated.

Francesco is the founder and Director of Southern Wine and Spirits’ Academy of Spirits and Fine Services. He saw a need for this while in Nevada (think Vegas). He’s the kind of guy who felt bartenders should reflect a certain caliber of service and style. The long and short, he brought the sexy back to bartending… single handedly…across the entire world.

He’s mixed drinks for Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, Michael Caine, Arnold Schwartzenegger and Martha Stewart, just to name a few. So naturally, when he tells you what to do, you do it.

He demonstrated a total of 3 cocktails and provided a recipe menu of 6. The theme? Why Bring Sexy Back, of course.

We pounced him after the demonstration and drilled him for secrets. Some are publishable, some are ours. He was very happy to allow us to provide you with one of the most hypnotic cocktails our pursed lips have ever sipped. He calls it The Exotic Kisser, which does sound a little hocky and very fem. It is not at all sweet, but very crisp and clean with full flavor. The rose water is something everyone needs to have in his or her homes at all times. It’s not a sweet liquid by any means, but rather crisply refreshing. We call drinks like these Time Warp drinks, because the next thing you know it’s midnight and you’ve had far too many to count.

Man up boys and girls (of legal drinking age, of course), you will guzzle these pink adult beverages down, just call it The Bone Crusher, if it makes you feel more masculine. No one will notice the rose petal garnish.

The Exotic Kisser
“We’re Not Drinking, We’re Learning.”
Recipe by Francesco Lafranconi

1.5 ounces Absolut Vanilla
Float of Pama Liqueur (available at Total Wine)
4 ounces rose nectar or water (Lafranconi recommends using Sence Nectar)
1 lime wedge

Method: pour the vodka and the rose nectar over ice in a rocks glass. Swirl to combine. Float the pomegranate liqueur by slowly pouring it into the glass allowing the liqueur to run along the side of the glass. Squeeze the juice of one lime wedge in the drink, but do not garnish with the rhine. Garnish with one floating red rose petal.

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Francesco Lafranconi, Rose Water cocktail, Sense rose nectar, summertime cocktail