ABOUT ALIA & BEHIND THE BAR

Alia Akkam has every wanderluster’s dream job: covering the intersection of food, drink, travel, and design for the likes of Architectural Digest, Dwell, Hospitality Design, and countless other outlets. As a native New Yorker, Alia now calls Budapest home – but in her pre-pandemic life, she found herself traveling more often than not. So it makes perfect sense that her newest venture is a compendium of the world’s most iconic cocktails and the hotels that serve them (can you think of any better project to do research for?!)

Behind the Bar: 50 Cocktail Recipes From the World's Most Iconic Hotels, is an ode to luxurious, transporting hotel bars around the world—grandes dames and contemporary classics alike. It will introduce you to the histories and distinctive personalities of 50 different bars across the globe, along with recipes for their signature cocktails. The tome is also charmingly interspersed with anecdotes from hospitality tastemakers, and illuminates stand-out menus and design.

We chatted with Alia about her book, her favorite hotels and cocktails, as well as must-haves for your own home bar (a 2020-21 pre-requisite, it seems.) The seasoned traveler even shared a cocktail recipe (make that 2!) So mix up a chilled ‘tini, sit back, and enjoy.

How did you start writing about food, drink, design and travel?

I had a very sheltered childhood and adolescence, and because of that I spent much of that time fantasizing about a future of airplanes and hotel rooms. I was so hungry to learn about different cultures. In college I got one step closer when I discovered restaurants. We rarely went out to eat when I was growing up, but suddenly I was on my own, in a new city, Columbia, South Carolina, and there were all these places to try that had quirky personalities and great food I had never been exposed to before. I’ll never forget the thrill of Thai noodles or an Indian curry for the first time. It all felt so magical, and a considerable upgrade from the dining hall. I was captivated by the ritual of eating out, and while other students obsessed about frat parties, I was dragging my friends to as many restaurants as I could, poring over menus and learning.

Although I always wanted to be a writer, at that point in my life I was on the advertising and public relations track. I had a great PR job in New York lined up before I graduated, but once I settled into it I realized that it wasn’t the right career for me and that I truly wanted to write for magazines. One of my summer internships had been at the Food Network, so through the support of someone there I landed a few assignments for the newly unveiled Food Network website. That was my launchpad. Then, writing about restaurants naturally led to the realms of travel, drinks, and design, and I love how they all intersect. I’ve been a freelancer for the majority of my career, but I’ve also worked as an editor at both beverage and design trade magazines in New York, and they were invaluable deep dives into these industries.

What is your go-to cocktail?

What I drink reflects my mood and the season, so my go-to cocktail is always shifting. With the cold weather and the bleak state of the world, right now it’s a simple but comforting and heady Old Fashioned that I’m typically craving. I recently discovered that Iguana, a Mexican restaurant with an alluringly nostalgic suburban feel close to the American embassy, delivers its potent frozen Margaritas, and it’s a nice, frosty splurge that teleports me to a resort pool.

What is your favorite hotel bar? Your favorite hotel?

Like cocktails, the hotel bar I want to sit in also depends on what’s running through my mind at the time. Do I want an upbeat rooftop setting? Do I want a brilliant, elaborate cocktail? Or do I want to just hang out with a book drinking a glass of bubbly? I will say that I’ve recently been thinking a lot about the American Bar at the Stafford, a lovely, discreet hotel in London’s St. James’s neighborhood. It’s not as famous as some of the city’s other hotel hangouts, but I love it here because the ambience balances kitsch with sophistication, the drinks are fabulous, and it has a long history. This is where I would have had my book party had we not been in the midst of a pandemic, and I can’t wait to go back.

My favorite hotel is the Altstadt, in Vienna. It’s delightfully unassuming and residential in feel, with 62 one-of-a-kind rooms from different designers like Lena Hoschek and Matteo Thun. I first stayed there in 2011, long before I moved to Europe, and I fell for its cozy elegance. I’ve gone back since then and I love it more each time. In the afternoon they serve freshly baked cakes in the salon, where you can also linger with a whiskey nightcap. It’s a place that truly straddles the contemporary and the old-fashioned, and I simply feel at home there.

Bar carts have been all the rage the past few years; what is one item every person should have on their bar cart?

The glittering bottles of booze and glassware will naturally take centerstage on the bar cart. There obviously isn’t room to display your entire glass collection here, but I’m a fan of bringing a few coupes into the mix because they not only look good but are at the ready when you need them for spontaneous imbibing. It doesn’t have to be coupes, of course. If it’s Japanese whisky you’re going to reach for most frequently, then highlight rocks glasses instead. I think one of the most important, and glamorous, additions to the bar cart is an ice bucket with tongs. Dashing from your freezer to the cart with an ice cube tray and clumsily plopping them into your drink will only break the transporting spell.

If you don’t have a bar cart, how do you recommend styling a bar tray, which the English are a big proponent of? (Rita Konig is a big fan of the bar tray!)

I’ve yet to find the vintage bar cart of my dreams, so I wholeheartedly endorse Rita’s scaled-back version that you can keep on a counter or shelf, sans perishable ingredients, just like a bar cart. I think the tray works particularly well when you are serving one style of drink. In the summer, for example, when a quenching Gin & Tonic is in order, load up the tray with bottles of your favorite gin and tonic water, a couple of limes, a jigger, ice, cocktail napkins, and a few highball glasses, and carry it over to the balcony, backyard, or coffee table. The tray is easy to reconfigure, so if you are making something a bit more complex the next time, you can add in a shaker, swap out the booze, and replenish with other fresh garnishes.

What alcohols/liquors should one keep stocked at all times?

This is very much a matter of preference. During the pandemic, if you are a gin lover, for instance, and know that it’s Martinis you are going to make night after night to unwind, then keep it simple, seeking out bottles that you know and love. But if you’re thinking about brighter days, when friends and family can come over for dinner parties, then it’s good to provide a selection for them.

The base spirits—vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, brandy—should all be represented so that there is something for everyone, but don’t be afraid to delve deeper and build a more intriguing collection. If you love rum, have a light one on hand for Daiquiris, but also spring for an aged expression to sip on after dinner. There is also much variation in whiskey styles, so instead of just showcasing Jameson, opt for a bourbon and smoky Scotch, too. Given the rise of interest in mezcal, that’s another spirit to consider stocking.

You’ll also want to incorporate a few must-have mixers, like vermouth, tonic water, and sodas, as well as liqueurs such as Campari. Bitters are mandatory, and you should have two classic varieties: Angostura and Peychaud’s. More and more people are seeking out alcohol-free drinks, so it’s also thoughtful to have an interesting option for these guests as well. You can make great mocktails with ingredients like apple cider and ginger beer paired with such non-boozy brands as Seedlip and Salcombe Gin’s New London Light.

When it comes to your ideal bar essentials, what items should you buy?

A cocktail shaker is of course a necessity for many drinks. Bartenders tend to use the Boston, essentially two cups melded together that form a seal and prevent the liquid from splashing out and making a mess, but maneuvering it takes some getting used to. Cobbler shakers, by contrast, are comprised of a tin, cap, and strainer.

For stirred cocktails you’ll also want a mixing glass and a barspoon, a piece of equipment that I find especially beautiful and mesmerizing when put into motion. A jigger is also essential for ensuring precise measurements. A citrus juicer, a muddler, and silicone trays for large, slow-to-dilute ice cubes make for a well-rounded starter kit.

I also think cocktail picks are a classy touch. One of the last places I had a wonderful time drinking in before the world went dark was the Connie, the vintage plane transformed into a bar at JFK Airport’s TWA Hotel. I still have one of the blue picks on display in my apartment as a bittersweet souvenir.

Looking to the future, what is something exciting happening in the liquor space that will be big in 2021?

There was tremendous growth of the canned cocktail in 2020, and I think this RTD (ready-to-drink) category will only continue to boom in what is proving to be a still very uncertain 2021. Making from-scratch drinks at home is a noble pursuit, but sometimes you’re just not up for playing bartender. A canned cocktail is an easy, pre-mixed alternative for when you want something simple and boozy. In the past, this convenience meant sacrificing taste. But there has been an impressive range of new, high-quality brands over the last year or so, founded by top bartenders, including Social Hour Cocktails from Julie Reiner and Tom Macy and Aaron Polsky’s Livewire Drinks. We are not back at packed bars contemplating drink lists yet, and we don’t know when we will be. The canned cocktail is proving to be one more way of maintaining bar industry momentum in such a turbulent time.

Please share a favorite cocktail recipe below!

White Lady—

In my hotel bar book, I featured the Savoy’s Hanky Panky, from pioneering bartender Ada Coleman. But there is another storied cocktail served at the hotel that I just love, the White Lady. Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris fame first created it in 1919 with crème de menthe and triple sec. A decade later he adapted it to feature gin and orange liqueur. Another well-regarded Harry, Harry Craddock, included the recipe in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.

2 ounces London dry gin

½ ounce orange liqueur

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

1 egg white

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake without ice. Add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.