MNfusion: Spoon & Stable's Nathaniel Smith Heads To Nat'l Bartending Competition

For those who have been paying attention, the hospitality scene in both Minneapolis and St. Paul has seen quite an influx of fabulous new bars and restaurants.

And now, Twin Cities foodies have yet another reason to brag.

A mixologist from our very own Spoon and Stable is heading to the United States Bartenders' Guild's Most Imaginative Bartender Competition!

On Aug. 5, Nathaniel Smith competed in the Regional Finals for the USBG Most Imaginative Bartender.

USBG's Most Imaginative Bartender Competition, now in its 9th year, aims to discover and highlight imagination and innovation in the craft cocktail world.

The competition is sponsored by Bombay Sapphire Gin and the winner will be featured in GQ's "Men of the Year" issue.

Smith's drink, "The Silk Road," earned him the winning spot in the regionals and a trip to the national competition.

On Sept. 2, Smith will compete along with 28 other bartenders from across the country at the national competition in Las Vegas.

Smith visited WCCO last week to offer up a taste of the winning drink.

After his visit, I got the chance to chat with him about the drink and what he is most excited for at the Most Imaginative Bartender competition.

Briefly tell me how you got started in bartending. What drew you to mixology?

I've been in the industry for ten years and from the beginning I was fascinated by spirits, perhaps because I've been an artist since childhood. I've always been fascinated by the colors, shapes and craft of the bottles. Early on, [I] began building an extensive home bar. Fast forward to now, I care more about what's in the bottles, and probably know more about, and have the largest collection of, gin in the state. If I don't, I want to know who does and hangout with them (laughs).

I would want to hang out with them too! So, tell me a little bit about the recipe you created that won you the Regional USBG Most Imaginative Bartender Competition. You mentioned the recipe you created was inspired by a dish you ate as a child. Where does most of your inspiration come from?

When I was growing up my dad was in the Oriental rug business and as a family we would often host business partners from Persia/Iran. To accommodate a restaurant that didn't serve pork or alcohol in the mid '80s in Minneapolis, we would often bring them to an Indian restaurant in Uptown (on Lake Street across from the iconic Arby's sign), which for a young kid served just about only things that were too spicy for me. Years later, I was working at the amazing Indian restaurant Namaste and was eating raita, a condiment dish of yogurt, spices and celery or cucumber, and realized that it was the same dish I grew up eating and just had a brainstorm.

By then I was already into gin, and realized the similarities between the two. [Both are] crisp, refreshing, spiced with herbs and botanicals, layered and complex. Sometimes ideas just present themselves and it's simply up to us to recognize the inspiration. That is how I created The Silk Road, which represents the ideas, spices and techniques of many parts of the world coming together cohesively.

I can imagine that even when ideas present themselves it can be tricky to actually create the product. What is the most challenging part about coming up with new recipes?

I would say consistency.

Like any other field, the best ideas just present themselves to you. Sometimes that happens often; sometimes it's more of a struggle or occurs infrequently. Having great peers, plenty of cookbooks and cocktail books, and visiting places like La Belle Vie, Marvel Bar, Eat Street Social, Bradstreet and Constantine certainly help.

But if you have your eyes open for inspiration all the time it gets easier. Today I walked through a garden with my partner and when she pointed out a giant blooming hibiscus flower I thought, how amazing would a cocktail be with a gradient of color like that?

What excites you most about bartending?

Usually it's the simple act of relating to people and sharing something. If I find a new recipe for a cocktail that I can share, I hope you like it too! If you have a super cute picture of your kids or want to tell me about your favorite little-known restaurant in town, I want to see and hear that!

That's great! I'm sure the customers appreciate the personal touch that adds to the experience. So, mixology and mixologists have been growing in popularity for quite some time now. What is it about the "craft cocktails" that draws so many people in?

I think people just like to be around people who are actually passionate about what they do. I went to college and was going to be an entertainment lawyer, and it doesn't matter that I scored high on my LSAT I just wasn't passionate about it and wouldn't have done well. If you can have the pleasure of enjoying cocktails made by someone who really cares about what they do, it's always going to taste better. I love dive bars and cheap beers, so I don't believe a drink should be cocky, exclusionary thing. It's just, given the choice, I want to be surrounded by people who [care] about life.

Passion is definitely attractive and contagious. Why is the Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender Competition important in the food world? 

It's been almost a decade since Bombay Sapphire has been conducting their nationwide, and now worldwide, search for the Most Imaginative Bartender and it represents one of the pinnacles for people who care about this craft. In the way that Bombay Sapphire was able to revolutionize the way the drinking public sees gin, the Most Imaginative Bartender competition has pushed drink maker's skills, inspiration and goals. I'm honored to represent Minneapolis in this quest.

What are you most excited for in the Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender Competition?

I'm just looking to have fun, man! I want to represent the amazing quality of my peers in Minneapolis, and apply the lessons I've learned from my mentor Robb Jones and my amazing bar staff, chefs and coworkers at Spoon and Stable. But mostly I'm just excited to do what I do best and just enjoy the small pleasure of making an amazing gin cocktail I had the pleasure of creating to new people.

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The Silk Road

1.75 Bombay Sapphire
.75 Fresh Lemon Juice
.75 Saffron Simple Syrup

8 drops Charnushka-infused Peychaud's Bitters
1 barspoon Turmeric/Smoked Spanish Paprika/Black Pepper/Pink Himalayan Salt Greek Yogurt
Celery Stalk

Garnish: Smoked Spanish Paprika & Strega Liqueur