Greg Seider

Expert Interview: Greg Seider

Mixologist/Co-Owner, The Summit Bar

What brought you into the restaurant and bar business?
I grew up in Newport, Rhode Island, which is a big summer town. So I started off as a dishwasher when I was young and worked my way through the kitchen and then onto the floor. When the movie "Cocktail" came out, I was obsessed with learning all the drinks and tricks, so they used to let me bartend after I got done busing tables at night.

If you don't order a cocktail when you're out, which beverage do you choose?
I love great wine, craft beers and bourbon neat.

What's your least favorite drink?
Any drink that's made poorly.

What's your best mixology/drinking memory? What was the occasion?
I was in New Zealand for the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup where I was competing against 42 of the best bartenders from around the world. The level of adventure and camaraderie was amazing and unexpected. I made an oyster Bloody Mary with fresh tomato water. Peter Dorelli of the The Savoy Hotel in London said was one of the best cocktails he has ever tried. Team USA got third -- missed first place by a point.

What encourage you and Hamid Rahidzada to open Summit Bar?
Hamid is the best in the business at what he does. We had a shared vision on what a cocktail bar should be, where the customer could enjoy all the best elements from the drinksto design to music to family-like hospitality. His energy and hospitality are infectious. I love working with him everyday -- it's like working with your closest friend who happens to be a master of operations. There was no doubt that the two of us together would be unstoppable.

What is your favorite cocktail/beer/etc...on the menu?
I still love a great Old Fashion. The Estrella Damm Inedit beer was designed by the Chef Ferran Adrià -- it's so clean, with a great orange peel and slightly spicy clove finish.

What are some of your favorite food and drink pairings?
Oysters and Champagne or anything spicy with ice-cold beer

What booze should no home be without?
Bourbon...definitely bourbon!

What are your three best tips, tricks or techniques cocktail fans?
Shake, shake, shake. I love the drinks ice cold. It adds a certain texture. Always use metal tins to shake and double strain.

What is one tip you'd give first time bar owners?
Kill the customer with hospitality.

What is the most understated cocktail or liquor you have noticed throughout your career?
EXTRA

What is your favorite liquor to use? Why?
Bourbon. It's the official spirit of America. It has such a sexy amber hue which has soaked up the flavor of the charred wood barrels and it has this sweetness and spiciness with beautiful complex floral notes that separate it for other liquors.

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Expert Profile

For the past 12 years, Greg Seider has shaken and stirred some of the most inspired cocktails in New York, at notable culinary and cocktail institutes such as The Mercer Kitchen, Asia de Cuba, Lot 61, Robert De Niro's Hudson Lounge, Minetta Tavern and currently at newest venture, The Summit Bar. Seider also ran the beverage program at the world famous dinner theater, The Box, in Manhattan and created a specialized cocktail program for The Standard Hotel in Miami Beach.

Most known for his innovative creations, Seider's mixtures first began to draw a crowd at The Mercer Kitchen, where his collaborations with renowned chefs and pastry chefs lead to a fine tea and fresh herb infused cocktail revolution. This movement gained Seider notoriety with his celebrity patrons and the press. Publications such as The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, WWD, New York Magazine and InStyle began to feature Seider and his creative blends.

After winning several regional competitions, Seider went to New Zealand to compete in the 2009 42 Below Cocktail World Cup, otherwise known as the cocktail Olympics. Battling mixologists from around the world for five days of grueling cocktail challenges, Seider was selected as one of the top three finalists. He also competed and won in the 2009 Flor de Cana international cocktail competition, earning himself the honor of a personalized tour of the Flor de Cana rum distillery in Nicaragua.

Seider currently owns the private chef company, The Dinner Sessions, and is also co-founder of Chase and Speakman, a successful beverage consulting company he formed with Francis Harris, the former Beverage Director of world famous cocktail lounge, Pravda. Together, he and Francis completed an extensive consultation with Keith McNally's latest and extremely successful enterprise, Minetta Tavern. The Luxury Collection, the exclusive hotel and resort division of the Starwood Hotel Group, just released a signature cocktail book featuring Seider and dozens of his most cherished recipes.

Seider's most recent endeavor is The Summit Bar, which he opened in September 2009 with long-time friend and hospitality industry veteran, Hamid Rashidzada, whose credentials include Matsugen, Jojo and Mercer Kitchen.