Photos courtesy of Double Knot Miami
Luke Kingsley is the creative force behind the bar at Double Knot Miami, where, as beverage director for Schulson Collective, he’s shaping a distinctly modern izakaya experience. Here, he tells us about the passion and precision necessary to create a great bar program.
Q&A
You began working in the kitchen before moving behind the bar. Which skill from that time still helps you?
Tasting as you go. Don’t be afraid to check a batch midway through. I’d much rather my bartenders sample a drink before they serve it, so they can be certain that the drink is what it is intended to be.
If you could design your own cocktail napkin, what would be on it?
Paintings from 19th-century luminist artists like Frederic Edwin Church and Albert Bierstadt. Their landscapes would look amazing on cocktail napkins. If you have never seen them before, look them up. I may just have to do this.
What is the biggest misconception people have about beverage directors?
That they just drink all day long. A large portion of my job is about the ideas and logistics behind the programs, not just the drinks themselves. I taste alcohol on a daily basis, but I would get nothing done if I actually consumed what I was tasting.
What is one small detail that separates a good bar program from a great one?
Passion. In a great bar program, you have dedicated bartenders who live for this. Take Stefano Veliz and Colin Morton, the bartender and GM at Double Knot Miami: I get texts and emails at all hours with new ideas. They aren’t doing this for recognition — they genuinely care about what they serve.
Double Knot blends Japanese influence with Miami nightlife. Which ingredient best captures that intersection?
Yuzu, which is a highly aromatic citrus plant that grows in East Asia. It isn’t a lemon or a lime, and it has a distinct flavor and fragrance that is unmistakable.
When you think of Miami in a glass, what flavor comes to mind?
Passion fruit. It’s tropical, loved by many and pairs well in multiple scenarios.
When you clock out after a long shift, what’s in your glass?
I am a tequila, Irish whiskey and wine nerd. So, if I had to pick one from each, it would likely be a Cabal single-barrel añejo, Yellow Spot Irish Whiskey and either Massican Gemina, a white blend, or El Jaléo, a red blend from Edmunds St. John, depending on the weather.
Who, living or dead, would you most like to share a drink with?
Brad Leone [a chef and fermentation expert best known for hosting “It’s Alive with Brad” for Bon Appétit], who got me thinking outside the box when it comes to creating.
The Double Knot
INGREDIENTS
• 1 oz. rye whiskey
• 1 oz. bourbon
• ½ oz. sweet vermouth
• ½ oz. dry vermouth
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes of orange bitters
• 1 cinnamon stick, crushed
• 5-6 whole cloves
DIRECTIONS
Use a cocktail smoker to fill a glass with smoke from the cinnamon stick and cloves, then cover to trap smoke. In a mixing glass, stir rye, bourbon, both vermouths and bitters with ice for about 25 seconds. Uncover the smoked glass, pour in the chilled cocktail and serve.