Sasha Nathan Petraske (March 16, 1973 – August 21, 2015) was the founder of the New York City cocktail bar Milk & Honey, as well as a partner and creative force behind many of the world's most highly regarded bars.[1] During his lifetime he was credited with inventing modern cocktail culture.[2]

He was born in Greenwich Village, New York City.[3] Often described as a savant, Petraske dropped out of Stuvyvesant high school at the age of 17, and never received a formal post-secondary education.[3] After traveling cross-country, he joined the US Army. He served in Alpha Company 2nd/75th Ranger Regiment and engineered his exit after three years of service by falsely claiming that he was gay.[3] Following his departure from the army, he tended bar, ultimately opening Milk and Honey.[3]

His bar was known for its focus on attention-to-detail on classic cocktail recipes and a strict set of "Rules of Etiquette" to ensure a polite and enjoyable drinking experience, while carefully minimizing unnecessary costs and ensuring consistent recipe ratios through adopting the then-usual use of a bartending jigger to ensure precise pours.[3][4] Cocktail historian Dale DeGroff described Petraske as a "Solve the problem, common-sense kind of guy."[3]

Petraske was very prolific and together with partners was the creative responsible for dozens of notable venues.[2] A partial list is included below.

  • Attaboy, NY (2013)[5]
  • Bohanans, SaTx (2006)
  • Dutch Kills, NY (2009)
  • East Side Company Bar, NY (2005)
  • Everleigh, Melbourne (2011)
  • Little Branch, NY (2005)
  • Middle Branch, NY (2012)
  • Milk and Honey, London (2002)
  • Milk and Honey, NY (1999)
  • The Varnish, Los Angeles (2009)[6]
  • White Star, NY (2008)
  • Wm. Farmer & Sons (2015)[7]

In May 2015, Petraske married journalist Georgette Moger.

Death

He was found dead at his home in Hudson, New York on August 21, 2015.[8]

Legacy

Many of the world's top bartenders studied under Petraske magnifying his influence beyond that of any other bartender to date.[2]

Bars around the world memorialized him after his death, toasting him with daiquiris -- a cocktail he loved -- at 9pm local time on August 31, 2015, in honor of the traditional evening hour of Milk and Honey's opening.[9][5]

His wife, Georgette Moger-Petraske, compiled his writings after his death in a book, Regarding Cocktails, that contained many of his innovative recipes as well as selected writings on the art of cocktail-making and tending bar.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Final Advice From the Inventor of Cocktail Culture". Bloomberg.com. October 28, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sasha Petraske (1973-2015): The Bar World's Greatest Contemporary Conductor". Eater. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Simonson, Robert (2016). A Proper Drink: The Untold Story of How a Band of Bartenders Saved the Civilized Drinking World. Berkeley. pp. 85–91. ISBN 978-1-60774-754-3. OCLC 933567553.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ↑ Simonson, Robert (August 22, 2015). "Sasha Petraske, 42, Dies; Bar Owner Restored Luster to Cocktail Culture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Simonson, Robert (2016). A proper drink : the untold story of how a band of bartenders saved the civilized drinking world. Berkeley. pp. 313–314. ISBN 978-1-60774-754-3. OCLC 933567553.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ Simonson, Robert (2016). A proper drink : the untold story of how a band of bartenders saved the civilized drinking world. Berkeley. pp. 279–280. ISBN 978-1-60774-754-3. OCLC 933567553.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ↑ "A Cocktail Legend Lives On in Upstate New York". Liquor.com. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  8. ↑ Simonson, Robert (August 21, 2015). "Sasha Petraske, Bar Owner Who Changed Cocktail Culture, Dies at 42". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "A daiquiri for Sasha". Eat Drink Lucky. August 31, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  10. ↑ Petraske, Sasha (2016). Regarding Cocktails. Georgette Moger-Petraske. New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-7148-7281-0. OCLC 949911020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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