Sam Ross Raises the Bar with Comme Ça Cocktails on The Strip
Some top bar stars in the Pacific Northwest come from a barista background. No surprise as the attention to detail, commitment to the craft and passion for the perfect foam make for a great base to get behind the booze bar.
Cocktail rock star Sam Ross had a wee bit of a barista background back in Oz where he helped his sister and mother set up their cocktail bar Ginger in Melbourne, Australia back in 2001. It was just the right spice of spirit as Ginger today remains on the forefront of top cocktail bars in Australasia.
Like many an Aussie, Ross hit the road stopping off at all the right cocktail spots. After a stint with cocktail God Sasha Petraske at both Little Branch and East Side Company Bar and a run with liquid luminary Audrey Saunders at the famed Pegu Club and again with Petraske at Milk and Honey, it's safe to say Ross had honed his cocktail chops.
A few folk in the booze and bar business were in agreement as Ross was awarded American Bartender of the Year at last year’s Tales of the Cocktail (2011). He has since gone on to leave his mark on many a bar, one of which was David Meyers Comme Ça in Vegas.
I was headed to Sin City and was told by many trusted spirit snobs that Comme Ça had some of, if not the best cocktails in town. No surprise as Ross was behind the design of the boozy bits, served in the Myers French bistro.
First stop on The Strip was Comme Ça, set in The Cosmopolitan, the sexy new spot on the block. My friend and I wasted no time, nor did the staff, in serving us the signature Comme Si. It was in front of me before my bum hit the seat.
He had me at Comme Ci, their signature drink made with white rum, fresh lime, sugar, cucumber & cracked pepper came out. It was a fresh succulent summer drink, the perfect pool side companion.
Ross’ handcrafted cocktail menu is broken down by spirit sections; Gin, Vodka, Rum, Whisky, Tequila. We tried to play the spirit field with a sparkly Diamond Fizz made with gin, fresh lemon, sugar, egg white and champagne after the welcoming Comme Ci.
Yet once we made our way in to whisky city, there was no getting out. We were steeped in the whisky driven drinks. They were just too darn good to get away from. Actually, they were insane.
The Improved Whiskey Cocktail with rye whiskey, maraschino, bitters, absinthe and lemon twist was delicious. Then I was whipped in to a frenzy with the New York Sour with bourbon, fresh lemon, sugar, egg white, and red wine float. It was excellent and the booze beauty was easy on the eyes.
I thought I was fully committed to that drink until The Penicillin. Ross’ Signature Drink of scotch, fresh lemon, ginger, honey, islay float slipped in for a quick spin. My cocktail partner in crime and I literally stopped mid sip, mouths agape to express the wow and the overwhelming pleasure taking place on the party palette. If only doctors put this on their prescription list..
After Comme Ça cocktails and Chef Howard’s outrageous display of culinary creativity, a perfect match for Ross’ sauce, the bar was definitively set.
We set out in several other culinary and cocktail directions. We even hit a table or two with reckless abandon as we knew, we already had one big win under our belt. Game on!
Images by Karen Loftus
Image of interior restaurant courtesy Comme Ça
