FOOD & DRINK

Drinks With: The guy who made that cocktail menu

Amy Haneline
amy.haneline@indystar.com

This is the first in a monthly series called “Drinks With.” Beverage reporter Amy Haneline will have drinks — be it a cocktail or a cup of coffee — with an interesting Hoosier and document the conversation. Have someone you think she should talk to? Email her at amy.haneline@indystar.com.

It always starts with a girl.

Michael Gray was like most 20-somethings, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. Sure, he had experience in the restaurant industry. His family has owned Mooresville’s Gray Brothers Cafeteria since the 40’s. Still, he wasn’t convinced that was the place for him.

Michael Gray with four cocktails he created for Plat 99, (left to right) The Queen of Hungary, Fog Cutter, The Wayworn Road and the Twelve Mile Limit Fizz.

So in the meantime, he helped a bartender — yes, a girl he was trying to impress — by clearing tables, doing dishes and closing down the bar.

That relationship ended, but his love affair for the cocktail scene began.

Gray became a bartender. Alongside rock star entrepreneurs like Zachari Wilks, Neal Brown, and Joshua Gonzales, he helped spark the craft cocktail movement in Indianapolis. His resume includes the Libertine and Plat 99.

Bar owner Joshua Gonzales knows secrets of handcrafted cocktails

Today Gray, 30, works for Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) where he educates professionals on craft spirits, and consults for local bars and restaurants. This year, he’s had a hand in nearly 30 cocktail menus in the state, a combined 150+ drinks. I sat down with Gray at Bluebeard. He had a Tom Collins, and I went for the Amaro Morning. (By the way, he did marry a bartender, just not the one from the story above.)

Q: How did you land your first bartending gig?

A: I started working for Turner Woodard when he first bought the Canterbury Hotel. It was the day he took over possession (March 2010). He was in the lobby, and I had asked the front desk for an application. The human resources director asked, “What are you applying for?” I said, “I’d like to be a bartender.” Woodard turned around and asked me who I was. I introduced myself and he had heard of my family. We sat down together that day, actually, in the bar and had about an hour-long conversation. He was very passionate about turning around the Canterbury and revitalizing it, especially the restaurant. He thought it was a little gem that most people overlooked. He really wanted it to have a new face. So, we shook hands and agreed we’d take a shot at it.

Michael Gray shows the steps involved in creating one of the Libertine's signature drinks, “The Preparation.”

Q: So you were at the beginning of the craft cocktail movement?

A: I can remember being at Turner’s six to seven years ago now and people coming in to have cocktails and thinking I was a little crazy for doing what I was trying to do. I would literally stop by the farmer’s market on my way from my apartment to the hotel and would pick up fresh produce, seasonal vegetables, spices and herbs. I was just trying to do anything I could. I had been traveling around and seeing what bartenders were doing in other cities around the country, and I wanted to bring that back.

Q: What do you think of Indy’s cocktail scene now, and how we compare to other major cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago?

A: I would say that maybe we aren’t five years behind everybody anymore. We always say we are five years behind — whether it is food, fashion, beverage, entertainment — or whatever it is. I think we are starting to lessen that gap. Maybe we are a year behind in trends now as opposed to five years behind. I think our talent level is phenomenal. We are at the highest talent level that Indianapolis has ever seen. But where do we go from here? For the people leading the industry, our biggest concern is sustainability. With all these new bars and restaurants opening up, and a high demand for better food and better beverages, that also creates a demand for employment. Who works in them? ... That’s the concerning part. How can we continue to grow talent and attract talent? The story has always been that we raise talent and send them off to other great markets. You just hope now they stay in the city.

In Chicago vs. Indy battle of bartending, who wins?

Q: Who is your cocktail hero?

A: My greatest night in the industry is when I got to spend a night with Dale DeGroff and Simon Ford. That was when we introduced The 86 Co. Spirits into Indiana for the first time. We did an unveiling party at Plat 99. Out of nowhere, Dale DeGroff comes into the room. Nobody knew he was going to be there. Dale is the king of cocktails. He started the (national) craft cocktail movement back in the late 80’s to early 90’s. He’s been a pivotal character in the entire world of cocktails. I think everybody looks up to him. So going to dinner with Dale, and getting to drink wine with him and listen to him tell stories, it was very nostalgic. It was one of those experiences you just don’t forget.

Q: If you weren’t doing this job, what would you do, non-beverage related?

A: I’d be a stay-at-home dad if I could. If I had a sugar momma, who could support me and my family, I would be a stay-at-home dad. I really love my kids that much. My wife always tells me if I actually had to do it, I couldn’t do it. She is probably right. She probably deals with more on a daily basis than I have to on a weekly basis. But I would stay at home. I think I’d be fun.

Q: What’s next for Michael Gray?

A: I consider one of the most important parts of my job is educating and mentoring the next wave of professional hospitality individuals. I love being able to travel around the state and spend time with bartenders who are passionate and interested in making a mark on our industry. Hopefully one day I can look back and feel that I’ve had an impact. One thing that I would like to start at the beginning of 2016 is an up-and-coming cocktail series for young bartenders to have a chance and be mentored by veteran professionals in our community.

Follow Amy Haneline onTwitter andInstagram @amybhaneline, andFacebook. Call her at (317) 444-6281.

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