Cocktails & Conversation: Claiborne Fortenberry, Left Bank

The man behind the bar, Claiborne Fortenberry: Left Bank
Credit: Paul Taverna, Eatery Expert

Everywhere in the world, people that enjoy a well-made cocktail and a bartender that knows your name have "a local." A local tends to be a neighborhood place that becomes  familiar and friendly, a place you become a committed patron simply because you love the crowd, the drinks, and most importantly, the bartender. In my experience, the best barkeeps are a masterclass of professionals - they double as your therapist, sounding board, career coach, relationship expert, and seem to provide the perfect liquid elixir for every occasion. Claiborne Fortenberry, the handsome Southerner behind the bar of West Village's Left Bank has all the signs of the real deal: a loyal following, an extensive knowledge of booze, and you will want to watch him shake martinis all day long. Find out more about the man behind the amazing cocktails at Left Bank and stop in, say hi and stay awhile. One thing's for sure - Left Bank could quickly become your local. By JOLEEN ZANUZOSKI

Q: The most important question that is on the mind of many a bar patron - single/married/taken?
I am a very happily married man. For years, I dated every player who got a work visa and came to NYC to break a heart. After 9/11,  I took a break from partying. I got into yoga, etc. It was the first night of Hannukah, and my straight roomate and I said  "To hell with it. Lets go out!" I dragged him to several gay parties. He ditched me. I called a girlfriend and we ended up at Novecento - they used to have fabulous Sunday night parties. I met my husband on the dance floor. After all those international wastes-of-time, a Texan stole my heart and we are about to celebrate eleven years together, five as husbands. Meanwhile, he's a sexy sonofabitch and often at the bar if you want to see for yourself. 

Thyme for Ginger, Left Bank
Credit: Paul Taverna, Eatery Expert

Q: Where are you from and what brought you to New York City?

I grew up in a little town just by the Mississippi River called Tallulah, Louisiana. It was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cotton fields. I remember visiting New Orleans and thinking the hotels on lower Canal Street were skyscrapers. I remember the smell of Lucky Dogs - the smells coming out of those hot dog carts paired with the boozy smell of Bourbon Street - I still remember it. 

I remember coming to New York City for the first time on a theatre trip and smelling those same smells of Bourbon Street - the hot dogs and the booze - coming out of the bars here, but multiplied by a thousand. I snuck out one night and went around the Village and I just knew I was going to live in New York. I felt like I "secreted" it. I don't understand people that complain about how much New York has changed - it's been almost sixteen years, and I love New York for changing, but still staying true to itself. I love it. 

Q: How long have you been working as a bartender? Tell us about your first experience behind the bar.
I have been bartending for over 15 years. I grew up in a cocktail culture. My parents threw fabulous parties. They still do, and always keep a thoroughly stocked bar. I learned early how to make drinks the way all my parents' friends liked them and they always complimented me. I do remember making them with a heavy pour and hearing them say "Oh, not so much!" but then not asking for any change for round two! I believe in being able to taste the liquor. That is a philosophy I developed very early and one to which I abide, with the exception of vodka drinks. Nobody wants to taste vodka!

Screaming Rita, Left Bank
Credit: Paul Taverna, Eatery Expert

Q: Do you remember your first really great cocktail? 

My first great cocktail was (for shame) a dirty gin martini. I was at a place just off the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge called Swanky's. Back in 1993, the drinking age was 18.  I thought I was very sophisticated and that the joint was just divine. Looking back, it was a dump. The next night, I went to my regular watering hole and asked for the same thing, only to meet a blank stare. I instructed the bartender on the ingredients and received a plastic cup full of ice, gin, and a generous dose of muffuletta olive salad mix. I drank half and then asked for a beer. That is the night I learned that a bartender has to give a damn- and that a place called "The Library Bar" that has a pool table, a juke box, and dart boards really specializes in keeping it simple. Ask the bartender what they do best and you'll be happy. 

Q: What is the most ridiculous trend in cocktails right now that you wish would go away? 

Ice! Last year when i was at another restaurant a regular who owned a bar asked me to work for him. I went in to feel things out and his co-owner took me through the rounds of their cocktail list. He not only showed me the different types of ice to use for each drink, but demonstrated a method to shake each one. I looked at him with his pomaded mustache, vest, and jeans rolled high above the ankles and thought, "This is just total bullshit." Notice I don't say cocktail. Really, most people just want a damn drink. And I promise you, I'll make you the best damn drink you have ever had with my one type of ice.

Q: Who is your most memorable regular customer? 

I have had many! Right now, I am in love with Miss Maggie Burkvist who comes in almost everyday. She moved to the US from Great Britain in the early 1950s and has lived on Bank Street ever since. She worked at McCann Erickson during the Mad Men days and was photo editor at the New York Times for twenty years. She still works freelance for the Times, as well as the neighborhood paper. She can tell you about Great Britain when Chamberlain was Prime Minister or about Ginsberg and his lover, or about what happened just last night that you didn't know. If she does not come in then I feel bereft. Everybody makes friends with Maggie, and other regulars ask me,"Did I miss Maggie?!"

Q: Favorite restaurant in Manhattan?
Chez Napoleaon. It's such a lovely place that has been around since 1960. It's on 50th street, just on the corner of Ninth Avenue. I read an article in the New York Times years ago when people in New York were boycotting French restaurants because they didn't like France's criticism of the United States invading Iraq. This restaurant was in danger of going out of business and I have continued to patronize this place ever since. The owner, Marguerite Bruno, is in her eighties and still in the kitchen. The servers have been there for thirty-something years, and it's classic French fare. You feel like you're in Bordeaux - they have everything from wonderful apertifs to fabulous after-dinner Armagnacs and Calvados and Cognacs. It's a joy to have dinner there and I usually go on my birthday or during the holiday time. It's a gem to be discovered - many people know it and you should, too. 

Q: What is always in your liquor cabinet at home?

I always, always have Jack Daniels. I promise you, I can fix it in a way that you will like it.

Mannahatta, Left Bank
Credit: Paul Taverna, Eatery Expert

Q: What is your go-to drink as summer transitions into fall? Any favorites for Autumn?

Last Autumn, I created a drink called the "Mannahatta". It was created with what I thought were seasonal spices like cloves, star anise, etc. Well it was such a hit that we kept it on for spring and summer, changing the description from "Autumnal spice" to "spiced citrus" or something like that. It is a bourbon based drink and carries my beloved Peychaud's Bitters. I take a fresh straw and test every drink I send out, and every time I test this drink, I say out loud, "Damn!" I have never gotten a single complaint. It is truly a drink for all seasons and I am very proud of it. 

Q: What drinks are you making us today? 

Screaming Rita: A  jalapeno-infused margarita - it's beautifully balanced with salt, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. That's also every quality I think a person needs to have. 

Thyme for Ginger: A homemade lemonade - we use fresh grated ginger which infuses the vodka. The other night I made forty of them and I tell ya, I can only get mad at myself when I have to start muddling all the lemon. 

Mannahatta: Essentially a Bourbon cocktail. I always love to have a Bourbon anything. 

Left Bank Bloody Mary
Credit: Paul Taverna, Eatery Expert

Left Bank Bloody Mary: A recipe that was inspired by the Bloody Mary they make at my parent's country club in Louisiana - it's so good that the country club actually sells the Bloody Mary mix to its members. Every time I go home and tell my mom she makes the best Bloody Marys, her reply is "Aw, hell, that's from the club." I put my spin on it, and we call it the Left Bank Bloody Mary. 

Q: Can you share with us a recipe to one of your favorite cocktails that has a classic "Claiborne" spin on it?

The Sazerac is a classic cocktail and the official cocktail of New Orleans. Essentially, it's rye whiskey and absinthe. I have many customers that come in that say my take on the Sazerac is the best they have ever had. I keep it classic, but have a special way I do it.  

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice

2. Pour a 1/4 inch of absinthe over ice and let it chill.

3. Fill a tumbler with ice and pour 5oz of rye whiskey over ice. [Claiborne uses Bulleit Rye Whiskey.]

4. Pour a small amount of simple syrup into the glass until it fills the base.

5. Add a few dashes of Peychaud's Bitters and mix into the simple syrup until the color turns golden orange and an inch of the ice has melted - that's how you know the mixture is cold enough. 

6. Dump your rocks glass out and take a beautiful, big lemon twist  and gently squeeze the twist so the oils coat the glass. It's very important to remember this element because the aromatics coat the glass.
7. Pour the mix into the glass. 

Kid Goat Capricci, Left Bank
Credit: Left Bank Manhattan

Q: What is your favorite dish on the menu at Left Bank? 

The Kid Goat Capricci - it's a spiral, delicate pasta dish that's  made with a kid goat ragu. The one thing I love about working here is everything is from local farms, we butcher everything in-house and it's so fresh. The owners have great relationships with local farmers and the menu is constantly changing based on what's at the market and seasonally available. It's amazing to walk downstairs and see a skinned baby goat - I just say to myself "Bless its little heart, but it's going to be delicious!"

Q: Favorite place to grab a drink and a bite to eat in Manhattan? Who is mixing up the best cocktails, besides you? 

Annisa. It's Chef Anita Lo's restaurant and has been voted by many as one of the best restaurants in Manhattan. It's so charming. They have an exquisite cocktail program there - it's unpretentious and their drinks are delicious. Simone is the best bartender and she works there Monday and Tuesday nights and is absolutely fabulous - she is such a pleasure to be around and she will crack you up! There are about five or six seats at the bar and they offer their amazing tasting menu at the bar - it's divine if you want to treat yourself. Make sure to ask for Simone.