Meet The Liquid Chef: Junior Merino

Meet Junior Merino. Though you may not have heard his name, you’ve probably had the pleasure of indulging in his cocktail creations at New York City’s Rayuela and The Modern, or Mexico’s famed Izote.

Merino is a master mixologist, heading into the kitchen to work on his signature cocktails, drinks that are a “fusion of kitchen and bar”, a style that inspired his name, “ The Liquid Chef.” The drinks showcase flavors and spirits from all over the world and often incorporate unusual ingredients to stimulate all of the senses. And though Merino is most known for being behind the bar, he started in the kitchen.

While growing up in central Mexico, Merino began cooking at the age of 10 and his early experiences instilled an early love for “culinary mestizaje,” or blending diverse flavors. When he moved to New York at the age of 16, Merino worked his way up from bartender to beverage manager at Roth’s Westside Steakhouse, while finishing high school and studying English and graphic design.

At Roth’s, Merino put together his first ever wine and cocktail list, a list that won an award of excellence from Wine Spectator. Shortly after, Merino was officially initiated into the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Then in 2005, Merino won first place in the International Bar Show with his ‘Coming Up Roses’ cocktail, a mix of lime, rose petals, rose syrup, and champagne. This vaulted him into the realm of master mixologist and, a year later, Merino went on to create The Liquid Chef, Inc., a cocktail consulting company that also sells his first line of products, Dainzu, syrups and salts that are 100 percent natural. Natural brand extension saw the opening of New York’s Liquid Lab, a space where Merino experiments with more than 3,100 individual labels, spices, oils, extracts, aromas and herbs.

Next, Merino talks about how he landed in the mixology business, his favorite flavors, and what you should be stocking your bar with.

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TLK: How did you come to the mixology business?

I came to the mixology business through a completely organic growth, pun fully intended. I was born on a ranch in Mexico, where my parents instilled in me, from an early age, the knowledge, passion, and love of food and ingredients. We made everything fresh from cheese to butter and from sausages to our evening meals.  When I came over from Mexico, I went immediately into baking Mexican style bread and after sometime, I followed in my oldest brother’s footsteps and worked every station in a kitchen.  Once I felt that I had mastered each station, I decided to move to the front of the house. But the sight and pull of the bar was always there.

I decided to jump behind the bar and start teaching myself the fundamentals of bartending and quickly saw a huge opportunity to play with cocktails as one would a dish. I started playing with herbs, vegetables, flowers, peppers, at a time that people that I was crazy. No one had ever seen a cocktail with cucumbers before and always made “salad” comments. Fast forward a few years and I am the head bartender at The Modern at MoMa. There, executive chef Gabriel Kruther, executive pastry chef Mark Auman, and I played off of one another’s creativity well. They were the first to inspire me to use more exotic ingredients and were very supportive of my thinking “outside the box.”  Thus, The Liquid Chef, Inc. was born.

TLK: Your line is all natural and heavily uses agave. Why?

I have both agave nectar and gomme syrup in my line of products. Agave nectar, besides being from Mexico has a lot of amazing qualities: is low in calories, low in carbs, is low in the glycemic index, and is cold water soluble.

TLK: What are your favorite flavors for summer?

I would recommend something as simple as a Rose Lemonade, for the “mocktail or pregatini” crowd, or something as complicated as a cocktail utilizing grilled fruits, which of course would complement a hot backyard barbecue amazingly. The caramelized flavors of the fruit would pair great with the flavors of the smoky grilled burgers, ribs, hot dogs and chicken, kebabs.

TLK: Which of your mixes and salts are the most popular? 

The most popular rimmers are the Hibiscus/Rose & Himalayan Rimmer, Cactus/Lemongrass Rimmer, and Aleppo Pepper/Lime. For syrups it would be the Rose, Agave Nectar, and Hibiscus. The most popular tools from my line are definitely my muddlers and then the shakers and jiggers. As for Intensives (bitters) the most popular are: Cognac Roasted Apple and Toasted Spices, Cachaca Lavender and Yuzu, Mezcal Mole Poblano and Bacon & Gin, and the Grilled Grapefruit and Herbs, and Pisco 7 Potencias.

To get a taste of what Merino is filling his glass with, mix up your own with his recipe for this smoky, fruity Cubico Cocktail.

Cubico Cocktail 

• 1 small pineapple
• 1.5 ounces tequila reposada
• 1/2 ounce vanilla liqueur
• 1/2 ounce Dainzu agave nectar
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• Dainzu Hawaiian Volcanic Lava Saffron Rimmer

Get the full recipe.