Rock & Roll Corridor of Famer and spirits trailblazer Sammy Hagar turned his ardour for excellent meals, music, and spirits right into a thriving and iconic life-style model together with his flagship, Cabo Wabo Cantina. He has since launched an award-winning portfolio of top-shelf spirits.
His newest enterprise, Sammy’s Seaside Bar Cocktail Co. lately debuted a line of glowing rum canned cocktails. We received to talk with Sammy about his newest RTD, his favourite cocktails and love of bartending and his fairly rattling good Margaritas!
Inform us in regards to the initiatives you’re engaged on.
I’m all the time engaged on loads of totally different initiatives concurrently as a result of I’m a kind of people who likes to multitask. At the moment, I’m selling my new album with The Circle that was produced by Dave Cobb, Loopy Occasions.
Final yr I launched my glowing rum cocktails in a can, Sammy’s Seaside Bar Cocktail Co., in California, Texas, Florida and Nevada. Quickly they’ll be in lots of different states, which could be very thrilling. Individuals beloved our 4 authentic flavors like Island Pop, Pineapple Splash, Tangerine Dream and Cherry Kola Chill; and I’m now working to good the recipe for 2 extra flavors. They’re all nice blends with my Seaside Bar Rum. I’m very choosy in terms of getting the flavors perfected however we’ve nearly received them able to launch.
Together with your busy schedule, what do you love to do along with your downtime?
Downtime? What’s that?? Haha. I haven’t discovered any downtime.
In case you ever give me an excessive amount of downtime, I find yourself beginning a brand new challenge. That’s the artistic aspect of me that I like. As a result of, for me, the artistic aspect is thrilling. It’s magical. It’s like when the lights go on and also you see the whole lot so clearly. However then the fact hits you and also you understand, “oh shoot, now I’ve to go to work, and I’ve to do that and that and that, and so forth.” which isn’t as a lot enjoyable. Sadly, generally lots of people fail to do the arduous work wanted for a enterprise to flourish, after which you find yourself with a failed challenge. So, to reply your query, I don’t find yourself having loads of downtime as a result of my creativity results in loads of time and work. However I’m 100% okay with that!
Once you exit to eat, the place do you wish to dine?
I’m a fanatic about meals. I feel it comes from the truth that my grandfather was a implausible chef, my mom was an exquisite prepare dinner and I like to prepare dinner myself, so it’s in my blood. After I do exit, I just about go to the tried-and-true locations that I do know have nice meals.
I’m additionally fortunate sufficient to have a number of pals who’re wonderful cooks, so I’m going to their eating places. that should you go to a Michael Mina restaurant, you’re going to get an important meal each single time, irrespective of which of his eating places or what model of meals they serve, the standard will persistently be high notch. The identical might be stated for Wolfgang Puck. There are a number of restaurateurs who’ve eating places in a number of cities so after I’m in a brand new metropolis I’ll select to go to one among their eating places as a result of I’m assured an important meal. And nothing ruins my night like a foul meal.
What sorts of dishes do you usually order?
After I stroll right into a restaurant that I’ve by no means been to earlier than, I attempt to discuss to somebody just like the supervisor or the chef if I can get a minute with her or him. I’ll ask them, “If that is the one time in my life that I’ll ever go to right here, what ought to I eat?” That insider recommendation tends to get me the perfect meal in the home. I might order one thing particular that day as a result of you understand it’s contemporary. Or, if it’s an Italian restaurant, I all the time order a pasta course.
Any favourite bars?
It will positively must be Cabo Wabo Cantinas and Sammy’s Seaside Bar & Grills! Hahaha
What drinks do you order when out? Favourite drink?
My favourite drink on this planet and possibly the best drink that has ever been invented is a superb handmade Margarita. But when it’s not handmade, it may be one of many worst drinks! Once you get these packaged mixers and blend it with good tequila, you mainly simply ruined the tequila.
The elements are a great contemporary lime juice, and even higher if you may get Mexican limes, easy syrup, Cointreau or Triple Sec kind and a great 100% agave tequila shaken over ice and poured straight right into a flippantly salted Martini glass. However you possibly can’t pour an excessive amount of at one time since you don’t need it to get diluted from the ice cubes.
Do you put together drinks at house?
Completely! I like entertaining at house. That’s just about why I created my guide Sammy Hagar’s Cocktail Hits, as a result of it’s filled with nice drink recipes just like the one I simply advised you.
Inform us about your property bar. What’s it stocked with?
My house bar is overstocked with tequila, mezcal, and rum from everywhere in the world. As a result of these are the spirits that I create and promote. I wish to see what different individuals are doing and it conjures up me to make my merchandise even higher. I even have your customary issues like Campari, vodka, and gin. However I’m not a lot of a brown spirits man.
However my satisfaction and pleasure and the place I’m going each evening earlier than I prepare dinner dinner is my wine cellar. My cellar has greater than 14,000 bottles and is dug into the aspect of a mountain with a lock on it. It’s safer than the financial institution safes on the town! I acquire wine from everywhere in the world and my assortment goes again to 70s in California, the 40s in Bordeaux and the 70s in Italy and Spain.
Have you ever ever been a bartender?
I’ve been a bartender many occasions. Matter of reality, each time I stroll into one among my eating places I find yourself behind the bar. I like mixing drinks for folks. Additionally, after I’m out selling my merchandise and I stroll into different folks’s bars, I find yourself going straight behind the bar and mixing Margaritas or Mojitos, that are fairly rattling good if I say so myself.
In case you might share a drink with anybody, who would it not be?
That’s a great query. I’d say Jimmy Buffett who I’ve met, however we by no means went ingesting. However I feel Buffet and I ingesting collectively in the proper location, perhaps south of the border, would have a good time speaking about drinks and about our travels. And we’d in all probability put away a considerable amount of tequila!
