Keep It Classic

At Bourbon Steak Miami, Cesar Valdivia perfects classic steak house cocktails.

At Bourbon Steak in Miami, Cesar Valdivia showcases simple cocktails with great depth.
At Bourbon Steak in Miami, Cesar Valdivia showcases simple cocktails with great depth.

Cesar Valdivia and his family moved from their native Mexico to Missouri in 1999 and in 2005, when he was 21, they opened a small Mexican restaurant there. “Working there was a rewarding yet challenging experience—so many lessons learned,” he says. With five years in the family business under his belt, Valdivia moved to Maryland in 2010 and worked as a bartender and part-time manager at a small restaurant on the Eastern Shore. “I developed a real love for mixology while on the East Coast,” he notes. “I had the opportunity to visit New York, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. to see some of the best cocktail programs in the country.”

Spurred by his experience on the East Coast and with his sights set high, Valdivia next set out for Miami in 2016. “I really wanted to start my career in fine dining when I moved down here,” he recalls. “I had been a fan of Chef Michael Mina and he has a restaurant in the Fontainebleau called Michael Mina 74, and I took a job there as a server. Working at the Fontainebleau at that time was an incredible learning experience—it was the center of hospitality in Miami Beach.”

Having developed a relationship with Mina, Valdivia had the opportunity to join the team at Bourbon Steak in 2017, starting as a server before moving into a bartending position the following year. “I had acquired fine dining and mixology knowledge, which allowed me to excel in my new position,” he says. Today, Valdivia is head bartender at Bourbon Steak, responsible for reviewing and managing the cocktail program (drinks are $18-$48). “With our program we focus on perfecting classic steak house cocktails with a creative twist, and we also have a seasonal signature cocktail list that changes a few times a year,” he says. “I like simplicity; a great cocktail should have depth but also balance, and a good mixologist should be able to achieve that with three-to-six ingredients max.”

This approach is evident with his Michy’s Caviar Martini ($48), blending Chopin Family Reserve vodka, Lillet Blanc aperitif, and caviar, and his cherrywood-smoked A5 Fat-Washed Old Fashioned ($20), comprising tallow-washed Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon, simple syrup, and both Angostura Aromatic and Orange bitters. “I’m really proud of our team’s expertise,” Valdivia adds. “We’re diverse and knowledgeable. If you have a question about an obscure spirit or you want us to replicate a cocktail you had somewhere, chances are one of us can help you.”

Cesar Valdivia’s Recipes

Michy’s Caviar Martini

Ingredients

3 ounces Chopin Family Reserve vodka;

1 ounces Lillet Blanc aperitif;

3 grams caviar;

3 caviar-stuffed olives.

Recipe

In an ice-filled cocktail mixing glass, combine vodka and aperitif. Stir for 10 seconds then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with caviar and caviar-stuffed olives.

A5 Fat-washed Old Fashioned

Ingredients

2 ounces tallow-washed Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon¹;

¼ ounce simple syrup;

3 dashes Angostura Aromatic bitters;

3 dashes Angostura Orange bitters;

Orange peel.

Recipe

In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine Bourbon, syrup, and bitters. Stir for 10 seconds and strain into a double rocks glass over a large cube and garnish with an orange peel. Optional: Smoke the drink using cherry wood chips.

¹Prepare tallow by rendering the trimmings of an A5 New York strip steak (or similar). Refrigerate the tallow until solid then add 2 tablespoons of it for every 750-ml. of Bourbon. Let rest overnight then refrigerate until the tallow has solidified. Remove tallow solids and strain.