When I received a call from Punch about shooting their October Bartender in Residence I was so excited! Punch is a Brooklyn-based online magazine chronicling the nation’s best purveyors of cocktails and spirits. Turns out one of the best slingers of cocktails resides right in my backyard: it’s Alec Bales of Ticonderoga Club!
Located in Krog Street Market, Ticonderoga Club has won tons of awards for their outstanding bar program. They aren’t operating normally right now, but they have a plethora of food and beverage options available from their handy takeout window in the Market. Alec is a longstanding resident of this Atlanta staple. It was fantastic meeting and working with him.
As a part of his October feature, Alec will be releasing the recipes to some of his most popular creations. For example, the above Rainmaker which is Alec’s take on a pineapple daiquiri.
Alec’s drinks are complex without being stuffy or pretentious. They each bring something unexpected to the table but maintain a sense of lightheartedness and fun, just like Alec and the Club itself.
The biggest disappointment of the shoot? The fact that I couldn’t partake in any of these beautiful beverages. But to be honest, they were so beautifully and thoughtfully crafted, drinking them would feel like ruining them.
A big thanks to Punch for commissioning me for this project, and to Alec and Ticonderoga Club for being amazing at what they do! Check out the month-long release of Alec’s recipes and an in-depth interview with him now on Punch!