bar talk
Jonah at Nonna
Jonah Dill-D’Ascoli, Beverage Director,
Casa Nonna, NYC
By alia akkam
F
rom carnivore haven BLT Steak
to burgeoning vegan concept
by CHLOE., the restaurant
portfolio of New York-based
ESquared Hospitality is diverse. Helming
the Italian-inspired beverage program at
Casa Nonna is Jonah Dill-D’Ascoli.
BMG: Italy is synonymous with classic
cocktails like the Negroni. How do
you give them your own spin?
JDD: Right now we have the Negroni
Blossom that I affectionately call the Starter
Negroni, featuring orange blossom vodka,
Aperol and Lillet. It is a little lighter and
more floral with less aggressive bitter notes.
Beverage Media Group: Wine and
pasta make timeless companions, yet
how do diners respond to cocktails
when a meal revolves around, say,
bruschetta and gnocchi?
BMG: With customers frequently
seeking out a Negroni or Aperol
Spritz, what is it about your more
creative cocktails that compel them?
Jonah Dill-D’Ascoli: One great as-
JDD: They all nod toward Italy. For
pect of Italian culture is that eating isn’t
just a quick 45-minute or hour-long dinner.
So while the food is meant to go with wine,
there are many opportunities throughout
the evening to integrate cocktails, either
as a complement or to elevate a dish.
instance there’s a Blood Orange Margarita
with Sicilian blood orange juice; a Siren’s
Punch featuring Aperol and Amaretto
that’s a play on tiki; and the Manhattan:
Built in a Day, a twist with rum, rye and
Barolo Chinato. By keeping the names
and ingredients simple and by showing
the guests that the drink will be similar
to something they know they already like,
we are able to showcase our bar team’s
talent and slowly build trust.
BMG: The pre-dinner aperitivo is a
good example. How do you encourage
guests to partake in this ritual?
JDD: Aperitivos are almost always lower in
alcohol, designed to open the palate and
begin the night gently. With that first sip of
an Aperol Spritz you can feel yourself relax
and are transported to the Italian seashore.
At Casa Nonna we have created a list that
on one side features our house cocktails
and on the other Italian aperitivos like
the Americano and Bellini. We feel that
this gives guests a chance to see the rich
history of Italian drinks and choose one or
two that they would like to try before their
meal or in between courses.
BMG: Establishing trust is a cornerstone of hospitality. What else do you
feel is essential?
BMG: How do you think your
experience in wine is a boon to the
bartending craft?
JDD: While I was behind the stick I
realized that there was this strange
disconnect between the wine side on
the floor and the cocktail side at the
bar. I first did my sommelier training
because I wanted to bridge that gap.
However, in doing so I found myself
in another world of exciting things to
learn and explore. Working in wine
has helped to develop my palate in a
different direction; understanding wine
better has allowed me to redefine the
way I taste cocktails and to find balance
in them. It has also opened up a whole
new category of products to work with.
Beerenauslesen wines, for instance, are
fantastic sweeteners in cocktails.
BMG: What are you looking forward
to tinkering with this summer?
JDD: Edible flower season is right around
JDD: I believe in showing guests a
great time by making everything we do
approachable and without ego. Food, wine,
atmosphere, all those bells and whistles
we put on in a restaurant are secondary to
the importance of people sitting down at
a table together and enjoying being part
of a community.
the corner so garnishes are going to
start getting more beautiful. I have been
playing a lot with ginger, cherry, apple,
basil, corn, hibiscus, grapefruit, raspberry
and blackberry, as well as Oolong and
green tea infusions. I am also excited about
adding smoke and char to cocktails—the
elements of a backyard BBQ. n