Local bartender, Cody Henson is making quite an impact on the cocktail scene of The Hostess City. While currently running the bar program at El Coyote, he is also a finalist beginning this Sunday, August 9th through Wednesday, August 13th in the Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender contest being held in London, England.
Originally from Atlanta, Henson first came to Savannah in 2009 to study Marine Biology at Armstrong. He got a taste of Savannah’s bar scene working at The Distillery with what he says “Was a really fun crew.” A lot of his former co-workers are still in town, tending bar at spots like Alley Cat Lounge, Andaz Hotel and the newly opened Wayward Bar inside of the Perry Lane Hotel.
Cody returned to Atlanta after college, but eventually found his way back. In 2014, his girlfriend worked for Restaurant Owner/Chef Hugh Acheson. He named her GM of The Florence. Cody landed at The Grey, where he started the bar program and ran it until August of last year.
“I love Savannah, it has so much charm with all the trappings of a small town,” he says.
Henson is not only a talented specialist in the food and beverage arena, but an intuitive host with a creative approach, “I’ve been fortunate to work with so many talented chefs, I am often inspired by what is coming out of the kitchen.”
He stays ahead of the curve by engaging with his customer’s interests and introducing them to specials that are fun and educational, such as flights of Mezcal versus the typical $2.00 PBR offering.
Cody says he sees Savannah’s restaurant culture evolving towards a middle ground—creating a space in between beer and burger joints and fine dining with expensive wines, where people can find something in the middle.
“You see more restaurants that are creating a space for people where you can go to a place for a casual date night or to hang out; you don’t have to go there just to have dinner. Atlantic and The Grey’s Diner bar in the front, are places that are doing this really well,” he says.
It is clear that Henson strives to elevate his craft by continually working on innovative concepts for those that come to his bar and collectively working with his peers throughout the industry. “I think we are going to a place where we are building that eclectic diversity,” he says.
He shares that having conversations over drinks on a day off and constructively talking shop is very beneficial. He is more than happy to share his recipes for his award-winning cocktails with others, “I love to have people make my drinks at home; otherwise it is just going to stay here.”
It is that type of enthusiasm for his craft that led him to compete in mixology. Henson entered the United States Bartender Guild’s 12th Annual Most Imaginative Bartender Competition presented by Bombay Sapphire gin (MIB), beginning alongside 100’s of bartenders across the Nation.
In June he was crowned the regional winner in Miami, showcasing his imaginative artistry beating out 15 top mixologists. Henson’s winning cocktail the “Ceylon Fix” was officially named as the most imaginative based on flavor, appearance, presentation, and imagination.
He says the idea came to him while on a bike ride. It is an artfully thought out concoction based on the concept of tinctures and old-time snake oil salesmen while infusing layers of creativity tying back to the jewel on the label coming from, Sri Lanka formerly known as, Ceylon.
A ‘fix’ is an old classic style of identifying drinks with pineapple in them, as well as a fix being something that cures you. The cocktail includes Bombay Sapphire Gin, Lemon Juice, pineapple syrup, masala chai tea, and his homemade Doctor Possner’s New Star Soda, and it’s refreshingly heavenly.
In his performance where he had to make the cocktail for the judges in Miami, as an ingenious addition, he staged his girlfriend to act as a “shill” in the audience to shout out that she had been cured from the cocktail. Henson recited the cocktails creed while making it out of a suitcase, “What I have for you today is the cure of conditions, the temporal of nutrition, this catalytically, carbonated Casanova is sure to provide you with strength health and vigor!” Henson’s distinctive handlebar mustache also lent itself to the full character.
This week, he is in London gunning for the win in the last three phases of the contest. The third phase is being conducted at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery. A winner will be announced on Thursday and will become part of the GQ online resident bartender series.
Humbly he states that outside of mixology and the competition, “I just consider myself a bartender, it’s what I do, making drinks is part of it, but the bigger portion of it is having that conversation across the bar and giving someone that experience, if you don’t make them feel special while they’re here, they’re not going to come back and you’re not going to have anyone to make drinks for.”
You can follow Cody @therealcodyhenson on Instagram, where he intends to keep us updated as the contest progresses.
Hadley Passela – for Eat It and Like It.
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