Behind the Bar with Chris Amirault at The Maybourne Beverly Hills
February 1, 2023 by Perrie Hartz
Chris Amirault is the award-winning Head Mixologist of The Maybourne Beverly Hills. With a biracial family background, Amirault draws inspiration from both his own experiences and from Los Angeles’ nature as a cultural melting pot, taking ingredients from his Asian heritage and blending them with other ingredients and flavors he encounters throughout the city. His cocktail style is unique, experimental, and—like LA itself—ever-evolving, born out of an endless curiosity for the city he calls home.
Originally from Boston, Chris was not always a cocktail connoisseur. His first love was actually basketball, which he played in college on the East Coast before eventually heading west to LA to pursue dreams of in show business. Chris stumbled into the restaurant industry quite by accident, turning what started as an enjoyable hobby into a full-blown career with his restaurant PARMBOYZ, a viral Italian-American food & cocktail pop-up that was recognized by Timeout LA as 2019’s best new pop-up. PARMBOYZ helped Chris hone his craft, and eventually he turned to full-time cocktail creation.
After joining The Maybourne Beverly Hills as Head Mixologist in September 2021, Chris was given full creative control over the bar menu, which he has turned into a spectacular narrative-rich thematic showcase of pioneering recipes and classics with unique twists. When asked how he comes up with new cocktail recipes and new menu themes, Chris says that he takes inspiration from almost everything aspect of his life: his surroundings, his background, the cities he loves and the bars he visits, his mentors, and especially the fresh produce that California is known for, which he loves to add to cocktail recipes in creative and unassuming ways. Behind the bar at The Maybourne Beverly Hills, Chris strives to continue creating cocktails at a high level without copying other bars and restaurants. To continue to find new inspiration, he constantly pushes himself in new directions, which means changing the bar menu every 6 months. This more or less amounts to 40 new cocktails per year.
When asked about seasonal changes in the menus, Chris explains that he does draw inspiration from specific time of year, though it’s mostly about the ingredients, which are sourced locally. “In New York City, the cocktail scene is very spirit-driven”, Chris explains, “because they don’t have easy access to as much fresh produce as we do out here, year round.” In LA it’s a lot more about the ingredients first, the spirit second. That is exactly where Chris starts when creating a new cocktail and a new concept, which takes three (3) months.
Most recently, The Maybourne Bar menu drew inspiration from the elements, and included cocktails that fell into the categories of Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Air. For his signature cocktails, Chris uses what he calls “equal parts style”, replacing water with other ingredients to create a more complex, multifaceted end-product.
The new bar menu, which is being unveiled this week, is all about sipping the unexpected. In the spirit of the great inventors, innovators, and creators of the past, Chris pays homage to those who have changed history with a completely new menu of pioneering cocktail recipes and fresh takes on old classics. These cocktails include “The Airplane”, which uses ingredients from around the world, “The Wheel”, a creative new spin on the beloved cream soda, and “The Lightbulb”, a unique take on the currently-viral Negroni Spagliato, which seeks to capture the elusive “ah-ha” moment in invention.
When asked what his vision is for The Maybourne Bar, Chris says he aspires for it to become the premier luxury hotel space for craft cocktails, and it is definitely already on its way. “The guests at The Maybourne Beverly Hills already know so much about cocktails, they’re incredibly discerning and they know what they like. So I’d like to be able to continue to surprise them, to still introduce them to new things.” It seems that Chris, for whom a flash of inspiration for a new and inventive cocktail can strike at any moment, is already doing just that.
Video Courtesy by Perrie Hartz
Make sure to check out legendary New York City restaurant Dante NYC’s new pop-up location opening on the rooftop at The Maybourne Beverly Hills in March, and stop by The Maybourne Bar any time to try out the incredible new cocktail menu.
Can’t decide where to stay on your next trip to Los Angeles? Take a peak at our Sunny Escapes at The Maybourne Beverly Hills and how you’ll never want to check-out once you arrive.
Contact:
The Maybourne Beverly Hills
225 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, California 90210
Reservations: reservations@maybournebeverlyhills.com
