Apothéke | New York
Some people would argue that Orson Salicetti is one of the best mixologists in all of Manhattan. He began his career by working with his mother in the kitchen.
Growing up in Caracas, Venezuela, Orson Salicetti began his career in food service working both the front and back of the house in his mother’s restaurant. At age 18, he left Venezuela to explore Holland and Spain. In Spain he began cultivating a love of wine, gaining a particular interest in the wines of southern Europe. Salicetti moved to New York City in 2001 to work in the kitchen of his mother’s Latin-inspired restaurant, Q Café.
In 2004 Salicetti opened his own restaurant in Miami, Epic Bistro. One year later, Salicetti was head manager of bar at the famed Betsy Ross Hotel in South Beach. There, Salicetti began to consider the craft of the cocktail as a career path. After working as consulting at Balance in Martha’s Vineyard, Salicetti returned to New York City as consult to the bar at Carniceria, Crema, and on the opening bar at Rayuela in 2007. While at the new venue and bar at midtown restaurant, Islero, Salicetti worked an event for acclaimed mixologist Albert Trummer. Trummer was so impressed by Salicetti’s natural bar head and mixology abilities that after a 50-cocktail tasting Salicetti was invited to join the team at Trummer’s new apothecary/cocktail bar venture, Apothéke.
While at Apothéke, Salicetti has settled into his signature style of creating cocktails using fresh ingredients combined with highly inventive, kitchen-inspired infusions and exotic liqueurs. Orson has received accolades as the 2009 New York Rising Star Mixologist and in 2010, Salicetti opened Covet with nightlife king pin, Eric Milon. Orson designed the entire cocktail and bar program for the enterprise.
Orson’s company, The Art of Mixology, has taken him all around the world where he does beverage consulting and designing of cocktail lists for the hottest spots in the world. This year Orson opened Slightly Oliver bar with his next opening, Jelsomino, at the Dream Hotel, a Ginza project.