COCKTAIL BUZZ: Mixologist Michael Lay demos a vintage cocktail at The Taste.

Each Labor Day weekend, The Taste at Paramount Studios becomes an annual must for Angeleno foodies, serving as a showcase of the best cuisine and cocktails Los Angeles has to offer. One of Downtown’s hottest new restaurants, Faith & Flower, provided a demonstration at this year’s event, giving attendees an intimate look as to why they’ve garnered so much buzz since opening in April 2014. Their Chief Mixologist, Michael Lay, was recently named as one of Zagat’s 30 under 30, and put together an impressive multi-step presentation of The Oxford, a cocktail recipe dating back to 1862. His presentation kept in line with Faith & Flower’s cocktail program, which celebrates the Roaring Twenties and the drinking culture of a forgotten era. The ambitious among us can use his mastery in the video below as inspiration to go the extra mile during that next cocktail party.

The Taste: Michael Lay’s Oxford Cocktail from Collin Friscia on Vimeo.

The Oxford (adapted from Jerry Thomas “Bartenders Guide” 1862)

1.5 ounce Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac

.5 ounce Appleton 12yr rum

.5 ounce Oloroso Sherry

.5 ounce Capillaire Syrup*

.5 ounce Orange Shrub**

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well with ice. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

* The Capillaire syrup is made with organic Maidenhair ferns, orange flower water and Demerara sugar.

** The orange shrub is made with orange peels, fresh orange juice, and Wray & Nephew over proof rum.

Photos by Kiana Laing.