Campus & Beyond Concoct a Cocktail in Honor of Our Newest Alumni Stories You May Like As the Statler’s GM, Hotelie Doles Out Big Red Hospitality Like a Fine Vintage, Iconic Wines Class Is Aging Splendidly Raise a Glass to the Namesake of Zinck’s Night Each spring, the Regent Lounge creates bespoke libations for a lucky few graduating seniors—and we have the 2024 recipes! By Beth Saulnier When Hotelie Nina Bachich ’19 returned to the Hill in March 2024 to represent her employer at a career fair, she stopped by the Statler’s Regent Lounge for her cocktail. Not a cocktail; her cocktail—the drink that had been designed in her honor shortly before she graduated. While that bespoke beverage isn’t officially on the menu these days, the bar staff surprised her by whipping one up to celebrate her return. Dubbed La Niña, it’s a tempting combination of vodka, pear and ginger liqueurs, lemon juice, and simple syrup—served “up” (sans ice) in a coupe glass with a sugar rim. Recalls Bachich: “That was the best welcome back I could ever imagine.” In the past half-decade, it has become a Regent tradition: toward the end of each academic year, its staff honors roughly 10 graduating seniors who’ve worked or trained in the lounge by creating a spring/summer bar menu comprising cocktails or mocktails inspired by them. Bachich enjoys a La Niña in spring 2024. “It’s really fun at graduation time,” says Regent manager Autumn Greenberg, “because their parents and friends come in and try their drink.” And these newest Big Red alumni retain the honor for half a year: the seasonal cocktail menu continues until it’s revised in October with offerings for fall and winter. “I’ve worked in restaurants and hotels, but the camaraderie at the Regent Lounge was different than anywhere else,” says Bachich. “Everyone made it such a great time. I’ll always look back at Regent with the fondest memories.” It’s really fun at graduation time, because their parents and friends come in and try their drink. Regent Lounge manager Autumn Greenberg The libation tradition dates to spring 2019, when Bachich’s classmate Tatiana Suero ’19 half-joked to Greenberg that since she and her fellow seniors had put in so much cumulative time and effort at the Regent, they should each have a drink named after them. Greenberg didn’t just love the idea, she doubled down on it: not only would each beverage be an homage, but it would channel the senior’s preferences and personality. Suero, for example, was into gin that semester; her drink, Tati Takes Flight, was a vibrantly rosy mix of that spirit along with lemon juice and hibiscus syrup. Putting the finishing touch on a Smoking Jacket cocktail. “It was a riff off the Aviation,” Suero explains, referring to the classic, gin-based, purple-hued cocktail, “and because I’ve always wanted to go places and do things.” In the intervening five years, Greenberg says, the annual cocktail project has only gotten more popular, with each drink featured (and each namesake celebrated) on the lounge’s Instagram. Being singled out for representation on the spring menu has become a treasured laurel for graduating seniors—many of whom are Hotelies, but who also comprise students from other parts of the University—who have made valued contributions to the Statler’s iconic and beloved lounge. Topping off a Three Piece, the first-ever mocktail honoring a senior. “I feel like we’ve created like a legacy; whether people know it or not, we were the class that started it,” says Suero, who sampled the most recent grads’ drinks (as well as a re-creation of her own) when she came back for her 5th Reunion in June. “It’s something I don’t see ever leaving, because it has become such an integral part of the Statler. I think it’s so exciting that freshmen can be like, ‘Oh my God, the seniors have a cocktail named after them—and that could be me in four years.’” Mix it Up! At your next summer bash—or anytime—raise a glass to Cornell’s newest alums with one of these eight cocktails (plus a mocktail) honoring members of the Class of ’24. Please note: While the official Regent recipes require specific brands of liquor, for broader appeal we’re instead listing the type of spirit—except in cases where Greenberg says the brand is essential to the taste. Also, several drinks call for homemade syrups, including two made from teas by Harney & Sons, a Cornellian-owned company whose products are served at the Statler. Those recipes can be found at the bottom of the page. Stories You May Like As the Statler’s GM, Hotelie Doles Out Big Red Hospitality Like a Fine Vintage, Iconic Wines Class Is Aging Splendidly Chef’s Whites A riff on the white negroni, in honor of Nathan Berg ’24 1 oz. London dry gin 1 oz. Dolin Blanc vermouth .5 oz. Cap Corse blanc quinquina .5 oz. Suze Combine ingredients into a rocks glass. Add ice and stir until chilled. Garnish with a grapefruit twist. Cat Eye A brightly flavored cocktail, in honor of Kate Bim-Merle ’24 1.5 oz. vodka 1 oz. pineapple juice .75 oz. fresh lemon juice .5 oz. ginger turmeric tea syrup (see below) .25 oz. vanilla syrup Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Power Blazer A riff on the classic Caipirinha, in honor of Tatiana Barelli ’24 2 oz. cachaça (a spirit made from sugarcane juice) .75 oz. Bangkok tea syrup (see below) .5 oz. fresh lime Juice Shake all ingredients with ice. Pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Pinkie Ring A take on the classic Paloma, in honor of Mia Federico ’24 2 oz. blanco tequila 1.5 oz. fresh pink grapefruit juice .5 oz. hibiscus syrup (see below) Dash salt Soda water for topping Combine first four ingredients in a highball glass. Fill with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a lime wedge. Smoking Jacket A complex libation, in honor of Veronica Zellers ’24 1 oz. mezcal 1 oz. Cynar (artichoke liqueur) 1 oz. tawny port Add all ingredients to a rocks glass. Add ice and stir until chilled. Garnish with an orange twist. Crop Top A fruity take on the classic spritz, in honor of Marina Pinheiro ’24 1 oz. Plymouth gin 1 oz. passionfruit liqueur .5 oz. fresh lime juice Prosecco for topping Combine first three ingredients in a wine glass. Add ice and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a healthy mint sprig. Beanie Boy A juicy summer sipper, in honor of Max Torres ’24 1.5 oz. rye .75 oz. cassis puree .75 oz. fresh lemon juice .75 oz. elderflower liqueur Dash salt Shake all ingredients with ice. Pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon slice. Bow Tie A spirit-forward cocktail, in honor of Beau Gillam ’24 1.5 oz. bourbon .75 oz. PX sherry .5 oz. Meletti amaro Add all ingredients to a rocks glass. Add ice and stir until chilled. Garnish with an Amarena cherry. Three Piece A sparkling, non-alcoholic refresher, in honor of Jet Qu ’24 1.5 oz. white peach puree 1 oz. Bangkok tea syrup (see below) .75 oz. fresh lime juice Soda water for topping Combine ingredients in a highball glass. Fill with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a lime wedge. Syrups For tea syrups, add two tea bags (using either Harney & Sons Ginger Turmeric or Bangkok, depending on what the drink calls for) to 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes and remove bags. For hibiscus syrup, instead of teabags add 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers; steep for 10 minutes and strain. In each case, add 1 cup white granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Will keep in refrigerator up to one month. Top: A quartet of 2024 senior cocktails on the bar at the Regent Lounge. That and the two Regent mixology photos by Ryan Young / Cornell University. All other images provided. Published July 19, 2024 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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