A DRINK WITH PETER SZIGETI

A DRINK WITH PETER SZIGETI
BEVERAGE DIRECTOR • COMMITTEE

BUDAPEST may be a long way from Boston, but that didn’t stop Peter Szigeti from taking a job as the Beverage Director at Committee, a new hotspot in the Seaport District. One of the restaurant’s owners (same team behind Cafeteria and Bijou Nightclub) met Peter working behind the bar in his native Budapest while on vacation, and the rest, as they say, is history. Peter’s artistic talents fuse global ingredients and techniques with a fun approachability – like the playful “Swipe Right”, a bottled cocktail tongue-in-cheek reference to Tinder. Drawing influence from stints in Russia, Japan, England, and Spain, Peter’s bar program includes everything from strawberry-infused mezcal to amped-up gin and tonics, with a little Tiki thrown in for good measure.

BRANDY RAND Tell me about your background and how you got in to the bar business.
PETER SZIGETI I was born in Budapest, Hungary, and have been in the industry for about seven years now. I always wanted to travel and do photography. After high school, I decided to go to London to study photography. I knew I needed a job that I could work after school and pay for my living – the bar business was the most practical decision. Through friends I got in contact with Klara Koroknai, my first mentor; she was the first who did craft cocktails at corporate events and private weddings in Hungary. I was her bar back, and she taught me the basics and introduced me to the world of bartending.

BR What is the cocktail culture like in Europe? How is it compared to the US?
PS American bars are built for speed. People here don’t like to wait. So it’s quantity over quality as far as I see. In Europe, it’s the other way around. Only clubs carry soda guns; most restaurants and cocktail bars don’t even have sodas. Everything is made fresh. It takes time but that’s what makes a difference. The pace of bartending is slower and more artistic. Bartenders put effort in garnishes and presentation.

BR What’s your favorite cocktail to make right now?
PS Lately I have been fixated on Campari and pineapple but nothing beats a good Tiki drink.

BR Describe your cocktail program and philosophy at Committee.
PS My goal was to open a cocktail bar to showcase the style I represent. People don’t come to bars and restaurants just because they are hungry or thirsty – they come for the experience. We are a Mediterranean restaurant, and the kitchen is focused on that cuisine – but with the bar I wanted to be more flexible. I wanted a cosmopolitan bar where everyone can find a drink that is suitable for their personality, and of course there is always an option to go off menu and that is when the magic happens.

BR How are US drinkers different from European drinkers?
PS I can only compare Boston drinkers to [those in] Europe. Since in Europe the city doesn’t shut down at 2am, people don’t feel the need to drink fast and a lot. They know they have all the time they need to have a fun night so it’s not as hectic as it is here.

BR Best bar in the world you’ve ever been to? What did you drink?
PS Mendeleev Bar in Moscow
. . . I don’t remember much from that night!

BR What do you miss most about living in Budapest?
PS Besides missing my family, I miss my friends from the industry – they are like family.

BR What do like most about living in Boston?
PS Boston is small compared to New York, but the opportunities here are better than anywhere else in the world in my opinion.

BR What is the bar tool you can’t live without and why?
PS Shaker, because a stirred egg white sour is just weird.

BR Most dog-eared book on bartending you reference?
PS Essential Cocktail by Dale DeGroff.

BR Anywhere in the US you’ve never visited that you’re dying to go?
PS Chicago and Seattle.

BR What is the hot thing people are ordering right now?
PS Mezcal is very popular these days; people have been ordering our drink Last Words with Mezcal, and other classics with it.

BR Where do you go for cocktails in the Boston area on your nights off?
PS I love Back Bar. They always amaze me with their creativity and passion towards the industry and hospitality.

BR If you could get all your customers to fall in love with one cocktail they might not usually order, what would it be?
PS Any classic cocktail with my own twist on it. Like when I go out I order a Negroni, but I always say, put your own spin on it. And sometimes I get surprised by how creative bartenders can be. Knowing the classics is important, but knowing them well enough to put an interpretation on it is a different level of bartending. And that’s what I want from people – to put my bar staff to the test and see how great they are.

BR What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
PS I like having fun with people when it comes to drinks. Like making a great balanced cocktail out of something you normally would not put in a craft cocktail. Like yesterday, I made an amazing RumChata flip.

BR You’ve traveled all over the world; what drinking traditions and/or brands stand out to you as unique compared to those found in the US?
PS Every country has their own traditional spirit. Hungary has Palinka, which is a fruit-based fermented spirit, the Greeks have Ouzo, America has bourbon. I love trying these spirits and learn about them from people who grew up knowing that spirit. You go to Hungary and ask anyone about Palinka and they can give you a small lecture. Same with Greeks about Ouzo or Brazilians about Cachaça. America is the largest country in the world with so many different cultures. I’ve had the best gin from Colorado named Cap Rock, made from organic apples, and I wouldn’t say that gin is American, but because of all the different cultures mixed here, the possibility to make quality and great spirits is endless.

-PHOTOS by Brandy Rand