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HUNGRY. · August 27 · 8 min

Espresso: Inside Michelin-Starred Kol's WILDLY Creative Drinks Menu

Most restaurants treat drinks as an afterthought. Santiago Lastra doesn’t. In this clip, the Michelin-starred chef behind KOL explains how learning about wine, mezcal, cocktails, bitterness, aroma, and balance fundamentally changed the way he cooks food — and why some alcohol feels clean while other drinks leave you angry, anxious, or wrecked the next day. From mezcal’s natural production to why heating food kills aroma, this is a masterclass in flavour thinking, not recipes. Full episode here! 👉🏻 https://youtu.be/f-pMQy1n0So =============== 🍸 ON THE MENU =============== 😡 Why vodka makes you feel bad (and mezcal doesn’t) 🍋 How bartenders think about flavour differently to chefs 👃 Aroma vs taste — and why most chefs get it wrong 🔥 Why heating food destroys flavour 🧪 What cocktails taught Santiago about sauces and condiments 🌍 How low-intervention wine changed KOL’s philosophy

0:00-8:00

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show notes

Most restaurants treat drinks as an afterthought.
Santiago Lastra doesn’t.

In this clip, the Michelin-starred chef behind KOL explains how learning about wine, mezcal, cocktails, bitterness, aroma, and balance fundamentally changed the way he cooks food — and why some alcohol feels clean while other drinks leave you angry, anxious, or wrecked the next day.

From mezcal’s natural production to why heating food kills aroma, this is a masterclass in flavour thinking, not recipes.

 Full episode here! 👉🏻 https://youtu.be/f-pMQy1n0So


===============
🍸 ON THE MENU
===============

😡 Why vodka makes you feel bad (and mezcal doesn’t)
🍋 How bartenders think about flavour differently to chefs
👃 Aroma vs taste — and why most chefs get it wrong
🔥 Why heating food destroys flavour
🧪 What cocktails taught Santiago about sauces and condiments
🌍 How low-intervention wine changed KOL’s philosophy