Interview with Chef Jason Briseño of Little Fatty & Accomplice Bar

Walking into Little Fatty in Los Angeles, the smell of three cup chicken wafts soulfully across the air, the gentle sounds of a bartender rolling and throwing a cocktail greets you. At the center of it all sits Accomplice Bar — a dual-sided bar anchored in the middle of the restaurant, working both rooms at once — and I can already tell the experience is going to be an experiment with flavor. I got to sit down with beverage director and head bartender, Jason Briseño, to dive deeper into the glass. We chatted passion fruit, the science of acidity, and connected over our shared experience working with Diageo Spirits on a grand level. He sang the praises of a well-seasoned macaroni and cheese and shared his love of the LA beverage community and the tropical fruit flavor trend — all while he humbly worked to give his guests a well-made cocktail.

Spiceology: Tropical fruit is one of this year’s trending flavors, tell me what the flavor category means to you?

"Tropical fruit, to me, means a flavor that can transport you to that middle latitude on the equator, where there's no worries. And it's all one awesome vibe."

Spiceology: What is your favorite tropical fruit that you use at Accomplice Bar?

"Passion fruit all day long. It's tart… acidic. Get the fresh stuff. You can use it in so many ways. From a margarita all the way to the tiki and tropical inspired cocktails."

 

Spiceology: How does tiki find its way onto the Accomplice Bar menu?

"Basically, I ask myself how can I add tropical flavors but not give you a traditional tropical drink?"

Spiceology: Which brings us to the two new drinks on your menu, tell me about Banana Boi and Bad Bunny.

"Oh. Banana Boi. Banana Boi was inspired by a banana soda we’ve all tried. We took the soda and combined it with some spirits but knew that it needed something else. But we didn't want that artificial candy flavor of banana (think Runts… no offense Runts). So, we created a housemade roasted banana foam. You take the banana, skin on, and roast it at high temp. The sugars start to caramelize. When the skin turns black, it’s ready. Discard the skin and blend the banana fruit with oat milk, salt, sugar and a couple of gastronomic magic dusts (sorry, it’s a secret). And there she is, a beautiful roasted banana foam to top that carbonated drink."

 

Spiceology: Oh wow, that means it’s dairy free. What about Bad Bunny? 

"Bad Bunny started out as a mezcal carrot negroni. That was the riff we were going for. We tried it several different ways, but it just wasn't coming to life. The flavors were too muted. But, the idea was there. I took a step back and looked at what flavor I really wanted to shine from this cocktail… freshly juiced carrots or orange or mezcal or the bitterness and the fruitiness of Aperol. I decided I wanted the juice to be the star of the show. It made me think of the classic drink the Garibaldi, which is fluffy orange juice and Campari. Then it hit me, an elevated carrot and orange juice. The flavors are airy, light, tropical, and earthy."

 

Spiceology: What role does nostalgia play in your menu? What role does nostalgia play in creation for you?

"We created a menu a couple of years ago called Time and Place. We drew inspiration from a nostalgic moment in our history, in our lives. There's so much inspiration to draw back from if you grew up in another state or country or background. I loved having the opportunity to do that."

Spiceology: What's something running a bar in California has taught you that no other place has?

"There is a huge support group in the LA community bartending scene. This is something that isn’t known nor spoken about enough. If I have a question or need to source an ingredient, I just pick up the phone. When you're in a city this large, you think everyone's competing against each other. It couldn’t be more the opposite. You can find inspiration and support all around you."

Spiceology: That's it. What is a piece of advice that you would give a rising or budding bartender?

"I would say kind of a twofold answer, if I may.

One: further your involvement in the industry at large, I would say continue to put yourself in the room. Is there an educational class being held by a brand? Is a bar doing a masterclass on something? Is there an industry happy hour that's being conducted? Is there a happy hour being thrown in a collaboration or a pop up? Continue to put yourself in these rooms because you're going to meet like-minded people and you don't know what can come of that. Networking has proven to help me out, big time. The more you show up the more people want to collab with you. And I think that's a special thing in our industry. Like you and I just started this conversation and we were like, dude, let's, let's just work on a project together. 

Two: You cannot underestimate the importance of learning the back end operations of a restaurant/bar. I think so many of us have this glamorous “honeymoon” idea of what it would be like to open a bar. But, there's a very small percentage of us who know what actually goes into operating one. Do you know how to figure out your drink cost margins? Can you read PNLs? Can you budget forecasts? Do you know what your R&D and glassware costs are in your product? What about labor, overhead, insurance and liability. All these things, basic bartending doesn’t give you that knowledge."

Spiceology: All right, Jason, can you tell me what your favorite kitchen tool is?

"My favorite kitchen tool right now? Oh, shit. A cheese cutter that we use as a citrus peeler. It's becoming the industry standard in bars. It grabs just enough zest from the citrus. Your trim is really great and structured, but also the cut your finger risk has dropped dramatically."

 

Spiceology: That's legit. I didn't know that.

"It's perfect."

Spiceology: Any favorite techniques that you find yourself using often?

"People sleep on rolling and throwing cocktails. I love throwing or rolling a cocktail because it brings the delicate flavors to the front. You might not get those flavors when you stir or shake… you can beat up a lot of ingredients. When you're rolling and throwing, you're more delicate, adding texture and dilution. Trust, the drink will taste different."

Spiceology: What is your favorite spice?

"Favorite spice? Oh my God. Paprika. Smoked paprika."

Spiceology: Pimentón I love it. Okay. What's your favorite application of smoked paprika

"Every Super Bowl, we have friends who throw a mac and cheese cookoff. I love adding smoked paprika to my bechamel." 

Spiceology: Bold move but I suppose with a gouda that would be pretty gouda. Thanks, Jason. Anything else to leave us with?

"I’m always reminding myself that we're making cocktails…  not saving lives. That helps prevent me from becoming jaded in this industry after being in it for so long. Remember, don't take yourself too seriously. Have a good time. I mean, we're making drinks. Make ‘em good, make them memorable."