10 questions with cocktail maestro
‘Nikki in the Mix’
With holiday indulgence season looming, many are starting to plan their merriment—often driven by sumptuous spirits. But, what would a party be without a meticulously crafted cocktail in hand? Of course, there’s more to a great drink than just the right ingredients. It is an art form driven by passion, precision and a deep understanding of flavor. Seeking to dive into the life of a seasoned pro, I connected with Nicolette “Nikki” Bonkowski—AKA “Nikki in the Mix.”
An internationally-regarded master mixologist with over a decade of bartending excellence spanning from South Florida to Alaska, Nikki is known for her extreme creativity and versatility. She is revered for her ability to ideate and craft signature drinks and curate innovative menus that blend modern trends with timeless classics—often with a surprising element that amps up the flavor and whimsy.
Nikki’s expertise is recognized through her competitive accolades, including the prestigious “Best Old Fashioned in Broward County” title, showcasing her precision and ingenuity. She was additionally one of only three elite competitors at the 2024 Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival “Bar Fight” showdown, where she conceived and showcased a suite of entirely original craft cocktails featuring her own homemade syrups.
In her pursuit of craftsmanship, Nikki’s passion for spirits takes her around the nation, including Kentucky—where she personally selects premium barrels for the establishments she represents. She is additionally an invited guest to distilleries, where she continually cultivates her deep understanding of bourbon aging and the whiskey-making process. Nikki also serves as a Brand Ambassador and wine cocktail expert for the “VinoVoss” AI Sommelier smartphone app and web-based wine search and recommendation system.
Her dedication extends beyond the bar, having catered large-scale private events with personalized cocktails for hundreds of guests. She thrives in customizing experiences that match her clientele’s preferences, proving her ability to navigate high-demand, large-scale environments with ease. An expert in crafting memorable beverage experiences, Nikki’s industry knowledge and charismatic presence have also led her to on-screen features, where she shares her mixology expertise with a broader audience. Whether designing bespoke drinks, curating menus, or representing brands, Nikki is a mixology trailblazer continually setting higher standards for the craft.
For a deeper dive into her passion for delivering top-notch drinks, Nikki shares a bit about her journey behind every expertly shaken or stirred creation below.
MK: How did you first get into mixology, and what inspired your passion for creating unique cocktails?
NB: I first got into mixology when I was working the summers in Skagway, Alaska. There was this small hotel bar that would host live music for one night a week, and we decided to up the ante on the quality of food and drinks we were offering. We set out on a journey to offer the town the best of the best with the resources we’d been provided with. Starting at the basics of mixology, and then leaning into the inspiration, we would build every week. The menu was never the same for the duration of the summer. Every week we would research different craft cocktails and how we could incorporate new flavors into those classics. Whether that be learning how to make a new flavored simple syrup we had never heard of, or changing up the original recipe and trying to find a different ingredient that would play well in the drink, all while pairing it with the small apps menu that the kitchen would also be rotating. It became an outlet for everyone. Not just me for creativity, but for the town as well. Everyone would get excited for what we would come up with next. My inspiration lies in my deep desire to continue educating myself in what I choose to throw myself into. I chose Mixology, which is a career that dates back deep into history, while also adapting to the present.
MK: You’ve worked in both high-end cocktail lounges and more casual bars. How do you adapt your approach to suit different environments?
NB: I keep my approach the same for both. My goal is to make your experience at the bar memorable and the way I go about it is by reading my audience. After a while working behind the bar, you learn that 50% of your success lies in your ability to connect with the patrons. You learn how to adapt the style in which you talk to people by feeling out their “vibe” for the evening. You make every experience the patrons have customary to them by shaping it around exactly what they’re looking for. It doesn’t matter if it’s a high-end bar, casual lounge or a friendly neighborhood dive bar. By having the knowledge of drinks that exist, and getting to know the people in your bar, you’ll be able to learn how to customize cocktails to people right then and there. You don’t even need a menu most of the time. By helping people walk through what they’re looking for, you’ll be able to pull from your experience and knowledge to make a drink they didn’t even know they would love, just by getting to know them.
MK: Your cocktails are known for their creativity and balance. Can you walk us through your process when designing a new signature drink?
NB: My process for creating a drink starts with an idea of the flavor result I would want. I start at the very end and then work my way back on how to piece together what I’m looking for. A good portion of the process is just walking myself and my palate through ideas in my head. If I know what I want my drink to taste like, then I just start thinking about everything I’ve ever tasted and made, and how any of those flavors would assist in making this drink come to life. Once the idea is out of my head and onto the testing process, I’ll make the first draft of the drink based on what I believe will work. Once I find the faults, I’ll start the taste testing process of new things I’ve never tried before that may help the cocktail. If that still isn’t making the drink come to life, then I’ll just create a syrup or a tincture that I know will get the job done. The balance in the drink lies in the knowledge of flavor of everything around you. I’m always trying new flavors and keeping tabs on how I could use them in any future cocktail I create.
MK: What’s your go-to cocktail ingredient that you think every home bartender should have on hand, and why?
NB: For me, it’s sugar. You can just about make anything into a syrup, and having the sugar on hand guarantees you the space to make that happen. It’s the best way to start experimenting with flavor in the beginning and saves you a lot of money by not always having to buy specialty mixers at a liquor store. You can recreate a lot of things and customize them to your preferences in the process.
MK: What are some emerging trends in the cocktail world that you’re excited about, and how are you incorporating them into your own creations?
NB: A lot of places are really leaning into fats and how they can add a savoriness to your cocktail. Umami is a big flavor booster that a lot of bar patrons look over. Bars are now starting to fat wash their bourbons, or using coconut oil for their gins. I’ve even seen the use of mushrooms, and even beeswax, in elevating the texture of the cocktail. It entirely changes the cocktail’s mouth feel by coating your tongue a little heavier than you’d normally find, and leaving behind a longer finish at the end of the drink. I love when drinks are savory, I’m always trying to find new ways to incorporate food into beverages. Trends like this make me excited that I can finally share that love with others.
MK: You’ve earned accolades, including “Best Old Fashioned in Broward County.” What’s the secret to making a truly exceptional Old Fashioned?
NB: Know your liquor. Whichever bourbon, rye, whiskey that you choose to use to make the Old Fashioned, I recommend knowing that flavor in depth. You can never force an already flavorful liquor into becoming what you want it to be. Your job is to help guide it in the right direction. By getting to know what’s already present in your chosen brand, you’ll be able to lean into making it into a successful Old Fashioned by guiding it. You’ll never need the same amount of bitter, sugar and orange for every brand. Not every liquor is going to pair well with an aromatic bitter, chocolate or orange bitter. Not every brand is going to need the same amount of sugar to be added. By knowing your liquor, you’ll be able to adapt the classic recipe of an Old Fashioned perfectly for what’s best-suited for that specific brand.
MK: You’ve had the chance to select barrels and visit distilleries firsthand. How has this experience deepened your understanding of spirits, and how does it influence your work behind the bar?
NB: By being given the opportunity to tour the distilleries, and seeing first-hand what goes into the process of making these liquors, you gain a massive appreciation for the juice itself. From the growing of the grains, the process of charring the selected barrels, the stills where they distill their juice, to rickhouses where they age and the factories they use to bottle their liquors, it’s a fascinating process. It’s a large operation and they will never compromise the quality of the production. The way I incorporate my experience in the bar is not only taking all that I learned and passing it onto those who I work alongside, as well as to the patrons who come into the bar, but by also taking a page from their book on presentation and how they conduct themselves as a company. Running the bar and training my staff, no matter how busy we are or how large of an operation we are running, I’ll never compromise the quality of the output. Same goes for when I’m batching out cocktails for parties for over 200-plus people. What you’re making shouldn’t taste like you batched for that many people, it should taste like you individually made every one of those drinks. I pride myself on how I’m able to accomplish that.
MK: Craft cocktails often involve a delicate balance of flavors. How do you experiment with bold ingredients while keeping your drinks approachable and enjoyable for all palates?
NB: The hardest part about balancing the flavors is doing so for all palates. Not every drink you’re going to make is going to be well received by everyone who drinks it. While that’s the point, it can also be a hard hit to the ego when crafting a drink. Making the perfect drink that is approachable and enjoyable for all palates is a science of flavors and how they play with each other. You learn as you go and you learn as you taste. It’s not going to hit on your first try, so it’s about consistency in working through the drink. My biggest thing is knowing what doesn’t work and adapting it from there. You don’t want to bend a drink until it breaks, you want to mold it into the best possible version of itself. That takes time, persistence and taste knowledge on a wide variety of what’s offered in the world of flavors.
MK: What’s the most challenging cocktail you’ve ever crafted, and how did you perfect it?
NB: The most difficult cocktail I ever crafted was the Old Fashioned that I ended up taking home “Best Old Fashioned in Broward County” for. The cocktail was centered around how I could incorporate food into the drink. I wanted to somehow make the cocktail edible, while also using food as an ingredient in the recipe. The process of trying to pull off both at the same time became a frustrating experience because as I was messing around with ideas, it was becoming apparent that both wouldn’t be able to work together, but I knew I didn’t want one without the other. After persistence and research, I was able to learn about cocktail chemistry and how I could use that in my process for building the drink. I found that in culinary kitchens you can make vegan caviar out of fruits and the gelatin process. The difficult part was getting the alcohol content in the cocktail to be able to hold the form of a little caviar ball. I knew that Jell-O shots existed, so I was determined to get the caviar balls to hold their form. I was able to do that by perfecting the gelatin ratios to fit my specific needs—again, just time and persistence. I also created homemade plantains, and then mashed and simmered them in spices, sugar and water to create the perfect simple syrup I wanted to use in my cocktail. The whole process took two months, but it was entirely worth it. Not because I ended up winning, but because of the knowledge I gained along the way and how I can use that in future recipes. During that process, I also learned that, like a drink, my ideas don’t have to break. They just have to be molded into their best possible outcomes.
MK: For those interested in creating their own cocktails at home, what advice would you give them to elevate their game and make professional-quality drinks?
NB: The best advice I can give is to have fun. It’s centered around you and your palate, and the best way to learn that is by experimenting. Whether that be going to local bars and trying things you think you may like, and then asking your bartenders about how they’re made, or going to your local liquor stores and asking the employees what certain liquors taste like. Research how to make each drink, and then mess around with it at home. It’s never going to be right the first time, but nothing ever is. Don’t be deterred, continue to mess around, research and play with the flavors until you find what’s best suited for you. It’s meant to be fun, so have fun and don’t be afraid of the process of making drinks … once you get the hang of it, you’ll be unstoppable.
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Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally-regarded brand strategist and analyst who reports on cultural shifts and trends as well as noteworthy industry change makers, movers, shakers and innovators across all categories, both B2C and B2B. This includes field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations and events. As a prolific lifestyle, travel, dining and leisure industry voice of authority and tastemaker, Merilee keeps her finger on the pulse of the marketplace in search of new and innovative must-haves and exemplary experiences at all price points, from the affordable to the extreme. Her work reaches multi-millions worldwide via broadcast TV (her own shows and copious others on which she appears) as well as a myriad of print and online publications. Connect with her at www.TheLuxeList.com and www.SavvyLiving.tv / Instagram www.Instagram.com/MerileeKern / Twitter www.Twitter.com/MerileeKern / Facebook www.Facebook.com/MerileeKernOfficial / LinkedIN www.LinkedIn.com/in/MerileeKern.
