Great cocktails are invented every day, yet only a handful achieve modern classic status. The Naked & Famous, Penicillin and Paper Plane are shining examples of the past 20 years, but there’s one twisted classic that’s now on the verge of greatness.
In 2010, French bartender Jimmy Barrett created the Tomatini at La Petite Maison in the financial district of Dubai. The drink is a happy marriage between a Bloody Mary and a Martini, combining vodka, tomato, balsamic vinegar and simple seasoning. Over the past 14 years LPM has added a cherry tomato garnish, removed the lemon juice from Barrett’s original recipe and cracked fresh black pepper as a service ritual to add extra Intstagrammability.
For context, the Dubai venue alone is expecting to have sold 35,000 of these cocktails this calendar year – that’s The Connaught Martini territory. LPM currently has 10 restaurants globally with plans to open more in the Middle East and other parts of Europe and the US.
That’s why, in collaboration with Ketel One, the inaugural World Tomatini Day launched on 12 November in its venues across the globe. Sure, there’s a dedicated marketing day for every cocktail, but given that LPM Dubai sold 820 of the crimson-coloured drink in just one rotation of the sun, this is serious.
“The majority of the focus was in Dubai because that was the birthplace of the drink, but we had different activations in all of our venues around the world. We’re already looking ahead to next year, which will be bigger and better,” says Tibor Krascsenics, group bar manager of LPM.
Single ingredient variation
Dissecting the recipe, the tomato is the only ingredient which varies from market to market. Being a fruit, tomatoes have seasons and carry different profiles in different climates. Krascsenics admits that there are nuances in the recipe from venue to venue depending on the quality of the tomato supplier, but insists that consistency of each LPM is what matters.
“The difference between a Tomatini in London compared to a Tomatini in Miami is still minimal, but we need to have consistency behind each bar. People wouldn’t notice the difference between different restaurants, but if the same one isn’t consistent, that’s when they would notice. In our Dubai venue we are 80% locals with a very strong set of regulars.
“We’re always trying to build strong relationships with quality suppliers because we already have that with Ketel One for the vodka, and we want the same with tomatoes.
“We want to start taking the Tomatini on the road. It’s a good opportunity to do pop-ups or takeovers in countries where we’re thinking about opening restaurants, while also growing the Tomatini as a brand.”
Joining LPM in 2015 when the group had just two venues, Krascsenics has witnessed not only the growth of the company, but the Tomatini simultaneously. The cocktail is also riding the wave of savoury drinks. Dirty Martinis and Gibsons continue to gain popularity globally, while bars are now launching food-led cocktail programmes – think Double Chicken Please.
“I think the timing is right for the Tomatini to really grow,” adds Krascsenics. “I’m definitely happy with how the first World Tomatini Day went but we want it to keep growing. The 12th of November will be a significant day for us every year from now on and Bob [Nolet, master distiller of Ketel One] was happy with how it was received, so I know next year is going to be huge.”
It’s never an exact science when creating a modern classic cocktail, but the Tomatini has as good a chance as any. It carries provenance, strong brand support, a straightforward recipe, Instagram presence and aligns with current trends.
