The Chisholm Two-Step (middle) is the cocktail representing Fort Worth in the 2020 Bourbon Brawl.
Deven Kampenhout is not only a part-time bartender at Thompson's Bookstore in downtown Fort Worth but also one of five participants representing Team Fort Worth in the 2020 Bourbon Brawl, hosted by Garrison Brothers Distillery and Texas Monthly. The competition's first virtual brawl will take place Thursday from 7:30 – 9:30 pm., and bartenders representing cities all over Texas will compete for a grand prize of $12,500 from Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, founded by the Garrison family.
Kampenhout teamed up with fellow bartenders Megan McClinton of Proper, Nancy Conaway of Cassidy’s at Radisson Hotel Fossil Creek in Arlington, Zak Houara of Alamo Drafthouse in North Richland Hills, and Andrew Steakley of Barnett’s Public House in Waco, to create Fort Worth's representative cocktail — the Chisholm Two-Step. It's a Texas Tea-inspired beverage made with chai tea latte concentrate and sarsaparilla-infused simple syrup.
Here, he chats about the inspiration behind the drink and how COVID-19 has affected both the event and bartending as a whole.
FW: First off, explain the Bourbon Brawl and how it works for readers who may not be familiar.
DK: Bourbon Brawl is a statewide competition sponsored by Texas Monthly and Garrison Brothers. They’re trying to find the best bartender in Texas by individually competing in their home bars. After several rounds, finalists in each city then go to compete in the next round. Originally, we were supposed to have an intermediate round, but because of the pandemic, it was decided that we work as a team. We are all excited to do it and create a cocktail that represents us.
FW: Tell us about team Fort Worth's collaboration with the Chisholm Two-Step and how that came about.
DK: It was a really interesting process, and I’m happy with our team's final product. All five of us got to participate in research and development sessions, and we were all sitting in the room together and just creating cocktails. I was with some of the most brilliant people in one room. I felt nervous at first, but it didn't take long for us to get along and respect each other's input.
But the inspiration behind it was us just messing around with the flavor profile of the Garrison Brothers bourbon and one of [teammate] Megan McClinton’s original cocktails, a two-part cocktail. We wanted something similar to a hot-and-cold drink that represents how the weather can change from hot and cold so quickly here. So, it’s a different way of enjoying a cocktail. We created the cocktail in different ways until we found this one has worked the best. But the reason we named it the Chisholm Two-Step is because there are two different ways to enjoy it. And when we went to Megan's workplace, we’re just experimenting with the syrup and chai, and we liked how it accentuated the bourbon.
FW: What would it mean for team Fort Worth to win the reward?
DK: We would be so honored because I feel like we’ve always been in the shadow of Dallas, but in terms of the cocktail competition, we’ve always been able to highlight the talents of the participants, and it would be a great honor for us and the city. We have so much creativity here, and the city does too, and it’s why I'm so excited to work with them and not against them. Also, our industry has been suffering this year due to the pandemic. Now that we’re working, and rules are changing every day, I can tell you for certain, we’ll be celebrating with the grand prize barrel of whiskey.
FW: How has COVID-19 affected your job in particular?
DK: The biggest one was when bars were being shut down multiple times. Financially, it was difficult, and the mental health aspect of trying to figure out how you’re going to make it from one day to the next was hard. But we wanted [Thompson's Bookstore] to open up in a way that keeps people safe but also keeps everything moving in a positive direction. Ordering, providing new menus has been a challenge. The holidays are usually when big bottles are being released, but who is going to spend money on $5,000 worth of whiskey when we might be shut down tomorrow?
FW: What are some behind-the-scenes aspects of bartending a lot of people may not know?
DK: We have to do quite a bit, especially now with pandemic conditions, following laws and updates, just to keep people safe. But it’s art and inspiration. We’re always reading, trying to educate ourselves. A lot of these syrups and ingredients come from a lot of preparation, studying, and finding ways to implement other great cocktails. It’s a lot of fun on prep days, just to be there in the kitchen and working with the science of what a cocktail is.
FW: How many years have you been involved with the Bourbon Brawl?
DK: This is my first year as a participant, but one of my coworkers was involved with it, so that’s how I got into it. I’ve been bartending for over 12 years now, but I've worked in the service industry off and on since I was 16.
FW: What got you into bartending?
DK: You know, I’ve had a career in IT and done a lot of traveling and went through a time when I was trying to find myself. But a friend of mine was a bartender, and I remember watching him and seeing him work, and I thought, “Wow, so interesting.” It lit a fire in me, and I knew I wanted to be a bartender.
FW: What is your favorite cocktail to make and why?
DK: One of my favorites is a personal creation of mine called True Grit. The process of creating a new cocktail involves an abstract idea and turning it into something tangible. It's a heavy Angostura cocktail, so it includes an ingredient most people would consider a food item and wouldn’t drink it alone. People have a lot of fun with it, and it brings a great aroma — it reminds them of being around family at Christmastime.
FW: What's the weirdest drink you've ever made for someone?
DK: Probably anything with the liquor called Malort because it’s known for being terrible. But people love it for being terrible. It tastes like grapefruit, but it's got this lingering bitterness that will stay in your mouth and turn it into something nasty — almost as if you’re biting a grapefruit peel.
FW: Can you give our readers at home a good recipe they can make for themselves and guests?
DK: Sure, one of my favorite cocktails is the Manhattan, and it’s super easy to make because its ingredients call for 2,1,2. It goes well with the Garrison Brothers whiskey.
But the Manhattan is:
2 oz of GB bourbon
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Add a cherry and ice and stir it, about 6 rotations.
More information about the 2020 Bourbon Brawl is available at garrisonbros.com/bourbon-brawl.
