Like any successful cocktail, there's a formula for a successful mixologist: Combine equal parts mad scientist and artist with a few strong dashes of ambition. But there’s successful and there’s incredible. To concoct the latter, you need Gabriel Orta, co-owner of Miami’s Broken Shaker. This is the guy, after all, who invented the Chorizo Cordial, a sweet-and-smoldering distillation of the Mexican sausage into cocktail form. This is the guy who turns Cocoa Puffs into an Old Fashioned, and who may be the first bartender to deploy a hashtag in a drink name: the #ShakerLife Punch.But it’s not all whimsy here. Orta understands that a great cocktail is more than just cleverness: It’s “ingredients, good spirits, technique, glassware, but most important, balance,” he says.Orta, who grew up in Colombia and Hawaii, set off on the road to greatness early on. “I got here by working my ass off since I was 15,” he said. Along the way, he’s held “every position in F&B from barback to dishwasher and cook.” He’s especially proudto have cooked a vegetarian meal for Adam Yauch from the Beastie Boys at the Tibet Freedom Concert in San Francisco. With his business partner, Elad Zvi, Orta opened Broken Shaker as the first pop-up bar in Miami, in 2012. Their signature drinks, stirred with custom-made ice and fresh herbs snipped straight from the garden, were among the first such cocktails in the Miami bar scene—and launched the trend there. The 30-day pop-up turned into a mainstay at the Freehand Miami Hotel (and now ranks #16 on the "World’s 50 Best Bars" list), and has since expanded to Los Angeles and Chicago. Orta and Zvi also co-founded Bar Lab, an agency that helps clients, from American Airlines to the W Hotel, craft innovative hospitality experiences and creative beverage programs.Orta’s cocktails may be Wonka-esque, but he says his spirit is mezcal: “Like me, it’s smoky, rare, and delicious.” It’s a rare and delicious opportunity to have Orta on Panna, and when you stir up his cocktails, you’ll sip the exquisiteness, too.Gabriel's Restaurants: 27 Restaurant and Bar (Miami Beach, FL)Broken Shaker LA (Los Angeles, CA)The Anderson (Miami, FL)Broken Shaker Miami (Miami Beach, FL)Broken Shaker Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Television personality, national bestselling author, celebrity chef and entrepreneur Lorraine Pascale has made a name for herself globally over the years through her delicious recipes, health and wellness guidance, inspired living and more. A household name in the UK, selling over one million books and starring in countless television series, Lorraine brought her expertise over to the US nearly 5 years ago and has become a staple in the Food Network family. She currently serves as a judge on Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, Spring Baking Championship and Worst Bakers in America.
Pascale got her start in the entertainment industry at just 16 years old, being discovered as a model and skyrocketing to fame throughout the 1990’s. She was the first black British model to appear on the cover of Elle Magazine (US), appeared in the1998 Sports Illustrated coveted swimsuit issue, and was the face of high-profile campaigns for Versace and Donna Karan. While modeling kept Pascale busy, she had aspirations to become an entrepreneur and found her niche after taking a diploma cookery course at the prestigious Leith's School of Food and Wine in London. She went on to graduate with first class honors, Summa Cum Laude in Culinary Arts Management at London’s University. During her final year of school, Pascale opened her first bakery in Covent Garden selling cakes, tray bakes, and cupcakes, and filmed her first television series Baking Made Easy for BBC 2. Pascale went on to film Home Cooking Made Easy, How to be a Better Cook for BBC and Cooking Channel’s Fresh, Fast and Easy Food. Her series have aired in over 70 countries worldwide.
While Pascale has become a trusted name in television, she also landed the accolade of being the most-successful cookbook author in the UK, releasing six best-selling books. Her debut book, Baking Made Easy, was released in 2011. Additional titles include Home Cooking Made Easy, Fast, Fresh, and Easy Food, A Lighter Way to Bake, How to be a Better Cook, Everyday Easy, Eating Well Made Easy, Best of Lorraine and“Bake: 125 Show-Stopping Recipes, Made Simple. Pascale is currently penning her next book, which will focus on overall wellness, health and inspirational topics.
Pascale was born to Jamaican parents and became a foster child shortly after birth. She was adopted at 18 months old, however her parents divorced when she was three and she went to live with her mother. At seven years old Pascale’s mother fell ill, and she landed back in the foster care system, living with several families. In 2014 Pascale filmed a documentary entitled Fostering & Me, in which she looked at her own experiences as a foster child and the experiences that other children have had.
On the charity front, Pascale is a patron of TACT (The Adolescent and Children’s Trust), the largest organization providing fostering and adoption services across the United Kingdom. In summer 2012, she was made the ambassador of the National Careers Service launching the service with Skills Minister John Hayes. Pascale also visits schools to talk to children and young adults, spreading positivity and motivation.
Pascale currently splits her time between London, Los Angeles and New York City.
Sandra prepares a light menu using loads of fresh herbs in this garden inspired meal. First, she ll make a creamy Tuscan White Bean Spread with basil. Next, her Herb Crusted Salmon with Sweet Corn, Mushrooms, and Herb Salad is fabulous.