On the rocks

It’s all about balance, and no one seems to know that better than Michael Lawrence. As the bar and restaurant manager at the St. Regis Los Angeles, he creates drinks that seek the happy place between extremes. For the Dancer, a variation on the classic Champagne cocktail, Lawrence pours a splash of Remy Martin Red (fruit juices laced with Cognac) over a sugar cube dotted with Angostura bitters in the bottom of a Champagne flute. He then adds Perrier Jouet Brut and squeezes in a fresh-cut lime. The Dancer has hints of cherry and orange aromas from the juices in the Remy, but the dry sparkling wine and the drops of bitters give it a refreshing crispness, making this a perfect aperitif.

-- Chris Rubin