Meet the Collective | Paul Sauter

This year, after over a decade of exploration in whiskey, Westland banded together its first ever Cocktail Collective, with the goal to explore the flavors of whiskey in cocktail-making. From the country’s favorite bars come legendary bartenders, heroes of the drink world. And in Chicago, Illinois, we find Paul Sauter, who runs ship at the award-winning Aviary, part of the famed Alinea Restaurant Group.

Paul Sauter grew up in and still resides in Chicago, where he’s risen to the rankings of the beverage world.  Paul managed and helped open several esteemed restaurants and bars before entering his role as Bar Director at the Aviary. He’s traveled the world to teach masterclasses on mixology, spoken as the leader of Chicago’s chapter of the US Bartender’s Guild, shown himself as an industry legend working as a spirits Brand Ambassador. Sauter carries his family Mexican heritage with pride, as it inspires him to build flavor and tell stories in his recipes and ethos of
hospitality.

What keeps Paul inspired at work is the ability to inspire brilliance for his guests, and go beyond what people would expect in hospitality experiences. Sauter told us, “What I try to bring to my cocktails is an experience. How can I make myself unique? I want you to get an experience that you’d never think about. Whether it’s a presentation or hidden flavors. I love taking something and flipping it, and getting people to think about it.” Sauter explains that there is a pure and shared wonder in bringing a wow-factor to guests. He shares, “There’s this undying love of watching someone try something for the first time and it is this face of just pure joy. I’ve seen it hundreds of times, and every time, it’s just so exciting.” In the setting of a bar or restaurant, the magic of hospitality lies in sharing joy, awe, and surprise between guests and the servers. Together, a story of astonishment and delight can be written with food, drink, and flavor as the utensils.

When it comes to using whiskey in cocktails, Paul carries his motif of mystique, bringing forth the unpredictable. “I like to take whiskey and present it in a way that people wouldn’t expect.” Sometimes, this means pairing it with bright and floral notes as opposed to the overly citrus-forward or rich and spice-laden whiskey cocktails. Sauter relays, “That’s how I look at whiskey. I don’t think it’s made to just be pigeon-holed into just one cocktail. Part of the fun of this life is making it so much more expressive.” So, when we asked Paul to create a unique cocktail using Westland Flagship, he presented to us the USS Westland. This drink utilizes a very unique ingredient: time. The USS Westland, built in the porthole glass vessel, is a drink that uses herbal infusions to create a show-stopping cocktail that continues to evolve in the glass as the minutes flick by.

With flavor as the main conduit, Paul keeps guests coming back for more as they learn to expect the unexpected. And it is in this context that Sauter uses Westland Flagship, which he calls out as “Obviously delicious.” Henceforth, Paul becomes a true kindred spirit to the story of Westland: together we seek the unknown possibilities in flavor. Sauter describes using Westland in cocktails as “deliciousness that evolves in your glass as you’re enjoying it.” Looking forward, we continue to mutually unveil unconventional flavors and share our unique findings.