Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Constantin Alexander brings a wealth of experience to his position as Director of Beverage for Hakkasan Restaurants (US). There, he oversees the wine and spirits program for the acclaimed international company.
What is your process when selecting wines and spirits for Hakkasan Group’s 18 US restaurants?
The moral is if you buy quality products, you will receive quality business. We choose wine and spirits that will provide our guests with the best experience. It is also a balancing act: sometime items that we think are absolutely amazing may just not fit in some of our venues. We do like to give the individual venue management teams’ a good say in products that are used and at the same time, managing the business from a higher level that coincides with our long-term goals.
How do you implement menu consistency across the company’s brands, including Hakkasan, Searsucker and Herringbone?
Well to start, I drink a lot! I am constantly at the sites sampling cocktails and wine for consistency. I travel a ton, which is vital for my position. I lean heavily on the venue managers to help with the quality control and educate the staff and management teams alike on how things should be presented. Most importantly, I listen to the guests. You’d be amazed how much you can learn about your own business by just talking to your customers.
Hakkasan Restaurant Las Vegas. Photo by Erik KabikWhat (if any) educational wine and spirit programs does Hakkasan Group offer?
I’m glad that you asked! We don’t really advertise it much, but Hakkasan Group is, as far as we know, the only hospitality company in the United States that is approved to certify Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) materials at our sites. The WSET is the world’s most highly regarded beverage educational body and normally is only taught at universities and official training centers. We have a network of educators in our European locations, and have just recently gotten our first certified educator in the USA. Yours truly. As we grow, we hope to add more educators to our cache, and continue with, what I believe is the continent’s most comprehensive and committed hospitality training program.
As Director of Beverage you must synchronize all of your skills and ingenuity to keep the operation running smoothly. To date, what has been one of your most enlightening or interesting moments on the job?
The look of excitement when someone discovers a new and exclusive spirit, the giddiness of a guest when they have the most amazing cocktail that they have ever tried, the wow moment when the wine pairing is just right, the staff member who moves on into a position of responsibility in the industry.
Constantin Alexander, Director of Beverage for Hakkasan Restaurants (US).
What is your background in wine and when did you become involved with Hakkasan?
I started in the wine business in Virginia when I worked for acclaimed chef Bob Kinkead. I grew to love wine and decided to make it a focus of mine even though I was always in operations management. As my career grew, so did my thirst for knowledge. When I passed my Certified Exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2008, I was convinced I would be a Master Sommelier one day. As my path went, I ended up splitting time between the wine and spirits side with a lot of my time spent solidifying my operational skills. I became involved with Hakkasan Group in late 2013 as the Beverage Manager for Hakkasan Restaurant in Las Vegas. It was a great fit, and I have loved every minute of working for this amazing company. Today, I have an Advanced Certification from the WSET, as well as being a Certified Educator with that organization. I also am a Certified Sake Specialist, which is an avenue I am very excited to explore more in the future as I have always wanted to go to Japan.
Hakkasan restaurant is touted as one of Las Vegas’ best wine lists. Can you give us a brief overview to your weekly “Tuesday Tastings”?
Hakkasan Harmony Tastings are a thing of beauty. First conceptualized by Christine Parkinson in 2001, they go on the premise that “the food chooses the wine”. Christine’s premise revolves around the fact that in essence, Cantonese food and wine generally do not go well together. The only way to make sure that our guests always have a pairing that works is to try the wines with a variety of mild, sweet, savory, and spicy dishes since almost every Hakkasan dining experience involves shared dishes. It’s hard work, but we remain confident any wine that you choose off of a Hakkasan wine list will pair well with the variety of Hakkasan dishes. Not easy by any stretch when you consider the complexity and intensity of Hakkasan cuisine. There is no way to cheat it, although there are some constants. For instance, Hakkasan food and Bordeaux is a horrible match – swing some Amarone in there and you are back in business! Christine is still with the company, and we still believe wholeheartedly in this process.
What can you tell us about your signature wine program for the ‘Social Dining’ restaurant concepts and its core list of wines?
I’m glad that you asked! Cassandra Brown (Hakkasan Group’s Wine Director) and I are currently working on a core list of wines for the social dining concepts. Our goal is to partner up with some of the best boutique wine companies while still having enough high quality commercial driven wines that our guests can feel comfortable with. We are quite excited to roll out the new program in September of this year. Expect some rare jewels mixed in with more recognizable “best in class” selections.
A current personal favorite New World selection and your perfect menu pairing?
Naming just one wine is impossible, but a few of my current New World favorites are Emeritus “Hallberg Ranch” Pinot Noir, Husic “Palm Terrace” Napa Cabernet, and Craggy Range “Te Muna Road” Sauvignon Blanc. Best Pairing? The Darioush Viognier with the Day Boat Alaskan Halibut at Herringbone Las Vegas is pretty wicked.
For reservations or additional information about Hakkasan Las Vegas please visit hakkasan.com, call +1 (702) 891- 7888 or email reservations@hakkasanlv.com.
Headshot photograph taken by Amelinda B Lee for Eater Las Vegas.
