Bartending School

This is another one of those videos that I have watched a million times, it gets funnier every time I watch it. Stick it out, watch till the end. I think I will make a drink like that tonight. Oh and just in case you were wondering, most bartending schools are pretty much a joke just like this video.

Explain Cocktails As You Would Art

Its not a secret that both food and drinks are better enjoyed when they are visually pleasing. A cocktails appearance can draw you to it, make you need to know what it tastes like just by sitting there with attractive garnishes, glassware, color, the list in endless in the way it looks alone. Visual appearance is not the only parallel that cocktails have with art.

Yes, creating a great cocktail is art. There is a delicate craft to producing a cocktail that pleases numerous senses and makes a lasting impression on whoever drinks it. Much like art there is a lot behind the actual drink, history, tradition, procedure. With a little bit of effort, the origins of many cocktails can be found and when explained to the customer can actually help influence how the person feels about the drink.

Classic cocktails are all the rage now a days and I have a strong feeling its because of this. There are a lot of bartenders now a days that are relating what they know about the cocktail to the guests while they prepare them, or to get them to order one. Its hard not to create an appreciation for a drink after knowing some of these things much like a painting or a sculpture gains credibility once you understand the artist.

Something that is commonly overlooked by bartenders is explaining their art, or their cocktail. When you describe what flavors you should be expecting, why you chose certain brands of liquors for each cocktail, a guest can be mesmerized into liking a drink even before the first drop hits their lips. As long as you, the bartender, inform them how they will be enjoying the flavors and why they work together, most of the pressure is lifted off your shoulders before your customer takes his first sip.

This also goes a long with the preparation of your drink. There are a lot of people that order drinks according to how they are perceived when they order. (Most people who order a Grey Goose and Red Bull could never tell the difference between well and Grey Goose, they just want to be seen ordering Grey Goose.) The act of muddling in certain bars will create a flurry of orders for “whatever he’s having” without any knowledge at all of what the drink is. Just the visual act of making a drink and preparing something with that much effort will make some one feel special that it was prepared for them, meaning it will taste better to them. The same goes for other visually stimulating procedures like a flamed orange zest.

This is a necessary part of making cocktails that many bartenders overlook. Spirits on their own should be judged blindly, and next to one another to find their true value and quality. In all reality a cocktail is nothing more than a way to make alcohol more palatable, even if part of that method comes visually or mentally. If you don’t agree, watch this video about making a Mint Julep and tell me that it doesn’t sound better than any cocktail you have ever had.

 

Cold Drinks….

Well…. Uhhhhh….. I almost don’t want to do this, but it needs to be done. This blog is about drinking, mainly liquor, but…. uhh… its hard for me to even explain this. I was speechless when I saw this. Just watch it, well try to.

Bad Bartenders

Schavon Texting

AH HAH!! Yet again this blog is evolving. A new Catagory will be added today, “Bad Bartenders.” This blog should help to expand anyones knowledge who is interested in cocktails, liquor, ect. With that in mind I know that there are a few of you out there who are reading this who are in fact bartenders.

Being a part of the Industry I also believe that it is a little easier for us to judge a less informed or maybe ignorant bartender. On the other hand sometimes there is just no excuse. Thats where we have our first teacher of what not to do behind the bar, Schavon. Now I don’t know Schavon’s name because she politely walked up and introduced herself like a bartender in a nice restaurant like Walters in Claremont should, I know it because I was so pissed off about her crappy service that I looked at the receipt so I could write about her.

1. Dont text while at work. Simple enough. the constant ringing of an iPhone is not what I want to hear while I am drinking my beer. Especially when the constant ringing and texting keeps my bartenders back to me the entire time I am at the bar like her photo shows. (although in this case it may have been better that she wasnt talking to us.)

2. Remember others can hear you. With me and my girlfriend and only two other people at the bar it was apparent pretty quickly that we were annoying her by being there because we were interrupting her conversation time with her friends. More importantly you need to remember that people can hear what you are talking about. I don’t necessarily need to know your life’s problems nor do I want to.

3. If you hate your job, don’t make it so obvious. Just smile, it’s not hard. I’m sorry I am bothering you by asking for a menu, but get over it, its your job.

Classy Jello Shots

Lemon Drop Wedges

Molecular Mixology is an interesting form of bartending. Beyond infusions, airs, foams, I feel like I have been doing this for years. Yes, I am talking about jello shots. Now that bartenders are using gelatin sheets rather than the box of Jello, you still pretty much end up with sa VERY similar product in the end. Serving a gin and tonic cube over a baked lime chip is definitely more sophisticated than sucking it out of a small cup, but in fact we are dealing with about the same procedure and technique. That is why this presentation from Bakers Royal caught my eye.  In the simplest form they made Jello shooters and placed the Jello into hollowed out lemon halves. Sliced these bad boys look amazing.   

Empty out the citrus of your choice to create a vessel.

Juice the citrus first as it makes for easier pulp removal. Save extracted juice for later recipes.

Use either a grapefruit knife to hollow out the citrus, or the easier way,  is to turn them inside out like the picture and dig deeply in to the pith until you catch the thin membrane holding the pulp and then peel back.

Make sure to completely clean out your citrus or the pulp will show in the wedges.

Make the Jell-O according to the instructions on the box and then reduce the cold water portion by ¼ cup and replace with your chilled drink mix. Place emptied citrus into muffin pan holes. Pour mixture into emptied citrus and chill overnight.

Use a straight edge knife to cut into wedges. Do not use a serrated knife or it will leave track marks.

Make sure to use a sharp knife or you will end up with mangled wedges.

  This recipe is from Bakers Royale . Make sure to check out thier post HERE

Drinking Made Easy

Unfortunately the best TV show that has ever been produced about drinking can never seem to find a channel to stay on for any extended amount of time. 3 Sheets is without a doubt the dream job for many people out there with Zane Lamprey traveling the world and drinking. That is his job, to travel and drink. He tries local spirits and drinks as well as hangover cures and customs. Without a doubt the coolest job ever. You do learn quite a bit from watching this show but even better is the fact that it’s usually pretty funny. Zane’s newest show Drinking Made Easy will be on HDNet on Oct 6th. From what I hear it is pretty much the same thing as 3 sheets, but traveling around the US. My DVR is already set.

No More Easy Free Liquor

Vice Wine Puzzle

If I know you personally and your birthday, anniversary, (insert any gift giving event here), there is a 90% chance that I will give you some type of liquor. After all, for how much I enjoy drinking I just naturally assume that any of my friends have the same love and desire for a cocktail. From this point on though, you are going to have to work for it. I am going to start strapping these little bad boys on those wonderful bottles of joy just to frustrate my friends and delay the sweet satisfaction of popping that cork or twisting the top off. Just like a rude customer at the bar whistling and waving money like a mad man, your just going to have to wait for a drink. Oh yeah and the puzzle itself is perfectly acceptable to regift. Restocked of course. Anyone want to see if a bottle of Makers Mark 46 fits in there?

Sometimes, Whisky Makes Me Want To Sing

When I first saw this video I watched it like 30 times. It makes me happy to be alive.

Bartending In 3oh!3 Video

This is pretty much a huge stretch to have this on a bartending blog, but it is a combination of 2 things that I enjoy. Lets face it, this blog is just a scattered assembly of things that are slightly associated with bartending and drinking. There is a solid 3 seconds of flair bartending in this video so I feel like I should share it with you all. Its entertaining either way.

3oh!3

Click the Image or Click HERE to watch it.

Bitters Garnish

Bitters Stencil

 

Ahhh Bitters…. how I love you. Now, you have a wonderful new use, garnishing. A lot of garnishes are used as both a tool to make a drink look better as well as add another layer of flavor. This is a picture of a cocktail from PDT. One day I will make it there but for now I will just admire their creativity and show it to the rest of you. I have used this method of decorating a drink before by making chocolate martinis with either a layer of heavy cream on top or making a thick cocktail. Placing the stencil on top of the drink just sprinkle some chocolate powder on top and bam, whatever kind of design your little heart desires. Here on some type of drink with a foam, most likely containing egg white the stencil was placed on top and a wonderful mist of bitters was sprayed. 

Stencil

 

This is a picture of the stencil I made for my last job. The restaurants name started with an M so I had a regular of mine make it for me. I started off making them out of cardboard and they are useful for a few cocktails, Perhaps a single night of making drinks. This one is made out of a small piece of aluminium. Pretty much indestructible. Maybe if I ever get a job at another place that’s name starts with an M I’ll use it again.