the alchemist says...

Heir to an Icon: Bacardi Global Legacy Cocktail Competition 2013

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:11:35 +0100

Words by: Simon Difford

Bacardi Legacy is one of the few real ‘Grand Slam’ competitions in bartending, and is itself a successor to the Bacardi Grand Prix that ran for up to 40 years. Only those at the very top of their game make it through the grand final. Their prize: creating a drink worthy of being termed a ‘legacy’ cocktail that champions the world’s best-selling white rum and becomes a true heir to the likes of the Daiquiri and the Mojito…(Continue Reading)

Two Bartenders Walk into a Bar

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:35:00 +0100

With regards to service, I think South African bartenders are some of the best. We truly are a friendly and open bunch who know how to entertain…

Recently I caught up with Dominic Walsh, 23, South African National winner of this years’ Angostura aromatic bitters Global Cocktail Challenge who competed earlier this year in Trinidad against ten other bartenders, Sean Frederick, Boston, USA, Oliver Stern, Toronto, Canada, Ryan Mitto, Kingston, Jamaica, Stanislav Mukhin, Ukraine, Pankaj Kamble, Mumbai, India, Jake Searell, Wellington, New Zealand, Egor Stepanov, Moscow, Russia, Elliot Ball, London, England, Daniyel Jones, Diego Martin, Trinidad, and Daniel Biber, Buenos Aires, Argentina, vying to be crowned Global Angostura Champion.

What made the spectacle about having the competition being held/hosted in Trinidad & Tobago, and how did Angostura tie into this?

Angostura was originally produced in the town of Angostura in Venezuela, in 1875, the plant was relocated to Port of Spain, Trinidad. So it was quite fitting that the competition was held at the Angostura distillery.

What was the criterion upon showcasing your drink? What did you present and from judging perspective what did they think?

Two drinks were required from each bartender. One freestyle drink; which could contain any ingredient. The second had to contain any of the Angostura rum expressions. Both drinks had to contain a minimum of 5 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

The regional qualifiers worked much the same as the finals. Bartenders were allocated 7 minutes to prepare and present two of each drink. In the regionals, no homemade ingredients were allowed, whereas in the finals, homemade ingredients where permitted to an extent.

Cocktails were judged on appearance, aroma, taste and presentation.

My freestyle cocktail was called the Royal Warrant, my interpretation on the Trinidad Sours. This contained Woodford Reserve, Disaranno liqueur, Angostura Aromatic and Orange Bitters with a touch of molasses. It was served with bruleed orange slices and a torched cinnamon stick in a tiny treasure chest.

The rum category cocktail, Trinidad Temptation, was a combination of Angostura 1919, sweet vermouth and cinnamon, served in a medicine bottle (this was to reflect the history of Angostura and its use as a tonic). It was lengthened with a South African crafted ale, Darling, Bone Crusher.

I thought my drinks went down relatively well, though made some uncharacteristic mistakes whilst showcasing.

What was your most memorable moment throughout the competition personally and during the competition as a whole? What activity/s were you most looking forward to throughout the competition?

I do not think I have one “memorable moment” , what made it memorable, personally, was the remaining competitors. We really got along well as a team; there was not one bad apple. I walked away feeling like I had made friends for life. Having a drink with Salvatore Calabrese and Hidetsugo Ueno was another highlight.

The activity I was most looking forward to was Juve, the day before Carnival. You march through the streets in the early hours throwing paint and mud at each other. Unfortunately, I did not wake up for this, having a sense of regret, though I was not the only one.

…I think the lack of products and the laws governing the admission of new products make us stronger as a bartendering fraternity, allowing bartenders to be experimental…we have to be. The industry here is growing tremendously and brands are coming to the fore in terms of education and supporting the industry.

What did your competitors showcase when creating their drinks? What trends and techniques did you currently see being showcased?

The standard / calibre of bartenders was high. Surprisingly, a very young group. Plenty of homemade ingredients being showcased. Personally, what I noticed, classical drinks with modern interpretations including that of ingredients and presentation.

Having experienced and observed bartenders on an international segmentation, where do we as South African bartenders fair?

With regards to service, I think South African bartenders are some of the best. We truly are a friendly and open bunch who know how to entertain, however, I feel that we are lacking in terms of education. I was absolutely astounded how knowledgeable these bartenders were.

Do you think it is fair to say that internationally, bartenders may be ahead because of availability of different products, more bartenders, career focus orientated?

Absolutely! Most of the ingredients being showcased in there cocktails where products that I had never heard of. International bartenders are getting the exposure / recognition they deserve within the industry than what we do here. That being said, I think the lack of products and the laws governing the admission of new products make us stronger as a bartendering fraternity, allowing bartenders to be experimental…we have to be. The industry here is growing tremendously and brands are coming to the fore in terms of education and supporting the craft of bartending.

What would your advice be to South African Bartenders regarding this competition and other competitions?

Be different, separate yourself from the rest, use your imagination and be creative. Something that I hold in high regard is to ensure that you make a drink that you would drink yourself and not just create for the sake of pleasing the masses.

Out of all the contestants which cocktail impressed you the most and why?

Honestly, every competitors drink was incredible! As I previously mentioned, I was astounded by the standard of bartenders and their passion for the craft, pioneering it to the next level. Every contestant had something that really impressed me. It truly was an honour to compete beside these fine gentlemen.

…the alchemist says

www.absolut.com/remixABSOLUT Punch - world premiere of...

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:21:23 +0100

www.absolut.com/remix
ABSOLUT Punch - world premiere of multi-dimensional cocktail experiences from ABSOLUT, featuring new music by Little Dragon.

Bartending: A Personal Journey

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:42:00 +0100

Above: #Happybartenders

Words By: Nick Koumbarakis

Recently whilst visiting a prominent coffee emporium buried in the marrow of town, I was approached with a rather interesting question. Series would be the preferred form from which one particular guest that was seated alongside my colleagues and I, proceeded to question the craft of bartending as a full-time profession.

Bartending has given me the platform to engage with people from different walks of life.In my personal opinion no university / college can provide the skill set that the craft has given me. I am here by choice not necessity…

It was brought to my attention that there were several articles circulating around the internet which have severely influenced the public’s perception of the role of the bartender today, articles portraying bartenders as individuals with an air of arrogancy who despise the craft, not to forgo their guests, to an extent, compromising the integrity of a noble profession which is a source of pride for many recognised bartenders. These types of published articles not only irk me, but also deface an industry / profession that possesses a wealth of historical value & creativity. Indeed, bartending is an art.

Not all people are meant to work as bartenders, coincidental to the fact that I am never supposed to be a professional footballer / quantity surveyor, even though I play the sport and studied the latter. I am here by choice not necessity. 110% committed. Certain lines of work compliment certain personality types & skill sets, bartending as a career compliments those who are ambitious, driven and creative. Dependent on the individual, it is a career that branches into numerous roles within the industry that can be rewarding yet beneficial.

Bartending… A Personal Journey

i. Bartending is the only profession that personally gets me excited for work.Whether it is conducting a seminar, inspiring & educating a new generation of bartenders, working with brands that have a vested interest in bartenders, to creating drinking experiences with my guests. The profession is versatile; one in that talented bartenders can travel across the globe working in various establishments constantly honing/evolving their craft, thus imparting a wealth of knowledge to a generation of bartenders wanting to develop within their respective industries. I am not specifically tied in an office cubicle for 8 hours either, though there are days where I am bounded to my wooden desk.

ii. Bartending has given me the platform to engage with people from different walks of life.In my personal opinion no university / college can provide the skill set that the craft has given me. The bar is the only place where any type of individual could be a guest. Irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economics, status, gender, age, as long as they are over 18, I will treat each individual with the same level of integrity / respect and service as the guest sitting next to them. Bartending has led me to forge incredible networks, a solidarity amongst the bartending fraternity that I would never have encountered.

iii. Bartending has allowed me to exercise my creativity, it is an art.There is more to being a bartender than making the perfect drink and most aspiring bartenders tend to forget this simple principle. It is amazing how one drink, a few minutes to listening someone vent, even a compliment could make a guests day. I am involved and work in the service & hospitality industry, the most important aspect is to give an unforgettable drinking experience to your guest, so that they leave your bar happier than they were when they first arrived. There is nothing more satisfying than serving a drink, whether it is an Old Fashioned that is delicately built over time to opening a crafted beer. It is all about connecting with people.

iv.The old adage…knowledge is power. I work in an industry woven with historical value that is often underutilised, an industry that is a constant evolving entity which allows me to further myself constantly as a bartender. 12 years ago when I started within the industry I did not have the benefit of technology / educational programmes that we are noticing today. A note to Bartenders, take a second to differentiate between products / categories, the craft of bartending, how it shaped policy and influenced the development of societies, Bartenders that shaped our industry, Harry Johnson, Harry Craddock, Jerry Thomas, Ada Coleman to name a few. Where applicable, start that as a conversation starter, I assure you, your guest/s will be surprised.

v. Working in the hospitality & service industry has a direct correlation - input equals output, simple.The greater effort I put into my job, the greater the financial benefit. A topic of much debate, bartenders should not expect / feel entitled to a certain / fixed amount of gratuity from their guests. That should be a direct result from their interaction and service. I know there are times especially when you are making intricate drinks that consummate your energies which ideally could have been focused elsewhere. I try to treat every drink as if it were my last, hopefully leaving my guest/s with an experience. I know that my actions will result in a justified financial outcome because of the service I provide and my experience has proven that.

vi. Professional bartending has certainly, by many, been perceived as an undervalued profession.In the late 1800′s, early 1900′s, career bartending was a well-established, highly respected job by society. In 1862 Thomas had compiled The Bar-Tender’s Guide (alternately titled; How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion), the first drinks book ever published in the United States. Not only did he portray the bartending profession as a creative entity #blueblazer, he was earning $100 a week, more than the Vice President of the United States.

I am honoured to be a part of a fraternity who are pioneering the path to making the profession a well-established one in today’s workforce.

Lets inspire & aspire to be creative.

…the alchemist says

Words by: Nick Koumbarakis In-flu-ence n’ A power...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:28:26 +0100

Words by: Nick Koumbarakis

In-flu-ence

n’

A power affecting a person, thing, or course of events, especially one that operates without any direct / apparent effort: relaxed under the influence of music; the influence the bartender has on society…

I think an Influencer has a certain confidence that probably not many people have, that they know what they are doing is right, they feel comfortable in it…

Not too long ago I signed up for “Just One Shift”

THE GOAL:

To raise $250,000 that will be used to provide clean water to needy people worldwide.

THE STORY:

Doc Hendely, a bartender from North Carolina, has been changing the world since 2004 by bringing potable drinking water to thousands of people all over the world.

Gaz Regan, a bartender from New York, came up with the Just One Shift idea to help raise money for Doc’s charity, Wine to Water. Doc Hendley heard about the world’s water crisis and decided to utilize the bar and nightclub industry, as a way to bring clean water to those in need. Since 2004 Wine To Water has provided clean water to people in 9 countries worldwide including: Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, India, Cambodia, Peru, Haiti. Till now, Wine To Water has reached over 150,000 people with clean water.

Together they plan to prove that bartenders can change the world. Donations will go straight to Wine to Water, which will use 100% of the money to bring clean water to needy people worldwide.

BARTENDERS:

Check out the Bartender Guide.

Here is how: 100% of tips donated via the Just One Shift movement will be donated to Wine to Water. Just think that $1 can provide clean water for 1 person for a whole year! That means that $35 provide a family with clean water for up to 5 years and so on.

Commit to donate your tips from just one shift during the week of the event; fill out the form on this page, then after you have worked the shift, come back here, and donate your tips via PayPal.

CONSUMERS:

Look to see which bars and bartenders are participating in your town or city! Show up on the right night, and TIP BIG!

Together, let us show the world that bartenders can make a huge difference.

“You not only wrote Bartending History, you are writing its Present and its near Future” Thank you for being an inspiration to the bartendering fraternity Gaz Regan.

…the alchemist says

The Archives:

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:29:40 +0000

Above: William Faulkner

“Civilization begins with distillation,” William Faulkner once said, and like many of the great writers of the 20th century — Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce — the bard of Oxford, Mississippi certainly had a fondness for alcohol.

Unlike many of the others, though, Faulkner liked to drink while he was writing. In 1937 his French translator, Maurice Edgar Coindreau, was trying to decipher one of Faulkner’s idiosyncratically baroque sentences. He showed the passage to the writer, who puzzled over it for a moment and then broke out laughing. “I have absolutely no idea of what I meant,” Faulkner told Coindreau. “You see, I usually write at night. I always keep my whiskey within reach; so many ideas that I can’t remember in the morning pop into my head.”

Every now and then Faulkner would embark on a drunken binge. His publisher, Bennett Cerf, recalled:

“The maddening thing about Bill Faulkner was that he’d go off on one of those benders, which were sometimes deliberate, and when he came out of it, he’d come walking into the office clear-eyed, ready for action, as though he hadn’t had a drink in six months. But during those bouts he didn’t know what he was doing. He was helpless. His capacity wasn’t very great; it didn’t take too much to send him off. Occasionally, at a good dinner, with the fine wines and brandy he loved, he would miscalculate. Other times I think he pretended to be drunk to avoid doing something he didn’t want to do.”

Wine and brandy were not Faulkner’s favorite spirits. He loved whiskey. His favorite cocktail was the mint julep. Faulkner would make one by mixing whiskey–preferably bourbon–with one teaspoon of sugar, a sprig or two of crushed mint, and ice. He liked to drink his mint julep in a frosty metal cup. The word “julep” first appeared in the late 14th century to describe a syrupy drink used to wash down medicine. Faulkner believed in the medicinal efficacy of alcohol. Lillian Ross once visited the author when he was ailing, and quoted him as saying, “Isn’t anythin’ Ah got whiskey won’t cure.”

On a cold winter night, Faulkner’s medicine of choice was the hot toddy. His niece, Dean Faulkner Wells, described the recipe and ritual for hot toddies favoured by her uncle (whom she called “Pappy”) in The Great American Writers’ Cookbook.

Pappy alone decided when a Hot Toddy was needed, and he administered it to his patient with the best bedside manner of a country doctor.

He prepared it in the kitchen in the following way: Take one heavy glass tumbler. Fill approximately half full with Heaven Hill bourbon (the Jack Daniel’s was reserved for Pappy’s ailments). Add one tablespoon of sugar. Squeeze 1/2 lemon and drop into glass. Stir until sugar dissolves. Fill glass with boiling water. Serve with potholder to protect patient’s hands from the hot glass.

Pappy always made a small ceremony out of serving his Hot Toddy, bringing it upstairs on a silver tray and admonishing his patient to drink it quickly, before it cooled off. It never failed.

…the alchemist says

“Every once in a while I find it to be good for me to look at the very basic principles behind our...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 06:25:23 +0000

“Every once in a while I find it to be good for me to look at the very basic principles behind our craft, and I am always reminded that being a bartender means committing to a life of being of service to others. It is a very honorable craft.” ~ Gaz Regan”

The Tourist

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:35:00 +0000

Words By: Nick Koumbarakis

Althouth overdue, let me begin with complimenting you all on a blessed 2013 that lies ahead.

I am not one to self advertise on a platform that I implemented in 2011. The objective behind the alchemist says…, is to educate consumers & inspire a generation of bartenders wanting to evolve the craft of bartending within South Africa.

“Every once in a while I find it to be good for me to look at the very basic principles behind our craft, and I am always reminded that being a bartender means committing to a life of being of service to others. It is a very honorable craft.” ~ Gaz Regan”

I wanted to take the opportunity to showcase a personal journey in which I dedicate to the bartender of today through a campaign I am currently involved in #bacardilegacy2013 THE TOURIST INITIATIVE - An interactive site geared for the discerning drinker at home to the inexperienced bartender wanting to learn a unique technique…(continue reading)

What is a World Class Bartender?

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:27:22 +0000

Words by: Gaz Regan

“A world class bartender is somebody that understands what bartending is all about, is somebody that understands that they have the opportunity to shape the cocktail culture, to shape their community, that they have been given the platform and opportunity to shape people’s lives by making people happier.”

The Daily Bitters:

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:19:25 +0000

The Bacardi Bat Device…one of the most iconic brand trademarks within the spirits industry. A symbol of health, good fortune and family unity according to Spanish and native Taino Indian lore which has a symbolic connection.

Bacardi rum bottles are easily recognised by their elegant shape and classic colour, called Georgia Green. The distinctive green hue dates back more than 100 years and has been the colour used for all Bacardi Superior (Carta Blanca) rum bottles.

Upon purchasing his first distillery in Santiago de Cuba, Dona Amalia, Don Facundo’s wife noticed a colony of fruit bats that hung from the rafters within the distillery. During a period where the inhabitants of Cuba could not read, the rum maker needed a distinguished symbol. Dona Amalia was credited for rendering the symbol, shortly thereafter, his creation became known by the people as el Ron del Murciélago or “the Rum of the Bat.” 150 years later the Bat Device proudly graces and adorns every bottle of Bacardi since 1862.

The King of Rums and the Rum of Kings. In its 150 year history Bacardi rum has won more than 400 awards, making it the world’s most awarded rum.

On this day in 1862, Bacardi was founded in Santiago de Cuba when Don Facundo Bacardi Masso purchased a small distillary. After years of experimenting, Bacardi revolutionised the spirits industry by adding steps never before used in rum making. After careful and systematic experimentation with a variety of ingredients, aging methods and blends, Bacardi founder Don Facundo offered up the first samples of a new, smooth, light-bodied spirit the world now knows as Bacardi Superior Rum.

His descendants continue to produce Bacardi rum, the world’s best selling and most awarded rum, under its original and proprietary formula, using the pioneering process including distillation, controlled fermentation, charcoal mellowing, filtering, aging and blending techniques he created and mastered in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, 150 years ago.

To really understand Bacardi one needs to know the name Bacardi has three meanings: it is a Family, a Company and a Brand. Each has evolved during the course of the 150 years since the establishment of the Company.

When the threat of Prohibition loomed large in the United States, Bacardi saw a window of opportunity. In preparation, Bacardi management formed a corporation, dividing stock shares equally among President Emilio Bacardi, First Vice President Facundo Bacardi and Second Vice President Enrique Schueg. Each principal held stock valued at more than 1million US Dollars.

On October 28, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed the Volstead Act forbidding the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale and consumption of alcohol in the United States. As you can imagine, that was not good news for the burgeoning Bacardi, especially since three years prior the Company opened an office in New York City and was faced with having to deplete 60,000 cases of inventory. What was Bacardi to do with all its rum? Bacardi executive Enrique Schueg, who would later become the Company’s fourth chairman, acted quickly by issuing Bacardi “wet stock” a move that would place a value on each case of Bacardi rum as a share.

In order to liquidate the Company, Enrique Schueg created 60,000 shares that he sold as “wet stock” to the public and dissolved the Company by distributing one case per share. A remarkable thing happened for Bacardi when Prohibition got fully underway. Prohibition in the United States prompted American tourists to flock to Havana, Cuba for fun and cocktails. Bacardi was their drink of choice, so much so that a popular international airline promoted the slogan, “Fly to Cuba and Bathe in Bacardi rum.”

Since Prohibition made spirits advertising illegal, Bacardi rolled out a clever and successful promotional campaign using postcards playing up the allure of Cuba’s bars and nightlife. One caption read, “Cuba is great. There is a reason. Bacardi.” Fortune Magazine said Prohibition had “caused Havana to become the ‘unofficial’ United States saloon.”

Unsurprisingly, Bacardi was the center of Havana’s historic heyday. El Edificio Bacardi, the Bacardi Havana office building and one of the city’s first skyscrapers, was home to the most popular bar in Havana: a black-and-gold bar frequented by celebrities, Bacardi family members and their guests. Production of Bacardi rum increased so quickly during the Prohibition years that the Company had to build a larger facility in Santiago de Cuba to keep up with demand. Profits enabled expansion outside of Cuba during the 1930s, with distilleries opening in Mexico and Puerto Rico. The facility in Cataño, Puerto Rico, is now the largest premium rum distillery in the world and home to the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, the second most visited venue in greater San Juan today, playing host to more than 230,000 visitors each year.

In 1888, Bacardi rum was appointed “Purveyor to the Royal Spanish Household” by the Regent Queen Christina Maria, mother of the King of Spain Alfonso XIII.

Due to continual threats by the government of Fulgencio Batista, including its nationalisation of Bacardi for one day, Bacardi executives moved to safeguard the Bacardi rum intellectual property and secret formula. The Company strategically moved the trademarks, other intellectual property and the coveted strain of yeast out of Cuba before the revolutionary forces took control. Such vision saved the Company and Bacardi rum.

When Cuban revolutionary forces illegally seized the Company’s Cuban assets on October 14, 1960, Bacardi already had already established operations in four other markets, the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. The coveted strain of yeast continues to provide Bacardi rum its signature taste and unique balance today, and remains under tight security.

Today, Bacardi rum is a premium brand with authenticity and heritage that stands the test of time. It truly is a brand that connects people in memorable ways. Through 150 years of organic growth and acquisition. Bacardi has a presence in more than 150 markets around the world.

Coincidentally 2013 may be the year of the Dragon according to Chinese astrology, the 4th February…will mark the year of the bat.

May your year be filled with health, good fortune and family unity

…the alchemist says

Just for a moment.Inspired by the motions that a bartender goes...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 07:49:16 +0000

Just for a moment.

Inspired by the motions that a bartender goes through every day - whether in their bar stepping up for service - or competing under the scrutiny of a panel of judges

Bartenders today thoroughly prepare - nobody just shows up - they push themselves relentlessly because they know that they cannot make mistakes.

Every drink is an experience and every drink counts

For a customer or a competition judge - its no different - how they prepare and deliver that experience is forever - they have to make an impact.

That pressure requires a level of reserve - they have to withdraw and focus - they have to remember their flow, remember their part.

Then they have to actually deliver - using knowledge, charm, dexterity - they have to bring it to life, amplifying the encounter and magnifying that moment.

They get one chance to make an impression, to make it matter.

All that repetition, all that training, all that imagination and talent - just for a moment.

The concept of making a moment count is poignant today, when the world moves so fast. Blink and its gone

"To have the correct flavor a Cocktail should be freshly made, and should contain that most..."

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 07:36:45 +0000

““To have the correct flavor a Cocktail should be freshly made, and should contain that most delightful, aromatic tonic, Dr. Siegert’s Angostura. The Bitters that gave birth to the Cocktail.” ~ Advertisement for Angostura Bitters, Life Magazine, 1904.”

The Daily Bitters:

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:40:10 +0000

How fast does molasses move in January? According to reports from Boston, on this day in 1919, it moves at about 35 mph / 56 kph. A 2 million gallon tank of crude molasses destined to be distilled into alcohol burst open, enveloping part of the city in a sticky tsunami that left at least 21 people dead and 150 injured. The next day, church bells rang out across Boston. However, they were not ringing in distress or a memorial to the dead. They rang in celebration. The 18th amendment had been ratified, and Prohibition would begin the next year.

…People were picked up by a rush of air and hurled many feet.” Others had debris hurled at them from the rush of sweet-smelling air. A truck was picked up and hurled into Boston Harbor. Approximately 150 were injured; 21 people and several horses were killed — some were crushed and drowned by the molasses. The wounded included people, horses, and dogs; coughing fits became one of the most common ailments after the initial blast. ~ The Boston Globe

The cleanup took about two weeks because of the large number of helping hands, more than 300. It took over 87,000 man - hours (Roughly the number of hours in ten years for one person working continuously) to remove the molasses from the cobble stone streets, theaters, businesses, automobiles, and homes. The harbor was brown with molasses until summer.

United States Industrial Alcohol did not rebuild the tank. The property became a yard for the Boston Elevated Railway (predecessor to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), and is currently the site of a city owned baseball field.

In the end, however, the court ruled for the plaintiffs, finding that the tank had been overfilled and inadequately reinforced. No evidence of sabotage was ever found. All told, the company was forced to pay out nearly a million dollars in damages. A bittersweet victory for survivors of one of the strangest disasters in American history.

…the alchemist says

Exile Him to the Police Force

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:11:49 +0000

Words by: Gaz Regan

“… the average bartender, despite the slanders of professional moralists, is a man of self respect and self possession; a man who excels at a difficult art and is well aware of it; a man who shrinks from ruffianism as he does from uncleanliness; in short, a gentleman … the bartender is one of the most dignified, law abiding, and ascetic of men. He is girt about by a rigid code of professional ethics; his work demands a clear head and a steady hand; he must have sound and fluent conversation; he cannot be drunken or dirty; the slightest dubiousness is quick to exile him to the police force, journalism, the oyster boats or some other Siberia of the broken.”

Baltimore’s Evening Sun, May 11, 1911. Found in The Young [H. L.] Mencken: The Best of His Work

Source: gazregan.com

What turns the Ordinary into the Extraordinary? The everyday to...

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 07:21:47 +0000

What turns the Ordinary into the Extraordinary?

The everyday to the everlasting.

Removes Limits, Boundaries, welcomes change and embraces Possibility.

What does it take to be unique…to be different.

Imagination…

Imagination is inside us all, it helps us grow and its inside everything we do.

Wishing you all a prosperous New Year filled with imagination

…the alchemist says

Let It Sloe! Let It Sloe! Let It Sloe!

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 06:54:00 +0000

Above: Life is just too short to drink inferior alcohol.

Words by: Nick Koumbarakis

(Insert background music here)…Oh the weather outside is frightful but that fire is so delightful…said no one ever, though I am not one to slander Frank Sinatra.

…Essentially, what is non existent in todays paradigm is the same attitude and keen exploration being applied to that of food.

With the 25th drawing closer with each passing day and the imminent arrival of the apocalypse according to a certain Mayan prophecy, I would tend to speculate that you are preparing for the latter. With that in mind, I would comprehend that the quality of ingredient comes into consideration when preparing for such an occasion. And yet it is something that has yet to be recognised to those outside the craft of bartending and the quality of alcohol being utilised.

Of course I am dogmatic on the matter, I focus primarily on drink. It may not be a necessity as much as your food…then again the recent food movement has pioneered food from simply being a necessity into something we can explore which has directly influenced the craft of bartending. Essentially, what is non existent in todays paradigm is the same attitude and keen exploration being applied to that of food.

For instance, take sloe gin recipes as an example. Sloes…have a marbled history. Through close inspection it resembles the juniper berry, modest in size, dark and relatively acidic members / relatives of the plum family, which grow on the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), very common throughout Europe. Sloe gin has only fairly recently achieved respectability as a bona-fide beverage, a beverage consisting of only four ingredients (sloes, sugar, Gin and patience). The result of a liqueur that is tart with an abundance of flavour.

Having read numerous articles on the matter, certain articles call for varying recipes, many referencing the use of an inferior gin, the addition of sugar to guise the harshness of the inferior spirit. A question that I seldom get asked. Quality versus quantity? There is no question, without any doubt, that the quality of the base spirit affects the final product. Take a packaged / consolidated product that essentially contains all of the “essential” ingredients to manufacture the “perfect” Cosmopolitan, are they one in the same as constructing this timeless classic with 4 separate ingredients? (Vodka, orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lime and 100% cranberry juice).

The difficulty with drinks is that with minor attention, the same applications that consumers utilise with their food…the quality of their drinks would mirror that of their dining experiences from the humble Gin & Tonic to a well crafted cocktail.

…just a thought

Sloe Gin Recipe:

Ingredients:

375 grams of ripe sloes (refrigerate overnight)

750 ml of Bombay Sapphire Gin / Tanqueray

Granulated Sugar

Take Note:

Contrary to what you have read there is very little point in adding sugar at the outset. Saturating the base spirit with sugar prevents it from extracting the natural fruit sugars from the sloes. The idea is to allow the product to macerate and over time add sugar according to preference, yielding consistent batches.

Like all fruit, it is best to pick sloes when they are ripe.

By pricking the sloe you rupture the fruit, allowing flavours to draw out whilst macerating in the gin. Refrigeration ruptures the sloes completely and evenly.

Method:

In a large mason jar, add 375 grams of ripe sloes to 750 ml Bombay Sapphire Gin. Store away from direct sunlight. Allow to macerate for 3 months, the longer the better. Add granulated sugar according to taste preference. Shake on a daily basis.

Once you have the desired product.

The Millionaire #4

Ingredients:

45 ml Havana Club Anejo Reserva

*20 ml Sloe Gin

20 ml Apricot Brandy liqueur

30 ml fresh lime juice

Method:

Shake all ingredients vigorously in an iced cocktail shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge

Bartender…make me a Millionaire!

…the alchemist says

~ The Gentleman's Guide to Successful Amputation ~

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:49:23 +0000

The Gentlemans Guide to Amputation…an infographic

Success…Time for Brandy

…the alchemist says

The Daily Bitters:

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 08:14:00 +0000

“Jerry Thomas Dead - New York’s Famous Old Barkeeper a Victim of Apoplexy”

The godfather of modern bartending, the author of the first known cocktail book, and by far the most famous bartender of his era, Jerry Thomas died on this day in 1882.

A man of many interests - minstrel show promoter, gourd collector, artist and art collector - Jeremiah P. Thomas toured not only America but parts of Europe as a travelling bartender and was especially famous for his Blue Blazer cocktail. Jerry also seems to have claimed, at least when asked, that he was the inventor of the Tom & Jerry cocktail, the classic, egg, spicy, creamy seasonal blend that traditionally marks the winter season in the United States.

…He was well known for his showmanship as a bartender: he developed elaborate and flashy techniques of mixing cocktails, sometimes while juggling bottles, cups and mixers. He often wore flashy jewellery and had bar tools and cups embellished with precious stones and metals. At the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, Thomas was earning $100 a week, more than the Vice President of the United States.

On December 15, 1885, the front page of the New York paper, The World, announced the death of the man many consider the founding father of modern bartending: Jerry “The Professor” Thomas.

Jeremiah (Jerry) P. Thomas (1830 – December 15, 1885) was an American bartender; because of his pioneering work in popularising cocktails across the United States, he is considered the godfather of American mixology. In addition to writing seminal work on cocktails, his creativity and showmanship established the image of the bartender as a creative professional. As such, he was often nicknamed the Professor.

Thomas was born in 1830 in Sackets Harbour, New York. He learned bartending in New Haven, Connecticut before sailing for California during the mid-19th century Gold Rush. While in California he worked as a bartender, gold prospector and minstrel show manager. He moved back to New York City in 1851, where he opened a saloon below Barnum’s American Museum; it would be the first of four saloons he would run in New York City over his lifetime. After a time running his first bar he went on the road for several years, working as the head bartender at hotels and saloons in St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Illinois, San Francisco, California, Charleston, South Carolina and New Orleans and Louisiana. At one point he toured Europe, carrying along a set of solid silver bar tools. He was well known for his showmanship as a bartender: he developed elaborate and flashy techniques of mixing cocktails, sometimes while juggling bottles, cups and mixers. He often wore flashy jewellery and had bar tools and cups embellished with precious stones and metals. At the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, Thomas was earning $100 a week, more than the Vice President of the United States.

In 1862 Thomas had compiled The Bar-Tender’s Guide (alternately titled; How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion), the first drink book ever published in the United States. The book collected and codified what was then an oral tradition of recipes from the early days of cocktails, including some of his own creations; the guide laid down the principles for formulating mixed drinks of all categories. He would update it several times in his lifetime to include new drinks that he found or created. The first edition of the guide included the first written recipes of such cocktails as the Brandy Daisy, Fizz, Flip, Sour and variations of the earliest form of mixed drink,Punch. The 1876 edition included the first written recipe for the Tom Collins which appeared just after The Great Tom Collins hoax of 1874.

Thomas’ signature drink, the Blue Blazer, was developed at the El Dorado gambling saloon in San Francisco. The drink involves lighting whiskey afire and passing it back and forth between two stainless steel mugs, creating an arced flame. Thomas continued to develop new drinks throughout his life. His development of the Martinez, which first appeared in the 1887 edition of his guide, has sometimes been viewed as a precursor to the modern martini (though the two do not share many common traits). Thomas claimed to have invented the Tom and Jerry and did much to popularize it in the United States, however the history of the drink predated him.

Upon returning to New York City, he became head bartender at the Metropolitan hotel before opening his most famous bar on Broadway, between 21 and 22nd Street, in 1866. Thomas was one of the first to display the work of Thomas Nast, and in his famous saloon he hung caricatures of the political and theatrical figures; one notable drawing, now lost, was of Thomas in nine tippling postures. The saloon also included funhouse mirrors. This historic bar is currently a Restoration Hardware.

Thomas himself was an active man about town. He was a flashy dresser fond of kid gloves and a gold Parisian watch. He enjoyed going to bare-knuckle prize fights, and was an art collector. He enjoyed traveling and collecting recipes all across State

Thomas was a genius for publicity. His appearance at the new American Bar at the Cremorne pleasure gardens in London was preceded by leaflets dropped from a hot air balloon. Rumour spread of having spent as much as $5,000 on a custom bar kit for the event. By middle age he was married and had two daughters. Always a good sport, he was one of the lighter members of the Fat Men’s Association at 205 pounds. He also had a side interest in gourds; at one point in the late 1870s, Thomas sat as president of The Gourd Club after producing the largest specimen.

Towards the end of his life, Thomas tried speculating on Wall Street, but bad judgments rendered him broke. He had to auction his possessions at one point. A bar tab of his went unpaid for three weeks and his family made no money from any of the editions of his cocktail book. He had to sell his successful saloon and auction off his considerable art collection; he tried opening a new bar but was unable to maintain the level of popularity as his more famous location. He died in New York City of apoplexyin 1885 at the age of 55. His death was marked by substantial obituaries across the United States. In their obituary, The New York Times noted Thomas was at one time better known to club men and men about town than any other bartender in this city, and he was very popular among all classes.

So, while he did not invent the drink - the Tom & Jerry appears in books and diaries from before Thomas’ birth in 1830. We would like to raise a glass of it in his honor. We hope you join us.

…the alchemist says

We made it our mission to revive the original Soda Siphon. Every...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:40:14 +0000

We made it our mission to revive the original Soda Siphon. Every model we sell is professionally restored by us; with handcraft precision we make sure that every Soda Siphon works just as well as it did 80 years ago.

We enjoyed making this video very much. We put all our heart and knowledge about Soda Siphons into making this video. The wooden work bench we are doing all our work on is actually even a bit older than our Soda Siphons, it was built by my grandfathers cousin in 1918.

siphonmanufaktur.de

…the alchemist says

2013 Predictions: Key Cocktail Trends

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:18:00 +0000

Above: Man / Machine ? If the Mayan prophecy is said to be true, could this be the future of bartending? #21/12/2012

Words by: Camper English

In recent years, a disturbing percentage of high-end cocktail bars have forgotten that drinking is supposed to be fun. Luckily, the anti-blah backlash is under way. In 2013, we will see brighter and less-filling cocktails served up more quickly, in fresh new formats and with a splash of humor. Here is a deeper look at what you can expect to see from cocktail bars in the months ahead.

Carbonation Nation
Thanks to nifty tools like the Perlini Cocktail Shaker and the iSi Soda Siphon, bartenders at San Francisco’s Chez Papa Resto and other quality drinking establishments have been on a bubble kick. Adding fizz changes a drink’s texture and gives stirred cocktails some zip, so we encourage you to go off-menu and add some effervescence to your beverage of choice.

Molecular Mixology 2.0
When molecular mixology first surfaced on the culinary radar, it was all spheres, gelatins, and foams. Fun, yes, but most of us prefer cocktails we can drink, which is why we’re glad to see the art form enter its second age. As patrons of Chicago’s Aviary and New York City’s Booker & Dax are already learning, alchemical wizardry is secondary to a proper pour. While artisans of the craft still do crazy stuff like carmelise cocktails with 1,500-degree pokers and chill glasses instantly with liquid nitrogen, we now get to have our eye candy and actually drink it, too.

Meat at the Bar?
Just when we thought the “just add bacon” trend was on the downswing, the connection between butchers and bartenders grows ever closer. Whether the intriguing synergy is a by-product of the boom in meat shops run by artisans who resemble extras in The Gangs of New York we can’t say, but we are more than happy to see the tired bowls of peanuts and pretzels replaced with carnivore-friendly bar snacks like charcuterie and chicharrones. The infamous bone luge (a demented Portland, Oregon, trend requiring you to drink a shot of alcohol through a cleaned-out shank bone) may not have universal appeal, nor do New Orleans’ annual Pig & Punch parties or restaurants with names like Meat (Louisville), Meat Market (Miami), and Swine (New York City), but the daring ideas behind those butcher-to-bar phenomenons forecast that the connection between the two industries will produce things far more interesting than bacon-infused vodka.

Low-Impact Liquor
Now that bar hopping has come full circle as a preferred alternative to clubbing, drinkers are not looking to get wasted in two cocktails flat. Fortunately, palatable spirits with low-alcohol ingredients have never been more accessible, and at trendy places like The Beagle in New York City and Belly Q in Chicago, we’re seeing shrewd partiers prolong their nights by sipping top-quality French vermouths, bold Spanish sherries, Italian amaros, and countless other digestifs. The trend extends to beer and wine as well; session beers are all the rage, and wine snobs have rebelled against high-proof reds.

Slow Drinks, Faster
Everyone enjoys a fancy and complicated cocktail from time to time, but nothing kills a buzz quite like waiting 20 minutes for your beverage to be concocted. At last, considerate bartenders have devised clever ways to speed up the process. A few of our favorite tricks: serving batch cocktails like punch (at Cienfuegos in New York City), putting mixed drinks on tap (at Sanctuaria in St. Louis), pouring barrel-aged cocktails over ice (at Tigress Pub in Austin), bottling popular menu items before bar service begins (at Canon in Seattle), and storing bottled cocktails for individual customers (at Saxon & Parole in NYC). Soon, getting up to order a drink from the bar won’t take much longer than fixing it yourself—and you won’t have to wash any dishes afterward.

Camper English is an international cocktails and spirits writer and the publisher of alcademics.com.

…the alchemist says

Source: Details.com