Tag Archives: Bartender One

Flair and the City… of Toronto!

By BartenderOne | Published: December 1, 2010

Toronto Flair League #2 August 31st 2010

On the heels of a very successful first competition, the Toronto Flair League was thinking bigger and better for TFL#2 which was to take place on August 31st 2010.

The roster for the second flair bartending competition had grown from 22, to 29 bartenders. Much like TFL#1, there were two divisions; amateur, and advanced. Amateur competitors would receive three minutes of show time, and the advanced competitors would perform for four. Both amateur and advanced competitors were required to create two cocktails; one with working flair, and one with exhibition flair.

My, Oh My, Oh Margarita!

By BartenderOne | Published: November 24, 2010

Strap on your mixologist shoes, because the Margarita possibilities are endless!

For some reason, the world’s most popular cocktail has never quite captured Canadian hearts. Instead, the margarita has always had a bit of a seedy reputation, the chief protagonist in stories that start “remember that time in Mexico.” But rather than take up time and space determining our national opposition to the cocktail (bar mix instead of fresh lime, maybe?), let’s play with some variations sure to temp any palate.

The original margarita is as simple as its little brother, the tequila shot (salt, tequila and a slice of lime). Classic recipes call for three parts tequila, one part Cointreau and three parts fresh lime juice, shaken hard over ice. Made like this, the cocktail is deliciously balanced, the strength of the tequila working with the sweetness of orange and sourness of the lime. But while it will no doubt go down in history as one of the classics, we are lucky to be in the middle of a cocktail revolution, allowing us to use everything and anything in our power to concoct new creations.

Posted in Proper Service, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, Bartending, bartending school, Bartending School Toronto, blackberry, Cocktails, Flair Bartending, Fresh Cocktails, Learn to Bartend, Margarita, Mixologist, Mixology, Molecular Mixology, toronto bartending school | Comments closed

The Tipping Point.

By BartenderOne | Published: November 10, 2010

Great service is so hard to come by; If only we could all have giant forks.

I’m ticked off. You might even say I’m at the tipping point. I’m fed up with receiving mediocre drinks and dealing with snotty bartenders who think they deserve to get tipped for service that is average at best.

Each year, I’m lucky to be able to go some place warm for the first week of January to unwind, recharge and set goals for the year. I usually look for a destination that has a namesake cocktail; last year I got to work with some amazing bartenders in Fiji. While I taught them a little bit about mixology, they schooled me how to make the perfect blue lagoon while standing in the Blue Lagoon in the Yasawa Islands.

Shortly thereafter I travelled to Miami in search of the best made mojito outside of Havana, Cuba. The offering up and down the Miami Beach strip was, quite frankly, pathetic. Most bartenders used mint syrup instead of fresh mint, lime and sugar. They also treated our party like an interruption rather than the reason for their employment. In Miami, I was told to “wait a moment” because the bartender was watching television. Then he not only charged me an 18 per cent automatic gratuity on the single mojito I purchased but had the gall to ask for an additional tip.

Posted in Mixology, Proper Service, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, Bartending, bartending school, Bartending School Toronto, Cocktails, Fresh Cocktails, garnish, Gavin MacMillan, Learn to Bartend, Mixologist, Mixology, Molecular Mixology, toronto bartending school, Toronto Bartending Schools | Comments closed

The Classics Reborn – Have you noticed a trend forming in the ever-changing world of cocktails?

By BartenderOne | Published: November 4, 2010

Yes, being innovative in the cocktail world is great, but you must know how to make a quality classic!

The last couple of years have seen countless changes behind the bar. In fact, if you can dream it, you’ll probably see it at a bar near you, where bar chefs continually redefine “thinking outside the box.” Flavoured spirits, infusions, dry ice, flamed garnishes, muddled drinks and the inclusion of herbs and fresh fruit are all testament to this. With the world now at our fingertips, it isn’t hard for your establishment be on the forefront of the next big thing, the next beverage revolution.

Here’s the kicker. Refined versions (or re-defined versions) of old school cocktails are in. Signature drinks such as Cosmopolitans and Sidecars are back with a vengeance, revamped for a taste that is familiar, yet new. Ingredients like pomegranate and green tea, for example, are adding a whole new level of flavour and sophistication to the traditional martini.

Posted in Mixology, Proper Service, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, Bartending, bartending school, Bartending School Toronto, Cocktails, Flair Bartending, Fresh Cocktails, garnish, Gavin MacMillan, Learn to Bartend, Mixologist, Mixology, Molecular Mixology, toronto bartending school, Toronto Bartending Schools | Comments closed

Does Passion Equal Profit?

By BartenderOne | Published: September 29, 2010

Mojito

A little bit of love can go a long way. Care about your drinks! Customers WILL notice, and so will the bank.

Most managers in the hospitality industry have experienced a diamond in the rough. By this I mean a staff member who just seems to get service, and has that “X factor” we can never seem to put our finger on. Having thought about it a fair amount, I have come to the conclusion that the aforementioned “X factor” is passion. And while many of our staff members are admittedly on a career stopover, I believe that you can ignite this passion. How? By simply articulating the “What’s In It for Me?”

Posted in Mixology, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, Bartending, Bartending Competition, bartending school, Bartending School Toronto, Cocktails, Fresh Cocktails, Mixologist, Mixology, Money Drinks, toronto bartending school, Toronto Bartending Schools | Comments closed

The Bitter Truth – Elevating Customers’ Taste Experiences.

By BartenderOne | Published: September 8, 2010

Bitters; the salt and pepper of the drink world!

I’ve been bartending for longer than I can remember and, to be honest, it was years before I ever opened a bottle of bitters.

While working in Australia I was introduced to bitters as one of the ingredients in the hangover cure trifecta — lemon, lime and bitters. Made with lemonade (or 7Up to those of us who live in North America), lime cordial and the magic “bitters,” this elixir is used to settle the stomach.

Posted in Mixology, Proper Service, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, Bartending School Toronto, Bitters, Cocktail Bitters, Cocktails, garnish, Gavin MacMillan, Learn to Bartend, Mixologist, Mixology, Molecular Mixology, Whisky Sour | Comments closed

38-years-old and Never Kissed a Girl.

By BartenderOne | Published: August 31, 2010

The Caesar; the quintessential Canadian cocktail.

As I sit here writing this article and enjoying the last days of summer, I’m thinking of things that are distinctly Canadian. A few come to mind – long weekends at the cottage, The Tragically Hip, maple syrup, and the Caesar.

There’s no question that Canadians are lovers of the savoury Caesar cocktail. As a nation, we consume three hundred million Caesars a year, which roughly means 10 per man, woman and child. This quintessential Canadian cocktail was born nearly 40 years ago when a man named Walter Chell was saddled with inventing a signature house cocktail for an Italian restaurant being built in the Weston Hotel in Calgary.

Posted in Mixology | Also tagged Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, Bartending School Toronto, Cocktails, Gavin MacMillan, Learn to Bartend, Mixologist, Mixology, Molecular Mixology, toronto bartending school, Toronto Bartending Schools | Comments closed

Raising the Bar at The Four Seasons!

By BartenderOne | Published: August 26, 2010

The Cucumber Collins was a hit among the experienced bartenders.

Have you ever been to a bar where you feel like your bartender is just simply slamming a drink on a counter for you, rather than being able to give you an entertaining experience and a hand crafted cocktail?

There are many bartenders who noticeably carry around an attitude in which they really don’t care about the quality of the experience or drink they are serving their client; this needs to change.

The Four Seasons Hotel, located at 21 Avenue Road in the heart of downtown Toronto, has made and been able to maintain a name for themselves based on their admirable customer service and notable cocktail menu.

On Wednesday, August 25, 2010, BartenderOne was asked to create an interactive bartender training program and team building workshop for the bartenders at The Four Seasons Hotel to help, provide in depth bartender training, open the minds of the staff of all the amazing possibilities within their menu, and of course to start to change the way cocktails are being formulated. Kick out the powdered barmix!

Posted in Mixology, Proper Service, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bartender Training, Bartending School Toronto, Cocktails, Four Seasons Toronto, Gavin MacMillan, Learn to Bartend, Mixology, Molecular Mixology, Toronto Bartending Schools | Comments closed

Can you afford to train… Can you afford not to?

By BartenderOne | Published: August 25, 2010

It's like sending someone to race a car who doesn't know how to drive.... Lacking bartender training is absolutely detrimental to a business !

Do you have unexplained losses in liquor or wine, in draught beer… in all three? If your restaurant is like most hospitality concepts, chances are your current bartender training is based on generations of bartenders who may not have been fully trained themselves. Most restaurants open with meticulous operational guidelines for how drinks are prepared, with detailed recipe lists that must be strictly adhered to along with opening and closing procedures, weekly checklists for cleanliness and follow up procedures. Does this sound familiar? Maybe it’s a distant memory…

What usually follows can be likened to a game of broken telephone, where each generation of bartenders passes on an adapted interpretation of your original training message. In the hospitality industry where employee turnover rates are commonly 50%-66% per year, it doesn’t take long before your original training standards are barely recognizable.

Posted in Mixology, Proper Service, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, bartending school, Bartending School Toronto, Cocktails, Learn to Bartend, Mixologist, Mixology, toronto bartending school, Toronto Bartending Schools | Comments closed

Irregular Service Ethics.

By BartenderOne | Published: August 19, 2010

Yes, PLEASE.

Remember every time Norm walked into the bar on Cheers, the entire bar would call out in unison “NORM!” It didn’t matter who was behind the bar, they knew what he drank, and it was ready and waiting for him as he assumed his position at the end of the bar. Norm embodied the “regular,” the men and women who frequent your establishment regularly. They are the ones who more often than not, tip well, and don’t ask for any special kind of service. In many cases they are the types who spend thousands a year in your establishment. They are the cornerstones of your business, you certainly can’t afford to lose them, so the question clearly is how do you keep them and how do you get more of them?

Posted in Mixology, Proper Service, Raising the Bar | Also tagged Bar Chef, Bartender, Bartender Training, Bartenderone, bartending school, Bartending School Toronto, Clients, Gavin MacMillan, Good Service, Mixologist, Regular Customers, Rob Montgomery | Comments closed