As a bartender, I frequently deal with guests who have misconceptions about the cocktails I make. People tend to drink beverages with little or no flavour other than the lime that is squeezed into their lowball. It is a little beyond me why someone might want to drink something that tastes like nothing, but my own pre-conceptions aside, everyone is entitled to drink what they want. Far be it for me to tell you what you like! Give me a chance and I will certainly show you my version of a well balanced creative cocktail, and if you dont like it, I will buy it for you and you can go back to your vodka soda.
I have recently purchased a house with my fiancé, in one of my most unfavoured places, Oshawa, Ontario. Commonly known as “the SHWA”, “the SHWIGGEDY”, I had my own misconceptions that had always had a sour taste in my mouth about this place, that was until I recently met my new neighbor Missy. She welcomed us to the neighborhood with a bottle of gin from her late husband. “I can’t stand the stuff”, she said with a scrunched up face. That was my cue to show her what a wonderful backbone a good Gin could be in a cocktail that was lovingly mixed. I had never tried this particular bottle, but I played with it a little and when I was happy with a new gin cocktail that worked with this particular spirit, I decided to invite Missy over for a to taste it. I proceeded to mix her up a cocktail that was adapted from a bartender I met years earlier, but worked particularly well with this Gin.
No.209 gin, Pimms No. 1, Rubicon guava juice, cloudy apple juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup & some bruised mint. Finished off with some caramelized Angostura Bitter figs. Needless to say, she had never tasted anything like it and I think I am her new best friend! Just as I had a misconception of the place I now call home & she had a similar misconception of gin. I was reminded of the dangers of passing judgement on something before you have really given it a chance, because sometimes all it takes is the right individual to show you how it really is, or how great it can be! They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. As it turns out, I love to teach people about mixology and bartending and while there is a quiet cocktail culture out here in Durham, I think I shall be the pioneer & unleash some phenomenal cocktails on the taste buds of the SHWIGGEDEZE!. The cocktail was called Gone Native, think I’ll change it to what I am now proud to be….Oshawa Native. From out east, may your vessel never be empty, keep mixing 🙂
Jeremy!
GRADUATE DEBT FREE!!!
Recently Bartenderone launched its University Tour initiative up at Brock University’s 2011 Vendor Fair. About 5 years ago we tested the water at Guelph University with a two day condensed version of the Bartenderone Masterclass and it was a great success. Since then the Bartenderone Masterclass has quickly evolved into the most sought after bartending certificate in Canada. What makes Bartenderone different? What makes them better than the competition?
Unlike other bartending schools, Bartenderone’s focus is not on trying spirits and drinks and leaving class “half in the bag” and unable to retain any information that you learned. The focus is on understanding spirit profiles and executing cocktails with the concepts of synergy, accuracy, and speed being the main emphasis. Sprinkle in some valuable wine knowledge and high impact, low risk flair techniques and our graduates are better prepared than any others entering into the hospitality industry.
Being a University graduate myself I can understand and relate to the day to day financial struggles of a student with a full course load. Entering my second year at Guelph University my steady diet of Chunky soup and Mr. Noodles became very tiresome and I was becoming very weary of my increasing student debt. Like most other students my only solution was to find a part time job to assist me with my problem. While home for Christmas break I attended bartending school in Toronto at Bartenderone and became one of the first graduates of the program. This certification allowed me to go back to Guelph and immediately find a job barbacking. Although I wasn’t making “rockstar” bartender money at first, barbacking was a great stepping stone for me and put a steady flow of money in my pocket to help me survive. By third year, after a lot of hardwork and patience, I was bartending 3 nights a week and paying my rent in one week worth of tips! All of a sudden I had a large amount of disposable income at my fingertips and the prospect of eliminating my student debt while still a student became a very real possibility! Being very conscious of the poor spending habits of my past I put in place a very simple plan to save money that I learned while attending bartending school. The result was one year of barbacking, two years of high volume bartending experience, and zero student debt when I graduated! There are many part-time jobs available to post secondary students but none of them compare to the potential money you can make once you work in a tip friendly environment! Bartending proved so lucrative for me that I became a full-time instructor and mixologist with Bartenderone. Work smarter not harder!