Seventy-five years ago, during the Great Depression, Americans cheered and raised a glass to the repeal of prohibition. Largely viewed as a huge flop â considering that as soon as Congress banned the sale and service of alcohol, consumption rose to record levels (though just how much it increased is tough to judge as âgangstersâ didnât find it prudent to report their sales to the government) â there are lessons to be learned from the ânoble experiment,â which can be applied to the recession we face today.
Tag Archives: Bartending
Reintroducing Quality Cocktails – A Fresh Look at Profits Behind the Bar
Does Passion Equal Profit?
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 âX factorâ 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 âX factorâ 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 âWhatâs In It for Me?â
Turning Your Bar Green.
While the environmental movement is at the forefront of public conscience, more and more bars are making an effort to go green with their daily business practices. Iâm sure youâve heard all the popular catch phases: renewable energy, carbon neutral footprint and the uber-popular green is the new black.
What does this have to do with operating my restaurant or bar you ask?
First of all, itâs important to identify the difference between a green cocktail and the absurdity of the healthy cocktail. Ordering up a martini made with pomegranate liqueur is not going to earn you any points in the antioxidant cup. Cocktails are supposed to be a little bit naughty anyways…
It starts with the understanding that operating a sustainable bar or restaurant is easier than you think, not to mention the opportunities to save money and increase margins. Making each business decision with the environment in mind is rewarding in many ways: socially, economically and environmentally.
Branding â Not just for Cattle.
If you look up the word âbrandâ in the dictionary, you will discover that a brand is, âa mark or symbol to differentiate oneâs cattle from anotherâs.â The key word in that definition, as it relates to your establishment, is differentiate. It takes courage to be different and faith in your vision to be successful in the long-term.
In todayâs highly competitive world, developing and promoting your difference or brand is increasingly difficult, almost as difficult as it is to find adequate bartender training. There are a few companies that have done it well and have enjoyed the rewards of successful branding. For example, when you think of the Bellini, most people think of Milestoneâs. The company has a great cocktail menu, yet the Bellini is their flagship cocktail, and the one that they are known for. Why is this drink so successful? Consistent quality and eye-catching presentation … you know that the drink is going to look great and taste great at the same time.
One Way Ticket to Margaritaville!
As a Canadian, when I think of tequila I get flashbacks of an all-inclusive vacation in Mexico with a hangover. To most of us, itâs simply a shot that gets thrown back with a lick of salt and a squeeze of citrus fruit to kill the after taste. All of that is about to change…
Tequila is one of the more versatile spirits. Itâs diverse and its great depth of flavour makes it a natural ingredient for cocktails. Despite a massive worldwide tequila shortage in 2000 and the resulting increase in price as supplies diminished, tequila remains one of the premier spirits on any bar south of the border. While vodka still reigns supreme as the number one spirit sold, the cosmopolitan falls a distant second to the margarita which is the worldâs most popular cocktail, and has been for years.
Who Says “It’s Not Easy Being Green?”
From the classic long island iced tea to start off your evening, to a warm and comforting blueberry tea after a good meal, tea flavoured cocktails have been around for forever. The recent surge in popularity of green tea, coupled with the fact that teas are included on more and more cocktail menus, is a great indication that weâre all about to get a healthy dose of antioxidants. In North America, high quality tea products are now more accessible than ever. With its highly publicized health benefits, wholesale tea sales have grown more than 600 per cent in the last 15 years. Trailblazing restauranteurs are noticing the trends from the Far East and incorporating what was once considered a very ceremonial ingredient into todayâs cocktail revolution. Matcha is one of the latest types of tea to hit the Canadian marketplace. Donât feel bad if youâve never heard of it, few people, or bartenders for that matter, have. With both Starbucks and Booster Juice recently adding matcha to their menus, it wonât be long before itâs a household name. Just know that matcha is the new chai, and itâs a buzzword that may just turn the industry on its ear.
Are you Getting Fresh with Me?
The kitchen and the bar have always had a peaceful coexistence and freshness has always been a key ingredient to the success of any kitchen. The same is quickly becoming true as consumers are demanding the same fresh, handcrafted care from their mixologist as they do from their chefs. Itâs rare to find a bar chef who can take the principles of traditional mixology, and synergize them with fresh ingredients to create cocktails that take your dining and drinking experience to a new level.
Mixing a Formula for Long Term Success!
The industry is experiencing a cocktail revolution, and itâs time to start demanding more from bartenders
Has any one else noticed the increase in bars, restaurants and clubs arriving on the scene at the same rate they are disappearing? In major urban centres every week it seems that there is a new âI have to goâ spot to check out. Why canât these concepts find the secret to lasting success? Many bars and restaurants begin with a well-defined vision, spend countless hours and dollars on all the hard details of their operations and then in one swoop, hire their front line salespeople without considering their abilities to serve a drink? With all of these new places opening, who are we putting on the front lines to represent our new concepts?
Mixology Mondays – Pain in the Ass Drinks
MxMo XLVIII will take place Monday, April 26; hosting this round is Seattle bartender Mike McSorley, who publishes the blog McSology, and for the theme Mike has chosen Pain in the Ass Drinks. As he puts it in his preview post:
âŚMy charge to you all is to document your (least) favorite drink that is the proverbial thorn in your side. It can be virtually anything stylistically – The point here is to have fun and share that little ticket item that throws you off your cleaning game 10 minutes before last call!
Nishan Chandra from Blowfish presents the work in progress that may or may not be presented at Made with Love Mixology in Quebec City on May 10th.
Cafe Del Mar…
60mL Skyy Vodka
15mL Coconut cream steeped with dates and vanilla beans
15mL Mango Juice
30mL Espresso
60mL Melted Dark chocolate, white chocolate, Caramel (Kat Salon mix)
Shake all ingredients together over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
On a wonton spoon place 15mL Amarula Cream Liqueur, Mars Chocolate Spice, and Blowfish Espresso Chocolate Cake with Chili and Blue Icing Sugar Paste.
Place a tab of Kupuru on a hot stone and burn for menthol aromatics. Enjoy when Kapuru is spent.
Scott McMaster adds to the mix with his Lamb infused Skyy creation called Mary’s Little Caesar…
45mL Lamb infused Skyy Vodka
120mL Clamato
Powdered Mushroom, Rosemary and Thyme Infused Salt Rim
Served over frozen cucumber cubes.
Coming from the school that every Caesar is different everywhere you go, and its never perfect unless you make it, each element has so many vartiations, the ultimate combination is only found on your own palate.
you can follow Dr Evil aka Scott McMaster on twitter… @evilatthebar
Wes Galloway came to the bar with the KFCeasar.
KFCeaser
45mL Roast Chicken-Infused Vodka
15mL Vodka
3-4 Dashes Smokin’ Joe Hot Sauce
3oz Mott’s Clamato
Healthy pinch of 11 herb/spice blend(Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Celery Salt, Paprika, Black Pepper, Salt, Ginger, Garlic, MSG, Dry Mustard)
*Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and roll drink between mixing tin and glass 8-10 times. Strain drink into an ice-filled highball glass rimmed with the 11 herb/spice blend. Use any leftover spice to make fried chicken;)
You can find Wes on Facebook by searching Wes Galloway
Gavin MacMillan busted out a Strawberry Pear Caipiroska
60mL Grey Goose La Poire
2 Strawberries and 1/2 lime muddled
1 tsp sugar
Muddle berries an lime with sugar, add crushed ice and La Poire.
you can follow Gavin on twitter… @bartenderone
Irish Coffee
As I like to make all my cocktails fresh and handcrafted the Irish Coffee is my absolute PAIN in the ASS drink. The bottles have been wiped, dishwasher dismantled and some guests sneek in. “Irish Coffee? No Problem… Let me put on a fresh pot of coffee….” Next a whisk and bowl are pulled out and the cream starts to happen…. At this point the guest usually looks a little sheepish, but I keep a genuine hospitable smile. Once the drink finally gets to their lips, it is surely the best post prandial they have ever had, and heck with all this whipped cream and coffee let’s have another round!!
Irish Coffee
Unsweetened Heavy Cream
50ml Irish Whiskey
120ml Fresh-Brewed coffee
30ml Rich simple syrup
Whip the cream until bubbles no longer form on the surface, thickened but still pourable.
In a small white wine glass combine remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine.
Ladle 2-3cm of cream on top, garnish if desired and serve at once….
you can follow Rob on twitter… @kidcampari
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Molecular Mixology
There are so many possibilities within Mixology; Incorporating one or more than one element of molecular can blow your guests' minds!
There has been tremendous buzz in the bartending world for the past few years regarding the term âmolecular mixology.â While the name itself can be a little intimidating, molecular mixology can be distilled down into one fundamental distinction. It is simply the process of changing the state of a liquid into a solid or gas.
While the bar and kitchen working together is certainly nothing new, the bar has begun taking cues from culinary predecessors; bartending is making a shift towards incorporating science into cocktails. The latest trend is something being referred to as âmolecular mixology,â the bar equivalent of a molecular approach to gastronomy, which has made leaps and bounds in the kitchen in the past few years.
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