Tips please!
Tip literally stands for To Insure Promptness.
Most people who work in the service industry rely on tips as a major part of their income. Because this is a known fact, most servers and bartenders are paid minimum wage if not less.
That being said, we all have to keep in mind that a tip is a gratuity and is not mandatory.
Flair in action!
It seems every bar you go to these days, you will see someone throwing bottles in the air, jumping up on the bar, or lighting something on fire. Flair bartending is the term used to describe these actions. It is showmanship mixed with bartending to enhance the guest’s overall experience.
The finished product mmmm...
What makes a Negroni stand out above all other cocktails for me is the variety of flavors that hit your tastebuds as soon as the liquid enters your mouth. The sweet sensation that jolts you back to reality after that first sip is the sweet vermouth which is also present in that manly martini named the ‘Manhattan’.
The amazing fresh produce at St. Lawrence Market, ripe for the picking.
Here in Toronto we are particularly blessed with access to several excellent open and indoor markets. St. Lawrence Market and the Kensington District both offer fantastic selections of fresh produce, bulk goods, and specialty shops with every imaginable ingredient under the sun. You can almost always track down specific spices and preserves, thanks especially to the diversity of background in our city. However, at least half the fun of a trip to the market is the item you didn’t expect to see! Preserved Marasca Cherries, anyone? A hidden find at one of these well stocked purveyors could spark your next great cocktail idea!
A day of experimenting: Repeal House Bitters
Have you ever tasted a something and thought ‘man I could do a better job myself’? BartenderOne had the chance to back up this statement when Lauren Mote, celebrated Mixologist from The Refinery Bar in Vancouver came to assist with a culinary approach to cocktails.
The Toronto Flair League’s first season was incredibly successful. The promoters were overwhelmed with the interest and passion shared not only by the competitors, but with the fans as well. In the past six months, the interest in the sport of flair bartending has risen faster than ever in the city of Toronto.
Season 2 promised to be bigger and better. One of the most notable changes was the addition of a third division. Instead of having advanced and amateur divisions, the TFL now is comprised of A, B, and C divisions.
This change opened the doors for the jam packed B division, (formerly the advanced division) competitors because the top 6 bartenders from season 1 were moved into the A division.
With the talent spread very evenly throughout the B division, the competition level is higher than ever before.
February 23 2011 marked the start of season 2.
There were three new competitors joining the C division including Yuki Yamazaki, Terri Lee, and Louis Brosas who were competing for the very first time.
As usual, the Loose Moose was close to capacity to witness the biggest showcase of flair bartending skills that Toronto has ever seen.
Heading into the show, odds makers had Dustin “Flair Bear” Costain as the favorite for the B division, followed closely by Jeremy Janes, Mauro Pento, Jeremy Browes, and Shay Court.
The TFL’s first 5 minute A division round kicked off with Alejandro Giraldo throwing down a near flawless routine.
At the end of the night, the crowd was eager with anticipation to find out the results for all 3 divisions.
In the C division, taking home third place was newcomer Louis Brosas. Second place went to Yann, and taking home the C division championship was Pierre Gadouas of Montreal.
In the B division, coming in third place and the $40 prize was the Loose Moose’s own Jay Myers. Second place and the $60 prize went to Jeremy Browes, and taking home the $100 prize and the first season 2 championship was “Flair Bear” Dustin Costain.
The A Division saw Kris Perez take third place. Season 1 champion David Jennings took home second place, and the first ever Division A champion was Alejandro Giraldo who claimed the $150 prize.
Another successful competition by the Toronto Flair League is proof of the rising interest in flair bartending in the city of Toronto.
There are few bartending schools in Toronto that promote, and properly train bartenders in the art of flair. BartenderOne is responsible for training over 80% of the bartenders in the TFL, and Flair Studios Canada has also done a great job preparing bartenders for competition.
Moving forward, the Toronto Flair League will be incorporating themes into their competitions to make the guest experience that much better.
Watch out for TFL 80’s night in late March.
Until then, keep flipping.
The Aviation -- A mouth watering classic cocktail!
I’ve been told that the face a bartender makes when he/she is shaking a drink is the same face they make when they are having sex. You might want to practice making these three cool cocktails in front of a mirror…
The Sazerac
In the 1500s, lead cups were commonly used to drink ale.The combination of alcoholic beverage and lead vessel would sometimes knock drinkers out for a couple of days, and these unfortunate souls would be taken for dead and prepared for burial! A body would be laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days, and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if the body would wake up – hence the custom of holding a wake.
Cocktail caviar is a fairly simple, yet effective way of impressing your guests while hitting taste/texture sensations they've never heard of!
Spring is just around the corner, and it’s time to shake things up – or stir things up, depending on the drink! Here are some completely random recipes that have crossed my lips this month. If you or your staff have recipes you think might be of interest to Behind Bars readers, please drop me a line!
The Montgomery
Named by Ernest Hemingway in honour of the British general who, he claimed, would fight the enemy only if he had 15 soldiers to their one – that was also the proportion of gin to dry vermouth in the martinis Hemingway ordered.
(Source: The Harry’s Bar Cookbook, Arrigo Cipriani)
Adapted recipe for a 60ml “Montgomery” martini
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Something to tickle those tastebuds….
Thirsty?
SOMETHING BLUE
A study was done in the bar industry with the purpose to find out what colour is the most effective to drive sales. Without question, the overwhelming result proved that blue was the way to go. As a bartender, if I make a blue cocktail such as a Banana Popsicle martini, or a Blue cosmo, without fail someone will see it and come up to my bar and ask for “that blue drink”.
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