Cocktails that are created with care for the earth will show your guests' you care for their well being!
With public health awareness at an all time high, and a recovering economy that is shifting focus back on the environmental movement, more and more bars are making an effort to go green with their daily business practices for a handful of reasons. Organic ingredients are popping up at every turn, in fact more than 75 different types of Organic Spirits, Liqueurs, Wines and Beers are available in most provinces.
First of all, itâs important to identify the difference between a green cocktail and the absurdity of the healthy cocktail. Ordering up a beverage made with green tea liqueur is not going to earn you any points in the antioxidant cup. Organic Spirits, Wines and Beers are becoming more and more popular, new companies are jumping on the organic bandwagon, others have been quietly producing organic and sustainable products for decades. Do organic ingredients in a cocktail really make a difference? Are they any healthier for you? Arenât cocktails are supposed to be a little bit naughty anyways?
To answer this question, we made three cocktails, one completely organic, one made with non-organic spirits, citrus and sweeteners, and one in the fashion commonly employed by most bars in operation in Canada today.
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What is the Importance of Ice
Ice isâŚ. An Integral Component of Every cocktail, under the general definition of a cocktail being âan alcoholic beverage which includes: Sugar, Bitters and Water (Ice)â. Whether it is being used to chill a cocktail, mix ingredients together, for dilution and water content or simply just to take up space in a glass â Ice is just as important as the drink itself.
 Bartending classes teach, about how much Ice a bartender should use in each cocktail being made, both in cocktails with a mixer for example a Whiskey Sour or even something as simple as a Rum and Coke and in âspirit- forwardâ cocktails such as a Negroni or a Manhattan. These applications are concerned with ice in the final product, but what about drinks that are served with no ice?
Question: What does âNeatâ mean?
Answer: NO ICE!!! A drink served neat, would be a shot of liquor that has had no contact with Ice. Itâs gone straight from the bottle to the glass.
So what does âStraight-Upâ mean? Ever had a Cosmopolitan or a Vodka Martini with Ice in it? I doubt it. Now think about thisâŚ..Have you ever seen a bartender shake or stir a drink, then strain the drink into a glass with no ice? This cocktail would be called a âStraight-Upâ cocktail.
So to simplify, both âStraight-Upâ and âNeatâ drinks are served without Ice. The difference is that âStraight-Upâ cocktails have had contact with ice at some point leading up to being served.
As mentioned earlier, Ice can be used to take up space in a glass. “Why wouldn’t I just use a smaller glass?” I can hear you all asking. Have you ever had a Mojito served straight-up or in a short glass with no Ice? Crushed Ice is used in the classic Mojito recipe, because not only does it keep the drink ‘Ice” cold, it takes up space in the glass allowing the drink to contain less liquid, but still appear to be a tall, grande, gesture from your favourite bartender.
Egg whites are becoming a commonly used ingredient in a whole range of different libations. Just like pineapple juice, the egg whites will emulsify under heavy shaking or whisking creating a foam. The Ice used in the shaker tin almost acts as a whisk and helps the process of emulsification during shaking, in such cocktails as the Whiskey Sour or the Gin Fizz.
Question: How important is ‘Dilution’?
Answer:Â In many cases, it is very important.
Many cocktail recipes include a shake or a stir, these are for both mixing the drink, making it cold and dilution.
Look out soon for the up-and-coming ‘Build, Shake, Stir’ blog.
Also, take a look at our molecular mixology program which will give you the lowdown on both liquid Nitrogen and Dry-Ice