ANGELS DRAFT

Bacardi asked us to make a cocktail that could stand the test of time. A new classic for our era. As one of 3 most promising I came up with Angels Draft. A blend of current rum classic cocktails put together in a unique way to create a new rum classic cocktail. Bacardi, Lime and Honey represent the foundation of the daiquiri, shaken with Mint leaves (Mojito), Grapefruit Bitters (Hemingway), Yellow Chartreuse (Santiago Daisy) and Egg White to combine all the flavours under one roof.

This video has been one of the aspects of my marketing plan. Along with rum fest and numerous incentives and competitions, my aim was to make Angels Draft available to everyone. With bars in England, Scotland, Amsterdam and Barcelona listing my cocktail i hope that in the next 10 years Angels Draft will be considered one of our modern classics.

I hope you enjoy my film.

Mix it up…

Something for the Weekend

I have again been in the thick of it recently, moving from Trailer Happiness to Mahiki. Controversial i know, but the right decision at the right time i feel. So don’t be shy and come down for a shot of rum.

I got invited to attend the bartender visit to the home of Drambuie. It was a great opportunity to see how its made and to learn the passion that is used in every bottle. I even got to try and blend my own Drambuie, using the 2 different whiskeys, sugar and essences. A night out on the tiles in Glasgow followed, thanks to Jamie and Will from the brand.

This week sees the launch of the Chartreuse 2011 Cocktail Competition. This year you have until 31st December to put your entries to chartreuseuk@hotmail.com, recipe must include 25ml green chartreuse. Top prize is a visit to chartreuse and 3 days of skiing.

The Disaronno final is being held next week with yours truly going up against an old foe. Top prize is a trip to Los Angles to star in a movie as a bartender. Check out what happens on www.themixingstar.com

Congratulations to my great friend Joey Medrington  for winning Class Bartender of the year 2010. Well deserved mate. It was a great competition with some heavy weights in there, but Joey’s drink was amazing and he held himself together through the other rounds to come out victorious.

Finally, my good friend Adiran Gomes has extended his empire of consultancy to blog and event organising.

10 Dollar Shake

10 Dollar Shake are a creative bar solutions company, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.   They provide cocktail and premium spirit bars for weddings, fashion shows, society/charity balls, galas and outdoor events throughout Scotland.  On the smaller end of the scale, 10 Dollar Shake are happy to give away the secrets of the trade with their fun and interactive mixology lessons.  These guys will turn up to your home, office or hotel room with a portable bar, bartenders and some booze, teach you how to make some classic cocktails and let you loose behind the bar to shake your own.

www.10dollarshake.com

The Corpse & Cocktail

The Corpse & Cocktail is a weekly social every Sunday aimed at connoisseurs and bartenders alike.  It offers a fine imbibing experience with guest bartenders, conceptual cocktail lists, visual projections and laid-back dj’s.  It’s effectively a trade night, but no just aimed at industry.  It’s a cocktail-lovers haven…!  Check out their blog…

www.thecorpseandcocktail.blogspot.com

Mix it up…

Bartender of the Week

Andy Mil

“So Andy, London Cocktail Club, tell me whats next for 42 below team west london?”

“Team west london is trying to kick start a new carrier in rap. we wont to be the first 42 below bartending rap group. when i say 40 you say 2 blap.”

“BLAP BLAP! Who do you think is the team to beat?”

“All the teams that have made it through to the national final are strong contenders. scotland, east london and belfast.”

“Remind me what was your winning drink and inspiration?”

“the drink that got me throw was called “Cask Away” it was inspired by being ship wrecked on a desert island. and took ingredents from all the main ports from amsterdam to new zeland.”

“Tell me your cocktail history up until this point?”

“I started of at 18 waiting tables in april 2008 at a gasto pub called lots road pub and dining. There i met ali burgest who had just got back from pegu club. I worked the floor there till september that year when i met jj goodman at lab 1 drunken night who said he needed a bar back. i worked as a bar back for 2 weeks at Teatro night club. i got 100% in there cocktail test and got premoted to a bartender, by december i was head bartender.then in june 2009 i moved to the london cocktail club as there head bartender. and here i am now. 21 with a slight drinking habit.”

“What is your favorite cocktail?”

“I honestly don’t have a favorite cocktail. it would deepend were i am. i love classics and i love hated cocktails. things like cosmos majito orgasoms they are tasty drinks but get alot of bad press because bartenders tend to hate things that a normal person might have heard of.”

“What is the worst cocktail you have had made for you?”

“i had a pina calorda at a quite well established cocktail bar. but the boring ass bartender put so much coco lopes and off cream in to i could feel my teath rotting in my mouth. on a good note the free nuts were pukka.”

“Cant gor wrong with free nuts! If you could have any customer to make a drink for, who would it be? Living or Dead.”

“that blond chick that flanigan (tom) pulls and knocks up in jamaca in the bible that is the hit 80’s classic “cocktail”.

“She is a bit special.. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

“with liver damage………………..i would like to have a group of bars. and a bit of coin in the bank.”

“So any tips for success for any bartenders reading this blog?”

“work hard and play hard. if you wont to go far all ways be the hardest working bartender in your bar and you will go far.”

“Finally my last question, sweet or sour?”

“neither, nothing is quite like a well balanced drink”

“Thanks mate, this has been a great interview. I cant wait to rock out with you at Rumfest. “

Mix it up…

News

Recently I have been so busy with Chartreuse and Trailer Happiness that I have neglected my website. Well not anymore! I am going to attempt to update every section starting with this week’s news. This section will be a mix of old and new. Even though we are catching up together I will still try and keep the news current.

The old news is about the Paris bar show. As part of the Bacardi legacy competition myself and the 2 other bartenders were sent to Paris to showcase our drinks. The trip started with a dash to the train as me and David Paskins got caught up in tourist traffic at the ticket check point. Won’t be following David into a cue again. The hour long journey was made very pleasant as I got to catch up with Shervene, the new UK brand ambassador for Bacardi. We chatted about the coming few days and her last few hectic months before getting the role.

This being my first time in Paris I was very excited about visiting the city of romance. The weather was groggy but it wasn’t going to put me off a few days of good company and drinking.

The Paris bar show was well put together with a lot of friendly faces standing behind current drink brands. The seminars were well designed giving tutorials covering the basics through to the more advanced.

I enjoyed the Connaught seminar which was conducted by Ago Perrone and Eric Lorincz. It was simple and very informative, explaining their techniques. They also gave us a great insight into the new piano bar, which gives the customer the complete martini experience. You have to go along and see.

I got a chance to visit the most famous cocktail bars in Paris. The Hemmingway bar at the Ritz hotel was one of the highlights in which I expected the crème de la crème… I expected French influence and a style which I have not seen before. I won’t go on about every little detail that disgruntled me, but I will say one thing. Their Daiquiri was of a standard I would expect from a high street cocktail bar in Magaluf which is selling 2 4 1 cocktails using sour pre-mix. At 30 Euros a pop I left with a very bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t let that ruin my Paris experience as I bumped into Naomi Campbell on my way out. Couldn’t tell if it was a rock or a stone in her hand!

The following day was the one I was looking forward to the most. Bacardi had arranged for me and Scott to do a shift in Bar Le Forum, one of Paris’s hot spots. We were each asked to make our winning cocktail and explain our inspiration. What was meant to be a 2 hour stint ended in us calling last orders and finishing on a round of 15 Daiquiris? Epic!

All in all a fabulous trip rounded off with a great hangover!

Some current news is the numerous cocktail competitions coming up. At the moment we have two deadlines, one for Angostura rum and the other for Chambord. Both competitions and details on how to enter can be seen on – http://www.chambordonline.com

Hot off the press news! Chartreuse has agreed to host a competition. Details haven’t been released yet but it will take on the form of Come Dine With Me and the winners will get the chance to win a skiing trip to the French Alps! Ole!

So you think you can shake? Sunday 22^nd August, LAB in Soho hosted a speed competition which was put together by the guys from 42 Below, West London. With a list of 20 competitors, bartenders will battled it out to make 6 drinks in 4min 20sec to win a cash prize. I feel gloating rights is highest on the agenda in this one. 1st place went Mr Jim Wrigely, 2nd was Amanda Humphrey and 3rd was Matthew Dakers (thats right i’m quick sometimes.)

Amaretto have announced their competition with the deadline on the 10th september. One original drink and an Amaretto sour could win you the prize of a trip to Los Angles, Hollywood and a chance to star in a Movie/TV show as a guest bartender. This is very exciting – http://www.themixingstar.com  

Finally congratulations to my good friend Eric Lorincz for winning this year’s world class bartender of the year for Diageo. The competition summary and his winning drink can be found on – www.weareworldclass.com

Mix it up…

Bartender of the Week

Glenn Morgan

“Who do you think is the team to beat?”

“remind me what was your winning drink and inspiration?”

“Tell me your cocktail history up until this point?”

“What is your favorite cocktail?”

“what is the worst cocktail you have had made for you?”

“If you could have any customer to make a drink for, who would it be? Living or Dead.”

“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

“So any tips for success for any bartenders reading this blog?”

Mix it up…

Cocktails from Cupboards

Finally back with demand is this week’s cocktails from cupboards. I attempt to give you simple yet imaginative ideas for dinks that you can make from your home. Whether it is for the weekend bbq or a classy dinner situation, all these drinks use spirits and ingredients available from your local store or supermarket.

This week is one I have found recently from the Racontuer in Edinburgh. Created by Chris from the Black Pearl in Australia its leaves everything to the imagination and will confuse your friend and family into thinking whether they should trust you or not….

Death Flip

Using your empty jam jar as a shaker

 25ml Jagermeister

25ml Tequila

25ml Green chartreuse

1 whole egg

2 tea spoons of caster sugar

Shake all in the ingredients in the jam jar without ice then shake again with ice.

Simple add more ice after shaking and drink straight from you your jar.

 This drink is perfectly balanced with 3 of the most popular shots right now. Whether you’re making drinks for your friends or a bartender making them for a customer, this drink will definitely turn heads.

Mix it up…

Bartender of the Week

Victor Nordelof, thanks for taking your time out mate. What’s your bar history up until this point?

I started in 2004 bar backing and having the occasional bar shifts at a metal bar called Fellini in my hometown Uppsala outside of Stockholm, Sweden.
2005 I started at a night club called Birger Jarl in the same town and I worked there until spring 2008. During that last year I was also doing a course called International Bar Management which included first two steps of WSET , bar economics and some other stuff. Through the headmaster of this course and some of his contacts in London we managed to get me an interview at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.
I got the job and I worked at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club/Ronnie’s Bar from May 2008 until May 2009 when I started at LAB Bar just further down the street from Ronnie’s. I had an amazing year at LAB and when I got the opportunity to join the team at Callooh Callay I packed my things and went to Shoreditch and that’s my new home since about a month back and I’m absolutely loving it.

What was the best bar to work in?

I can’t say. I want to try all different kinds of places and the ones I’ve worked on so far are different styles from each other. The thing is that I’ve learnt a lot from all of them and I’ve been enjoying all my time behind the bar. But since I’m new at Callooh Callay, working with a great and experienced crew I feel at the moment that’s the best bar I’ve worked in so far. But like I said every place I’ve worked on has been amazing for me.

If you could serve a cocktail to any celebrity dead or alive who and what?

Celebrity? As long as you’re not rude or stuck up I would like to serve anybody. But that’s a boring answer, hhhmmmmm I wouldn’t mind making non-alcoholic ice cream drinks for SpongeBob Squarepants. Or maybe some funny guy like serving Nuclear Daiquiris to Simon Amstell, Jack’n’Cokes to Mitch Headberg, Champ Elysees to Katt Williams or Bobby Burns to Billy Connolly.

If you could be a spirit or liquor what would it be and why?

Cederlunds Caloric Punsch (Swedish Punsch), because I’m sweet and Swedish but with lots of character. I’m not so strong and I do well solo but much better mixed with others.

Brilliant answer! Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

10 years is such a long time forward but it wouldn’t be too bad with a good position for a big brand that made me travel the world, meeting people and seeing things. I used to have the idea about collecting a lot of experience and then return to Sweden one day and run my own training company but at the moment I’m not sure when or if I’m going back. Time will tell. Otherwise, owning, running my own venue or even a group of venues with a strong emphasis on customer service and food and drink. One other idea is to work as a chiropractor, helping all your shitty backs behind the bar!!

Favorite Cocktail or Drink?

I love scotch and fortified wines. But I am also a big fan of the Martini. Nice and wet please! And chuck some fine sherry in it while you’re at it I love similar drinks like Hanky-Panky, Horse Thief, Marguerite and Martinez. A shot of Fernet-Branca never gets old either.

Worst drink ever made for you? Where was it?

That’s pretty damn hard to answer. When I was younger we used to play Evil Bartender in my friend’s house, trying to make the most disgusting drink and then make the other guys drink it. We made some pretty awful concotions at that time. But I think” the worst drink” is based on me having high hopes and that the actual drink or service didn’t reach that standard. I once had an unbalanced Negroni (I know it’s weird, so maybe it was me?) on a quite highly rated restaurant and I had a very disappointing Sazerac on an extremely expensive hotel once. That’s what I can think of right now. I’m not hard to please but if something’s not good I make sure to let you know.

Here here. Biggest mistake you’ve ever made?

Maybe not biggest but it was really embarrassing when a shaker containing three Pornstar Martinis slipped out of my hands and covered a guy in the bar, one of my first shifts a LAB. He turned to his friend and said”Aren’t they supposed to be good here?” I shook a can of ginger beer in a boston shaker once and it popped so the boston glass broke over the ice, the limes and the mint about 20 minutes after opening the bar.

Bad luck, Tips for success for bartenders reading this blog?

Don’t shake ginger beer hahaha No but honestly, take your work seriously but don’t take yourself too serious. Enjoy your work and understand that you’re only as good as the last customer you served. And the customers are paying your rent, boy! Make them come back! Have fun, work hard and be a team player.

Nice, and finally Sweet or Sour?

When it comes to drinks with an acidic element I preferably like them sharp and sour but when it comes to aromatic drinks I prefer them on the sweeter side.

 Thanks Victor, great answers to some difficult questions. I look forward to seeing you behind the stick at Callooh soon. Take it easy mate.

Mix it up…

Angels Draft

This drink was created for the Bacardi Legacy Competition 2010. As one of the 3 finalists I have the next 10 months to promote my drink across the UK.

If you wish to include my drink on your menu or simply serve it as a weekly promotion I can offer stock and training support to help you sell the drink more. Over the next few months I will also be setting up a sales incentive so that the bar that sells the most will be given a prize.

Angels Draft

40ml Bacardi
10ml Yellow Chartreuse
25ml Lime Juice
15ml Local Honey (Agave)
10ml Egg White
3 Mint Leaves
Grapefruit Bitters
Shake all ingredients and double strain into a coupette. Grapefruit zest and mint leaf.

This drink was inspired by the mojito, Hemingway and Tommy margarita. 3 of my favorite drinks. The ingredients combine perfectly together to give a balanced and unique taste testing all of your senses. You have to try it! I look forwarding to hearing your feedback.

Let’s make this drink a classic together. Thanks

Matthew Dakers

Cocktails from Cupboards

This week’s drink is a simple and sweet concoction for summer time. I say summer loosely! British weather is living up to its name at the moment.

Full measure of Gin (50ml, Hendricks if you have)

Juice of half a lime

Splash of elderflower cordial

Topped with apple juice

Garnish with a sice of cucumber

The drink is built and can easily be made on a larger scale for a punch.

If you have any summer drinks or cocktails you’ve made from cupboards please send them into me at dakers8295@hotmail.com

Mix it up…

Bartender of the Week

Adam Elmegirab

Your bitters are all the talk at the moment; tell me what inspired you to do it and how you went about creating them?http://thejerrythomasproject.blogspot.com/) last year as I wanted to gain a better understanding of the drinks that were around in the 1700-1800s. As we know, the bitters that Jerry Thomas used were called Boker’s, which sadly closed due to Prohibition in the 1920s. From there on in I made it a personal mission to research as much as I could into the history of those bitters and the people behind them, in the hope of possibly resurrecting them. After carrying out more research than anyone had done to date, which brought me in contact with direct descendants of the Boker’s family, I made a small batch of five bottles for myself. From there on in I started being bombarded by bartenders/enthusiasts around the globe and the rest as they say is history.

It came about by accident to be honest, what turned out to be a few bottles for myself ended up being wanted around the World. I started work on a venture titled the Jerry Thomas Project (

This has fortunately opened doors for me and I’m now making my own Dandelion & Burdock Bitters which are a unique creation based on the flavour profile of the traditional British drink.

Where can I buy your bitters from?

They can be bought direct from me (adam.elmegirab@evo-lution.org) however the bitters are also available from Cocktail Kingdom, Spuyten Duyvil, Wally’s Wine, Dranken Unie, Whisky Exchange and Abbey Whisky. I’m currently in talks with a number of other suppliers around the globe which I hope to have firmed up in the next couple of weeks.

What’s your bar history up until this point?

I started on the bar at TGI Fridays in late 2000 which is where I caught the bug for all things bar related. I was involved with some other bars in and around Aberdeen before I started being approached regarding training and event work, which is when I decided to start Evo-lution (my consultancy company) with the intention of learning as much about the industry as possible. Since then I’ve worked with a number of bars, hotels, clubs and restaurants in a consultancy/training capacity which includes DUSA, Dusk, Ninety-Nine Bar & Kitchen, Mim, RGU Union, Orchid and Yatai.

Through Evo-lution I’ve also worked with a number of businesses ranging from the large corporates like Diageo, Shell, BP, Pernod Ricard, and the like as well as smaller independent businesses. I’m hands on with every job I’ve ever taken on which a lot of my clients appreciate. I think this has also added to the appeal of my bitters as I communicate directly with everyone that’s buying bottling and it’s compounded, filtered, labelled and bottled by hand.

Anybody in particular that inspired you to be a great bartender?

Jerry Thomas of course!

In all seriousness, when I first got into bartending there wasn’t really anyone as I was mostly self taught, however I do specifically remember the first time I was genuinely blown away at training. The hosts were Ben Reed, Tai Altman and Alex Turner and I remember being really impressed by the passion and knowledge they had. More than anything they also took the time to listen which left a lasting impression.

Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some great people in the industry who have all left an impression on me in some way; Mal Spence, Sam Kershaw, Mike Aikman, Jason Scott, Jamie Mac, Ian McLaren, Craig Harper, Colin Dunn, Jamie Stephenson, Philip Duff, Angus Winchester, Dale DeGroff, Meimi Sanchez, Gary Regan, Dave Wondrich, Stu Bale, Duncan McRae, Andy & Scott Gemmell, Ago Perrone, Nidal Ramini, Rob Poulter… Bloody hell, there’s so many people to be honest, apologies to those I’ve missed.

The one thing that they all have in common over and above everything is the fact they are prepared to listen and give people time.

If you weren’t a bartender what would you be?

Not a clue to be honest, I did have an eagerness to get into Sports Science when I was younger and almost started work with the Fire Service before I, literally, fell into bartending… I broke my wrist which stopped me from working in the Fire Brigade which led to me taking a job at TGI Fridays. Ten years later and here I am.

If you could serve a cocktail to any celebrity dead or alive who and what?

Alive – Alex Ferguson. I’m a huge Manchester United fan and the guy is a living legend. What he’s achieved will never be surpassed. Apart from being a great football mind he’s a very clever and astute man who has always remained grounded, and he also has an appreciation of the finer things in life. I imagine he’d go for something like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. He’d be the perfect guest.

Dead – Let me set the scene; intimate cocktail bar in the 60s, quiet night with no-one around, and then the Rat Pack walk in; Sammy, Dean, Frank, Joey and Peter. I think you’d struggle to beat that, it’d be epic…

If you could work anywhere and with anyone where and who would it be?

I think you’ll be pretty surprised by this answer, but I have to admit that it would have been an amazing experience to step behind the bar with Jerry Thomas at 937 Broadway in the 1860s. There’s such a mystique surrounding him that it would be great to see what he was all about.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

If the last ten are anything to go by then it’s not worth thinking about as everything that’s happened thus far has came about without planning. However, I would hope that I’d opened my own bar by that point instead of helping other people open theirs, and I’d like to continue with the bitters and still be involved in a training capacity as I really enjoy that aspect of my work.

What keeps you bartending?

It’s a cliché, but no two days are the same for me. Whether its consultancy work, training, organising events, compounding bitters or actually working behind a bar I’m lucky that I’m involved in the industry on so many levels.

I’ve always wanted to live by the mantra, “find a job you love and you’ll never work a day again in your life…” and I think I’m getting a little taster of this.

Favourite Cocktail or Drink?

I can’t get through a day without coffee, so it’s definitely up there. If we’re after a specific cocktail it’s hard to say as I’m a mood person who makes their choice based on that. I’ve also got this thing where I change my spirit of choice on a month to month basis and drink any number of drinks with that as the base. Good way to learn!

You’ll often find me sipping a Negroni, Improved Holland Gin Cocktail, Old Fashioned, Manhattan or Martinez though. Failing that it’ll be straight whisk(e)y or rum alongside a G&T.

As before there are just too many answers. Not an easy question.

Worst drink ever made for you? Where was it?

I’ve judged a good few comps and had the chance to try some amazing drinks, but by the same token, some have been utterly woeful. It’d be wrong of me to say who and where though.

One that does spring to mind though was a drink created in the first mixology competition I competed in and won, at Basement in Aberdeen. Some guy, who I can only recall as Robo-tender rocked up dressed like a cast-off from the first Terminator film. He even had one fingerless, leather glove bizarrely enough?!? He made this shot that had at least seven ingredients including Jager, Sambuca, lime cordial, Baileys, blue Curacao and other things. The judge’s faces were one of sheer horror, fair play they drank it though. I’m happy to say that I beat him and won that comp.

But he wasn’t to be defeated, as that same lad later took part in the flair comp which was also delightful, ending his routine by removing said glove and throwing it into the bemused crowd. He left, and has never been seen since. Whoever has that glove is a lucky person. That was a piece of history right there.

Tips for success for bartenders reading this blog?

I think all bartenders get to a point early in their career where they think they know everything so it’s worth remembering that you’ll never know everything. The best bartenders in the industry are learning every day and that’s what keeps them on top.

I also remember an old football manager shouting, “You’ve
got two f*cking eyes, two f*cking ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion,” at one of my teammates and I’ve always thought that it’s such a great saying that a lot of people would benefit from using in life itself.

Other than that; work hard every day. Go to as many competitions as possible even if you’re not competing. Sit at other bars and take everything in. Stay humble. And most importantly, never forget that you’re in the service industry and you should be having fun.

And finally mate, Sweet or sour?

Give me half a shot of the sweet, a full shot of the sour, then we can throw in a double shot of Cognac, a half shot of Curacao, and a couple of dashes of Boker’s. Shake it with ice and strain into a glass filled with cubed ice and a sugar crusted rim and we’ve got ourselves my answer. Two please barkeep. Matt’s paying though…

Thanks for taking the time out mate, and look forward to seeing you in more competitions.

Mix it up…