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Showing posts from February, 2013

Don't view this and drink!

Honestly. Just. Don't. Do. This. If you are drinking [yeah - alcohol I do mean] and watch this video, you brain will shut down and go into eternal damnation. You will be only able to eat baby food and won't be able anymore to do… anything. Just my piece of advise…

Bob "Rosebud" Butt's Long Island Iced Tea

This is Bob "Rosebud" Butt.  And he invented the Long Island Iced Tea. The two gents on the left side are  Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann. Apparently they were the main brains off the development of the concept of a nuclear bomb. What connects them? Well - both were devastating inventions! Joke apart - I found a video about Bob Butt and thought, this would be great to share with you: No - I don't celebrate the comeback of the Long Island Iced Tea. I reject to give it [or him] any credit or any achievement in mixology. Maybe it was the name, which made it successful, the concept [color and alcohol content] - maybe everything together. But no - I don't think, that a LIT deserves any award! Nuff said!

Gin Mare Review

Interesting new spirits are unfortunately not often seen in the Middle East. That's why I was pretty excited, when Carlos, the brand ambassador of Gin Mare told me, that his product has landed and was already in use in a couple of bars. He sent me a bottle over [that took quite a while, as the respective supplier wasn't really aware of this new small volume product. But when I had it in my hands, I was quite happy. The bottle is really beautiful. It definitely looks distinctively different than any other gin [or vodka] - modern, but not futuristic - just strikingly beautiful. This is, what Gin Mare offers as marketing message: Mediterranean botanicals - like rosemary, thyme and olives? Interesting. Individual distillation of the specific infused neutral spirit? Controversial - but still intriguing. But how are my impressions? Eye: I know - gin is translucent, but the viscosity is appealing- there are directly very thin and fast legs running do

The wrong impression of alcohol history

Guys and gals - I know, I know - I haven't posted for a long time. My job is just taking for the moment a lot of attention - it is busy in the operations. But I haven't forgotten you - and I haven't forgotten about the opinionated-alchemist.com! First of all, the goody, an amazing video of the reserve channel of youtube: It amazes me, how good youtube videos in the last couple of month have become [even, if they are not uploaded tv shows]. You cannot really complain about anything said or done in this video [maybe except of the short shaking times and the use of egg white as flavor softener]. But it strikes me, that the overall idea of alcohol in history is deeply flawed. Why? Let me explain: In the video, there were two spirits discussed, which were quite in controversy in their times: gin and absinthe. But obviously there are many more instances, you could apply this theory on. The flaw is, that most bartenders and drink historians are perceiving the history

Perception in Bars / of Beverages

This is a somewhat important post, as in hospitality there are very little absolute values. It is important to know, that perception has always a huge impact in people's assessments and as much as we [from a technical point of view] like to be uninfluenced by it, we just can't be unaffected by perception. The best strategy is, to know about the very own perception and put everything into perspective. Personally I like to see me [as everybody himself] independent and not manipulated by marketing, the press, by other people. However I do have a weakness for fancy, sophisticated, elaborate and "individual" things [do you remember the quote from "Life of Brian" »...you are all individuals.« - »Yes we are all individuals« - »I'm not!« - it is a bit like that, lol]. To fight your inner demon, who suggest non-objective impression is a constant struggle. But it is important, if you are working in the service industry. Only if you are aware of this demon

Vintage Spirits

Calabrese and his vintage magic... There is an interesting article in the New York Times about vintage spirit [click the link] . And as usual in the Times, the article is quite good researched and accurate. It is true - that current wisdom says, that spirits don't change in the bottle - but truth is: distillates are changing in the bottle - however much, much slower than wine. However there was one major mistake: the inclusion of Chartreuse and Crème de Menthe. Fact is, that distilled beverages are changing so slow [or better said, they are so stable], due to the lack of decomposing material. There is ethanol and water - and very small amounts of other substances - which usually a carrying the aroma. However liqueurs have sugar and cold infused substances [means that the botanicals are infused in the alcohol without subsequent distillation]. There is definitely more matter in these beverages than a bottle of gin or whisky. But is it worth it, to pay sometime