opinionated alchemist

When I got my chamber vacuum sealer, I was surprised, that it is not as straight forward as the household "sucking" vacuum sealers.   I know, that a lot of home-cocktail enthusiasts really don't have access to this technology - however a lot of bartenders read my blog, which work in professional environments - and most hotels (and a lot of restaurants and bars with kitchen) just have chamber vacuum sealers. Hence this blog post is dedicated to those.  I cannot give perfect instructions - because a lot of chamber vacuum sealers are a bit different - and also any different product you like to vacuum seal is different. But understanding the settings, will help you to come to a far better result! Functional principle This information is pretty available in the internet - but I repeat it to be a slight more complete guide. A suction vacuum sealer is sucking out the air from the bar. Obviously this has the disadvantage that liquids are also sucked out. Depending on your vacuum...

 I have already written about the Black Sugar Ginger Ale ... but I thought that my efforts of creating some YouTube videos, would be rewarded, if I am using the above drink and make a recipe video. So enjoy the video - or even better watch it on YouTube and like and subscribe my channel!

I am fermenting (...) already so long, that it seems pretty easy in my eyes. Yet a lot of people asking me over and over again, how to do it.  Well there are a lot of websites which have good kombucha recipes. However I still think, that there is too much of a "tree-hugger" approach to the topic - hence I think, it is a good point to write up a post how I make kombucha (as straight forward as possible). What is kombucha? Kombucha is a ferment made out of (real) tea. It is made with a designated culture, which is called SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of bacteria and Yeast).  What is kombucha for? There is not much scientific evidence for or against health benefits. It is for sure lacto-fermented which is quite gut friendly. It also made with tea, hence it has caffeine which has a vitalizing effect. And real brewed kombucha is further low in sugar (as the sugar has been converted). And in the bar? We are not using kombucha for its health benefits. But in the bar the acidity in kombuc...

 Commercial drinks are mediocre- we all know that (do we)? However the issue is, that we are all accustomed to their basic character. Here is a recipe for a lemon soda - which is easily adaptable for grapefruit, orange, lime, lemon/lime etc. Please ensure that your fruits are well washed - best with bicarbonate and/or a solution of hydrogen peroxide - organic citrus is ideal! Lemon Soda Water 120 g sugar 5 washed lemons 2.4 g citric acid (lemon salt) Add sugar to a vacuum bag (or ziplock freezer bag). Use a Microplane grater and zest all washed lemons over the sugar. Vacuum (or press out as much air as possible. Let it macerate for several hours (you could also add the mixture into a water bath of 60°C for 2 hours - it speeds up the process). Add water and citric acid to dissolve the sugar and acid (amount depends on the process - if you are making a soda syrup and post mix, use only 100 ml water. If you have got am Carbonator add as much water that the result becomes 1l). The syru...

I know, that a lot of people in the industry are rolling their eyes, if you are using the moniker mixology or mixologist. However I totally see, that a lot of modern cocktail creation and especially the ingredients manipulation goes far beyond the classic methodology of a bartender. I believe, one of the most clever new introduction in bartending in the last years has been the use of aquafaba as egg white substitute in the bar. What is aquafaba? Aquafaba is the cooking liquid of pulses - and in most cases it is based on chickpeas. What to do with aquafaba? Instead of using egg white in foams or as cocktail ingredient (as foaming agent and for a smoother mouth feeling), you can use aquafaba (1:1 ratio). What are the advantages of aquafaba? There is one significant advantage: aquafaba is vegetarian / vegan. More and more people are avoiding animal protein - hence it fits perfectly into these times Aquafaba is a byproduct - and if "your kitchen" is...