opinionated alchemist

To be honest - last time when I have updated my blog, I have done it quite quickly and with less effort - and it is also quite some time back... In our situation, where we have nothing but a lot of time, I have now redesigned my blog page (thank you google for amazing templates) - I hope everybody enjoys it as much as I do. For everybody who enjoys my blog regularly - this post is a bit... superfluous - but for my readers on Facebook (...), please have a look and come over to read my block posts!

So it is Ramadan again. The fasting month in the Middle East [and for all Muslims around the world]. For me it is vacation time - who wants to be working, when alcohol is even more restricted and most sane Westerners are staying - well where they are? Ramadan from a beverage perspective though, can be interesting! Basically you have 4 drinks , which are usually only served through Ramadan [but really - they should really be served around the year]: Tamar Hindi This is a brew made out of tamarind. It is very different - has an unappealing muddy brown color [usually also not completely clear] - but it is somewhat very refreshing and I would even say delicious. Jallab Guess what - it seems, that this drink gave "bartender's darling" the Julep its name. It features grape molasses and rose water - very sweet [like all Ramadan juices, there is usually a ton of sugar in it] - exotic - nice. Karkarde  This would be your Agua de Jamaica! Yes - the recipes see...

This post is quite dear to my heart - and I thought long time ago to write it up. Todays management is focussed on "hire for attitude, train for skill". But we can't deny, that there is a certain decline of real skill in the global hospitality industry. I am not focussing on few markets, which flourish in craft bartending [Manhattan, Bay Area and few other spots in the US, certain parts of Germany, Paris, London]. Fact is, that in most areas, craft is in the decline. The HfA-TfS could be one reason for it. Why? Let me explain. I am working now one_and_a_half decades in hospitality - and especially in the luxury hotel industry. I exactly joined one bar, only, which was working on an adequate level of bartending [by the way, it is a bar, which you would expect the least this kind of quality - only thanks to Ralph Adamski, who was the bar manager]. All other bars had quite poor drinks, a mediocre beverage portfolio and not knowledgeable bartenders or bar waiters. I...

There is a lot of marketing and anti-marketing out there, about products. Sometimes you just have to use your common sense [as well as your technical expertise] to confirm or bust these "myths". One outstanding personality in mixology is Darcy O'Neil who happens to be working in a lab. Not only, that he has the gear, to do one or the other great experiment - but he also has the knowledge. Today, I just found a super interesting article, I haven't read yet on his blog - and it is surprisingly opinionated... Please join me, to read the article about glycerol in vodka - which is already older, but I guess, if I just found the article, you might not even heard of it...   Does Grey Goose Contain Glycerine? And here is the link of the result post:   Glycerol in Vodka Results The Art of Drink , is one of my favorite blogs, and most reliable and objective resources of bar, spirit and mixology related content.

One of the big question on the stoney way of mastering your trade [I have learned to call it shokunin - which is all about craftsmanship and artisan - but in fact much more]: Can there be any perfection? I am inclined to say: No.  But there were few occasions in my working life, when I felt a convergence to perfection. You can call it "in the zone". Things worked out in perfect balance; my mind just commanded the matter, which followed. It was like being one with the strings of the universe - this moments where usually very short - seconds, sometimes few minutes - yet, they were so memorable and are actually the reason, for the motivation of doing my job - yes and my confidence, that I am doing a good job. But there is more, which can be in proximity to perfection - yes I dare to say they are perfect: Fresh ripe wood strawberries, for example, harvested on their peak of ripeness, while they are comically small, they are able to fill up a room with their ...

This post is all about drink categories. Why I don't call it cocktail categories? Simply because cocktails originally were one respective category. Having in mind, that the idea is, about creating new drinks [or new drink variations], I am focussing on the most adaptable recipes. Sours Sours are the work horse of all drinks. They are usually unfortunately not very high regarded - though if made properly, they can be a revelation in mixology - in the culinary world I would compare them with burgers/sliders. There are different subcategories - which need to be mentioned: Sours Classic Sour The archetypal classic sour is a Whiskey Sour I prefer the proportions 4+:2:1 [spirit:lemon juice:rich syrup] 1/2 egg white can be added for an amazing frothy sour Spirits should be at a slightly higher proof - ca. 45% abv and more Has to be shaken very long and strong Fine straining is optional  Sours only conventional strained have a lot of ice chards in them - th...

Hey - look at this crazy device. Do you want to serve a drink out of the fly of your pants? Nuff said - just watch the short video...

It is a challenge and I've only mastered this question after a long time: How to prepare mint. If you make it properly, you will have fresh and healthy looking sprigs for several days - or even a week! Really lucky bartenders are having a garden with lots of mint shrubs - however even they might have problems in the winter... And we are not yet in a position, that we can tell guests, that they cannot have Mojitos, Juleps and other minty drinks, because mint is out of season! Here in the Middle East, it is even more difficult to get healthy mint;  in culinary [especially MESA cuisine] a lot of mint is used, but almost everything is processed (at least shredded) so you can [fortunately] not even imagine, how the mint looked before! Long story short - here I am with a step by step explanation to get fantastic looking mint for at least a week!!! 1. This is the mint we get from the cold kitchen. I have to be honest, that this mint looks quite healthy, if you c...

The new tonique magazine is out now! Since I came to the UAE I was amazed by the quality of print media, produced locally. You can't find a lot of places, where small editions are done so perfectly. The tonique magazine is especially fitting my interests - it is all about bartending, beverages, mixology, spirits. While it is a bit... commercial, you can find there a lot of information, which you usually don't find on the brand websites. And the best: it is a free online magazine, you can access, from anywhere around the globe! Besides of the fact, that it is free, I love the fact, that you can comment on posts there - a feature, not seen often, though uses the full potential of the www and social media. So: be the guest of my dear friend John Gillespie, the editor of this fantastic piece and go over to http://www.toniquemagazine.com/ You might even find some "opinionated" comments there...