opinionated alchemist

Scotch can be very divers. It can be smokey and decisive, it can be floral and almost fruity - it can be delicate and really heavy and oily. Long time ago, I have been on a whisky-convention and in a workshop, they guys at Glenmorangie gave us Glenmorangie "spirit" to try - totally unaged Glenmorangie. I expected to be harsh and undrinkable - but it was beautiful - extremely fruity (think Poire William) - if they would have sold it, I would have purchased it. In the same event, they have introduced the experimental release of Glenmorangie Artisan Cask (I purchased later the bottle). For a very young whisky it hasn't been cheap, but it was truly incredible. A testament, that Single Malt Whisky doesn't need a lot of cask influences (at least some delicate distillates like Glenmorangie). Glenmorangie has shown for sure a lot of innovation. They also populated barrel-finishing - which is used now from most of the industry, to introduce interesting variants. As LVMH purcha...

Are you a like to learn? I am actually a big learner. Even though my knowledge about beverages and bars and everything, which has remotely anything to do with it surpasses quite anybody except of google, wikipedia or wolframalpha, I still find myself researching daily something new. Rest assured, that there is not so much which can surprise me with a big chunk of steaming new information, I also like to spread my search farer from my original turf. And often I can find new ideas and inspiration in a completely unrelated subject area. One big inspirational pond are the video of TED . One big step in my professional emancipation [of common perceptions] was the video of Malcolm Gladwell, who made clear, that customers don't necessary know, what they want (...). Today I found another one. It is by the famous movie director, writer and producer J.J. Abrams. And it is about mystery. One might ask, what it does have to do with "the" bar?! Well - if ...

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...