opinionated alchemist

Cash Margin Approach for wines

As beverage manager I can not only focus on spirits on cocktails, but I do have also think about wine. Thus I have got a subscription to WineSpectator, which is admittedly quite awesome. In the current issue, there is a very interesting article about keg wines - wines which are not bottles but rather filled into a keg - and which have their own "keg tap system" - as (as pointed out) it is not enough to use the existing beer taps. Personally I do think, that it could turn some people off (there is still a lot of controversy about using screwcaps - people, get over it!) - and especially guests of bars, restaurant and hotels might feel affronted of such innovation. The wine business is really traditional - and there are a lot of people, which are opinionated and against progress throughout the consumer groups - from the connoisseur and collector to the novice. However I do honestly believe, that such system (if properly installed) totally outweighs the negative c...

There are really some people out there, which are reading my blog (duh) - and are interested in my "opinionated opinion". Thus in the years of this blog, I got quite a lot of samples. That can be a good thing (if the product is really something very special), that can also backfire... At times I avoid to review new products, because I just think, that I don't want to step on all feet of old and new friends. On the other hand, people who send me samples have read my blog before - so it isn't really too bad, if I give my (blogged) opinion, is it? Peter Steger of Sash and Fritz German Wodka (yeah - "ze Germans" are spelling vodka with a 'w'), is one of those friends (at least until this post).  To make it a bit more agreeable - and definitely more constructive than critical, I try here a bit of a new twist to this post - instead of a naked review - I try to consult on the product (however not before giving an honest review)... let's ge...

So - I have blogged before about smoke . I used now the Aladin smoke gun (I have now several pieces at the hotel and one at home) since a couple of months. This is my evaluation: I do think, that it is the best smoke gun in the market. Solid built, good performance... The smoke screens are clogging very quickly. A good way is, to scrub them with a metal sponge- this will extend the lifespan dramatically. But it is great to have them replaceable! A not so good solution is the ball-closure of the battery compartment and the solution of the battery compartment itself! This wouldn't take a lot to change - but it would help to prevent damages. One of my guys opened it not carefully enough and damaged the "switch contact" - nothing which cannot be fixed in a breeze (by our engineering or anyone who is average talented) - it is annoying nonetheless. The switch - it is not the most intuitive position, to have the switch on the bottom of the smoker! It would even g...

Check out following article on the official IBA website... IBA members receive a free copy of our magazine.  Click here HOME NEWS AND FEATURES SPIRITS MASTERS BRAND CHAMPIONS SUBSCRIPTIONS ABOUT SB ARCHIVES SWIZZLE MASTERS TEN BARTENDER OPINIONS ON VODKA COCKTAILS 22nd March, 2016 by Annie Hayes Slideshow  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10 Next → After receiving an overwhelming number of contributions for our upcoming vodka issue,  SB  has assembled a preview of April’s cocktail analysis with comment from 10 of the industry’s leading bartenders. Besides, that I am surprised, that for once I found an article which looks contemporary (in content and layout - Bravo IBA!), I also asked myself, what is my (revised?) opinion about vodka. I have to say... it didn't changed a lot. But when I read this article and reflected the "blank canvas approach" -...

I am not often reviewing spirits here. I don't want to endorse products, which aren't worth it - but to "trash" them, doesn't make a lot of friends... This makes me feel guilty, when I get samples of friends and acquaintances - which like to know my view. Ulric is one of my friends I made in Dubai (in fact he is not longer living here). For quite some time he worked as consultant and brand manager (and similar) for some liquor brands. And while we don't always share the same views, we do have a lot of respect for each other. His latest "baby" is Gold of Mauritius. And when he told me about it, I was pretty skeptical. I received before some souvenirs of Mauritius rum, and to say, that it was not particularly good, doesn't really reflect my honest opinion. Let's say it straight forward: the rums didn't really deserved the designation rum - but rather should be called something like aguadiente. So - when I found the sample bottle ...

Truth to be told first. Other than a lot of other "bartender bloggers" (I am looking at you Jeffrey Morgenthaler) I don't really want to predict the trends in 2016. In fact it is almost impossible to do so. For all predictions, there are only very few, which are becoming reality. I don't have a crystal ball - and I am not a psychic. But what I can do is, making predictions how specific bar-trends will continue - and which trends, should catch up (my personal opinion, only). 1) Cocktail Food-Pairings No - I don't mean your normal food & beverage pairing - I mean pairings, which are more then their individual parts. And instead of creating more and more elaborate "throwaway" garnishes, a small food component in some cocktails would be a real creative step, to enter a whole new era of mixology. The food can be "simple" as LN2 nitro popcorn... 2) Use smoke more effectively Bars are now smoking cocktails for some time - with more...