I have just watched how Martini produces their vermouths. It is extremely interesting. I always thought, that the company is using extracts of herbs which they just purchase externally. However I could learn, that they are making their own botanical spirit and adding this to the wine. It is for sure different than vermouth producers which are aging the neutral alcohol (or the wine) with the botanicals - but the method is different - not necessarily worse. However this video sparked a question to me: what makes a good Martini cocktail. First thing (sorry Martini & Rossi) - is a good vermouth. While Martini Rosso is not bad at all - and their Riserva Products are even quite good, I wouldn’t really suggest to use the normal Extra Dry. The Ambrato? Maybe - or Noilly Prat. Or Dolin Extra Dry... But here is the thing: how much vermouth are you using? Now we are arguing since decades about the ratio. Bat you know, what we haven’t really put into consideration: the gin!...
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So - I have just completed my first test batch of my “New West Africa Gin”. The botanicals are quite unique - instead of other gins, which are “balanced” or have a rather citrussy and floral note, this is packed with spices... As I used a ton of botanicals (but did cut of a small amount of heads and a generous amount of tails) the spirit came clear into the my distilling container - however then when I watered it down (to ca. 47% ABV) it just punished me with a solid louche. I researched in the internet, and most website suggested, that you have to cut of more heads and more tails or chill filter it. All of these things will result into a clearer spirit, but also with far less botanicals. I tasted the first 10ml of foreshots, and they were not “funky” at all - very solid - actually very good (despite of a really high alcohol content). I made a “high essential oil” gin before (basically it was a dating gin - this is a story for another time...) and the gin was also clou...
Sharing knowledge - that’s why we are here… Have you ever wondered how to make a perfect forest berry soda? How much syrup do you need to add to get the right balance of sweetness and flavor? Well, I have created a handy google-sheets calculation that will show you exactly how to do it. Making soft drinks is all about ratio. You can’t just sweeten them by taste, because it won’t come out right. You need to follow a standard formula that ensures consistency and quality. The general rule is to aim for a 10:1 ratio of water to sugar, which means 10% of the liquid (by weight) should be sugar. However, this can vary depending on the type of flavor you are using. For example, you might want to use less sugar for sweet aromas like berries with vanilla (about 9%), or more sugar for spicy (e.g. ginger!), smoky or bitter aromas. Think of tonic water, which is one of the most sugary drinks out there - we are talking about up to 13% sugar content. But how do you measure the sugar content of your s...
Some might know about my specific but deep aversion against egg white cocktails. Maybe it originates to the fact that I am (apparently) a super taster (nothing to be proud of- it is not a superpower... you are just a super taster or you are not). But when somebody serves me a cocktail made with egg whites, I can drink it in minute 1 - latest after minute 3 - it is literally disgusting for me: think about wet dog, molded carpet, or someone who didn’t dried properly his laundry - and everything together. Long story short: I cannot drink it anymore. Now there has been some replacements: I came across aquafaba years ago - I guess I was one of the first bar-people who discovered it for cocktails (it has been already an established thing for vegans). Very soon I discovered that the advice to use the aquafaba in chickpea cans are a dead end. Sure- if. you are using “canned lemon juice” and/or sweet-sour mix, you might find it also ok. But for a high quality bar - drinks taste...
First of all I read several articles about Drink Masters. And I have been baffled - would my colleagues be so much worse than chefs or other people in the business? To spoil it here and now: absolutely not. Sure, there is some serious egocentrism going on- but this is TV after all. Usually the same applies for chefs. It seems though, that the same stereotype is still persisting - which doesn’t happen in other areas of the culinary arts (or any other industry): making mixed drinks cannot be serious - and you cannot be a professional in this craft. I absolutely don’t agree. And while I have been consistently cringing for one or the other decision or quote, I have been equally surprised and (I cannot “say” this loud) even impressed and inspired by some presentations or turns some bartender took. Obviously the show never went too deep. And let’s face it: the selection of spirits seem to be sponsored (the premise that the “bar has everything” was just not true - movie magic - and a lot of r...
So - if you haven’t already heard it - there are two big news, when it comes to “alcohol in Dubai”: Liquor licenses are now for free for residents - and they are pretty easy to obtain (just an Emirates ID - and that’s it). The Dubai government have removed “their” 30% “consumer” alcohol tax. What does this mean for your “hospitality professional” who is dealing with alcohol? I came across two “schools of thoughts”: Slashing down the alcohol prices about 20’ish percent (there is also the municipality fees and service charge which is applied to the “landing price” of the alcohol - which has to be considered. Hence the “win goes totally towards the venue guest, who pays less for their “experience”. Keeping the prices at the same level (or just incrementally reducing and adjusting them), which would lead to far better profitability. And yes - even though it sounds quite “unfair” from the customer perspective; but both thoughts have their advantage. The first ...
Maybe you will be confused, to find a "mostly bar & beverage blog" talking about sous vide. However this technique helped me to really do major breakthrough in housecrafted cordials, syrups and infusions. Instead of days and weeks, things in the bar take as much as overnight and as little as a couple of hours - not only to be better than the classic version, but also safer and more convenient. Why safer you might ask? Because cooking at a low temperature at a prolonged time kills most microbes (I would probably say all microbes which might be dangerous in the bar) - but also kills spoilage bacteria, aceto bacter (vinegar bacterium) and yeast. Hence if you are smart, it saves you a lot of work (big batches and then refrigerating or even freezing). Please comment if you are interested in any recipes or further explanation how to prolong shelf-life with sous vide. Now why can I tell you, which sous vide cooker to buy? I have worked in several hotel and restaurant bars over ...
So - you know me. A cocktail is made out of high quality ingredients, the right technique and details, details, details. Quite some time ago, I intended to make a popcorn whiskey sour. I thought, that bourbon is made out of corn - so popcorn is great thing to infuse the bourbon with. Unfortunately there was only a very mediocre effect. Popcorn doesn’t have apparently a strong taste. And it messes up the bourbon (or if you make a syrup it makes the water cloudy). So I ambandoned the concept. However - in my time in Newton, I Thought about a similar concept - I read, that Koreans have roasted corn tea (besides of roasted barley tea). So - using corn tea as base for a syrup- that could work!? As I didn’t wanted to waste time in looking for Korean roasted corn tea I tried to make it myself with popcorn- spoilers: popcorn pops if you heat it up. However if you are careful, only few kernels will pop (tried it first under the salamander and ended up to use a pan - without oil! I added th...
My previous post , told you about my finding of the "new" extraction / conversion of sugars in the agave. If you are a tequila nut, you might have understand, what I meant. But for all others, please let me point out, which Tequila you should look for - which Tequila is a marketing rip off and so on. First of all the obvious: ► 100% Agave Tequila vs Mixto First: what is a mixto? Tequila can made only in the state of Jalisco (and in few other towns) - and it always has to be made from Blue Agave (Tequilana Weber Azul). However the fermentable sugars of the agave (>51%) can be mixed with other sugars (usually sugar cane). We can pretty much say, that under Mixtos you will never find a great tequila - doesn't matter what. These tequilas are always inexpensive. Are they drinkable? Yeah... but I guess also a lot of people have their "tequila reaction" (no more) because of too much mixto. ► Highland versus Lowland Tequila There is a difference between highla...
What keeps me passionated in the market of beverages is, that there is still something new to explore. I thought I got a good overview of Tequila. Sure I am no more a bartender and neither a beverage manager - and cannot keep track of all latest "lit-brands". On the other side, I thought that I am pretty solid with the production of Tequila and what makes good and what doesn't mak e good tequila. Boy was I wrong. For anyone who knows reasonably well about spirits and tequila, the point, that 100% agave tequila is better than mixtos (which are a mixture between >51% sugars fermented from agave and >49% other sugars (normally sugar cane) was really clear to me. However I stumbled upon the method of Acid-Thermal Hydrolysis on Tequilamatchmaker.com . As I haven't heard about it, I googled it and found on longislandloutequila.com this very passionate comment about the process: DIFFUSER - This next procedure is one that people need...
There are great drinks, there are also good drinks and then there are drinks, which are ok - and yes - there are drinks which are pretty awful. I am usually don't care for awful drinks. These are drinks, which have a screwed up concept - which have in the core an unredeemable quality (or better - lack of quality). Ok drinks - are pretty good to fix. You first of all try to exchange all parts with quality ingredients. A bit more TLC around technique and presentation, and you end up at least with a good drink - maybe it could be even a great drink. Good drinks - are difficult to "improve upon". But often these drinks "on the street" are made with mediocre products, which can be replaced by better products. The most difficult part is to try to improve a great drink. What can be better than great? Greater? But sometimes you got an epiphany. The Gin Basil Smash is a pretty awesome cocktail. Jörg Meyer from Le Lion in Hamburg did an incredible job, in creating a mo...
Yes, this is not the first time I post the best mojito. My first article took all details apart and made some suggestions. However now, I really feel, that I am on the right way to the truly best mojito: We can all agree upon, that better quality and better matching ingredients makes a better mojito. The first secret is: I found the perfect Mojito rum. No joke. PERFECT. It is Diplomatico Planas. A Venezuelan rum, which is in the style of Cuban (and Dominican) rums - though better. It is longer aged, has a fuller bodied aroma, without being too dominating or funky (like a Jamaican rum. But the most important part is, that Planas is stronger than its competitors. Healthy 47%. There is no rum, which is coming close to it. Not Bacardi (the replicas are not bad... still no comparison). No Havana Club. The second choice would be a blend from a high-roof rum (white) and a reasonable good light rum (Matusalem Platino), and maybe a small fraction of aged rum. But even this is not close. Second...
At this point I am on a quest of rethinking bar tools. While the shaker is an interesting subject (stay tuned), the jigger is an often overseen, but very important tool in the bar. For some time, I have used my OXO jigger (transparent). And to be honest I found, that it is far more precise than any classic or Japanese (or whatever) metal jigger. The issue is, that you can overpour a jigger - but also underpour it. And I see far too often, that people don't have the right pourer and measure approximately with the jigger. That is worse. Due to the conical form, it will be eventually wrong. Now - I have looked in different solutions. Some cylindric measures - some which look like tubes - but I ended up with those conical lab measuring cups. They are really similar to use compared to classic jiggers (especially the Japanese style) - but they have different fill lines, which make it easy to measure even fillers (if you have got bigger measuring cups and different sizes). The dis...
I am not sure if I am the only person who likes fresh watermelon (if it is nice, ripe and sweet) - but is usually disgusted by watermelon juice. It is a catastrophe - and it is independent if it is a pasteurized juice (there are few - maybe because of exactly this reason) - if it is purchased fresh - or homemade juice. A slow juicer makes it a bit better - but I would still rather drink any different juice. I believe, that it is a) the lack of acidity and b) the seeds, which introduce some "tannins" into the juice, which doesn't work with the overall fruity and refreshing aroma of watermelon. I tried basically everything possible (so I thought) to come up with a solution, which taste great. But basically by accident I found the solution: mix the watermelon with some hibiscus infusion. The idea originally was to make a watermelon aguafresca - blended with water and a bit sugar and strained. However I thought, it could not hurt to add a bit flavor. And as I needed anyway s...
When I have seen the first time some information about Seedlip, I could a) not believe it, b) directly wanted to get my hands on it c) thought that these people are magician to produce a product, which is not only alcohol-free, but also sugar-free and basically everything-free ... Unfortunately you literally cannot get your hands on Seedlip - at least until now - if you are not living in a "served" country. It is crazy - you might think, that Dubai is a great target market. But apparently it is not - and Amazon doesn't even delivers (neither other delivery sites) - I wonder why? It is alcohol-free... A bit of a sobering came, when more critical people reviewed alcohol-free spirits. It has to be said, that the "hype is real" - and that alcohol-free spirits are extremely trendy (lit?). I will soon try them - as I have a source now. At least a competitor product to Seedlip. But I am not even anymore cautiously optimistic - rather the opposite. Now the idea isn...
Folks - I was surprised that I could not directly find a Ginger Beer recipe on my site. I also added there far too much citric acid and far too less sugar. With time comes wisdom I guess. I was inspired by Liz the Chef - I have checked the traffic sources of my blog - and just found out, a lot of traffic came from her website. Thank you. Anyways - she posted a Meyer Lemon Dark and Stormy (and yes, the post is several years old). But what did I needed to see? Store-bought Ginger Beer. This isn't great! The problem with store-bought ginger beer is, that it is a) pasteurized and b) it is made with ginger extract (which I guess comes from dried ginger). Hygiene-wise it makes perfectly sense. Ginger has a lot of microorganisms (a lot of good ones)... yeast and lactobacteria. The best way to get 100% rid of it (because you don't want to have a commercial ginger beer bottles, which are exploding due to rogue fermentation) is to use dehydrated ginger. No water - no (live) microorga...
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...
The year 2021 is still quite young... and 2020 wasn't really fruitful. However even though the title says, 2020 and 2021, this drink took me by surprise and it is easily one of the best drink I have had in a far longer time. Look - to rating drinks (and compare them with classics like a good Old Fashioned) are problematic to say the least, but this drink is surprisingly simple and incredible good. Introducing: the Bourbon Horseneck. I know, you expected more. And let's face it, we are not talking about a normal Horseneck here! First, we are looking at Knob Creek - one of my favorite "every day bourbons". It is very rich, has some caramel, maple syrup and nutty notes. But what really makes a difference is the ginger ale... my new recipe just remarkable rich and indulgent and there is just no ginger ale on the market which can come remotely close to it. So- if you want to experience the drink, I am talking about, there is only one way: some hands-on approach. Black S...
After quite some time, Jeffrey Morgenthaler posted an interesting article. It is all about size and cloudy vs. clear ice cubes. But Jeffrey didn’t completely nailed it. And there is even more of a problem, because his article might put some bartenders on the wrong path. Why? Well he compared smaller ice cubes vs. a slightly bigger ice cube versus super clear ice cubes. Please read the article... Now here are the fallacies and ”quasi-fallacies”: - Biggest fallacy is, that he referred to the difference of the melted water to the original temperature. That is total nonsense. The energy which is needed to raise the temperature of ice is negligible to the energy which is needed to melt ice. This means 4° difference is impossible to make any reasonable difference in melted water! - Jeffrey is also referring to the cloudiness to air bubbles in the ice - which is not necessarily completely wrong (air can be frozen into ice, if not frozen one-directional) - but most of the cloudiness comes...
It has been some time... my computer broke down in the pandemic and I went into a dormant hibernation- then bars opened up again and understaffed and overworked we had quite busy couple of months until the festive season - then again- COVID-19 stroke again - bars are again closed - and I am exercising the cruel king duty update my blog on my iPad. Let’s get to the topic: what do I mean with mixed drinks classes? Well- it is not a reasonably technical classification, but a lose grouping of drinks - and how I am looking at them. Is it a personal rating? Yes! But does it has some merits? For sure - I try not only to be reasonable, but also explain my grading. Why this topic now? Because here is a growing interest into simplistic and adolescent drinks - I have acknowledged it online as well as in the bar. Drinks like “P*rnstar Martinis”, Lychee’tinis and Apple’tinis and so on are coming back in focus... Is this bad - well, let’s judge the trend after my little top to bottom lis...