Guest Bartender: James Mackay.

This week’s guest bartender is James Mackay, currently of boutique nightspot, Snafu and it’s sibling bar/restaurant, The Athenaeum.  James is currently 2 months away from flying off to Copenhagen to continue his University studies.  No doubt, those lucky Danish will be reaping the rewards of James’ fine taste in mixed drinks and spirits when he lands himself a job at one of the city’s drinking establishments.

This week, James has fashioned a list of some prohibition-era drinks (1920 – 1933) in honour of the 77^th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition.  More on prohibition later, but in the meantime we posed a few questions to Mr Mackay…we started with a difficult one...

Name: James Mackay

Year’s bartending: 2 years plus a couple of months.

Favourite tool (behind a bar): Big muddler.  Despite the fact it’s mainly used for crushing ice, there is something reassuring about holding a massive plastic muddler whilst working behind a bar in Aberdeen.

Most useless tool (behind a bar): Hal Prescott (and in front for that matter).

Your secret ingredient: Love.....only joking that’s not a secret.  Probably Velvet Falernum.  It can change a simple sometimes-clichéd drink (Mojito) into something far more complex (swizzle).

Mojito or NO-jito? I have to admit I'm a bit of a Mojito fan - drinking not making them. Although there is a satisfaction to making a well-made one, it's just the "aye gie’s another ten of them mo-jito's" comment that really crushes the soul.  Or as one delightful patron put it "gies a fajita".

Preferred spirit/drink: All depends on mood/time/occasion but if I had to choose it would be a rum like Angostura 1919 or Appleton V/X - lots of lime, ice and a little coke.

Most disgusting find at the end of a shift: Nothing at the end of a shift - I have always managed to dodge that bullet - but during a Sunday day shift, some kind customer decided the toilet wasn't to his standards and just squatted on the floor.  That didn’t exactly help the hangover.

James and his menu will be appearing at the Corpse & Cocktail this Sunday 5th December.  There's (s)no(w) excuse for not being there...(one and only snow joke, I promise).

Opening Night.

The good and the bad came out for the Corpse & Cocktail opening night. Good people abiding by the law of the cocktail list (Bartender's Choice) and bad weather, a law unto itself.  Welcome to winter in Aberdeen.

The brave souls who made it down were easily impressed by the £1.50 rum & mixers on offer, but just as easily persuaded to let their bartender fix them up a drink of their choice.

My go-to drink for gin lovers was a Pear Daisy.  Floral and zesty, I had no one send it back - which I usually take to be a good sign.

The Gomes Pear Daisy

50ml Tanqueray gin

12.5ml Merlet Creme de Poire

5ml St Germain elderflower liqueur

25ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Shake and strain over ice into a 10oz hi-ball.  Charge slightly with soda.  Garnish with a lemon twist and a physillis fruit.

Looking forward to next week.  James Mackay will be presenting his homage to prohibition-era drinks in honour of the 77th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition.  RSVP to the event here.

The Dalmore Trinitas 64

Check out this whisky released by Dalmore. Put it on your Christmas wish list! Brought to us by Refined Vices...


http://www.refinedvices.com/the-dalmore-trinitas-64

Corpse & Cocktail Graphics.

Thanks to Siobhan Ogg for these vaudeville-inspired graphics.  The Corpse & Cocktail launches this Sunday at 99 Bar & Kitchen, Aberdeen.  Keep an eye on the Facebook page for more imagery...

A Drink That Truly Deserves its Title

My love for Tiki drinks is by no means a secret. The passion , time and effort that goes into every cocktail is for me the beauty behind the Tiki movement. The balance of alcohol, fresh fruit juice and freshly made syrups create a unique and perfect cocktail. The Winchester is no expectation to this rule and like all great Tiki cocktails it is fun to drink.

The Winchester was created by Brian Miller in New York and was aptly named after Angus Winchester, the World Brand Ambassador for Tanquery Gin. A man whose work in the drinks industry has been second to none. This gin variation of the classic Tiki cocktail the Zombie - a combination of three base spirits blended with various fruit juices and spiced syrups - is a truly exceptional drink. When I heard of this imitation I must admit I was very intrigued. A Zombie is perhaps one of my all time favourite cocktails so with news of a young pretender on the scene I had to try it, hoping that if it was anything like the original Zombie I was in for a real treat.

Unsurprisingly when I finally got to make the Winchester after a bit of research into its ingredients and sourcing them I was in no way disappointed. A base of three gins produces a delightful juniper flavour that is balanced with sharp fruit juice and fiery spice. If you aren’t the biggest fan of Tiki drinks somply because of the abundance of rum on show this gin twist offers you a unique Tiki experience. Trust me after a few of these you would have sworn you had been drinking Zombies all night.

The Winchester,

20ml Haymen’s Old Tom Gin
20ml Martin Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin
20ml Tanqueray Dry Gin
12.5ml Lime Juice
12.5ml Grapefruit Juice
12.5ml St. Germain
12.5ml Grenadine
10ml Ginger Syrup
2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Shake well and serve over crushed ice preferably served in a Tiki mug, otherwise use a larger glass.

Coffee Cocktail

In keeping with the theme of winter drinks I decided to delve into the world of coffee cocktails. I wanted to find a drink that didn’t use coffee or coffee liqueur in order to create a good coffee flavour. Personally, I am not a big fan of Espresso Martini’s mainly because the shot of chilled espresso is too much for my liking. After having a good look through the Savoy Cocktail Book I found ‘The Coffee Cocktail,’ believed to be one of the oldest Coffee Cocktails in existence and doesn’t require coffee! This drink is also found in The Bartenders Guide or How to Mix Plain and Fancy Drinks (1887) by Jerry Thomas. I gave the Coffee Cocktail to a friend of mine who regularly drinks White Russians. He absolutely loved it and has asked for it on a number of occasions now. I recommend you try this especially if desert cocktails or White Russians are your tipple.




Coffee Cocktail (Savoy Cocktail Book)

The yolk of one egg
50ml Port
25ml Brandy
1 Dash of Curacao

Dry and wet shake well. This is vital in order to emulsify the egg yolk and add volume to the drink. Double strain into a small wine glass and grate a touch of nutmeg over the top.

Edinburgh Boutique Bar Show

The Corpse & Cocktail were most recently at the Edinburgh Boutique Bar Show, the third one in 2010 from the team that also visited London and Manchester.  There were some great brands exhibiting: Grolsch, Blue Moon, No. 3 Gin, Leblon Cachaca and The Bitter Truth, amongst others.

The setting was Edinburgh's Mansfield Traquiar, a fine example of grand neo-Romanesque architecture (I Googled, I don't actually use terms like that casually).


Highlight was an Inter-City Challenge between Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and faux-Scots, Newcastle.  I don't really want to go into detail because it brings up bad memories, but needless to say, Aberdeen were not on top form that day.


Afterparties at the Hawke & Hunter and Cabaret Voltaire confirmed that bartenders are still the drunkest patrons in any venue at any given time.


www.boutiquebarshow.com

Too Far...

Now this is just too far.  Flor de Cana recently gathered some curious press folk to an event in Manhattan where they demonstrated "savoury carnivorous cocktails that invoke meat lovers favourite meals".  Pictured is a Cheeseburger, a PB & J cocktail (peanut butter and jam for those that have never watched American TV...and therefore, haven't watched any TV) and a BLT.  Well, they look amazing...but the thought of mixing lettuce water, pickles and bread crumbs in a drink is too bizarre.  Try this at home...if you're weird.

Ron Matusalem

Ron Matusalem have released a couple of new rums to the market... Taken from refinedvices.com.... Ron Matusalem has introduced new top shelf rums to the U.S. and European markets to answer the growing demands of the consumers who have targeted the high end market of rums.

The company's rum range previously consisted of the Matusalem Platino, Clasico, Matusalem Solera 7, Matusalem Clasico 10 and their current top shelf offering available globally, Gran Reserva Solera 15.

The new additions to the Matusalem rum range are Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva 18, which is currently only available in the U.S. market and Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva 23, which is available in select European markets in Spain, Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands and Austria.  Check out the link... http://www.refinedvices.com/ron-matusalem-new-top-shelf-rums-hits-the-markets.

The Forgotten Flip

It’s the beginning of November and the weather outside is unsurprisingly brutal. On nights like this don’t you just wish you were drinking a warming winter cocktail, a Hot Toddy or a Brandy Alexander to easy the long nights perhaps? My choice of drink would be a flip which for this occasion I would use a bold and boisterous rum. Surely nothing better could take away the winter blues. However, so many people tend to shy away from this simple classic. The presence of a whole egg seems too much for some to handle. Don't be afraid, it simply acts as a binding agent giving a lift to the drink making it light and smooth. Far healthier than any heavy cream cocktail and with the strict control on food these days I’m sure its safe. No one questions it when sneakily eating uncooked cake mix do they, so why now?

Flips have been around for centuries and are believed to have originated in the North East of the U.S during Colonel times. This was a process of heating beer, rum, sugar and a whole egg which in turn gave it a froth or “flipping”, hence the name. Over time the volume of beer has decreased along with the heating process and has become a classic American drink.

My suggestions, if you can get your hands on it, would be Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva or Pampero Aniversario. Flips are by no means limited to rum with many other variations of this drink. You can also try Bourbon, Brandy or even Chartreuse.

Here’s a suggestion you should give a shot:

50ml Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
10ml Port
12.5ml Sugar Syrup
1 Whole Egg

Dry shake the egg well and then wet shake for a bit longer than usual to give it more body.
Serve in a Short glass over ice with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Why not check out this link for more ideas on Flips… http://www.umamimart.com/2009/12/happy-hour-flip-out/

Blending of Art by Hennessy

Taken from Swipelife.com...
Hennessy commissioned the services of New York City based design Agency, Keystone Design Union to produce a series of special edition Hennessy V.S (Very Special) bottles for their global campaign known as “Blending of Art.” Five music artists got involved with the campaign which includes the likes of Questlove of The Roots, Q-Tip, Kid Sister, DJ A-Trak, and Steve Aoki. The Five music artists were paired with 5 Innovative designers and artists to produce the bottles: Aerosyn-Lex, Spaceknuckle, Laundry, Fafi, and Dust La Rock.

Dopo Cena - The Disaronno Mixing Star

After a long trip to Manchester to compete in the Disaronno Mixing Star castings, I am pleased to say they liked my after dinner concoction, the Dopo Cena.  Winner of each UK and European casting proceeds to London next month to compete for a trip to LA and a potential part as a bartender in a US movie/TV series.  I'd be happy enough with the trip...!

Dopo Cena 

30ml Disaronno

30ml Kirschwasser

12.5ml Maraschino Liqueur

25ml Fresh Lemon Juice

5ml Sugar Syrup (2:1 Sugar to Water)

2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Shake and fine strain all ingredients into a chilled cocktail glass.

As my good friend Andy Stewart pointed out, it's basically an Amaretto Sour for grown-ups.  I tend to agree.