Competition Breeds...

Monday 13^th February 8.30am – It’s D Day...well, K day. I'm up early as seems to be a theme of the last few days but it's all been in aid of this juncture. 

The setting - Hotel Pelirocco: A quaint boutique hotel on Brighton beachfront. I'm in the Sputnik room, a sci-fi themed room with fibre-optic lighting, and for once I slept comfortably (the last few nights have proven a chore to relax). As I throw on some clothes to go eat, my mind starts racing to the events of the day. The main event, of course, is the semi final of the UK Kraken Hunter competition. Originally, this day was intended to be the final but due to a mass of high quality entries, it had to be altered to accommodate. This in itself is a double edged sword, it inspires great trepidation to learn that you must face more competitors (and in a semi) but it also inspires great confidence in that your entry was chosen to be counted there amongst the 10 very best. 

After breakfast and a short walk to clear my head (having been sat in the bar with Danielle Young from the Marblehead team running the competition, drinking straight Kraken the night before) I return to my room to prepare for the day ahead. With my yarai washed, goblets shined, blazer mugs cleaned and prepared (practicing in your room until you pass out from the exhaustion of the last few days will leave them in need of a wash), I make my way to the bar.

11.20am - I'm in the bar and I type desperately to get a few words down before people start arriving. Too late. Two competitors arrive and I instantly feel out of my depth. I’m treading unknown waters. The two look like members of Gallows. Skinny jeans, retro glasses, tunnels and handlebar moustaches abound. In short, they look the part. The duo are Joe Gunner and Adam Wilson. Meanwhile, across the room, just little old me in my black kilt (yeah, you read that right). I take deep breaths to calm the nerves. The rest of the competitors arrive sporadically and soon the list is completed, and the crew hail from some rather famous, albeit daunting berths:

Joe Gunner - Portobello Star, London

Adam Wilson - Mojo, Leeds 

Dan Bovey - Sahara Bar, Reading (if you think his name seems familiar, google Bacardi Legacy)

Ajax Kentish - Hawksmoor Guildhall, London

Mike Stringer - Flip-It Cocktail consultancy. 

Sarah Mitchell - London Cocktail Club, Shaftsbury Avenue

Alexis Gotts - Old No. 7 Bar & DQ Nightclub, Sheffield.

Kate Rose - Be At One, Shoreditch. 

Sophia Sansford - Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle.

Wish me luck... I'm up second. Through our chatting, we learn that the order of the day is to be a mixture of blazers, beer cocktails (London’s current trend/fad), calamari rings, squid ink and condensed milk. Although, I must stress, not all in the same drink.

1.10pm - ...and it's all over. Well, for my part anyway. It's a surreal set of occurrences, which transpire to prevent your blazed drink (which has worked fine every night leading up to this day) from lighting properly. Combine this with the fact that there are 2 other blazed drinks today by hugely accomplished bartenders and you'll forgive me for thinking I was on course for disaster. On a personal note, I'm happy with the fact that I calmly and collectively apologised to the judges then restarted. Thankfully, the second time, my drink blazed beautifully. Commented on by one of the judges as being served at "the perfect temperature". Needless to say, I'm hopeful after such a comment. 

The Demon In The Dark:

60ml The Kraken Black Spiced Rum

25(ish)ml of boiling water

2 Demerara  sugar cubes 

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Bob's Peppermint bitters.

Fire

At it's heart, this drink is a Bumbo (as discussed in my last Corpse & Cocktail post) which is then set ablaze: Firstly heat up your blazer mugs with some boiled water then after grating some Cinnamon and Nutmeg into a goblet, fill a mixing glass with water and place the goblet inside. Place the spoon above the goblet with two sugar cubes. Saturate the sugar with a few drops of Bob's Peppermint bitters. Then comes the fun part. Dump all but around 25ml of the water from the blazer mugs. Add The Kraken to one of the mugs and set it on fire. VERY carefully, pour the flaming rum back and forth from mug to mug each time increasing the distance between the two in order to get that famous blue strand of flames. After 4 or 5 good pours, pour the rum over sugar cubes. It's essential that you do this whilst the flames are still burning; this allows the sugar to caramelise. After the sugar has been broken down, give it a little stir with the spoon to combine everything fully. Remove the goblet from the mixing glass and enjoy. 

After my drink was made, I was whisked away to allow Adam to prep and have my "moody" portrait taken. I only wish I could have a copy of the pictures but we don't get to see them until Imbibe prints them. So with massive blunderbuss in hand and my goblet in the other, I growled like the photographer had just stolen my drink. Job done. It's hard to be moody though, when you're half filled with rum and enjoying the company. The other problem with having the photo shoot after your entry is that you miss the other drinks. Bah! 

With the rest of the drinks, made, judged and consumed. We made our way out to sample the delights of a rock’n’roll town such as Brighton can only offer. The details of which, however, stay with the hopeful inductees of the Black Ink Society. At very least, I've spent the day with 9 great bartenders and to make an understatement, it's nothing like our scene in Aberdeen. No one cares who wins because they enter so many different competitions. This has its good points and bad points. On one hand, it lends a very informal and relaxed atmosphere to the proceedings but on the other hand I feel like I'm the only one here who actually drinks The Kraken. 

…

If nothing else, each and every competitor was there simply to make his or her drink and have fun. No agendas and no ulterior plans. It genuinely felt like a meeting of artists that I'd been lucky enough to infiltrate. I only hope that I open Imbibe over the coming months and see my Kraken Portrait, I'll know then if I've done our small corner of the world (and indeed myself) justice. 

Lets hope competition breeds success...

Jody

Bacardi Legacy 2011 Winner...Zdenek Kastanek

Congratulations to Zdenek Kastanek of Quo Vadis, London for winning the 2011 UK Bacardi Legacy.

To explain the inspiration for his cocktail, Zdenek tells a little story. “Once upon a time there was a girl called Hermosa. Her mother was typically French: a bitter character on the surface, but really as sweet as honey. Her father was a Spanish sailor. He was rough like the ocean, but charismatic still and a good man. Hermosa lived a simple life in Cuba. Everybody loved her, the men for her beauty and big heart, and the women for her smile and optimism. Hermosa’s life was as sweet as an orange, until one day everything turned as sour as a lemon. Her family had to leave their home and move to Puerto Rico. However, the journey bound her family together. Hermosa grew up and met a charming and exotic man who smelled of almonds and oranges. The oranges reminded her of her happy life in Cuba and they fell in love.”

Zdenek was competing against May Kongsrivilai from the Bon Vivant in Edinburgh and Manchester's Jody Monteith of The Liquorists.  The overall winner from a year-long campaign of promoting each of their drinks was announced on 9th February 2012, along with the three most promising finalists of this year.  One of them, Dan Bovey from Sahara in Reading, is up next...

Firstly, here's Zdenek's drinks, 'La Hermosa':

60ml Bacardi Superior rum
20ml La Gitana manzanilla sherry
4 dashes Yellow Chartreuse
15ml Triple sec
15ml Orgeat syrup
25ml Freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Method: Build drink in a tall glass filled with crushed ice and swizzle.

Last Word Competition

Chartreuse have launched a competition in the UK to find the best twist on the classic cocktail – The Last Word.

For every great classic cocktail in the world there are dozens of twists on it floating around from the sublime Tommy’s Margarita to the not so sublime Frozen Banana Daiquiri. For Chartreuse the iconic cocktail is The Last Word (find out all about The Last Word in an article by Chartreuse Ambassador Matt Dakers here) and they are tasking UK bartenders with finding the next great twist.

There are some big shoes to fill with the most famous twist being The Last Ward by the one and only Phil Ward from New York (he swaps the gin and lime juice for rye and lemon juice). However such and iconic drink with such a rich history is perfect for you to have a play with.

The first round was concentrated in Islington with Zilouf’s, Stuart Binks taking the honours with his ‘monsieur, I beg your pardon’ – watch a video of him making it here.

The Aberdeen leg of the competition takes place over the month of February in your own bars.  To enter:

- Decide within your bar which bartender's original and unique recipe the team will get behind and push over the month.
- By any means neccesary, promote this cocktail to your guests during the month of February - Facebook, Twitter and point-of-sale are just some of the channels (this is NOT a sales/volume-based competition).
- Points will be awarded for the following: drink recipe and mystery shopper.  The point system is not disclosed.
- Drinks may be added to the cocktail menu for The Green Lounge at Orchid on Thursday 23rd February (doors 8pm).
- Any questions, email gomes@10dollarshake.com.
- Results will be announced at the end of February 2012.  All bars are welcome to enter.

The competition will be growing in the coming months with some fantastic prizes up for grabs (and a feature in Bar Life UK).  If you think you can have the last word send your recipes (and good quality photo) to gomes@10dollarshake.com by Friday 27th January.

Good luck!

I'm a Mixologist..?

Currently the hottest viral of the moment.  Enjoy...

2012 | More | Less

Some of our blog contributors have put together a list of various trends, categories and bartending habits (good and bad) that we’d like to see more or less of in 2012.  Thanks to Adrian Gomes (AG), James MacKay (JM), Tom Lawman (TL) and Mike McGinty (MM):

| More |

• Independent brands, with bartender support for these brands. (TL)
• Working flair, not to be confused with showmanship, adding to the guest experience, whilst not affecting speed of service.  Time and a place for everything when it comes to flair. (JM)
• Falernum. (JM / MM)
• Dress code – fix up, look sharp bartenders.  Not everyone has to adopt the speakeasy-style, but in the very least shirts and aprons, or other garments to distinguish yourself as the service-provider, not the service-user. (TL)
• Table service from bartenders and bars alike.  Let’s not get a complex about waiting on tables.  Take the initiative and ask your guests to take a seat whilst they wait for their drink.  You may notice the difference in tips. (TL)
• Cognac’s, Armangnac’s and eaux-de-vie’s.  Brandy is one of the oldest of all distilled spirits and such a diverse category.  Get tasting, get experimenting. (AG)

| Less |

• Japanese hard shake.  Whilst we admit it is a classy and well-thought out shaking technique, surely bartenders who would like to imitate this have better things to be doing with their time…(AG / TL)
• Less mixto tequilas (and Jose Cuervo) on the speed-rail.  Tequila is a growing category.  Expand your back-bar and offer a quality house pour. (JM)
• Elaborate drinks lists with poor execution by the venue management/team.  Applies to venues with illusions of grandeur but a poor recruitment and training policy.  Baby steps are the key. (JM / AG)
• Jagerbombs.  Yes we’ve all done them, but let’s cool it a bit on the speed-drinking front.  It’s not smart and it’s not cool…even if it used to be. (TL)
• Politics and trash-talk between bartenders.  Competitions are a great tool to learn more about the art of bartending. Winning is no substitution for making friends and networking.  Compared to most competitive activities, in this industry, it really is the taking part that counts. (AG)
• Bartender snobbery.  Yes, we’re all guilty of it from time to time.  Let’s try harder this year! (JM)

Comments are welcomed.  What would you like to see more or less of in 2012?  Disagree with our contributors?  Let us know.  Happy New Year!

...I'm Sweet Enough.

A fundamental building block in mixed drinks, we thought we'd give you a brief insight into sugar: where it came from and how it got here.  I referenced a few sources to compile this, but in all fairness, the majority of this article has been heavily-influenced by Wayne Curtis' fine book on rum: 'And a Bottle of Rum - A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails'.

Sugarcane first appeared in Asia around 4000 B.C. - most likely Papua New Guinea.  As trade routes opened up and empires expanded, as did the reach of sugarcane, with the cultivation and processing moving west via China, India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Iberia and the Atlantic islands of Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Azores.  Christopher Columbus was subsequently responsible for carrying live sugarcane seedlings to the New World on his second trip in 1493 (his Father-in-Law was a Madeira sugar planter) planting these on Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti).  It turns out the Caribbean islands offered the perfect climate and soil conditions for sugarcane and the colonists were quick to establish plantations in Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

To produce sugar, the cane syrup is machine-pressed from the cane and heated until near-crystallisation.  It is subsequently cooled and cured (this is the point at which the by-product molasses appears).

With great quantities of sugar being produced in the New World colonies, prices fell in Europe and many of the plantation owners were ruined.  Meanwhile, New World plantation owners were making a killing, building great houses like the one below...

In England, the demand grew quickly as sugar evolved from a luxury item only the aristocratic classes could afford, to a staple for the common man.

To keep up with the sugar needs of Europe and their emerging colonies, slaves were imported.  On the colonised islands, native tribes had been decimated by European disease (such as small-pox) and poor working conditions.  Thus began the Trans-Atlantic triangular slave trade, carrying sugar and rum from the Caribbean and New England to Europe where these were sold and the profits used to purchase goods to be traded in West Africa for slaves to be transported to the Caribbean to work in the plantations, to produce sugar for...you get the idea.

As the European powers continued their colonisation of the world, sugar, in turn, reached new territories: Brazil, Pacific Islands and Australia, among others.  Significantly, in 1747 a German scientist discovered sucrose in Beet Root and shortly after, beet sugar began production.  This didn't really take off until the British blocked all Caribbean trade with Napoleon's French Empire.  Beet sugar grew as a result and now accounts for 30% of today's sugar production.

An important point to note is that, currently,  sugar prices in the US and Japan are higher than the rest of the world due to import tariffs and as a result their domestically-produced high-fructose corn syrup is favoured over sugar, especially for soft drinks and processed foods.

The trend with us bartenders is to make our own 'cane syrup', usually to 65 degree brix.  'Degree brix' is the sugar content in an aqueous solution, with one degree brix equating to 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution measuring representing the strength of the solution as a percentage of weight.  Hence, if you make your cane syrup (or sugar syrup, or simple solution) in a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water, then the degrees brix is 65.

Back to Basics...

Those of you who know the bartenders of this blog will know we all share two things in common: An unending passion for cocktails, and a somewhat unhealthy love for Rum. To that end, for my first outing on the Corpse & Cocktail, I decided I would pay homage to the glorious spirit by going back to the original drinks it made.

Now we all know Pirates drank Grog right?

Wrong. In reality, it was the conscripted sailors of the royal navy who quaffed Grog. The reason for this was that they would spend longer at sea than your average pirate or privateer. This meant that they wouldn’t have access to fresh fruit, vegetables and sugars which would in turn lead to scurvy. Navy Grog was simply watered down rum, and if you were lucky you might get a lime to go with your Grog, to fend off the scurvy.

People often speak of Grog, but in the days of Pirates, Bumbo (or Bombo / Bumboo) was the better drink. Bumbo was a better version of Grog because, lets face it, pirates plundered all the good stuff from villages and merchant ships. Also, to give pirates a little bit of credit, they were better at living off the land than the conscripted sailors, who rarely got shore leave.

Bumbo is a simple drink, with its key components being rum, water, sugar and nutmeg. Bumbo, however, gets better depending on the resources at hand. It can obviously incorporate limes but for the most part were not included. Fruit juices can also be added. Think tropical fruits in the Caribbean. In essence, if you think about it, pirates may very well have been the first people to drink “girly drinks”. Jack Sparrow does wear guy-liner, so it may not be that far from the truth.

If you stick to the traditional recipe, however, a mug of Bumbo would basically be a spicy rum cocktail. Cinnamon was often added, along with the nutmeg, to make the drink taste better. It seems almost Christmas-punch-like: we have the strong, the weak, the sweet, the spice…add some sour and you’re there. In my research, I couldn’t quite find a proportional recipe from the time, so it was more likely to be to each person’s taste.

Jody’s Bumbo Recipe - this is a basic one, but have fun and experiment with it.

-50ml Amber Rum (use something from the Caribbean please, we strive for authenticity - I used Pyrat)

-25ml Chilled Water – I shook some water in an ice filled shaker to get it chilled enough.

-1 Sugar Cube (brown or cane sugar)

-Sprinkle of Cinnamon

-Sprinkle of grated Nutmeg

-Friends of mine tried a dash of Masters Of Malt Christmas bitters and they found this rounded the flavour off well.

1. Grab a mug or Old Fashioned glass.

2. Combine all ingredients

3. Muddle/crush sugar cube and stir.

4. Consume.

It’s as easy as that.

Bumbo doesn’t take ice so it is served only slightly cooled. But if you want you can add ice, the modern preference being for drinks to contain ice. Additional things that would have been added to Bumbo include coconut water, any tropical fruit juice, or of course… more rum! A bartender…er…I mean pirate can never have too much rum.

Interestingly enough, Bumbo was commonly used during election campaigns in colonial British America. In fact it was used to the extent that treating voters to gifts and other freebies during election campaigns was referred to as "swilling the planters with Bumbo". George Washington himself was particularly noted for using this technique:

A 24 year old George Washington first ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Burgesses, he attributed his defeat to his failure to provide enough alcohol for the voters. When he tried again two years later, Washington secured his appointment to office partly on the rum, punch, hard cider and beer his election agents handed out. A little under half a gallon was issued for every vote he received. His papers state that he used 160 gallons of rum to treat 391 voters to Bumbo during campaigning for the Virginia House of Burgesses in July 1758.

Just goes to show that Politicians really are just like pirates!

Bacardi Legacy Finalist...Metinee Kongsrivilai

The second of our series of posts on the outstanding Bacardi Legacy competition (Matthew Dakers, eventual winner of the 2009 competition, featured back in February 2010) highlights Metinee Kongsrivilai (May) of Edinburgh's Bon Vivant, who placed in the final three with her drink, The Matinee.

The Bacardi Legacy competition has firmly cemented itself as one of the top bartender competitions in the world, with a grand final that must put a slight dent in the (deep) pockets of Bacardi every year.  Having been a guest at two finals myself, I can confirm that no expense is spared in hosting this magnificent occasion.

Every year, three finalists are chosen to spend the next year marketing their drink in any number of ways.  May has chosen to initiate a website featuring bars and bartenders who are supporting The Matinee.

In May's own words, here's the story behind the creation of The Matinee:

"Initially it started out as remark from a friend who thought it would be funny to make a joke out of my name: 'Metinee Kongsrivilai'..."hahaha...why don't call the drink 'Matinee'?". At that moment, the switch was clicked inside my head. To me, the definition of a 'Matinee' is “a performance or entertainment that can also be enjoyed during the day”. Something that I think The Matinee delivers. Jokes aside, there’s an element of seriousness to the background of the drink.

Learning about the hardship and the success that the Bacardi family had experienced across eight generations inspired me to take a look at my own family history and heritage. Generations of my family lived in poverty surviving floods and supporting such a large family with minimal money. Throughout all of this, the Kongsrivilais attempted a sweet and dessert making business. Their business wasn’t amazingly successful, yet, Like the Bacardi family, it was their determination and passion that made has eventually established them as one of Thailand’s greatest dessert business, three generations on.

In the end, I was inspired to incorporate the element of heritage into The Matinee. The Characteristics of Bacardi together with the Martini Rosso and Vanilla represents the dessert component that is so important to my family. The Kaffir was inspired by the Jungle that had surrounded my home for generations and a source of provisions that helped my family survive. We're very lucky to live in a globalised world, and have access to so many wonderful flavours of the world. I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of this.

The Bacardi legacy competition has been career changing for me and has helped me rekindle my love for this industry a just before the competition, I started to have doubts as to whether there's a place for me within it. For the time being, I'm just going to keep pushing the Matinee as I believe that there's a place for it in this new generation of contemporary classics, but we'll just have to see."

We're currently hoping to tie up a Guest Bartender appearance from May as part of her final Bacardi Legacy presentation, so we'll keep you updated on that one.  In the meantime, best of luck May!

The Matinee

50ml BACARDI SUPERIOR
2-4 Kaffir Lime leaves
12.5ml Martini Rosso
12.5ml Lemon Juice
12.5ml Vanilla gomme
12.5ml Egg white

Shake and double strain, serving straight up with a kaffir lime leaf garnish.

10 Dollar Shake & 17th Letter Presents...Repeal!

The anniversary of the repeal of the Volstead Act is upon us again, albeit we're celebrating a day early so we can land on our usual Sunday night.  The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, and the only amendment ever to be repealed.

If you look back to this time last year, we did a little write-up on the history.  The long and short of it all is that prohibition in the States was much more complicated than a few paragraphs can illustrate.  Take our advice and hunt down Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's documentary, 'Prohibition'.  In three episodes and five-and-a-half hours, the documentary runs the gauntlet from the rise of the temperance movement, the ratification of the 18th Amendment, the age of the speakeasy and subsequent gang warfare, and the eventual repeal.  I can't recommend it enough.  Sure, viewing time is steep but you'll gain a fantastically-detailed insight into the 'Noble Experiment'.

Education-aside, we always find a way to party so this Sunday we're holding our annual party, Repeal!.  Prohibition-era cocktails, live jazz courtesy of our house band The Corpse Revivers (17th Letter) and bartenders dressed appropriately in flat caps and braces.  Doors from 8pm, look forward to seeing all you fellas and broads...

Vinegar in Cocktails

By no means a brand new ingredient to the art of mixing drinks, vinegar is somewhat enjoying a slight resurgence at the moment.  Vinegar is an acetic acid (CH3COOH if you're scientifically-minded), produced through the fermentation of ethanol by way of oxidisation (think of the change in taste to red wine after being left opened for a few weeks).  Historically, vinegar has been used for medicinal purposes with Hippocrates (year 460 - 377BC) prescribing it for persistent coughs.  Common day treatments include sun-burn and jellyfish stings - however apparently the myth that it may circumvent urinalysis testing for cannabis is unfounded!

Acetic acid is known in the food industry as E260, an acidity stabiliser.  An essential ingredient in salad dressings, vinegar first appeared in fruit shrubs, helping to both preserve the fruit and add a sharp, sour edge to the sweetness.  A similar thought is applied in the production of gastriques - a caramelized sugar, de-glazed with vinegar.  Addition of flavourings and spices, opens up a host of imbibe possibilities.  We're making an orange/cardamom gastrique, and a strawberry/balsamic gastrique for our list this evening.

Tonight's Cocktails

Caprese Martini - vodka, kitchen-made salsa di pomodoro, balsamic reduction and basil served in a salt-rimmed coupette and garnished with a pickle.

Clements Shrub - bourbon, fig preserve, lemon, apple cider vinegar, cider, cinnamon and cracked pepper.

House Shrub - Blackberry, raspberry and red wine vinegar shrub.  Drink on it's own or in a Whisky Smash.

R'Apple Cider - light rum, velvet falernum, cider vinegar and cloudy apple juice.

Rum Old-Fashioned - mature rum doused with an orange/cardamom gastrique.

Strawberry & Balsamic Mojito - Classic Mojito twisted with a strawberry/balsamic gastrique.

Bourbon Knocks Scotch Off Top Spot...

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (July,  2011) – George T. Stagg, the iconic uncut, unfiltered bourbon released annually from Buffalo Trace Distillery, has been named the number one spirit in the world, knocking off the perennial favorite Highland Park 18 Scotch Whisky for the first time since 2005. The list, compiled annually by noted sprits reviewer F. Paul Pacult, was released in his June 2011 issue of The Spirit Journal. The George T. Stagg is also the first American Whiskey to ever be named number one in The Spirit Journal’s 13 years of tabulating.

Notes Pacult, “This version (2010) of the GT Stagg is the latest layer in an incredible body of work performed by Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley that deserves to be recognized as genuinely great.”

The George T. Stagg Bourbon Whiskey is part of the Antique Collection that is released each fall from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Long considered the frontrunner of the Collection, the Stagg has collected numerous awards over the years, including the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Competition Chairman’s Trophy Winner; 2011 Double Gold Winner, Best Bourbon, San Francisco World Spirits Competition; the 2010 American Whiskey of the Year from Jim Murray’s 2010 Whiskey Bible; 2009 Bourbon of the Year and Best Bourbon Aged 13-17 Years from Jim Murray’s 2009 Whiskey Bible; and the Best in Class in the 2009 New York Spirits Awards, among others.

“This is such an honor,” notes Harlen Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “To be the top spirit, not just the top whiskey, but top spirit, in the world, and then to find out it’s the first American Whiskey to hold that distinction is quite a privilege – especially coming from someone as well respected in the industry as Paul.”

Adds Pacult in his review, “This is more of a clarion call that American whiskey distillers run with the best of Scotland and Ireland and, in some cases, like GT Stagg, eclipse them.”

The 2011 version of the George T. Stagg will be released later this fall with the Antique Collection.

Thanks to WhiskeyIntelligence.com for this article.  The Spirit Journal's Top 20 spirits of 2011 are available HERE.

Tales of the Cocktail

'Tales of the Cocktail' has established itself as an internationally-renowned cocktail festival in New Orleans.  Running for it's 8th year, the festival begins today (until the 24th July) with a series of seminars, special events, luncheons/dinners, excursions and competitions.  A host of well-known brands run complimentary events such as the Absolut Bloody Mary Bar, the Leblon cachaca Caipi-Mobile and a 'Tales After Dark' pop-up jazz bar with Benedictine.

The Corpse & Cocktail team are unfortunately missing out this year, but 2012 is a certainty.  Our good friend Matthew Dakers will hopefully be dropping us a report on his two days in the city...but knowing his passion for over-celebrating, I wouldn't count on it.

(International) Guest Bartender: Adam Murphy

Q. Adam, you made the move across the Irish Sea.  Tell us about your new role with All Bar None...

       
A. Well, there‘s lots of different aspects of my job to be honest which is one of the best things about it.  Our main thing at All Bar None would be the event side of things.  These would mainly be events from all of the major drinks companies.  We have a number of portable bars which we install to venues, and our main focus would be cocktails.  As it’s summer time, festivals is what we're mainly busy with at the moment - just had our 1969 converted airstream at Taste of Dublin the other week, and then Body and Soul, a small festival, this past weekend and Sea Sessions coming up this weekend.
But as I said there are other aspects to my job which include cocktail training (again it’s mainly the major drinks companies who get us to do this), most recently Pernod-Ricard (Ireland), with a focus on Havana Club rum. Of course, other parts of the job are events like private parties and the like..

Q. Do you miss the daily grind of being behind the stick or have you found your niche in events?
       
A. Absolutely!  There are a few things I miss.  The thing I really miss is the rapport with customers and building up a relationship with people in the bar through different drinks and chat and being able to make drinks for people that they really enjoy and make them happy.  Or being able to try out new drinks and play around with stuff - because you have all of the equipment at your disposal and the people to try it.  When you make 1500 whiskey sours in two hours, like we did at a Jameson event recently, you can't really get that sort of rapport with customers or be able try things out!

Q. Bartending has grown in recent years as a viable vocation, especially with the growth of roles such as beverage consultants and brand ambassadors.  5 years ago, did you think you would be following a career in this industry today?  Where do you reckon your lucky charm will take you in the next 5 years?

A. Em, I don’t know.  Probably not to be honest.  Working in bars and bartending is something I've always enjoyed and always done.  I was working in a bar from the age of 15 then behind a bar and pulling pints when I was 16. But I don’t think I really saw it as a career until recently - although I had thought about it quite a lot while I was at Uni.  It was at Uni when working as bartender became a real passion and interest for me.  I probably spent more bartending and learning about that than I did actual studying!  It’s really great that the industry has become a more respected and viable career option for people nowadays.  5 years from now?  God knows.  But if my lucky charm could get me anything, I would like it to get me my own bar, like most bartenders want.  I would say that would be the end goal.  So I think that possibly could happen in 5 years.  I would also love to start something, perhaps a brand maybe.  Have a few ideas, so we'll see what happens.

Q.  So, you have the honours of being the first international guest bartender at The Corpse & Cocktail.  What can we expect on your list?

A. Yeah, gotta say I'm pretty happy about that and really looking forward to it.  Well I haven’t had too much time to think about it, but since I'm coming over from Ireland, and we are Celtic cousins, I might do a Celtic Connections cocktail list!  All of the main spirits being Irish or Scottish, or maybe just a loose connection.  We'll see how the list comes together!

Q. Trend and ingredient-wise, what are you digging these days?

A. Trend-wise, I think maybe the return to an old-school style of bartending and recapturing of all the classics which has been going on for a while now.  Stuff like David Woodrich’s book ‘Punch’, could really push it back onto the cocktail agenda after being forgotten for so long, and this can only be a good thing, as it is such an under-used area.  Ingredient-wise, maybe the return of decent and more readily available Vermouths - the likes of Fernet Branca, Punt e Mes and Antica Formula for example - is great for bartenders to be able to play about with.

Q. Final words.   Favourite all-time cocktail and why?

A. Jesus, emm. I get asked this a lot by people when they find out what I do and generally struggle to answer.  It depends what mood I'm in or where and when it is!  But if I had to pick it would be an Old Fashioned.  I generally like simple classic drinks with strong flavours - Collins, Manhattans, Daiquiris, Sazeracs...you get the idea!  And if you have a really good Bourbon or Rum and make an old fashioned with it, I find that very hard to beat.  So my favourite cocktail would  be:

Rum Old-Fashioned

60ml Pyrat XO Rum
10ml Sugar Syrup
Dash Gary Regan Orange Bitters #6
Dash Angostura  Aromatic Bitters
And of course the (all important) ice!

The Corpse & Cocktail welcomes All Bar None's Adam Murphy on Sunday 3rd July.  Doors from 8pm.

Jamie McDonald, World Class UK Winner 2011

Congratulations to Jamie McDonald of Stockbridge, Edinburgh's The Raconteur for winning this year's UK World Class competition.  Jamie is now off to Delhi to compete against the winners from the other global World Class finals to see who is named Global World Class Bartender of the Year.  Previous winners include Eric Lorincz (2010) from The Connaught Hotel in London and Ryan Chetiyawardana (2009), formerly of Bramble and 69 Colebrooke Row, currently running the show at one of London's newest bars, The Whistling Shop (working alongside 2011 UK Bacardi Legacy winner Matthew Dakers).

The competition was founded by Diageo and has become one of the most important competitions in the world.  Bartenders must create a cocktail using Diageo's 'Reserve Brands' portfolio (includes Don Julio tequila, Tanqueray No. 10 gin and Ketel One vodka).  Entrants must first qualify for the regional heats before those winners line up in the UK final.  In 2010, Eric Lorincz topped an entry list of 9000 UK bartenders who all submitted entries.  No small feat there...!

Jamie's Ketel One cocktail 'Chaste' comprised of Martini Rosso, Benedictine, tobacco bitters and Caol Ila 12 year old single malt.

Good luck in Delhi Jamie!

Thanks to The Cocktail Lovers for the above video.

Painkillers: Pussers vs. PKNY

Stumbled across this article today and thought I'd briefly highlight the legal issues that go on behind the scenes in the cocktail world.  Essentially the article describes the British Virgin Island's rum brand Pusser's and a well-known cocktail called the Painkiller.  According to Wiki, the Painkiller was invented at the Soggy Dollar Bar on the island of Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands.  The drink blends dark rum, coconut cream, orange juice and pineapple juice, served over crushed ice and garnished with grated nutmeg.

Now the outcry seems to be over the heavy-handed approach of Pusser's to a New York-based bar called Painkiller (now known as PKNY).  In trademarking the name 'Painkiller', Pusser's have got their knickers in a twist over the fact a bar had the gall to name themselves after the cocktail and then use a different brand in the actual cocktail.  Trademarking cocktails is not a recent phenomenon and I can point to the Dark & Stormy (Goslings, Bermuda), Sazerac (New Orleans) and the Bacardi Cocktail as being good examples of trademarked/branded cocktails.  Were Pusser's within reason to enforce their trademark on the bar?  After having a look at the arguments for both sides, I would tend to side with Pusser's for the sole reason that if Painkiller (now PKNY) were to have used Pusser's as the base rum, then none of this would have come about.  I've now possibly risked the wrath of an entire Facebook page...