When you first start layering shots, it can be difficult to get clean layers, with this technique you can do it quicker and easier so you can have perfect B-52s and Pousee Cafes.
Month: February 2011
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan, or informally known as a Cosmo, is a relatively new cocktail that was created in 1985. The Cosmo has become very popular in recent years with the help of one of my favourite shows Sex and the City. Since the Cosmo was mentioned so many times on the show, I decided to give it a try. The Cosmo […]
Bitterness Makes You Judgmental
A recent research paper published in Psychological Science has shown a relationship between bitter flavours and judgement. The interesting result was that after tasting something bitter, people were harsher in their judgement. If you are politically conservative, the effects are even more pronounced. Since bitters are a key part of cocktails, and alcohol in itself can be bitter to a […]
Gibson’s Finest 12 Year Old Whisky
Gibson’s is the third most popular Canadian whisky in Canada. It holds 17% of the market and sells around 300,000 cases per year. Whenever you read the term “case” it means that 9 bottles of 750ml were sold. Just in case you didn’t know. Outside of Canada, you will be lucky to find Gibson’s since it doesn’t have much of an […]
Reyka Vodka
When it comes to vodka I’m not a big fan, or should I say I’m not a blind follower of the vodka phenomenon. Vodka has its place and for some people, an ice-cold vodka martini, after a long day, is a pleasant way to reward oneself. I make a lot of vodka martini’s for people but I can’t remember the […]
Glycerol in Vodka Results
After preparing all of my test solutions on a, sunny, Saturday afternoon, I decided that a beautiful Tuesday evening was perfect to spend in the lab, the same lab I spent all day in. But the effort was for a good cause, which was to answer the nagging question: Does Grey Goose Contain Glycerol? It’s one of those questions that […]
Does Grey Goose Contain Glycerine?
The people who market vodka are ripe with praise for their product. The machismo from these companies is enough to make Kim Jong-un blush. With a large enough marketing budget, you can create any image you want, and Grey Goose was the first vodka company to prove it. They made an unaged, technologically simple spirit into an ultra-premium, must have […]
Rum and the Distillation Process
A concise guide to the fermentation and distillation of sugar cane into rum.
Bartending School
“He’s beyond bartending, beyond being a poor journeyman bartender, and has obviously morphed into a misinformed, opinionated, elitist snob.” At first, I thought I had a misdirected email for Jamie Boudreau. Then I realized it was for me. That is the opinion of one David Rattner, president of National Bartender’s School, regarding me. There were a few more shots fired […]
Being a Bartender: Product Knowledge
There are lots of bartending styles, but some styles are different than others. The most basic bartenders pop tops off beer bottles, and mixes up a mean rum and coke, but beyond that they are just very hard working “;droids.” This is mostly because of the establishment they work in. On the other hand, there are establishments that do quality […]
Navan Vanilla Cognac
Navan is a new product from Grand Marnier that infuses fine cognac with pure vanilla and a touch of sweetness from added sugar. This product is ’designed’ for the hip and trendy crowd that revels in expensive products. Aside from the ’reason’ Navan was created, it is still a great tasting product and if you like the Grand Marnier orange […]
Liquor Inventory for the Bar
With the new restaurant, Mint Restobar, opening on Thursday it has been sucking up a lot of my writing time, but things should be back to normal this week. With the opening date finalized the purchase of the bar inventory needed to be done. Since we are a fine dining establishment, I went with some better quality products, but still […]