Market Share Advice.

I stopped at Green City Market today to pick up some local ingredients to play with. I snagged some fresh peaches, white currants and both tart and sweet cherries to work with.

I am planning a personal experiment to find out which type of cherry and what type of base spirit/mixture will produce the best brandied or bourbon cherries.

Any thoughts?

Cocktail of the week #14

This is one of my recent recipes from the pop-up bar I did with my pal Adam Seger. Savour the sumptuousness.

South American Sour

2 oz. Machu Pisco
1/2 oz. Perfect Purée Chipotle Sour
1/4 oz. Lemon Juice
1/2-3/4 oz. Ginger Syrup
Egg white
5 drops of tobacco bitters

Build everything except for bitters in cocktail shaker, before adding ice. Shake the egg into the mixture to begin the emulsification process. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass through a tea strainer to create a nice microform, and eliminate any splinters of ice. Let sit and garnish with tobacco bitters (aztec chocolate bitters are an acceptable substitution) and a twist (optional). Sip leisurely until fully consumed. Repeat.

As it sounds odd.

There's nothing I enjoy, more at the same time abhor more than the statement "would you like to go behind the bar and make it?"

As a mixologist is pisses me off to know that there's bartenders who could care less about crafting a proper cocktail. Mind you, if you know me...I'm very passionate. But, If you don't like the industry, do us all a favour and get out. I don't want want bartender to mix me a drink that I didn't request (that's what happened at Ombara on Andersonville). I just feel there's plenty of people who would like to get into a craft cocktail job and make a place for themselves. Why take up the space. And yes, I called them out on the drink that was made.

Ok, I'm stepping off my soapbox now...

Cocktail of the Week Update

Yeah, so I've skipped the Cocktail of the Week for about 2 months now with everything going on. But I've decided to make a change to this. Now that I'm up in such an awesome city amongst many mixologists I admire. I am going to start and honour some of the best cocktails I consume by making their recipes available, mixologist/creator permitting, of course. And yes, I will still be putting my own recipes on for your viewing pleasure.

Aging Project #3

Now that I'm situated and up to speed at my cocktail bartending job at Elixir in Chicago. It has given me some time to be creative and actually take on some extra roles both in and out of work.

After learning that Elixir will be having their 1 year anniversary next month. I opted to start my way on a fantastic new cocktail. But first I want to age a spirit, in this case... I'm doing pisco. Pisco is a clear, grape based brandy from Peru and Chille. So in a sense I'm making a Peruvian Cognac... But not aging it nearly as long. We'll see how it turns out.