Taste of the Nation

One word... Awesome! I can't wait to do it next year.

Appropriate Barware

So just a shout out. I don't give a lot of credit to companies. The people at Chefwear started a line for bartenders called Barware. Not only is their customer service amazing, but great product too.

I ordered 2 jackets on a Wednesday, they had them embroidered and to me in 4 business days. Got them on a Monday. Usually say it takes 4 weeks to do a project like this. They really raised the bar on customer service. keep it up! They certainly have my patronage going forward.

Secret Menu...!?

Once in a while, I'll take a fun ingredient to work at Elixir and opt to make a secret menu. Often checking in on Foursquare, Twitter, and Facebook. With the small note of a secret menu for the day.

I usually get a few people come in asking for it, albeit friends. But the feedback is great. My point about this concept is, you can develop a different more adventurous customer base from it. It can also lead to some feedback on prospective menu items. Furthermore, it makes a guest feel like they are special, or trendsetters if you will.

Cocktail of the Week #15

On August 8th, I will be a participating mixologist in Taste of the Nation, a huge charity fundraiser for the No Kid Hungry Campaign. Well after a few weeks of deliberation, we were all assigned a base spirit to work with;of which I received Bulleit Rye. I was pretty excited, in fact, I keep a bottle in my bar at home. Oh, And we keep a bottle at work too...Cake. Well the catch is we have exactly 1 week to come up with an original recipe, tweak it to perfection using a limited amount of secondary spirits and fresh seasonal ingredients and calculate the beverage in order to serve 400+ guests a 1.5 oz. serving.

Easier said than done when you're indecisive like me. Like a kid at a candy store with too many options and favourites. After careful deliberation, and the idea I wanted to go a somewhat masculine direction with my cocktail. I developed "Lost in the Woods". But to keep you in suspense, I will be adding the recipe at the beginning of next week.

***update***

Here's the Recipe

Lost in the Woods
1 1/2 oz. Bulleit Rye
1/2 oz. cold infused rosemary syrup
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. Cynar
2 dashes Fee Bros. Black Walnut Bitters
fresh sage leaf garnish

Build in shaker glass, shake and strain into coupette. Garnish with disciplined sage leaf for aromatics and texture.

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...