bar, beverages, cocktails as hobby

Food Companion

2010-11-26T20:07:00.001+07:00

Food and Wine
As you discover which wines you like most you will be able to
make your own decisions about which wines go best with
different types of food.

Before the meal as an 'aperitif'
An aperitif should cleanse the palate and sharpen the taste
buds. Champagne, cool dry white wines and chilled rose
wines all make excellent aperitifs.

Appetizers
Appetizers often include a wide range of strong flavours.
Serve chilled, light, dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc
or Blanc de Blanc. Dry rose wines such as Anjou Rose are
also suitable.
Smoked salmon
A Chablis or Chardonnay is best. A fruity medium dry
Reisling or Gewurztraminer from Germany also goes well.
Caviar
Iced vodka is the traditional drink with caviar, but
Champagne is as good if not better.
Avocado with prawns or crab
Try dry to medium white wines such as Graves or
Chardonnay.
Fresh oysters
Dry wines from the Loire such as Muscadet or
Sancerre, Champagne or a full bodied Chablis.

Soup
If the soup course follows the hors d'oeuvres
it is quite normal to continue with the same wine.
Lobster bisque or clam chowder
Dry white wines with plenty of body such as a Pinot
Gris or Chardonnay.
Vegetable cream soups
Young Reisling or dry Graves.
Minestrone
Light red wines such as a Zinfandel or Beaujolais.

Fish
Most people prefer white wine with fish. The general
rule is the lighter the sauce the fish is served in, the
lighter the wine to accompany it.
Shrimps
A Chablis or Chardonnay goes well, even if the shrimps
are in a sauce.
Sushi and Sashimi
Try Reisling, a bottle of Champagne or a Chablis.
Salmon
White Burgundy such as a Puligny Montrachet or
Meursalt.
Tuna
A rose wine or a Cotes du Rhone red is best with
grilled tuna.

Chicken and Turkey
Although white wine is often served with chicken,
light reds also go very well with turkey and chicken
dishes with stronger sauces.
Roast turkey
A chilled bottle of Beaujolais or a light red Burgundy.
Coq au vin (chicken in red wine)
Gevrey Chambertin is best, for a special occasion,
otherwise any medium or light red wine is fine.

Meats
There is a wine for every possible meat dish.
A slightly chilled Beaujolais is excellent with light
roast beef. Roast beef requires a heavier red.
Veal steak
A light red such as a Beaujolais is perfect, served
slightly chilled.
Beef and lamb
Light reds from Bordeaux at room temperature go well
if the meats are roasted.
Sirloin steak
Red wines of nearly any kind go well with steaks,
especially the reds from Burgundy.
Roast lamb
A red from the Bordeaux region.
Roast beef
The full flavour of roast beef requires an equally full
flavoured wine, try a Volnay or Chateauneuf du Pape.
Lamb cutlets
Light reds from Bordeaux are ideal, for example a Merlot
or Cabernet Sauvignon.

France Wines Areas

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France
French wine sets the international standard simply
because French is, and has always been, the
consistent best.
French offers an incredibly varied selection of wines
from which to choose. It is as every village in every
part of France has a different wine waiting to be
discovered; no two quite the same, or ever standardized
or explained away.

Bordeaux
Three factors make Bordeaux the most important
region of all: its quality, size, and the variety of wines
its produces.

The region of Bordeaux is divided into several smaller
areas such as Graves, Margaux, and Saint Emilion,
each producing wines with a style of their own and
many of them among the world's finest: Chateau

Margaux, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau
Haut Brion, Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite-
Rothschild.

Vintage wines from these chateaux are found at
the top end of the wine price list and old wines
can command huge prices at auction.
Whatever your budget, the Bordeaux name
indicates a fine, reasonably priced drinking wine
that's perfect with food. For Bordeaux wines
that don't break the bank, look for the name of
a reliable 'negociant', such as Barton & Guestier,
an agent who has blended several wines of the
region to create one good wine which is ready
to drink.

Burgundy
The great name of Burgundy region include
Chablis, Beaujolais, Macon, Beaune and
perhaps twenty others.
Classification in Burgundy begins with
Grand Cru, which means grapes from the best
vineyards will have been used to make the wine.
Premier Cru, produced from the second best
vineyards sites come next, followed by wines from
individual villages.
Wines named after regions within Burgundy and
non-specific wines such as Burgundy Red complete
the choice.

Burgundy also has a system of 'negociants', agents
whose name appears on the label together with
the name of the area in which the grapes were grown.
This system dates from the French Revolution when
large estates were sliced into small sections and given
to the local people.
The negociants buys freshly picked grapes or ready
made wine from individual farmers and completes
the wine making process and sells the wine.
Perhaps the best known region of Burgundy is
Beaujolais which provides light, fruity red wine
made to be drunk young.

Rhone
A region to the south of Burgundy, is famous
for its red wine and probably the most famous
is Chateauneuf-du-Pape which is blended from
thirteen different gape varieties.
The red wine from Rhone can be quite delicious,
deep, fruity and low in acid.
Good years keep well.

Loire
South-west of Paris, on the banks of the river
Loire is a region known for its light, white wines.
These divide between the dry wines to the east
(Sancerre and Pouilly) and west (Muscadet),
and the sweeter wines of Touraine and Anjou
in central Loire.
The area of Touraine also has red wine which is
a match for Beaujolais, while much of the wine
of Anjou is first class rose.

Uderstanding the Label

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Still Wines

Appelation Controlee (AO or AOC)
This is a guarantee of origin and production method and
a guide to wines of quality and value.

Vins Delimites de qualite Superieure (VDQS)
Regions without the over-all quality necessary for Appelation
Controlee may be classified as VDQS, they are often good
wines from less well-established regions.

Vins de Pays
This standard is applied to wines of a particular region and
indicates that the wine has a certain minimum alcohol content.

Vins de Table
Ordinary wine that may be from more than one regions; fine
for day to day consumption with meals.

Champagne

Vintage - (e.g. 1976, 1981) The wine of one outstanding year.

Non-Vintage - (without a date) A blend of wines from different
years.

Cuvee - Blend: all champagne is blended.

Blanc de Blances - Made from the juice of wine grapes only.

Cremant - Half sparkling or "creaming".

Rose - Pink champagne made by blending in a little red wine.

Reserve - Any wine can be called Reserve.

Brut - Bone dry.

Extra Sec - Dry.

Sec - slightly sweet.

Demi Sec - Sweet.

Doux - Very sweet.

The word "Champagne" can only appear on a bottle of
wine which was produced in the Champagne region of
France.

Basic Types of Wine

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White Wine
White wine can be made from either black or
green grapes. The grape juice is squeezed out
and placed with yeast in large metal containers
to start the fermentation. When all the sugar has
turned to alcohol, the yeast drops to the bottom
of the tank.
The wine is then siphoned off and left it clear. it
may be placed in oak barrels, at this stage, where
it takes on some of the flavor of the wood. You may
notice this woody flavor with wines such as Char
donnay.

Red Wine
Only black grapes can be used to make red wine.
The grapes are crushed and the juice and skins are
left to ferment together. The black skin of the grapes
gives red wine its colour and the essential tannin. When
you drink heavy, rich red wines, you will notice a sticky
dryness on your palate; this is caused by the tannin
which acts as a preservative. The tannin is also important
to the way the taste of red wine changes over time, even
long after it has been bottled.

Rose Wine
Rose wine is made by allowing some of the color in skin
of the black grapes to tint the juice. About half way
through the fermentation period, the skins are taken out
and the remaining juice is left to finish fermenting.

Champagne
For most people, Champagne means celebration; anything
from a birthday to a successful business deal.
It was Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, who first experi
mented with blending wines from this region to improve the
quality. When new bottles and cork stoppers were developed
in 1715, wine makers discovered how to give the wine its 'fizz'
with a second fermentation in the bottle. This made possible
champagne as we know it today.
All Champagne is cuvee, which means blended. The famous
champagne houses taste the young, un-ripe wines of the champagne
region and blend them to create a unique taste, then after the
second fermentation, the drink is store for at least two years in
huge limestone cellars before it is released for sale.

What and History of Wine

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What is Wine?
Wine is fermented grape juice.
And it is the complexities of the fermentation
process that make it such a fascinating drink.

Fermentation is a chemical process which changes
normal juice into wine. Added yeast turns the sugar
in the juice into alcohol.
Carbon dioxide bubbles are also formed as a by-
product of this process giving some wines a little fizz.

Champagne, which is one of many different type of
wine, receives a second fermentation in the bottle
which gives it enough fizz for the characteristic "pop"
when it is opened.

There are three types of ordinary wine:
White.
Red.
Rose.

Each wine type offers hundreds of different wines
and tasted.

A little History
Although the earliest records of wine making date
back as far as 6000 BC, we hav the Romans to thank
for modern wine making.

In broad terms, wherever the Romans established a part
of their empire they introduce wine making.

And in France the climate and soil were particularly well
suited to growing vines; hence the strong tradition of wine
making in France, the country that still sets the standards
for quality wine.

Wine Producing Countries of the World
The most drinkable wines are found in countries which
provide ideal weather conditions for the cultivation of
grape vines. These occur in two "temperate zones"
which stretch as bands right around the world.

World wines areas;
-west coast of America
-east coast of America
-part of south America
-most of Europa
-south Africa
-southeast and southwest Australia
-part of NZ
-part of Japan
-part of Korea
-Bali

Weather and the skill of the wine-maker are perhaps the
two most crucial factors in the development of good wine.
Too much sun and grapes become too sweet; too little and
they don't contain enough sugar to turn into alcohol.

Tradition and Technology
In wine making regions, traditional skills are handed down
from father to son.
Wine makers work throughout the year, tending the vines
in winter when they look almost dead and watching as they
come alive and bear fruit with the change of the seasons.

When frost threatens, they rush to light fires to keep the
young vines warm. And sophisticated modern chemical
help in the battle against diseases that may destroy the
growing vine.
At the winery too, art and science combine to help in the
mysterious process that turn grape juice into wine.

From the first fermentation right through to bottling, the
head Cellar Master controls everything; constantly tasting,
deciding how long the wine should be left in wooden barrels,
how much to blend for the perfect flavor.

Kinds of garnishes

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garnish

Fruits and Condiments used as garnish;

Lemon : cut into 1/8" strips long way down the lemon after removing the tip of each
lemon end. Strip the peel off the lemon and twist over the drink, misting the concoction
with the spray of lemon oil. Alternatively, rub the lemon around the rim of the glass and
drop into the drink.

Lime : cut into wedges, 6-8 wedges per lime depending on frui

Pratinjau

t size.

Orange : sliced in half, cut off the ends and then cut 90 degrees across into 1/2" slices.

Pineapple Sticks : 4-6" by 3/4" of vertical sliced pineapple pieces. Size should protrude
just over the top of the glass.

Mint leaves, fresh : for Julep and other mint flavored drinks.

Salt : course salt for Margaritas, Salty dogs and Bloody Marys.

Sugar : powder sugar for sweetening drinks and for glass rims. Mix it with cinnamon or
other spices to add flavor to the drink.

Cinnamon : usually combined with sugar and used around the rim of a glass rubbed with
a lime or lemon.

Cinnamon Sticks : used to stir hot drinks and release the cinnamon flavor.

Olives and stuffed olives : stuffed olives (great additions to martinis).

Cherries : maraschino cherries or green mint cherries.

Bitters : Peychaud and Angostura.

Tabasco : to use in tomato based drinks; other quality hot sauces may be used.

Worcester Sauce : for bloody Mary's and other tomato drinks.

Pepper : fresh ground pepper for bloody Mary's, Clamatos and other drinks

TIPS

-A nice way to garnish your cocktail is to spear together different types of fruits

to put on the rim of your cocktail glass. A cherry makes a nice addition to this.

-Use care when cutting garnish fruit, as sometimes the rinds are tough and

slippery. Its very easy to cut yourself doing this.

Appropriate Garnishes

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mojito

When the drink is served, it should not only taste good but also look good.
I f we hang out to a public bar, we will see the different drink come up with
different garnishes, yes it means for every drink has its own character that
match to the garnish.
There are some easy guidelines to follow when garnishing bar drink;

1. Drinks are garnished according to the mixer.
Anything with ..... is garnished with .....
Soda/tonic = lime
Orange juice = orange
Cola products = lemon
Pineapple juice = pineapple
etc.

2. By the liquor
Liquors come in a variety of spirits and flavors that can determine
which garnish will be most appropriate. Vodka can be flavored
with lemon, orange, watermelon, peach, and so forth. Rums
come in orange, coconut, raspberry and such.
Garnish according to fruit flavor--If Possible--

3. Other drinks
Mojito = lime and mint leave
Gibson = onion
Margarita = lime and salt
Daiquiri = orange and cherry
Bloody Mary = celery and lemon or olive and lime
Pina Colada = pineapple

4. Its easy to garnish a drink if we know what is in the drink,
so be educated about what we are serving. Sometimes Bars and
Restaurants also have specific garnish guidelines to follow for
uniformity.
:))

2010-05-29T02:39:00.005+07:00

Now we go to the BEVERAGES it self.........

BEVERAGES :
1. Alcohol
2. Non Alcoholic

Alcohol : Spirit :     -Liqueurs : Cointreau, Benedictine, Sambuca, Drambuie, Baileys, Midori, Kahlua,
                                            Creme de menthe, etc.
                                   -Liquors   : Gin, Vodka, Tequila, Rum, Whiskey

                Wine :        -Natural : White, Rose, Red.
                               -Sparkling : Dom Perignon, Mumms Cordon Rouge, etc
                               -Fortified : Sherry, Port
                               -Aromatic : Vermouth (dry, sweet), Campari, Cinzano, etc

              Beer :        -Light
                                  -Stout
                                -Pilsener
                                -Ale
                                -Beck
                                Examples : Bintang, Asahi, Grolsch, Budweiser, Foster, Hainneken, Carlsberg, etc.

Non Alcohol : Functions :   -Stimulating : Coffee, Chocolate.
                                                -Refreshing : Aqua, Soda, Squash.
                                                -Nourishing : Juice, Milk, Fruit Extract

   Kinds :    -Natural Mineral : Perrier, Evian, Aqua.
                                         -Artificial Water : Fanta, Cola, Sprite, Pepsi.
       -Fruit Juices : Water Melon, Tomato, Orange, etc.
                                         -Squash : Lemon, Orange, Pineapple, etc.
                                         -Syrup : Grenadine, Maple, Simple syrup.
                                         -Hot Beverages : Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino.
                                         -Milk : Fresh, Instant, Full Cream.

That above are all about beverages and few examples......

Beverages Stock Should Available

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In a Bar, a standard bar, should have minimum beverages stock, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
They are;
-Alcoholic Beverages-
Liquor : Vodka
             Whiskey
             Rum
             Tequila
             Dry Gin
             Brandy
             Bourbon

Liqueur : Triple Sec
              Cointreau
              Creme de cacao white/brown
              Creme de menthe green/white
              Kahlua
              Sambuca
              Galliano
              Drambui
              Midori
              Curacao orange/blue
              Malibu

Wine : Natural
           Sparkling
           Fortified
           Aromatic

Beer : Pilsener
          Stout
          Ale
          Light

-Non Alcoholic Beverages-
Kinds : Natural mineral water
            Artificial water
            Fruit juices
            Syrup
            Hot beverages
            Milk
            (Ice cube, shaved ice, crush ice)

A bar calls a bar when it has minimum beverages stock like above.

whats in the bar

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-beverages stock-

pouring brand : -whiskey, vodka, rum, tequila, brandy, liqueurs

anything you need to do mix drink..

premium brand :-finest whiskey, cognac vsop to xo anything you drink strait or on the rock..

-mixer-
additional materials for your drink, such as; carbonated water (soda, cola. sprite, ginger ale, bitter lemon, etc), juices, milk, etc.

-tools/ equipment-
shaker, jigger, mixing glass, cutting board, knife, pourer, blender, etc.

-condiment-
salt n pepper, angostura bitter, LnP sauce, grenadine, cinnamon, etc.

-glasses-
the proper glass for the proper drink.
kinds of glasses; -hi ball, collin, ballon, old fashioned, tumbler, shot, pilsener, mug, etc

-garnishes-

fruit garnish
non fruit garnish

There are many more I cant mention here, but you will find others at the next posts.