Art of the Drink®

To Heat Or Not To Heat

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:09:27 PST

Great question from a viewer:

Q: I was watching your video on the mint julep recipe -- it was great the way they infuse the sugar syrup with mint flavor by letting sit overnight. I'm thinking about doing the same with my mojito mix recipe. I basically mix equal parts of fresh lemon juice and sugar and cook it over a medium flame. The part where I need your help is in the best technique to infuse it with flavor. I'm not sure when to add the mint -- when the mix is hot or after it cools down? You are the best in the biz and your scientific approach and art is always appreciated. Making good drinks is definitely an art and you always dare to be great. Thanks!

A: You're exactly on the right track -- when to apply heat is key to getting the best flavor. Basically, you want to avoid heating any of the fresh ingredients (lemon juice, mint, etc.) and only use heat to melt the sugar. In fact, you don't even need a stove to make the simple syrup. Here's what I recommend:

-Mix equal parts by volume granulated sugar and the hottest water you can get from your tap (I usually use 1 cup of each).

-Stir for 30-60 seconds until sugar is dissolved (syrup will remain cloudy for several minutes, then it will clarify).

-Let cool to room temperature or below.

-If you want to add mint, add it only after the syrup has cooled -- let steep for 12-24 hours.

-Measure the amount of syrup you have, and add equal parts freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Voila! You now have fresh mint-sour mix!

The important thing is to not heat the lemon juice or the mint. Heat initiates chemical changes in both that will make them taste less fresh or even vegetal (something like spinach) in the case of the mint. In general, fruits, vegetables, and herbs should be used at room temperature or below to avoid getting a "cooked" flavor, while roots and bark (ginger, cinnamon, etc.) should be heated to extract the essential oils. Hope this was helpful, and thanks for watching!

Art of the Drink on Dr. Oz!

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:23:12 PST

Tune in to The Dr. Oz Show this Friday, February 3rd, to watch me mix cocktails that won't blow your diet!

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival Today!

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:25:11 PST

Heading to the evening session of the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival in NYC tonight! Always one of the best dark spirits shows in the city, and a great party to boot! Stay tuned for pics and product updates....

Science of Mixology: Physics of Flair - AOTD 79

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:06:35 PDT

Join me in the Drambuie LaBARatory at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and discover how flair bartenders flip bottles without spilling!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Science of Mixology: Shaking vs Stirring - AOTD 78

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:21:45 PDT

Join me in the Drambuie LaBARatory at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and find out when to shake and when to stir your favorite cocktail!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Whiskey Flavor Profiles

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:32:03 PDT

Whenever I teach a class on whiskey, it's always a challenge helping the students to identify the distinct flavor components that make up each spirit's unique character. Flavor wheels and other visual aids are a good tool, but they usually only identify the myriad elements that may be tasted in any given whiskey, leaving the student unsure of what they actually are tasting.

I recently came across the StillSpirits Whisky Profile Kit intended to help home distillers adjust the flavor profile of their whiskey by adding individual essences in controlled amounts. I've found that this kit is also an invaluable tool for conducting whiskey tastings, as it allows students to experience each element in a concentrated, isolated manner that helps build sense memory.

In addition, the kit includes recipes for dosing home-distilled spirits in order to achieve standard whiskey flavor profiles, and this actually turned out to be as valuable as the kit itself. By converting the recipes into percentages and graphing the amounts of each essence called for, I was able to create the following visual representations of the major whiskey category flavor characteristics:

Lowland Scotch

Highland Scotch

Speyside Scotch

Islay Scotch

Scotch Regional Comparison

Irish Whiskey

Bourbon

The graphs also include glycerine which, though not a flavor component, contributes to the different mouthfeel of each spirit. While the percentages will vary (and reflect the amount of essence and not the actual flavor element), the relative proportions of each component are very instructive. Now when a student wonders if they're tasting peat or not, they can look at the corresponding graph to see what's actually in the glass instead of being faced with the ubiquitous and frustrating "everybody tastes different things" line. I highly recommend buying this kit for your next whiskey tasting and using the above graphs to help better train your palate.

Science of Mixology: Chilled Glassware - AOTD 77

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:15:11 PDT

Join me in the Drambuie LaBARatory at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and learn whether you should pre-chill your martini glasses!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Science of Mixology: Craft Ice - AOTD 76

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:16:38 PDT

Join me in the Drambuie LaBARatory at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic to discover whether craft ice is better than regular cubed ice!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Drambuie 15 Release at Tales of the Cocktail!

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:17:10 PDT

Talking with my good friend Tom Fischer of BourbonBlog.com about Drambuie 15 at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Pisco Portón Sour - Art of the Drink 75

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:17:41 PDT

Visit Nuela in New York City with me to mix the definitive Pisco Sour with Master Distiller Johnny Schuler of Pisco Portón!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Dependable Drinks

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:35:05 PDT

Another great question from Quora: What is a solid drink to order from an understocked bar?

Vodka cranberry, splash of soda (or Cape Codder, splash soda if they have fresh-looking limes). Here's why:

-Every bar has all three ingredients.
-The quality of ingredients will be very consistent from bar to bar: vodka varies the least of all liquors from brand to brand, soda water is soda water, and 90 percent or more of all bars use Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail.
-This is one of the most popular drinks out there, so chances are even the least experienced bartenders have had practice making a good number of them and gotten feedback on at least some.
-The most common mistake most bartenders make with a highball is mixing it too strong, but since this drink has two mixers they're likely to use a little more mixer overall and thus actually make the drink correctly.
-It's a good drink!

If you're a dark-liquor drinker and want to mix it up a bit (pardon the pun), try Bourbon and cranberry with a splash of soda instead -- fantastic.

Bar Efficiency

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Sun, 22 May 2011 11:54:28 PDT

Great question from Quora: How can bars make the ordering and delivery of drinks more timely and efficient? This can be answered in two contexts: with regard to the front bar and with regard to the service bar.

The front bar, or walk-up bar, is where guests order drinks directly from the bartender. Speeding up service at the front bar usually requires additional training, which unfortunately can be inadequate in many operations. Key skills to develop are the ability to take multiple orders at once then prepare those orders simultaneously, as well as determining the most efficient order in which to make differently-prepared drinks. For example if frozen drinks are offered, bartenders should be trained to start these drinks first then make the rest of the order while the blender is running. Bartenders should also be trained to constantly monitor guests and anticipate their needs so service can be provided during slower periods, e.g., if a guest's drink is running low offer a refill during a lull rather than wait for the guest to reorder when the bar may be busier. From an operational standpoint, drink pricing should be tiered into groups so there are a limited number of price points, and sales tax should be built in so that the bartenders can quickly give the guest accurate totals as soon as the order is placed. This allows the guest to get payment ready before the drinks are served.

The service bar, which may be part of or entirely separate from the front bar, is where servers order drinks from the bartender for delivery to guests seated at tables. Again proper training is key to increased delivery speed, with efficient drink-making order being probably the most critical factor. It is important that drinks are prepared from the quickest to the most time consuming instead of according to when received so that orders can be completed and served as fast as possible. This avoids having an order for two bottled beers that could be prepared in seconds wait several minutes because it was placed just after an order for six martinis. An efficient drink-making order is usually 1) start frozen drinks 2) bottled beer 3) glass wine 4) straight drinks 5) highballs 6) draft beer 7) multi-liquor drinks 8) martinis 9) finish frozen drinks, though this should be modified to fit the bar design and layout. Bottled wine should be grouped with bottled beer if stocked behind the bar, or ordered immediately from the bar back if stocked in a cellar. Servers must be trained to pick up drinks as quickly as possible both to maintain product quality and to ensure that the service bartender is able to continually serve drinks onto a clear bar with minimal backup.

In addition, there are a number of factors common to both front and service bar operations, perhaps the most important of which is the motivational management needed to keep the bar staff (including bar backs) working at maximum speed. Too many bars suffer from slow service simply because the bar staff aren't working as quickly as they could be. Correct stocking is also critical, and should be set up in two categories: back stock and working stock. Working stock is kept behind the bar and should be adequate to last an entire shift; back stock is kept in back-of-house storage and should be sufficient to last between product ordering periods. Restocking working stock from back stock should be minimized during a shift. Finally, it is important to stock, buss, and wash an adequate amount of glassware at all times. One of the most common and avoidable bottlenecks in many bars is running out of glassware, which entirely shuts down drink service. The key to timely and efficient bar operation is to create a system in which the bar staff are never waiting on a process or input.

English Rose Sneak Peak

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:11:58 PDT

Preview of my English Rose cocktail created for Drambuie in honor of the upcoming Royal Wedding. Stay tuned for the recipe!

Question from the AOTD Facebook Page

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:58:21 PDT

Q: Great videos man. I am going through Bartending School right now and I'm in the third day of a 1 week course. I don't drink (never have) so I don't know a lot about the different alcohols or the different tastes of liqueurs, etc. I have learned a lot from your videos in the last 2 weeks that I've been watching them (started before starting School) and I feel like I've learned more from your vids than I have in school.

What I'm wondering is, in school they give recipes for drinks but it seems every one of them is different with all the drinks. For instance a GODFATHER is 1-1/2 oz of Scotch, 1/2 oz amaretto in the manual, but I see you did one with Bourbon and it was 3 oz to 1 oz amaretto. Stronger drink? Bigger glass?

A: Drink recipes are just like food recipes: there are a million different ways to make meatloaf, and there are the same number of ways to make a Godfather. What you want to focus on is the defining characteristics of each recipe and then make the cocktail the way your guest likes it best -- which it's an extremely important part of your job to determine, btw.

The same way meatloaf has to have some type of ground meat (beef is traditional), a binder, and spices that are usually baked and sliced for presentation, a Godfather has to have some type of whiskey (Scotch is traditional) and amaretto that's usually stirred and presented on the rocks. After that, it's all up to the bartender. We've all seen meatloaf made with pork instead of beef, some chefs prefer tomato-based sauces, some like brown sauces -- hell, my grandmother used to put a hard-boiled egg in the middle of hers and my mom made hers with no meat!

I like my Godfathers shaken using about 3 parts Bourbon to 1 part amaretto, while you may prefer yours stirred with half Scotch and half amaretto. Don't ever let anyone tell you your way is wrong -- it may vary from more common recipes, but if you're making conscious choices (as opposed to just not knowing any better) then that's your recipe. It's one thing to be asked for a Godfather and serve up vodka and cranberry -- which would in fact be wrong because that's a different drink (Cape Codder) -- but it's quite another to offer a single malt and amaretto up in a martini glass, which is a perfectly acceptable variation as long as you let your guest know that's your presentation.

Again focus on the defining characteristics of each drink and why the ingredients work together, then feel free to riff on a theme. Newer bartenders often spend lots of time pointing disdainfully at other bartenders and crying, "Wrong!" though most people who've been behind the plank for a while will tell you that's the sure sign of a rookie trying to show how much they think they know. However, always be sure to defer to house recipes -- first and foremost it's your job to make drinks the way your restaurant/bar specifies.

Win a FREE Pair of Tickets to the Tasty Awards in Hollywood!

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:24:51 PST

iFood.tv is proud to announce that three iFood.tv Featured Shows - Average Betty, Food Wishes, and Art of the Drink, have been nominated for the 2011 Tasty Awards. The Tasty Awards is a premier broadcast awards show that celebrates and recognizes the year's best achievements in food, fashion, and home lifestyle programs on Television, in Film, and Online. We've been nominated for Best Drink or Beverage Program: Web, and all three series are Featured Shows on iFood.tv.

Tasty Award winners are selected by a Panel of Industry Judges as well as Viewers Choice Voting which closes on January 5, 2011. Winners will be announced on January 13, 2011 at a Red Carpet Awards Show at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Awards will be presented by some of the most exciting names in food and fashion media and industry, including Food Network host Zane Lamprey, Emmy winner PBS star Leslie Sbrocco, celebrity Chef Tanya Holland and Top Chef All Star Fabio Viviani. Portions of the show will be broadcast on national television to millions of households, as well as partner sites.

And now, here is your chance to attend this Red Carpet event in Hollywood! Simply post a comment on the iFood.tv blog telling us which of these three iFood.tv show nominees is your favorite, and why. Visit now and post for Art of the Drink! The winning comment will be chosen and announced on January 6.

To find out more about the Tasty Awards and vote for Art of the Drink, visit http://www.tastyawards.com.

Truvia™ natural sweetener demo with Anthony Caporale

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:18:13 PDT

Check out my Truvia™ natural sweetener cooking demonstration at the House Beautiful 2010 Kitchen of the Year.

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Maker's 46 - Art of the Drink 74

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:14:15 PDT

Anthony returns to the Maker's Mark distillery for the launch of Maker's 46 and finds out everything you ever wanted to know about their first new product in company history!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

AOTD in Czech!

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:05:04 PDT

Art of the Drink is being translated into Czech! The series will now be available in four languages including English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Anthony in the Wall Street Journal

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Tue, 18 May 2010 11:10:24 PDT

Here's a link to an interview I did for The Wall Street Journal while bartending at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic last Friday night. Great article, great event, but kind of misquoted -- I have no idea what "the cuisine of intoxicants" is!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Tasty Awards: Best Food Programs On TV, Web, Podcast

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:36:44 PDT

Art of the Drink nomination for Best Food Programs On TV, Web, Podcast at the 2010 Tasty Awards!

If you enjoy Art of the Drink, please look us up on iTunes and write a review -- thanks!

Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Classic Mint Julep - Art of the Drink 73

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:19:32 PDT

Following the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby, Anthony visits one of America's top restaurants to make the quintessential Derby drink: a Maker's Mark Mint Julep!

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Art Of the Drink, Volume 1: Bar Essentials

Anthony Returns To WPIX-TV!

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:58:46 PDT

If you missed it live, here's Anthony on the WPIX-TV Morning Show in New York making no-sugar-added drinks with Truvia for the holidays!

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Anthony on Martha Stewart Radio's "Living Today" Show

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:42:44 PDT

Here's a link to my St. Patrick's Day cocktail segment on Martha Stewart Radio's Living Today show.

Vegas Bartender Competition

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:52:19 PDT

Judging the entries.
Originally uploaded by natpephotos

Hosting the Vegas Bartender Competition at the National Association of Television Program Executives Convention.

Anthony Returns to Martha Stewart Living Radio!

acaporale@artofthedrink.com (Anthony Caporale) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:08:20 PDT

I'll be returning to the Martha Stewart Living Today Radio Show (Sirius 112 and XM 157) tomorrow at 2P to mix up some St. Patrick Day cocktails!