opinionated alchemist

Is Bacardi the BMW of the Spirit world?

2024-01-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

I have had this funny thought trait...

BMW had in the last couple of decades quite a lot of “issues” with real automobile fans. First of all they have sported more “fake air intakes” and “fake diffusors” and other normally functional performance design traits - which had literally no use except of let the car look sportier than any other automobile company known for performance cars. Also they have been further in the controversies with fake engine sound.

This is not clearly a bad thing; some people like the sporty design and if you are not a die hard automobile fan, you just enjoy the cars looking more aggressive. However for enthusiasts it was really a red flag.

Apparently Bacardi is in a very similar situation.

Let’s face it: the guys at Bacardi know really what they are doing. Nothing is kept to a coincidence... everything is planned excessively (same applies to BMW). But these leaves a lot of enthusiasts cold - they are avoiding Bacardi as much as they can.

Personally, I am not a hater. I don’t see Bacardi as an Artisan producer of rum - but they are exceptional at what they are doing. And to be honest, often the brand with the bat would own a blinddtasting against brands which are considered far higher in the geek area.

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I just wished, that Bacardi would use their massive profitability and do something less profitable and something far more artisan. Maybe one small distillery - where future master distiller can hone their craft, where the brand could do more (traditional) experimentation. And the products not being “advertised” like the normal portfolio, but just thrown on the market (in “normal” bottles) and get traction traditionally (because people try them, like them, suggest them - mouth by mouth).

One might just dream.

One of the rare bar reviews: Satan’s Whiskers

2023-11-07T09:15:00.005-08:00

I have been to the UK - just a layover (and family meet up) from Dubai to my new work destination the Cayman Islands.

And I had to visit at least one reputable bar in London - Satan’s Whiskers has been the most convenient...

You can read sufficiently much online about the bar. It is low brow, versus high quality. But it is especially a bar which proofs, that you don’t need necessarily gimmicks and crazy presentations, to be rated one of the 100 best bars world wide.

Could some Directors of F&B and other decision makers take notice? A bar doesn’t need to be a circus. It doesn’t need to serve cocktails, which dominate instagram for the next months.

So: we came there and have been guided to a mini table for 2 - but we settled with the “host” on a table for 4 - and agreed, that we would relocate, if it would become busy. The room is unique (taxidermy) without being too creepy. It is actually quite an accomplished balance between authenticity, humor and comfort.

Emilio (our “host”) sat on our table to explain the concept of the bar and the drinks - it was very organic and cool - love it. We ordered for her the East 8 Hold Up and for me a Satan’s Manhattan.

The Manhattan was just a Bourbon Manhattan (usually I prefer a Rye Manhattan) - but it was cold, it was strong, it had an amarena cherry (not an unacceptable maraschino cherry) in it. Fantastic. Grade: straight A!

The East 8 Hold Up was not really my taste. More like a fresh drink - probably not for cocktail-snobs. There was nothing particular wrong with this drink - but also, it hadn’t much uniqueness. But it was cold and properly prepared. I would say a C+?

Next: Old Fashioned with Rye. It was good. Maybe few degree too much sweetness and a bit too less diluted (stirring) - yet it had the right amount of angostura, and you could not really fault it. An A- is adequate.

Last drink was a Caipirinha. Good - as well - quite classic. But could have been more “lively” (? - out of lack of another word). C+ as well.

Satan’s Whiskers is a bit of an expensive neighborhood bar. Well - prices were also not too steep - 12 pounds per drink is acceptable.

What I like is, that they don’t pretend to be the messiah of a bar. They are grounded. They have humor, They are personal and nice.

Would I say. that this bar is one of the best bars in London? I don’t go out very often in London (nor am I anyway often enough there) - so I can say - but it would probably mean, that the Bar scene in London isn’t as high quality as they say.

It is an oxymoron. On one side I really enjoyed my bar visit. On the other side I had to see, that everything was good - but nothing was exceptional. You will be the judge...

How to control - but not eliminate ice shards

2023-09-28T04:47:00.004-07:00

Warning: this is just an early thought process of a technique I like to develop. Obviously you can use it (please at least give me credit) - but this is not yet a proven concept. You have been warned.

I think it was in the “DIAGEO World Class” competition in Dubai several years ago (well - it feels like a life before - it was for sure before the pandemic...). We attendees were warned, that Simon Difford, who ought to be a judge, expects of all participants to double strain their cocktails - and that he would definitely deduct points, if a bartender would not double strain!

I find these stance bewildering. Especially of a person who further dilutes cocktails (Simon Difford’s original recipes often includes water) - which not only never really caught on, but really is a very strange thing. Don’t get me wrong, when I am in a jury and a bartender would do something unusual, I would also raise my eyebrows, unless the bartender is doing it deliberately and is explaining why is her doing his specific procedure (and: no b.s. please)!

You can probably already predict, where I am going with this: I like ice shards in my drinks. It gives a cocktail a really cool texture and an experience: this small fractions of ice are melting on your tongue and have a physical effect. It is similar to small (non-painful) needles pinches. It makes often a drink more exciting.

Now for all hard-shakers out there, there is thought a problem: When I am shaking hard and long (how shaking supposed to be), my cocktails become not only very cold, but the “un-double-strained” cocktail becomes almost to a slushy (at least for a part). Not only does is “slush” the effect, but it also further dilutes the drink.

My current solution for it is, to partly double-strain the drink. This partly solves the issue - but there is still the issue, that some of the ice shards are so fine, that they immediacy melt (either way in the glass, when the guest is waiting for a bit too long - or in the mouth - mostly even without “tongue-contact”. And there might be not enough perfect sized ice shards - and eventually there might be too big ice pieces which escape from the hawthorne strainer, which are “crunchy” but wouldn’t be seen as professional in a bar.

What is the perfect solution?

A triple strainer: a strainer which has 3 coarsenesses of material.

First of all: I don’t like to bring it to you, but stainless steel strainer are not great. I know, I know, they look professionally. But stainless steel is first of all not totally non-reactive. There is still a fraction, which can slightly react to high acids (e.g. lemon and lime) and e.g. egg white (who-ever still uses egg-white *sigh). Maybe more importantly: ice is melting on thermo-conductive material like stainless steel- hence especially very fine ice shards are partly directly melting back into the drink!

I usually prefer strainer made out of a silicone material.

I know, that a lot of people think, that they are cheap (and they are). But nothing is as non-reactive as this material. And I will probably use the silicone mesh but would choose a stainless steel rim and handle (which would look better and professional). And then I would choose to make the silicon mesh replaceable - which would be really ideal.

Second: Use a system of three strainer combined within one - and have them with 3 different strainer coarseness. So the top strainer mesh is coarse (and prevent to thicker pieces of ice to get into the drink. the second strainer has a mesh, which stops the perfect size of ice shards, and the lowest strainer is very fine and prevents all the super fine “slush” to get into the drink.

Procedure: so you are double straining the drink with the combined 3 mesh strainer and then disassemble (big word for taking just the three combined strainers apart) and add some or all of the ice shards of the middle strainer back in the drink.

What do you think of my idea? Would love to get your feedback.

The Martini Cocktail - significance of the gin.

2023-08-31T06:36:00.004-07:00

I have just watched how Martini produces their vermouths. It is extremely interesting. I always thought, that the company is using extracts of herbs which they just purchase externally. However I could learn, that they are making their own botanical spirit and adding this to the wine. It is for sure different than vermouth producers which are aging the neutral alcohol (or the wine) with the botanicals - but the method is different - not necessarily worse.

However this video sparked a question to me: what makes a good Martini cocktail.

First thing (sorry Martini & Rossi) - is a good vermouth. While Martini Rosso is not bad at all - and their Riserva Products are even quite good, I wouldn’t really suggest to use the normal Extra Dry. The Ambrato? Maybe - or Noilly Prat. Or Dolin Extra Dry...

But here is the thing: how much vermouth are you using? Now we are arguing since decades about the ratio. Bat you know, what we haven’t really put into consideration: the gin!

Look - it is not even so much the botanicals (characteristic) of the gin - but especially the alcohol by volume!

Drinks are significantly changing their character with different alcohol levels. A gin with let’s say 40% abv level is already “underpowered”. It cannot feature as much vermouth as a gin with 47% (even then I would just suggest a “drop” of vermouth or in and out). And a Navy Gin? This can use a good measure of vermouth.

Also we have to consider the ice and the temperatures of the liquids. Is the ice is coming in solid 1 inch ice cubes the drink will suffer less dilution. While if you have cones, where some additional water is “hiding” or even irregular broken shapes, where there is a lot of surface water, it simply brings down the ABV of the final drink significantly.

So the brilliance of a Martini cocktail is contributed mainly to temperature and dilution management.

In the case you like a Martini cocktail which has a rather a good ratio of vermouth, you would need reduce dilution (chilled ingredients - very good ice) - and choose a high proof gin.

Does that make sense to you?

Gin making - and the headache with the louche

2023-08-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

So - I have just completed my first test batch of my “New West Africa Gin”.

The botanicals are quite unique - instead of other gins, which are “balanced” or have a rather citrussy and floral note, this is packed with spices...

As I used a ton of botanicals (but did cut of a small amount of heads and a generous amount of tails) the spirit came clear into the my distilling container - however then when I watered it down (to ca. 47% ABV) it just punished me with a solid louche.

I researched in the internet, and most website suggested, that you have to cut of more heads and more tails or chill filter it. All of these things will result into a clearer spirit, but also with far less botanicals. I tasted the first 10ml of foreshots, and they were not “funky” at all - very solid - actually very good (despite of a really high alcohol content).

I made a “high essential oil” gin before (basically it was a dating gin - this is a story for another time...) and the gin was also cloudy. However after several weeks, it really cleared up.

First attempt at this product was the magnetic stirrer - but then I became inpatient. The next step was adding the gin to a 65ºC water. And eureka - after few minutes the gin totally cleared up.

I colored the gin then with butterfly pea tea blossoms - and it became green (after I added a bit bicarbonate of soda). Not sure, if I stay with that (but it is changing into a light purplish-pink, when mixed with tonic, so it is pretty cool.

But point is, that the louche disappeared when I put it into the water bath and heated it up - and even the room temperature tonic water I tried it with didn’t “activated” the precipitation.

So: if you have gin which became cloudy, just warm it up...

In future I will though go through other things to not get again into “louche trouble”:

Add little water at the time - to just keep the essential oils suspended and not “force them out”.
Warm up the water just a little - warm liquid will eventually keep essential oils better suspended as cold water.

A full review will definitely follow later. But gin needs a bit time to “settle down”.

It is already clear for me, that I like to use more orange peel (more trouble - because far more essential oils) - reduce slightly the juniper and amp up coriander (because it supports citrussy flavors as well) and cocoa nibs. Also I could not get my hands on tonca beans - this is definitely a must ingredient as well...

Why inclusive employments are still problematic in hospitality

2023-07-11T06:29:00.005-07:00

So I have read an interview about inclusive employments in hospitality - and this had especially people with disability as topic.

While I 100% support inclusive employment I am also aware of the current status quo in hospitality.

Point is, that hospitality jobs are still very tough. Probably tougher than ever. Point is, that the profit motive is as strong as ever - and from my perspective I haven’t worked in any place, where there have been a reasonable cushion of employees (meaning, sufficient employees, so you won’t have an issue when people fall sick or resigning (and you cannot find anyone immediately to replace).

Fact is, that inclusive employment works only, if you have a surplus of man-hours. And yes - it not only would enable being inclusive but also offering better training, happier employees, happier guests (which are served by happier employees) and so on.

But as long as the profit margin is the only thing which counts, we are far away of being inclusive and it will never happen to be a real thing.

How to calculate the right ratio of syrup to soda

2023-06-12T04:33:00.003-07:00

Sharing knowledge - that’s why we are here…

Have you ever wondered how to make a perfect forest berry soda? How much syrup do you need to add to get the right balance of sweetness and flavor? Well, I have created a handy google-sheets calculation that will show you exactly how to do it.

Making soft drinks is all about ratio. You can’t just sweeten them by taste, because it won’t come out right. You need to follow a standard formula that ensures consistency and quality. The general rule is to aim for a 10:1 ratio of water to sugar, which means 10% of the liquid (by weight) should be sugar. However, this can vary depending on the type of flavor you are using. For example, you might want to use less sugar for sweet aromas like berries with vanilla (about 9%), or more sugar for spicy (e.g. ginger!), smoky or bitter aromas. Think of tonic water, which is one of the most sugary drinks out there - we are talking about up to 13% sugar content.

But how do you measure the sugar content of your syrup? It’s not as simple as adding water and sugar together, because sugar and water don’t add up proportionally. For instance, 1 liter (or kilogram) of water and 1 kilograms of sugar will result in 2 kilograms of syrup, but only 1.65 liters of volume.

And what if you are using fresh ingredients that already contain water? How do you account for that? Well, the best way is to measure everything carefully and use a scale.

But even when you measure, you might not know how much liquid you need to make your soda. That’s why I have made this nifty spreadsheet that will do the math for you. Just enter the ingredients and the desired amount of soda, and it will tell you how much syrup and water to use.

Spreadsheet

With this calculation, you can easily make your own syrup, even if you have to add some water to dissolve the sugar from your maceration. Let me show you how it works:

First, you need to macerate some berries with sugar. You can use a 1:1 ratio of berries and sugar (for example, 600g of each) and macerate them either in the fridge for a few days or in a sous vide machine at around 60ºC for a few hours. Then, you need to strain your maceration and collect the syrup. If there is any undissolved sugar left in the pulp, you can add a little water to dissolve it, but not too much.

Next, you need to measure how many milliliters of syrup you have and enter the result into the yellow box.

Then, you need to decide how sweet you want your soda to be. This depends on d the flavor of your syrup. A good starting point is 10% (100g per liter) of sugar content, but you can adjust it as you like. I have chosen 11% (110g per liter) for this example.

Now, the table will calculate how many liters of soda you can make with your syrup, and how much syrup you need to use per liter to get the right sweetness.

You can also scale it down to a glass size (200ml), but I recommend making larger batches for better consistency.

To make your soda, always add the syrup first and then the water (either still or sparkling). Don’t do it the other way around.

And don’t forget to add some citric acid to get to the right experience of the product. I suggest using 2% of the sugar amount as citric acid. You can also use sodium citrate, but that’s another topic for another day…

I hope you find this helpful and enjoy making your own soda! Please let me know in the comments if this content is useful and if you want to see more of it on this site.

You’re welcome...

I would appreciate if you could comment, if this content is helpful and you would like to see more of on this site.

Lyre’s White Cane review

2023-06-10T08:05:00.001-07:00

As we have seen several times on this blog, alcohol free spirits are often a hit and miss. While e.g. Darcy O’Neal made a compelling argument, that there are no good alcohol-free gins (because of science!), there are several products I felt are reasonable good.

Having said this, for a long time I have made some house-crafted syrups. The infusions are quite good - and I would love to make them without sugar, however sugar is the best (and most “natural”) preservative - and a lot of products just won’t give you a good result. One of the homemade versions of a liquor was my N/A Campari clone. Honestly, it had a lot of flavor, but was pain to make. There have been so many botanicals your head would spin...

Lyre’s came then on the market, and their Italian Spritz is really good. I mean it. And their Amaretti is also as good as alcohol-free beverages become. I don’t think, that anyone can make something better at home. But I always wanted to get the Lyre’s White Cane especially for virgin mojitos.

So eventually it is here - is it any good?

Unfortunately I have to report, that the aroma is as fake as it could get. Think industrial vanillin, but turned on to the max. There are few other aromas, however they are dwarfing against the vanillin hit. Also - it seems to hit like a cheap perfume, or a thinner which just happen to smell faintly like food.

Still - I made a Mojito. And most colleagues really liked it. I used my optimized recipe - and it tasted like a Mojito - however made with the cheapest spiced rum you could imagine. Personally I still got the artificial vanilla scent which has been really obtrusive. I also tried it as a Cuba Libre - and it taste like Vanilla Coke - but with triple the vanillin.

Now - I say artificial and vanillin and Lyre’s have been mentioning on the bottle, that there are only natural ingredients used (I don’t know where they could detect nuttiness and a peppery finish). Natural ingredients can mean anything. I would even suggest that they used wood ketones or similar ingredients, which obviously are made from natural ingredients, however are extremely high processed.

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At the end I cannot really suggest to use it. Make a rum syrup and use it instead of sugar in the Mojito. But no I find it far too extreme tasting to recommend it.

By the way, the Dark Cane and American Malt were also not really anything which floated my boat.

This just might be just the ultimate egg-white replacement?!

2023-03-21T09:08:00.003-07:00

Some might know about my specific but deep aversion against egg white cocktails.

Maybe it originates to the fact that I am (apparently) a super taster (nothing to be proud of- it is not a superpower... you are just a super taster or you are not).

But when somebody serves me a cocktail made with egg whites, I can drink it in minute 1 - latest after minute 3 - it is literally disgusting for me: think about wet dog, molded carpet, or someone who didn’t dried properly his laundry - and everything together. Long story short: I cannot drink it anymore.

Now there has been some replacements: I came across aquafaba years ago - I guess I was one of the first bar-people who discovered it for cocktails (it has been already an established thing for vegans). Very soon I discovered that the advice to use the aquafaba in chickpea cans are a dead end. Sure- if. you are using “canned lemon juice” and/or sweet-sour mix, you might find it also ok. But for a high quality bar - drinks taste salty and just off. Probably slightly better than my egg experience - but nope - it is not an option.

So cooking my chickpeas was the next path of action. This works well. But you still taste the chickpeas. Using it for strong flavored drinks (e.g. Whiskey Sours) it is a good option. But for some more delicate drinks, it is not the ideal solution.

Next stop Kevon Kos’ Super Syrup. For a bar which has ambitions, this is absolutely a good way to go. With two limitations: a) It goes a step away of doing culinary things - with little processed ingredients and b) there are ingredients, which are not easy to obtain everywhere.

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So this problem has plagued me for quite some time. So I was intrigued when Neil from VörFoods contacted me to send me a sample of his aquafaba powder.

So what can I say? Let me just give you a quick run down - more testing will come soon.

I whipped up some egg white replacer: ⅓ teaspoon of aquafaba powder with 3 table spoons of water (I probably used a bit too much?!). The liquid was first of all lumpy - but it became very quickly after a short stir consistent and smooth.

The powder smells like aquafaba... and the resulting liquid smells also unambiguously like aquafaba.

But in a quickly whipped up Pisco Sour the aroma was completely gone - and it resulted just in a glorious Pisco Sour! Very impressive. My whole team tried, and nobody could even make out aquafaba or chickpeas or anything. Everybody liked the cocktail.

As said- more testing is coming. There will be Ramos Gin Fizzes, Clover Clubs and Whiskey Sours.

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I might have just one “gripe”. The bag would make more than 200 egg white drinks - and the bag is all good and fine (with a ziplock). But as I know my bar people, I would rather like to have a smaller bag - maybe one which you can whip into 250ml or 500ml of water and you are ready to go for 2 or 3 days. And every bag comes with these sub-portions. That would be (at least for our industry) far more appropriate.

Other than that? I cannot find really a fault. Stay tuned for more...

Drink Masters - top or flop?

2023-02-22T17:03:00.005-08:00

First of all I read several articles about Drink Masters. And I have been baffled - would my colleagues be so much worse than chefs or other people in the business?

To spoil it here and now: absolutely not. Sure, there is some serious egocentrism going on- but this is TV after all. Usually the same applies for chefs.

It seems though, that the same stereotype is still persisting - which doesn’t happen in other areas of the culinary arts (or any other industry): making mixed drinks cannot be serious - and you cannot be a professional in this craft. I absolutely don’t agree. And while I have been consistently cringing for one or the other decision or quote, I have been equally surprised and (I cannot “say” this loud) even impressed and inspired by some presentations or turns some bartender took.

Obviously the show never went too deep. And let’s face it: the selection of spirits seem to be sponsored (the premise that the “bar has everything” was just not true - movie magic - and a lot of randomly repeating bottles). And no- the kitchen has been partly less equipped than my home kitchen (ok - I might have one or the other tool, which most bars might not have... but the show promises that it is a full equipped kitchen after all).

Also: time. It is simply not feasible (realistic or adequate) to give the same time for prepping the drinks and preparing them. The show should have known: prep first. Let the guys relax (or what ever) - and then produce the drinks - but not only 4 for the judges but at least 20 or 30 of them.

This would have been also sorted another issue: the heavy opinionated judgement of the jurors.

So: true, the show has some upsides and downsides. However it definitely doesn’t deserve the harsh critic of “well the critics”.

I fell also, that there has been a particular area, which was underrepresented: an educational aspect. But maybe I am the only one who would think, that this would be important and interesting...

Dubai Alcohol-Prices are "losing their 30%” alcohol special tax. This is an opportunity!

2023-01-12T11:14:00.002-08:00

So - if you haven’t already heard it - there are two big news, when it comes to “alcohol in Dubai”:

Liquor licenses are now for free for residents - and they are pretty easy to obtain (just an Emirates ID - and that’s it).
The Dubai government have removed “their” 30% “consumer” alcohol tax.

What does this mean for your “hospitality professional” who is dealing with alcohol?

I came across two “schools of thoughts”:

Slashing down the alcohol prices about 20’ish percent (there is also the municipality fees and service charge which is applied to the “landing price” of the alcohol - which has to be considered. Hence the “win goes totally towards the venue guest, who pays less for their “experience”.
Keeping the prices at the same level (or just incrementally reducing and adjusting them), which would lead to far better profitability.

And yes - even though it sounds quite “unfair” from the customer perspective; but both thoughts have their advantage. The first - would definitely increase the footfall (especially if other outlets would not decrease their prices). And number two: Dubai is a notorious difficult location, where all venues have high operational costs (which are for sure higher than the costs of other locations) - it would not hurt to have a bit more cushion, when it comes to operational profits.

When everything fails: Master Chef and the Piña Colada

2022-09-04T03:17:00.004-07:00

If we are watching Master Chef, we expect, that everything they do is technically correct - and well researched.

I still struggle with Chefs, doing cocktails (and people who believe, that chefs are able to do this well). The bar is like pastry - part of culinary arts, but indeed very different. If you are not specialized, you will fail.

And no - for me will not be “a little bit of fun” - at all!

So let’s look at it point by point:

First of all using fresh pineapple is great! However the puree is far too thick and makes the Piña Colada to a smoothie. And the additional fibers (while probably healthier) will make the drink to a full meal! It would be better to juice it - or to puree it and then strain it.
Second: really? Masterchefs don’t know how to use a blender? If you anyway add rum and coconut - why waiting - it would be so much easier.
Third: the rum. It is Master Chef - they could really used something more sophisticated than Bacardi Carta Blanca! And what is about measuring??? The lack of measuring here is one of the capital mistakes here!
Lime zest - a bit of lime zest is not classic - but hey, it could be a cool addition. But he used far too much!
Eventually: coconut milk! Another capital mistake. Piña Colada is usually made with Cream of Coconut (which is different than coconut cream). It is basically a thick, fatty coconut syrup. Normal coconut syrup would be also ok. Or doing your own coconut syrup with coconut milk and sugar. But using only coconut milk? That is really wrong!
Additional: dairy makes a colada really nice. If you are vegan, it is not compulsory, but it really helps. Not too much. Traditionally it has been a dash of cream - but nowadays I tend to like sweetened condensed milk more - and you could even replace it with sweetened condensed coconut milk!
Another thing: sugar syrup in a Piña Colada? And - who still cooks his syrup!
And Master Chef: we are not anymore in the 1980’s. A proper cocktail needs a proper cherry: Amarena cherries (my favorite) or at least Luxardo Maraschino cherries (proper one) - not this sad excuse of a chemical processed cherry!
It is also laughable, that they first of all blend the drink (with ice) and then shake it (again with ice). What type of technique is that? And a commercial venue (it is “Master Chef”) would never premix their drinks with alcohol - because if you don’t use all it - you throw the alcohol!

It is really shocking that prime time television is screwing a simple colada so much up! It is terrible. And disgraceful!

Emotional Damage!

Ginger Ale and the issue of subjective vs objective reality.

2022-05-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

It seems that the titles of my posts become more and more elaborate. But you have got to understand the background:

I have posted a post - and a video, where I made ginger ale. I have to say, this ginger ale rocks - I still stand to my recipe.

However there is a point, that we believe that in the past, everything was produced more “rustic” and more “naturally” - and I also assumed it.

Apparently the opposite is fact. Especially when it comes to sodas - the “soda jerks” in the 19th century and the early 20th century were mainly pharmacists, who didn’t used natural ingredients, but rather used chemistry, part was still big companies are using for their highly processed soda syrups - partly which is no more allowed, because it was either way dangerous and poisonous, highly addictive or both (the conspiracy that Coca Cola contained cocaine is not totally wrong).

My friend Darcy O’Neil who thankfully isn’t only a good bartender, but also a soda historian and chemical research analysts has now videos - which I can learn from!

So - no, probably ginger ale was never produced by steeping ginger in water and make it like a good ol’ dinner recipe.

Would I rather do Darcy’s or my recipe?

To be honest - I do think, that moving forward doesn’t always mean, to do it like in the past. I think making sodas from less processed ingredient is more than adequate. The only problem: you cannot keep it for long. My type of syrup stays about 1 month at its quality peak. Some sodas like ginger ale rather have days, before they perish. Darcy’s syrups and sodas are almost indefinitely shelf stable.

Flavor is also a key difference. I think that our palate almost adapted to the highly processed (and “aged”) aromas. For example I found, that “aged” (that means forgotten) lemon soda, will taste after a month or so like Mountain Dew - it seems that the lemon oils are oxidizing and becoming very similar to compounds found in the popular soda. I usually enjoy Mountain Dew - but to be honest, I rather enjoy real lemon aromas.

But this is the thing: we have got to choose. We have to understand, that both “products” exist - and that a less romantic history exist - and we have to choose, what we like to make.

Besides of my interest for the implications of Darcy’s knowledge, I am just interested nominal about the taste of the sodas - because of their historical importance. But at the end, they will taste very close what you can buy of big soda companies.

However if you are making a recipe, which uses fresh ginger, some caramelized sugar (or even black sugar) and if you are reducing the ingredients (only using citric acid as acidifier) - you have a different level of authenticity - which doesn’t derive of historical data, but of the ingredients themselves.

But please: we have to understand, that Darcy does a huge public service here. First of all, it discovers (in a very charming way), what you are really drinking when you gulp down sodas. The marketing let us believe, that it has still something to do with real fruit and real ingredients. And while essential oils are real - all ingredients are at least highly processed.

We also can understand, how we can make ginger ale better. I won’t use a percolator to do my syrups anytime soon (ok, ok, I have googled it already and looked at different options) but the information to use cinnamon, nutmeg and orange peel definitely peeked my interest! I will incorporate it into my future recipe.

Let’s learn how a chamber vacuum sealer works...

2022-04-22T02:19:00.005-07:00

When I got my chamber vacuum sealer, I was surprised, that it is not as straight forward as the household "sucking" vacuum sealers.

I know, that a lot of home-cocktail enthusiasts really don't have access to this technology - however a lot of bartenders read my blog, which work in professional environments - and most hotels (and a lot of restaurants and bars with kitchen) just have chamber vacuum sealers. Hence this blog post is dedicated to those.

I cannot give perfect instructions - because a lot of chamber vacuum sealers are a bit different - and also any different product you like to vacuum seal is different. But understanding the settings, will help you to come to a far better result!

Functional principle

This information is pretty available in the internet - but I repeat it to be a slight more complete guide.

A suction vacuum sealer is sucking out the air from the bar. Obviously this has the disadvantage that liquids are also sucked out. Depending on your vacuum sealer, this can make a big mess - or it can seriously damage your sealer as well. Also - due to the nature of the plastic bags, you need special structured bags - so the air can even get sucked out, when the both sides “cling” together.

In contrary a chamber vacuum sealer (as picture on top of the post - which is the model I own), is removing the pressure out of the whole chamber... basically the surrounding of the bag. The Bag is open, hence the pressure is also removed out of the bag. Then after most of the air pressure is removed, the bag is sealed and the chamber is returning to normal pressure.

That sounds easy enough. But what are the different settings and where can you fail?

Settings:

While a lot of things look in our time digital, they aren’t. A vacuum sealer is one typical piece which looks very evolved and high tech - but is based on very simple and analog principles.

Time of vacuum pump operation:

The first setting is the time, how long the vacuum pump has to run. Yes - you are not changing the vacuum itself - you are setting the time (it seems to be the same, but it really isn’t).
This indicates, why I can’t give you perfect instructions: because every vacuum sealer is different: smaller ones have smaller (and weaker) vacuum pumps, bigger ones have stronger vacuum pumps. Hence you have got to get used to the chamber vacuum sealer you are using.
The longer the pump is running, the lesser air pressure you got. All chamber vacuum sealers have an air pressure gauge. I am using it just as an indication - I am not using it to “dial” the exact pressure in. But it is helpful, if you are understanding, at which time the minimum air pressure (max vacuum) is achieved.

Time of holding the vacuum:

This is the setting I didn’t understood directly. When a “vacuum” is pulled, there is still a difference between bag and chamber. This is natural, because the open bag is pressed together. Also - some materials need time to “release” the air.

Time of sealing:

Simple: the longer the time, the longer the heating strip is sealing the bag. Obviously you could easily melt through the material with too much time.

Strength of sealing:

Additional to the time of sealing most vacuum machines have different levels of sealing (low, medium, high, and no sealing).
Thin bags needs a lower setting - while very thick bags and aluminum material needs the high setting.
Using the vacuum sealer for marination, compressing, infusing & vacuum canning - will require, that you turn of the sealing (you don’t want to waste bags - or sometimes you don’t use bags at all, which would result in potentially damage the sealing strip.

Liquids:

My biggest gripe about chamber vacuum sealer is, that they can handle liquids, but they are not made for using liquids. The chamber is always shallow, which makes it hard to vacuum liquids - and in smaller vacuum sealers you can only vacuum very small jars (which is a pity, as vacuum canning is really great).

The biggest issue (besides of overestimating the quantity of liquid) is, that liquid starts to boil at lower temperatures when the air pressure is removed. Boiling water results into expanding volumes, which means, that vacuum bags can occasionally burst, but at least things are overflowing etc.

Dial in lesser time on your vacuum timer. Personally I have good results when using 18-28 seconds - but as said, different vacuum machines have vastly different pumps.
Make sure, that the liquid is cold. The warmer the liquid, the lower is the boiling point. Fridge temperature is better than room temperature. And room temperature is better than sous vide temperatures etc.
Try to angle your bag - which helps to prevent spillage.
When vacuum canning, leave an adequate free space (again liquid expanses). Oh for canning, don’t tighten the lid - just close it very “softly”. The vacuum will pull and the lid will be tighten automatically. Vacuum canning is not pressure cooker canning. While expiration of a product is pushed bag, there might be still pathogenic bacteria. Let me know, if you like to know more about food safety in the bar.

Know step by step instruction how to vacuum seal in a chamber vacuum sealer:

Dial in your timer for the vacuum. Dry and sturdy food can be timed for longer (minimum air pressure), while liquids need to be short.
Dial in your holding time. If you are experiencing, that your bags still has some air inside after sealing, you probably have a too short holding time. For liquids, as long as you are below the boiling point (which you can literally see), you can hold it much longer. Hence the air pressure can come to an equilibrium between bag and chamber. For vacuum canning, you might even crank the holding to the extreme. I didn’t found any disadvantages yet, by having a long holding time - except maybe that you loose time. Obviously if you want to have a strong vacuum with moist ingredients (above the boiling point), you want to keep it briefly, otherwise you will have a lot of clean up on your hands.
Dial in your timer for the sealer. A normal bag will seal (at the medium setting) properly at around 2 seconds. If you have got moist ingredients, which might leak out, you might want to give it an extra second.
Dial in your sealer strength. I normally have it on medium. Thin bags are usually not recommended for things I am doing (sous vide, vacuum marination etc.) - they might work well with e.g. hamburger patties (as long as the bag is heat safe) - as thin bags cannot compress the burger physically. But no burgers for bartenders...😁. Please remember to turn off the sealing, when you are using the chamber vacuum machine for marination, canning, compressing...
Add the bag / item into the chamber and close the lid. Most machines will start automatically the process, as soon as you are lowering the “hatch”.

It is all about gaining experience with the machine. If your liquids are starting to boil, observe at how many seconds this happens - and adjust the timer (as said, it is less practical to note down the air pressure itself - because you cannot directly adjusting it).

And just note: your experience with one machine will help you, but it won’t give you there perfect solution. You still have to adjust to other machines and have to adjust your settings.

10 Points to make next level 0º cocktails

2022-02-16T12:24:00.005-08:00

The good news:

Alcohol-free spirits have arrived.

The bad news:

The average quality is still very questionable - and supply is not yet globally consistent.

Living in the Middle-East since 2005 made me pretty resourceful. It is not that alcohol is banned in the UAE - but it is limited. That means, you might not get your Ancho Reyes - or other stuff.

Things became much better - until the pandemic stroke. It isn't as bad as 2005 - but it is also not great with the alcohol supply here.

As distillate connoisseur this might be an issue. Except that you could do an ∞-whisky or (at least in a bar) could experiment with finished whiskies (have done all of it), you have got to keep your eyes open, when there are a bit more interesting spirits coming ashore for a rather short time (e.g. special imports etc.).

But for cocktails - you could do a lot. I would even say, that the limitations I have been exposed to made me a far better bartender* .

With alcohol-free spirits it is nothing different. I already did an alcohol free Negroni, which is more than respectable. However I will in future just use one of the alcohol-free "gins" to improve it (juniper is a really tough ingredient to use).

Anyway here are 10 points, which up your 0º Cocktail game:

Get on board with the Sous Vide trend!

While low-temperature "cooking" is a game changer in the "alcoholic" bar as it is shortening infusion times, it is close to mandatory in alcohol-free drinks.
You cannot infuse something for weeks in water - it will become bad.
To make good syrups, you need "Sous Vide".
Water-baths are also perfect to pasteurize syrups and infusions.

Learn and understand temperature/effect of produce.

If you make a syrup from fruit, you might need different temperatures - a higher temp (>74ºC) to break down the pectin (so the "aromas can get moved" into the liquid) and a lower temp (60ºC) - which helps to infuse the liquid.

Mind texture / the medium

A solution of alcohol and water (...) has a different effect as water alone. You need a carrier, which brings some interest.

Think milk (punch)

Alcohol-free clarified milk-punches have a very unique textural and aroma carrier effect.

Tea is not only for iced tea

Especially low temp tea infusions, can have very interesting effects and the drink might not even taste like tea.
Use a suitable tea - for a drink, which should not have any tea-aromas use e.g. white tea.

Make it (slightly) spicy.

Alcohol has a unique effect on the palate. Spices can mimic or at least suggest a similar effect.
Capsaicin the spice in chili-peppers can be used. It just needs to be used in careful quantities - as not every cocktail should be "spicy".
Black pepper can be used in syrups and infusions.
Szechuan pepper corns are very unique and their numbing effect, can lead to a far more unique experience.
Further interesting spices can also further evolve the experience: uda pepper (West Africa), Tasmanian peppers are fruity, spicy and super cool; there are long peppers, grains of paradise and so on.

Use a lot spices & herbs:

My favorite spices:

vanilla (expensive - but worth it - an infusion with vanilla and other spices rocks, when mimicking barrel aged spirits).
cinnamon - don't overdo it, otherwise everything taste like "cinnamon" - but it is also important as a good background aroma.
cloves - also used in small doses - but this gives you a lot of warmth.
coffee beans - don't grind them up - use them just like that. A hint of coffee aromas, will totally bring the "je ne said quoi"
cocoa nibs - just great.
cinchona bark - especially for things which need to be bitter - it is a reliable partner.
wormwood - cinchona bark and wormwood make an infusion taste like an Italian aperitif.
gentian - another bittering agent. Never goes from my side.
allspice - taste almost like a blend of baking spices - but it is just one berry. Amazing!

Dose it up - don't be cheap

Next generation 0º cocktails are no longer your "mocktails" - that means, they can be almost on the same level of alcoholic drinks.
That means, use sufficient spices - and don't cheap out.

Use oak

I tell you here a secret: don't put a syrup into an oak barrel. Your chance of success is very limited (wood is a good insulator, so you cannot put the barrel into a water bath and expect any result).
Either way buy some oak chunks (usually for bbq) or use an oak barrel and disassemble. Use the oak staves.
Retoast / charr all surfaces of the oak - that will result into the maximum (positive) effect.
Add it into the bag or jar in which you Sous Vide the infusion.

Don't use too many juices

Juices are bringing you back to mediocre (at best) mocktails.
Great 0º Cocktails are crafted around infusions, good alcohol free spirits and artisan syrups and cordials.

Free your mind

This is my biggest issue - like a god chef, I try to stay clear of specific things (in the kitchen it would be MSG or artificial color). But there are things, which might be anyway "sneaked into" some of your "premium products" (alcoholic and alcohol-free) anyway:

Preservatives (like sodium benzoate).

I really have to experiment a bit more and also read more about it. But if you don't want to have every 0º drink a sugar bomb - but otherwise don't want to do a daily full inventory of infusions, this might be the only reasonable option.

Essential oils and natural aromas

Yes commercial products (even the "craft" ones) are using this all the time. You cannot do yourself at a reasonable cost critical CO2 extraction or steam distillation. We just have to get crafty with these things - but you have got to know what you are doing.

Most importantly: You have got to know what you are doing!!!

I really mean it. This has been the case a couple of years ago, when people started to make tobacco infusions, and I was just the "party pooper" and tried to educate all bartenders that nicotine (in the tobacco) is deadlier (dosage) as cyanide!

There are many things in normal ingredients, which might be dangerous in high doses: for example wormwood and cinchona bark can be easily overdosed - but even nutmeg, should not be used in crazy amounts. Be save and keep your guests save, happy and healthy!

(*I would say mixologists - but a lot of people think, it is a stupid term - bartender is though a bit underselling).

if you want to learn about bar related stuff- don't be inclusive...

2022-02-13T15:03:00.002-08:00

I have just watched "How to Drink" - the rum episode.

What though came to my mind is: we are learning and categorizing wrong.

The problem is, that we are looking at the greatest common denominator. But this might confuse us or is even misleading us.

For example rum: yes - mostly it is taught, that rum is made of sugar cane or a sugar cane product. But really - most rums are made from molasses. The few exceptions are Rhum Agricole (which you could argue is a category itself and not passé a rum) and few brands which are made from sugar cane juice. Please note, that cachaça is not considered a rum! The "Brazilian rum" moniker doesn't come from the Brazilians (because there are real rums made in Brazil), but from the 20th century US bureaucracy, which needed to categorize cachaça and "didn't wanted" to give it its own category.

The rums (except of rhum agricole) are made from countries which are not typically producing rum and don't have specific rum-production legislation! For example (or lets say mainly): the United States!

And: not only is the source in traditionally rum producing countries predetermined, but also: aging in oak.

What does it mean?

By finding the greatest common denominator (~~rum is a distillate made from sugar cane~~) we are settling on a half-truth because of small appellations in the Caribbean (Martinique with AOC status, Guadeloupe and Haiti without) and some producer in other countries, which don't even have a legislation nor a recent tradition of producing rum...

Being excluding those exceptions, will make it far easier to understand what rum is:

Rum is a distillate made from sugar cane molasses or sugar cane honey, aged in oak for some time).

Obviously you cannot "fix" the aging period, as different countries, have different legislative - but yes - all classical rum producing countries are aging their rum as well.

Why do I think does it matter?

Because I have heard time and time again total nonsense, because people tend to be confused.

A common misconception: white rum is unaged. But no. Let's for example look at the most consumed spirit brand of the world: Bacardi Carta Blanca. It is aged in oak for at least 6 month.

Even better: Bacardi is at this stage one of the most leading (and wealthiest privately owned) companies, because its founder Facundo Bacardi developed a) a strict regiment and standard for aging (not only the time, but also the treatment of the barrels etc.). b) he adapted charcoal filtering to the rum industry (and c) he introduced specific yeast culture to rum - which is however not related to the topic).

But yes - 90% of all people still think, that Bacardi Carta Blanca is unaged.

It is important to extrapolate the important information out of categories - even though there are then exceptions to the rule. Bartending / mixology is not based on natural laws. That means there can be exceptions and an exception doesn't disprove a rule.

Quicky: Budweiser Zero - WTF

2022-01-29T03:07:00.008-08:00

Ok - just a quick post here.

I tried Budweiser Zero. No - lets rephrase it: I drank it, because I got it as sample, but didn't expected anything.

However: it is actually pretty okay. And here is the kicker: I never liked Budweiser - and really reject to drink it - but Budweiser Zero taste to me far better than its alcoholic siblings.

Look - I don't want to lie- it is not a craft beer (nor an alcohol-free craft'y beer). But compared to the normal Budweiser, I didn't tasted any off-flavors. It is a very light beer, which taste like it. And to be honest, I even could not make out, that it was alcohol free.

There are many alcohol free beers, which might taste better - bigger aromas and flavors - more bitterness and so on. But you mostly directly detect, that it is alcohol-free - you just taste it. But Budweiser Zero? It is tough to tell - it could be very much a light and low alcoholic beer...

So... would I drink buy it for myself? Absolutely. I would probably put it into a paper bag, that nobody would see me buying any product of Anheuser Bush. But hell yeah - at a party, I am sure, that 90% of all people would not even get, that it has no alcohol.

Would I add it to our hotel portfolio? Given the gruff'y reputation of Budweiser... rather not.

Sometimes it doesn't help, if you have a flawless product... but it also depends on your brand reputation.

Top Bar & Beverage Trends 2022

2022-01-26T08:11:00.041-08:00

Do you have also the feeling that last year passed light-speedy fast?

And to be honest, there hasn't been a lot of room for trends to stick - except everything related to the pandemic (we are talking about take away, in different iterations, ghost kitchens and so on).

I try not to go too much in this trends and stay with true beverage related trends (products and all) - if you are interested, let me know, if you like to see another article about trends, which are more venue related...

So which trends can we predict for 2022?

Alcohol-free spirits

This is a big one. It seems to really penetrate the market. Even here in Dubai - even the major supermarkets start to carry those spirits.
I do think though, that there is definitely a lot of area of improvement. Some products are good (e.g. gin) - some are simply not enjoyable (until now I could only try one "0º Whisky which was simply disgusting!
Alcohol-free spirits are changing totally the paradigm for alcohol-free cocktails.

The "Ainar" Daiquiri

2022-01-25T09:16:00.002-08:00

In the last year, there has been some change in my life. This isn't so unique - as the pandemic has been challenging for most of us. While the bar was closed and I have been on unpaid leave, I left "my" hotel and joined an independent restaurant (new opening) as GM.

Unfortunately this didn't worked out very well. Hence after half a year I left (close to be totally burnt out) and rejoined my "old hotel" - now not anymore as Bar Operations Manager, but as Beverage Manager.

Besides of "hanging out" in the evening behind Noir (again - now even with more emphasis) - my duties are also updating the beverage lists of the other restaurants.

The cocktail discussed is for the Levantine restaurant.

Now the Levant is the area on and around Lebanon. This area is rich of culinary culture and traditions - but not so much of alcoholic drinks (and yes - Lebanon is a great wine producing country - and they also create arrack... and: especially Beirut is known for their nightlife. Yet, there is not much of an alcohol culture besides of the mentioned.

This though makes it a bit of a different challenge. One cocktail I came up with is the Ainar Daiquiri.

First of all - we know the Daiquiri: basically light rum, lime juice and some sugar syrup (in my case I use rich syrup).

However interesting things are happening, if you are substituting the syrup.

There is an Ainar "tea" infusion in the levantine (especially in Syria), which is known for its aromatic & soothing effect. The tea is made from spices: anise, caraway, nutmeg and cinnamon. It is incredible aromatic - and while I was afraid, that quite a lot of anise will be very dominant, it wasn't. Warm spices - very nice.

These warm spices happen to work well with rum. Hence combining it was just a no-brainer.

The drink doesn't shout "flavored syrup" (or something like pumpkin spice, which isn't awful different) - but while I was using basic Bacardi Carta Blanca, the Daiquiri tasted much more complex as anticipated. Could have been a far better rum!

Eventually we are garnishing the drink with some nuts and call it a day...

Ainar Daiquiri

50 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca

20 ml of Ainar syrup
20 ml of Lime Juice
Assorted nuts

Pre chill a coupe glass with ice. Add ice into a shaker and remove the melted water. Pour all ingredients into the shaker and shake virtuously for 20 seconds. Strain into the emptied cocktail coupe. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel and some nuts.

Ainar Syrup

Add 1 tablespoon aniseeds, 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, two pieces of cinnamon, ½ a nutmeg (cracked) into hot water and let steep (Sous Vide) for about 2 hours. Strain and add 1.5x sugar into the liquid. Stir until dissolved. Bottle, label and refrigerate.

Using cutting edge technology in the bar - how to keep things warm

2021-12-07T09:12:00.005-08:00

It is the season. There are more events (yeah - events with people, pandemic is kinda mitigated - yay…), hot drinks are requested.

Before especially in events I have used “coffee urns” which kept warm with gel-stoves.

It works quite well, they don’t need a lot of space, they are also keeping things warm. But: you cannot really control the heat (its real fire).

And beverages which are thicker (e.g. hot chocolate) start to burn. Also: if you are holding alcohol drinks warm, it will evaporate and overheat.

What is the solution:

Using a water-bath. A bain-marie is not exactly something new - only that the kitchen appliances usually take more “real-estate”, and the manual ones are not made for beverages (not deep enough - they are made only to hold food warm), and the electric ones are not only big - but they are also very expensive.

Enter Sous Vide, or better said an immersion circulator. If you are only heating a couple of bottles of a beverage, a wine bucket is already big enough to do the job. An immersion circulator is also far more affordable than you think. This technology has evolved and pretty much it democratized the use of advanced kitchen appliance. Sure, you the market leaders with fancy mobile apps, are still expensive (but even they seen “the light” and due to cheap competitors, they had to cut their prices significantly). But really you don’t need for basic bar tasks an immersion circulator with a mobile app. Good news: they are working all pretty well, independently from the price.

How to use an immersion circulator for hot drinks?

Use glass bottles!

I would suggest, that you are using glass bottles to pour your hot drink in! Vacuum bag are fine (you don’t necessarily need to seal them), but it is awkward to pour out of a bag.
Glass bottles tent to be very hot at this temperature. Get some gloves (water proof!). or at least some dry dish towels to handle the bottles.
Leave the top of the bottles out of the water - which also helps you to handle the drinks safely.

Temperature range:

think about the temperature of your drink.
60ºC to 65ºC is usually hot enough
but if you are using room temp glasses and if it takes some time to serve the drinks (which is typical for events), 68ºC to 72ºC would be a far better range.

Depending on your immersion circulator: use heated water

If you have a relatively cheap and conveniently small immersion circulator, it might not be the most powerful appliance of the world. Hence Use directly warm or even hot water, to aid its work. Hence it just have to keep the water at the temp, without heating it up. This shortens the time of the heating process (of the water but also of the drinks).

Use not a big water container (Sous Vide)

Try to use the smallest container you can. Obviously the beverage bottles have to fit in. But the bigger the container, the more water has to be heated.
The less water, the better for the environment (water wastage, energy use).
The less water, the shorter the heating time of the immersion circulator.

And this is about it. It is an easy system, which uses contemporary technology. It let you shine, even though it makes your life far easier and the drinks more consistent and better.

And obviously you are not only using an immersion circulator for holding beverages hot. You can use it for homemade syrups, speed up infusions or even really more advanced stuff like fermenting* like amazake (*yes, it is not exactly fermenting - but rather an enzymatic conversion of starch to sugar).

The World of Blockchain in Hospitality!?

2021-11-14T12:55:00.002-08:00

It seems, that there is an elephant in the room, when it comes to the latest developments in the finance world: blockchain, crypto, NFT's - it is a bit like quantum mechanics in science: the only thing, what respective experts are agreeing upon is, that if you say, that you are understanding it - you probably don't understand it...

Blockchain is a book with 7 seals - the basic idea is pretty straight forward, but the when it comes to the details, the function principles, we all got lost in space.

But like in quantum mechanics: not understanding fully the principles won't held us back to use some of the features (think about transistors, lasers diodes etc. which are applications of quantum mechanic principles).

So let's enter blockchain.

While blockchain overall is quite interesting, NFT's and smart contracts attracted quite my attention in the last couple of months.

Let's put the whole techno jabber to the side and let's go back in mixology-history:

Most of us cocktail-nerds know, that Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. - later known as "Trader Vic" mixed the first time his legendary Mai Tai in Honolulu - and it was one of the greatest and most distinctive recipes in bar-history - ever. No - I mean it, the cocktail was probably about a century advanced. Besides of some orange curaçao, some candy rock syrup, orgeat, fresh lime - he used also one remarkable rum: Wray Nephews 17 years old. And yes - it was just one rum. And only one Jamaican aged rum!
Eventually this rum wasn't produced anymore and he went with the next available rum: still a more than decent Wray Nephews 15 years old. And when this rum was no more, he started to start to adulterate in a fashion, which was not only more available - but also cheaper: Rhum Agricole and dark Jamaican rum.

Nowadays, we don't really have to look for a great Mai Tai in the original bar chain, because low quality ingredients cut cost and found their way in.

The problem here is, that the Mai Tai kept being called Mai Tai. And other copied the recipe, interpret it wrongly (added grenadine, pineapple juice and I don't know what) - and even replaced the rum with even less worthy rums, which don't have the respective character to make the Mai Tai a standout.

But... what if... (... insider joke?) Trader Vic's would have made NFT's for the first batch of cocktails (which were still made with Wray Nephews 17 years old)? Certainly - there was no blockchain back (had to be in the early 40's). But what if? He could have made the "original" NFT - for basically the first batch of cocktails. We could think of a smart contract incorporated in the NFT, which gives people, who have procured the NFT, a first offer right for probably upcoming batches.

A lot of variation of the tokens are thinkable. But it could give you a reasonable validity of the respective cocktail. And it is a contract.

I have had the idea of limited cocktails already quite some time ago. Here in Dubai it has been quite difficult at times, to get your hands on good quality liquor to mix - hence to limit the numbers of a cocktail, not only sounds great (as marketing "tool") but also makes perfect sense. But I felt always, that the "framework" was missing.

With NFT's we might have such a technology / framework, we could work with.

The only thing, which I am still struggling with is, to have an offer, which make a lot of sense for people. Why some digital art NFT make hundred thousands if not millions, cocktails might be more difficult to sell. It might be good of a deal, to make a full recipe, with some digital artworks around the drink (...), to sweeten the deal...

I would be interested, what my reader think about this "brave new world"?

What type of sous vide immersion circulator do you need?

2021-10-28T14:33:00.002-07:00

Maybe you will be confused, to find a "mostly bar & beverage blog" talking about sous vide. However this technique helped me to really do major breakthrough in housecrafted cordials, syrups and infusions.

Instead of days and weeks, things in the bar take as much as overnight and as little as a couple of hours - not only to be better than the classic version, but also safer and more convenient.

Why safer you might ask? Because cooking at a low temperature at a prolonged time kills most microbes (I would probably say all microbes which might be dangerous in the bar) - but also kills spoilage bacteria, aceto bacter (vinegar bacterium) and yeast. Hence if you are smart, it saves you a lot of work (big batches and then refrigerating or even freezing).

Please comment if you are interested in any recipes or further explanation how to prolong shelf-life with sous vide.

Now why can I tell you, which sous vide cooker to buy? I have worked in several hotel and restaurant bars over the years and owned several immersion circulators. Hence I have got a bit of experience - especially, when it comes to the commercial (bar) use.

Ok - which features you like to look after:

reasonable pricing

If you are procuring via the hotel, please try to buy a rather inexpensive model. Why? Because if you are buying a large professional item, the kitchen will always borrow it - and you never know where it is, if you need it.

unite with a display

Guys - I am lucky that Joule of Chefsteps didn't came out in the 220V version, when I needed it. The WIFI and bluetooth settings in these apparatuses are prone to be tricky. If you have got a hotel WiFi which is protected (...), you might have no chance to use it with your mobile device. And with an immersion circulator without a display, you have basically a very expensive and very fragile muddler, It doesn't do much more without Wifi or bluetooth. Bluetooth is a bit easier than wifi - but think, that several people might want to use it!

Good customer service and a reputable product

I had several issues with my immersion circulators and I use them often. All my immersion circulator came from ANOVA, which are not great to use, but also the customer service is quick and helpful.

Immersion circulators are never really super cheap. Either way you could go really inexpensive and buy a product starting at €70. The disadvantage: Probably no producer support, no app, no Wifi, no bluetooth - probably there are further downsides like noise and they are heating rather slow...

I purchased one for my son, who likes it and uses it (probably). But I would not buy it for myself... I use it too often, and the added features of more expensive ones, are well worth it.

The odd slightly more expensive "no name" options are in my eyes not really worth it. You might have apps, which are frustrating. They might be also heating slow. And it is too much money to spend on a less quality product.

My Nano:

I have got an Anova Nano. I was thrilled when this immersion circulator came out, because I could buy a reasonable quality product for work, while I had my favorite circulator at home. It is also very small, which makes it ideal to put into a drawer and doesn't take a lot of real-estate in the kitchen.

But working with it often showed some issues:

Most of the cooker is made from plastic. And this might break (my clamp broke).
The Nano (strangely only this specific circulator of Anova) needs a very high water level. That means, you always have to fill a lot of water into the basin (which means spillages, and if the container is too small and your "cook" is too much volume, it will overflow). That is probably the most annoying thing.
The display is limited - yeah it shows only one thing at a time: mostly actual temperature - then you have to press a button to see the remaining time or the target temp.
Oh - it is relatively noisy (if you compare to the "grown up versions".
please note, that I have the first Nano 220V version. Maybe Anova changed it to be better (I doubt, that they could make it work with less water, because it is due to the smaller size) - hope they improved the noise level...

It cost now $129 - but it seems that Anova made it cheaper by killing one feature (which my Nano still has) wifi! It is really convenient when you are at home to have a look onto the app and check how long your cook still takes - or even changing temperatures. That doesn't work with Bluetooth only. But it is great to take it with you on travels (you don't know, what you could all do with an immersion circulator, a couple of bags and a torch). Or just as second unite.

The "normal" Anova Precision cooker

I had the original version, which was the first and only version. Sadly after 4 or so years it broke.

There is now a new version, which I would actually buy. It has WiFi it has bluetooth, a display (but also only one number at a time). It probably works with a "normal fill line. If I buy ever a new one, I will go for this one. It cost about $199 (this was the old price of my Nano!).

My Pro

Yes Anova caught me with their marketing. It was special offer and I purchased mine for $299 - but normally it is 399.

It is a beast. Its display shows all 3 important numbers (current water temp, target temp and time). It has bluetooth and Wifi. It is really quick heating the water. It is quite robust. And it is far more quiet as the Nano. But is it worth twice the price of the standard model? Absolutely no. Buy the standard model. Your wallet will thank you.

So I would definitely go with Anova. It is the most recognized company for sous vide cookers.

But:

I have also a bit of a gripe with Anova. Yes, their app is probably one of the best ones in the business (except of Joule - but as said, in a professional setting with twitchy internet and not always accessible mobile devices I would not go for it), and the cookers are awesome - except of the Wifi set up, which can suck. To set up a new cooker takes normally several hours of trying. You have to have a direct wall power outlet - and your router has to be also close. And still might not work without issues. I got crazy about this - and weeks I was getting helped by the helpline (very patient guys) - only that one day I tried it again, and suddenly it worked without issue... but again, the support team is more than happy to help you - and that's why you need a display, because even though you have app problems, you can still use it.

And: For Nerds like me, who have several cookers and might want to do more complex cooks (e.g. using enzymatic temperatures and afterwards pasteurizing temps), Anova promised an update with exactly these features. Unfortunately I am still waiting after 3 or so years! I love their precision oven as well - but I would rather have an updated App than dreaming of a fancy new oven!

Oh - let's talk about the literal elephant in the room: The PolyScience immersion circulator. Why elephant? Because it is so large compared to my Anova tools, that it is justified. Also it is far more expensive.

Don't buy one and don't tell your hotel buying one. Yes, the latest generation became less expensive (probably because nobody with senses purchased a multiple thousand dollar model). But it still doesn't have any advantages against e.g. Anova (even the normal precision cooker). It is bulky and expensive. The display is far more "yesterday" than the Anova models. Makes no sense at all.

You might ask, have I been sponsored of Anova? No - I am just a fan! Unfortunately my Pro died a couple of days ago (well it had a technical issue, which could not be fixed remotely) and the guys just without any discussion offered me to send me a replacement unite! And while I am waiting, I am using my Nano to do the workload (well I hear it "summing").

But overall immersion circulators are super convenient and save - every bar (which makes housecrafted stuff) should use them.

An incredible new whiskey sour!

2021-10-19T09:10:00.001-07:00

So - you know me. A cocktail is made out of high quality ingredients, the right technique and details, details, details.

Quite some time ago, I intended to make a popcorn whiskey sour. I thought, that bourbon is made out of corn - so popcorn is great thing to infuse the bourbon with. Unfortunately there was only a very mediocre effect. Popcorn doesn’t have apparently a strong taste. And it messes up the bourbon (or if you make a syrup it makes the water cloudy). So I ambandoned the concept.

However - in my time in Newton, I Thought about a similar concept - I read, that Koreans have roasted corn tea (besides of roasted barley tea). So - using corn tea as base for a syrup- that could work!?

As I didn’t wanted to waste time in looking for Korean roasted corn tea I tried to make it myself with popcorn- spoilers: popcorn pops if you heat it up. However if you are careful, only few kernels will pop (tried it first under the salamander and ended up to use a pan - without oil!

I added then the kernels into plain ol’ H2O and sous vided it over night. What came out was unexpected - after adding sugar it taste like the bomb💣 Unbelievable tasty - with a strong taste of concentrated popcorn!

Making a whiskey sour out of it has been absolutely rewarding. Still working on the final recipe - but it is great - even in the beta version.

I am thinking though to make a compound syrup made out of roasted barley, roasted corn and roasted rye… aka mash bill syrup (the idea was a combination of my friend bartender Fattah - who had also the idea for the name).

So what do you think - is it worth a try? Use a good bourbon, and let me know how you like it!

It is time to stop compromising in the bar!

2021-10-10T05:42:00.002-07:00

I have read an article on punchdrink.com about the Mojito. Apparently a lot of people dislike the mojito.

Punch thinks, that it comes from the bartender, which hate work intensive drinks, when the bars are busy. But we have to really ask ourselves: does it make sense?

I have always had a very crafty relationship to the bar. I understand and appreciate pubs, dive bars etc. But I like the most just bars, which are taking cocktails serious. In this matter, I do think, that a bar should not have much of a different approach than a fine dining restaurant. Call me pretentious (or opinionated), but I do think, that this is the future of the bar.

Point is, that a lot of people like to drink alcohol - but it is not a basic need (the same as "fancy food"). The bar is maybe more destined to be sophisticated as most restaurant styles then.

But it seems, that (especially in the US) people like to compromise too quickly on the experience. Not only bartenders, but also operators and even guests.

I do remember the anecdote, that Henry C. Ramos had to the peak of its popularity saloon in New Orleans 35 "shaker boys" behind the bar to meet the demand of the Ramos gin fizz. This is one way to meet the demand, without (much) compromise quality...

Unfortunately I feel, that these days are over. But they shouldn't be... not sure, if any business could stem 30+ bartenders behind the bar, though we should look ways to manage the business without sacrificing quality.

Big names in hospitality like Ferran Adriá already showed (in a fine dining setting), that it is possible to look beyond footfall and sheer revenue. I am sure, that everyone would agree, that El Bulli was one of the most significant restaurants in the last 50 or so years. We just have to transport this into the bar.

So there are solutions out there - which are not compromising quality. Let's find them together!

Why we can't have a good Apple Martini

2021-10-07T13:56:00.002-07:00

Ok... provocative title - I know. Let's directly spoil the resolution: we can't have a good Apple Martini, because the original "Adam's Apple" (how it was originally called) is not a Martini cocktail - duh!

There is a fantastic and very expansive article on Eater.com.

In this article Jeffrey Morgenthaler said, that it is not possible, to make a good version of this drink, because using fresh juice isn't just the same.

True. But it is better. Let me explain.

We can basically go two ways. One way is the way of being incredible sophisticated and also very pretentious. We can think of making a real Martini out of it.

We can make a vermouth from a nice slightly sour cider. And then we could use gin (yeah - we can also use vodka - but what is the point?). Some bitters. And maybe something like a low temperature poached apple ball (made with a melon baller).

The problem: It is almost not recognizable as a "Apple Martini". Yes it is cool and all. But only for nerds (like us). Not for normal people.

The second way is far more enticing. We first of all change the name. Let's say "Adam's Apple 2.0"?

Anyway - then we are slow juicing apple juice (ideally out of peel only). I am 100% positive, that Jeffrey went this route. But wait a moment.

The drink is sweet and sour - and has a strong apple taste. Add lemon juice - and the apple get lost. Add sugar syrup, and the dilution will also reduce the allure. Instead use caster sugar, which you dissolve in the extracted apple peel juice. And add citric acid - or even better malic acid to sour it.

Food acids are used in many foods - and they don't distract from a quality product. Yes - you could argue, that these products are highly processed - so is caster sugar or salt.

Eventually you could use a vodka (or gin!) which is a bit higher in abv, which will result into a snappy little cocktail. Orange bitters? Why not!

Or... you could make a 3.0 with a young "apple'y" Calvados.

Obviously there is another way - which is totally insane - but hey...

We can first of all make a vodka and green apple peel puree (high proof vodka)
Use a centrifuge to clarify the mixture (with food additives like kieselsol and pectinex)
I think you don't need to rotovap it. But because we are on a run, at least rotovap 50% of it.
Freeze fractionate some very dry apple wine (to around 20% abv).
You shall use the dry apple wine and make a low temperature vermouth out of it (sous vide).
Use the green apple vodka instead of normal vodka, and a bit of cider vermouth instead of normal vermouth.
That's it. Work for about 3 days. Equipment for $20K+. But satisfaction to have made a real apple martini.

I haven't done this - and before I have written this, I didn't intended to do it... but now I am so intrigued that I am seriously thinking about it.