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Today, there are three ways for bar managers to make distinctive cocktails for their beverage programs. They: a) use specific liquors to get just the right flavor combination; b) create their own ingredients, either by making a specialty syrup (rosemary simple, anyone?) or altering liquors similarly (tobacco-infused Manhattans, anyone?); or c) use liquors in very nontraditional ways (witness the añejo tequila manhattan or the white whiskey margarita.) In the Internet age, we all feel pressure to make
Dream
by Dennis Mayer May 22nd, 2013 | CocktailsToday, there are three ways for bar managers to make distinctive cocktails for their beverage programs. They: a) use specific liquors to get just the right flavor combination; b) create their own ingredients, either by making a specialty syrup (rosemary simple, anyone?) or altering liquors similarly (tobacco-infused Manhattans, anyone?); or c) use liquors in very nontraditional ways (witness the añejo tequila manhattan or the white whiskey margarita.) In the Internet age, we all feel pressure to make
Maker’s 46
by Jason Lightner May 21st, 2013 | Liquor
I recently attended a baby shower for a pair of good friends and, as luck would have it, there was not only excellent food to be had, but also incredible choices in beverage. Their family has a penchant for good taste and nowhere was that more evident than when, over my plateful of delicious rosemary roast pork, I spied on the bar a bottle of Maker's 46 Kentucky Bourbon Whisky.The tagline for Maker's 46, a special aged blend of the Maker's Mark namesake, is "A complex whisky with a taste that doesn't need to be 'acquired.'" It's a statement
All About Shots
by Dennis Mayer May 16th, 2013 | Ask the Bartender
At the risk of asking too many questions, I have several about shots. First, how big is a shot? Second, is it the same universally? Third, what can I use in place of a shot glass for measuring liquor?
To take your second question first, I can't guarantee you that shots are the same "universally." I've been to bars that use smaller-than-average shot glasses, and bars where the bartenders pour much larger-than-average shots for the customers they like. But it all starts with the "standard" 1.5 ounce shot. This shot is, in theory, the amount of liquor that's poured into a standard
To take your second question first, I can't guarantee you that shots are the same "universally." I've been to bars that use smaller-than-average shot glasses, and bars where the bartenders pour much larger-than-average shots for the customers they like. But it all starts with the "standard" 1.5 ounce shot. This shot is, in theory, the amount of liquor that's poured into a standard
What, Exactly, is a Twist?
by Dennis Mayer May 2nd, 2013 | Bar Essentials
So many parts of cocktail orders have become almost fetishized, if only because they're fun to say. "On the rocks." "Bone dry." "Extra dirty." The language that's developed to describe drinks is fun and self-consciously flirty. But a strange thing happens when that language is developed and used over the course of years and decades. We forget what a lot of those words mean. They're fun to say, but we have no idea what we're saying.So what's a twist? The term is usually used to mean any piece of citrus, and often when people order one they're specifically asking
Atlantic Brewing Company, Mt. Desert Island Ginger
by J Frazzetta May 20th, 2013 | Beer
Bottle/Tap: BottleWhen it comes to local brews I do my best to make sure that I branch out beyond New Hampshire and try to grab anything from New England that I happen to come across. This beer struck me as interesting, Avid Reader, since I’ve been to the island and walked through parts of Acadia National Park then driven up to Cadillac Mountain. That was a long time ago and a very fun weekend of lobster ice cream and sightseeing. Anyway, getting back to the beer in front of me, I figured I would give this brew a chance