Martini's

(from my book written 2005)
“this is my humble opinion of the Dry Martini cocktail”.

      The cocktail the drink that has made cocktails famous the drink that has made bartenders famous the cocktail that is known as the only cocktail the cocktail that has a glass named after it the cocktail that is the most photographed drink the cocktail drunk by famous people.

      So I’m sorry to say this next controversial bit, “but it’s got to be the most over rated cocktail in the history of cocktails and mixed drinks” ok! There I’ve said it! It had to be said so I said it (I hope I’m not on my own). And it’s become the most pretentious drink and the drinker of the Martini has become very pretentious about this drink
Ok, time to explain my self, I am going against the physics of cocktails the praise from bartenders for this drink and the praise from legends, but in the old days of say the 1920’s after when this drink was created as we know it, even though Mr. Martini Taggia has the glory as the creator of the modern day Dry Martini even his had bitters in it which was 1912 (maybe). So when did it become a Dry Martini only with Gin and Vermouth I would say given the time cocktails are created and then get distorted from the original it probably came to be before the 1920’s and around the 1920’s only the people tending bar of the time have the answers and there was no magazines reporting who did what. So it became to be regarded as a fine drink (and still is a fine drink) and sat on the bar along side some other fine drinks like the Manhattan and the Daiquiri for instance at the time of great cocktails it had some great cocktails as friends and some great bartenders to make it. It was loved and photographed with the rich and Famous “it was Famous”. But how can it become what it is today in popularity by taste alone and 99% of the other classics of the time fall by the wayside. My feeling is that it became what it is today by becoming itself famous not because it’s an extra fantastic drink.

Lets break down what is a fantastic drink, is it fame and only fame that makes a fantastic drink. Maybe, because how does it become famous, obviously every one is drinking it and because it’s nice, or it becomes famous because it’s cool and sophisticated to drink it (big debate). As bartenders we always see one person ordering the same drink because it hits his/her button, but I think it’s impossible to have a fantastic drink like the Dry Martini that hits every ones button. The reason every one is drinking that drink maybe is that it’s a famous drink not just because it’s fantastic, great drinks like the Dry Martini taste great, but all drinks taste great to someone, so there can’t be such a thing as a fantastic drink that hits every ones button only it’s a fantastic drink to you. The way that the Dry Martini has been regarded as a fantastic drink above all others is as if it’s alive and marketing itself, making sure it’s in the right place at the right time for photographs and being in the hands of the famous. Come on let’s face it, it’s not that difficult to make is it, only two ingredients and the taste is not as complex as a Manhattan or a Blood and Sand, what’s wrong with these classic’s “ is it because their based on Whiskey and a Dry Martini is based on Gin and anyway nowadays 95% of people are even drinking Dry Martinis with Vodka (Vodkatini) so another consideration is that the Dry Martini that’s regarded now as the drink of all drinks has not really been invented by anyone individually, but another version of the Dry Martini so the list goes from the Martinez to the Fancy Gin Cocktail to the Martini Cocktail to the Martini to the Dry Martini and finally to the Vodkatini is that all the list, maybe, or how many other cocktails on the way eh!

Bartenders today are making Martinis of many styles, and make them they do with plenty of passion and they think of it as the timeless wonder and probably wish they could create something as good as it, well look at what it is and you can create something as good as it, its very ordinary. It has now become a symbol of most drinks the glass the olive even the orange or lemon twist are all national catastrophes. People asking for very dry please and sending them back because there not dry enough, (it’s just disgusting all the carry on ). But mind you, made properly it has become a fine drink now and that’s it, in the 1920’s - 1960’s it was a great drink and now I think it’s an average drink amongst all the cocktails of today except for the die hard Dry Martini guys who know what there doing in preparation, just too much talk about an average drink I think. I remember when I first started my bartending career people were buying a Vodkatini as a Dry Martini they would order a Dry Martini and we had been trained to say Vodka or Gin (they always said Vodka), and we had to ask straight up or Rocks (they always said Rocks), Lemon twist or Olive ( they always said lemon twist) so that’s how it was, on the rocks made with Vodka no less- and my manager told me to build it, I didn’t even shake it or stir it before we poured it over the ice. What difference it would have made to the customer anyway, I don’t know. So where’s all the mysticism in that drink, now that’s not a drink that came to be known now as the one and only cocktail. There is a correct way to make a Dry Martini and its not very easy to mess up in my opinion unless you’re an idiot and there’s no need for novels about it as well please. I like true to the cause Dry Martini drinkers they make me laugh when they talk about cocktails of today. As a whole and I can’t stand the new Dry Martini (Vodkatini) drinker that makes me say bad things about this cocktail. When I serve the classic Dry Martini drinker (that’s with Gin to you non classic drinkers out there) I love to chit chat with them about why they like it this way and how they like it and then about the history and a classic drinker will always enjoy to talk about the Dry Martini and other classics like the Manhattan (now that doesn’t happen with many other drinks- that’s true) and then I agree this does become the best drink in the world, but when I serve a person who only drinks it because he thinks its cool and has no idea and looks at you blank when you ask him how he like‘s it? Then the drink to me comes to be the same as every other ordinary cocktail nothing more and nothing less just a regular classic drink. So to me the Dry Martini has become the most overrated cocktail ever because all it is now is a cool drink to the majority that used to have some great friends sitting on the bar. Now it has to sit on the bar with a Fruit Punch and a Jack Daniels and coke, it was a great drink and now has been messed up by everyone to be this “the one and only Dry Martini” which is wrong. It’s a classic cocktail that should be sitting on the bar top with other classics and enjoyed properly with a group of people who enjoy drinking the world over, as for what it is now, it’s just a beautiful drink and shouldn’t be overrated as the best cocktail ever.

I know there are many bartenders out there going to say hey! Come to my bar there’s loads of Dry Martini drinkers, well that’s great, but I bet the majority of them are over forty five and are a small part of the business now, there are so many cocktails now called something with Martini in the name, Rumtini, Tequini, Crantini, Flirtini, etc.. I even have some listed myself, would our young customers drink them if they are listed and named different, No! And if they have ini in the name the over forty five true Dry Martini drinker wouldn't drink them that’s for sure

I wish the young could get in to drinks for what they are, and not drink drinks because it’s cool, it mess’s up the wheels of time for cocktails. Cheers to all the bars still making the Dry Martinis you’re lucky to have those customers, and a sad cheer to all the bars that take this great name and use it to sell other drinks that are truly not Martinis. Maybe the future holds a name description competition; I will put a suggestion forward here ok,

A Dry Martini is a cocktail with Gin, Vermouth and Garnished with a Lemon twist or Olive,
A Martini was the name of a cocktail by Mr. Taggia in 1912
A Martini is also a Glass.
A Martini Cocktail is a cocktail listed by Harry Johnson in 1888
A Martini can also mean Vermouth from Italy
A Vodkatini is a version of the Dry Martini made with Vodka, Vermouth and garnished with an Olive or Lemon
A Something Martini or ini is a rip off. (I have one of these in my portfolio too; the young customers and Manager made me do it)
A Fruit Martini is a cocktail with a base spirit and fresh fruit muddled and should be named individual, example: not an Apple Martini, name it an ApplBee for example like I did when I created an Apple style Cocktail in a Martini Glass

Naming a drink using the Martini name I think can get confusing, when the bartender first put an onion in the Dry Martini he correctly named it a Gibson or when he changed the vermouth for Rose’s lime cordial he changed the name to a Gimlet and that should happen more now, selling a drink because of the name is bad form I think.

After all that you will be surprised to see some cocktails in my book named after the martini, as a bartender I had to create some drinks in the form of the new Martini style (keeping my real passion for Martinis inside close to my heart), they were for menus in bars and the managers like to use the name Martini or ini to attract the young.

Thanks for reading

"Keep Mixing

Some Popular Martini drink

ApplBee
One of My favourite cocktails for a beautiful mix of flavours this was the first Fruit Martini I created. As you must now be aware I’m against calling them Martinis so I thought up a name for it getting away from the boring names of “Apple Martini” or Watermelon Martini etc... Maybe I would have sold more if it was listed as an Apple Martini, but when ever anyone asked for an Apple Martini I would say ok and just serve this one. This cocktail is important that you use floral honey and pressed apple juice don’t use regular honey or sweet apple juice. There is some wonderful recipes for an Apple Martini in the world and most fruit Martinis will vary from bar to bar

Ingredients
½ fresh Green apple cut in small pieces
2 oz Vodka
½ oz Centifloral Honey
1 oz Pressed apple juice

Muddle the fresh cut apple and Honey together first, then add the vodka and pressed apple juice and shake hard with ice and strain in to a chilled martini glass use the strainer (like a tea strainer )to make the drink smooth take out all the apple pieces and ice.

Variations
The only one would be changing the Apple for any Apple on hand or available, but I insist on the other ingredients staying as they are because that’s the drink

Drink SpecsThe apple must be a granny smith type the sour green one and make sure you eat a piece first to make sure the apple has juice and not too dry, the Juice in this cocktail also must be pressed apple juice if you cant find it make it with out, its not easy to make the juice your self. The Honey is an important flavour so make sure its Centifloral it’s a very flavourable honey and other honeys wont work, then the Vodka I recommend is a light one like Skyy or 42 below. This cocktail and all the ones in this section are not simple drinks to make and need patients and passion to make these drinks fun and enjoyable, making these drinks for a party or friends is not recommended as they can take up all your time, making one or two is good to do but muddling is not easy the first time.


Ruby / Raspberry Martini
This is a lovely fresh Fruit Martini, the recipe 1 listed here is not the one I use in the bar because I use frozen fruits or a puree in the bar because in Asia the quality varies too much from week to week for fresh raspberrys, so using a high quality imported frozen fruit and fresh fruit and blending it to a puree is much better. The recipe 1 I have here is with fresh raspberries, it will taste very different with different styles of Raspberry’s and sometimes an average drink because of the raspberry’s in Asia, but when using good fresh fruit this cocktail is definitely better and you will need to adjust it a few times with the pieces of fruit as the Fresh raspberry’s will differ from market to market and day to day

Recipe 1 (Raspberry Martini)
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka
8 fresh raspberries
¼ oz Crème de Framboise

Muddle the fresh fruit with the liqueur add the vodka and shake hard with ice for 10 seconds, then strain in to a chilled Martini glass using a strainer to take out the bits.

Recipe 2 (Ruby)
Ingredients
2 oz Vodka
1 ½ oz Raspberry Puree
¼ oz Sugar Syrup

Add all ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice then shake & Strain in to a chilled Martini glass, no need to garnish in my mind but some bartenders will put a fresh Raspberry on the rim

Variations
Not really anything close to this, you could change the Raspberry’s to Blackberry’s or add a dash of cranberry Juice, Recipe 1 is a drink called a Raspberry Martini, but its with Raspberry Liqueur in my mind and using sugar syrup is better.


Drink specsRaspberries are not cheep in Asia and not available all year round, 1 pallet will make about 3-4 of this cocktail and worth the effort, but I wouldn’t recommend making any of these drinks at a party or when you have guests, make sure you are only going to make a few as once you start people might ask for more and you don’t want to be stuck making these all night. The vodka must be a recommended brand and the raspberry liqueur too.

Lotus Love

This is a beautiful cocktail if I may blow my own trumpet, it was created when Mr. Nolet the son of Ketel 1 Vodka came to the bar I was working in and was promoting the Ketel 1 citron and I created a Ketel 1 cocktail for him using star fruit, he said he liked it. So here it is, it’s very Asian and I have never seen a star fruit cocktail any where else.

Ingredients
2 oz Ketel 1 vodka
½ Star fruit chopped (cut end for garnish first)
2 Bar spoon fresh Lemon Juice
1 Bar spoon Sugar syrup

Muddle star fruit first on its own then add Vodka, Juice and sugar and shake and Strain, taste before straining as star fruit will vary from fruit to fruit you’ll need to taste it, so you need to use the lemon juice and sugar to soften and blend the drink. So give it a sip to test and add more if need. The taste I always want is fresh and a little bitter from the star fruit the lemon juice and sugar is only to round off the star fruit.

VariationsThis is a one off and I don’t know of any other cocktails using Star fruit, so no variations on this one.

Drink specs
This is an original drink by me and demand it’s with Ketel 1 vodka, but if you can’t find Ketel 1 then and only then you can use another premium. The star fruit must be chosen properly, in the market you can sometimes see the smaller ones are lime green colour and the larger ones will be paler, both are good but the smaller one will be sweeter and the larger one can be very juicy and when its muddled it will release too much juice and the skin is also week and some bitterness will get in to the drink if you don’t go soft with the muddler and you will have to taste the cocktail before pouring so you can adjust the taste, I prefer the larger ones as they are more juicy and less bitter/tart than the smaller ones that will be sharper and might not require any more lemon juice than listed above, make sure it has no brown marks on any part of the star fruit as this means its old and the flavour will be no good. The Lemon juice must be fresh squeezed also and the sugar syrup is to my recipe.


Essence

This was created when I kept getting regular customers and they wanted to have a strong drink but with-out the taste of alcohol (in Asia this is common) they wanted something in the Fruit Martini Style, they liked strong flavours, so I created the Essence this is perfect for the person who wants a strong drink, but can’t handle the spirits power (weird I know, but there are a lot of people like this and they need some cocktails to drink), every one is entitled to drink. As bartenders you have to be aware that you create a cocktail and maybe only one person out of your whole bar will really like it. There is a cocktail out there for everyone and maybe it hasn’t been invented for you yet or maybe it has, but you haven’t found it yet. As bartenders we have the responsibility to help with this. I think that we need to create cocktails for individuals and if they are liked by others then we have succeeded in our task to find that cocktail that is special for that one person.

Ingredients
2 oz Vodka
½ oz Lime Liqueur Marie Brizard
Piece Lemon and Piece Pineapple wedge

Muddle Lemon and Pineapple with Lime Liqueur, then add Vodka and ice and shake it up. Serve in a chilled Martini glass.

VariationsThis is like a modern day cobbler, just change the fruit to your fancy, but only one piece of each is enough, the name means there should be an essence of each piece of fruit you choose

Drink specsThe vodka can be any premium, but I prefer a light one like Skyy, Lime Liqueur must be Marie Brizard or if you can’t find it Rose’s Lime cordial can be ok the pineapple and lemon must be fresh cut. The taste is of each fruit flavour to smack the lips together and you should feel only a slight burn of alcohol.

Lychee Martini
This is a famous cocktail in Asia and if you’ve never had one and walk in to a bar with one on the menu or the bartender suggests you should have one, you will not turn it down the Lychee fruit definitely has a thing in someone’s psyche in Asia. It’s like chocolate cake there are many different types of chocolate cake, but if someone says do you want to have some chocolate cake you normally won’t say no, a Lychee Martini is like the name is a big giveaway with this cocktail. In Asia everyone has had Lychee sweets Lychee juice, Lychee ice cream and now we got the Lychee Martini. All the stuff about the cocktail named with Martini in the name, a Lychee Martini is a prime example of a Fruit Martini, a beautiful creation that should have had another name and not used the martini name (in my opinion). This is one of the great drinks to start the craze of exotic cocktails from London in the mid - late 1990’s, all of the cocktails from this era gave such a big boost for vodka’s new and old and maybe even got the drinkers to demand more and more freshly made good quality cocktails.

Ingredients
2 oz Vodka (a light poofy one is best, distilled 10 times or more)
½ oz Kwai Feh Lychee liqueur
1 ½ oz Lychee Puree Mix

Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake & Strain then serve in a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a Lychee in the bottom of the glass.

Variations
There will be little to vary on this one only the amount of Lychee taste you want, but if you vary too much away from the recipe above the drink will be very sickly, it’s very easy to ruin a Lychee Martini, you are only looking for the Lychee flavours to be soft and not too sweet that’s why I choose a light Vodka to let them both accompany each other rather than one over power the other.

Drink specs
This drink is fantastic but not for the faint hearted remember is very strong in alcohol and flavour. The vodka can be any premium vodka but remember the drink will change with different vodkas, I prefer light vodkas like Skyy, the liqueur should be De Kuyper Kwai Feh Lychee liqueur, there are others on the market but I recommend the De Kuyper this time. The fruit can be canned as they are kept in there own juice so the taste is very consistent, fresh is very good, but not available all year and the taste will vary from week to week during the available months, but when its summer I love using fresh Lychee’s and making a display. This is a great cocktail and the shame about this one is, in Asia, Managers put it on the drinks list and don’t understand that if there bartenders can’t make it then they are going to lose some status with the customers because if you mess this one up it will taste awful and the bar will sometimes be graded by the new style of tastes like a Lychee Martini

Watermelon Martini
This is another great cocktail that helped to make vodka and the Fruit Martini become what it is this century. This is strong in alcohol and flavour again so don’t think its going to be like watermelon juice nearly all Fruit Martinis are strong in alcohol and strong in flavours, some people I know have ordered these cocktails because of the name and thinking they will be soft and fruity, be warned they are good tasting but still strong cocktails. In Asia some people in bars do say sometimes that a drink is terrible because they can taste the alcohol, (wake up your supposed to taste the alcohol) when I over hear this the first feeling is obviously anger about ignorance and stupidity of people who order drinks then straight away I think I have to train them and wait for an opportunity to chit chat with them so I can subtly explain a few things and guide them on what to try and what to look out for on the menu, 9 /10 times it works and 9/10 times people appreciate a bartender that spends time explaining the menu. Let’s face it most cocktail menus are with out pictures or strength guide and in Asia when some times there’s a language barrier you have be patient, or have a more colourful menu with some pictures of drinks and fruits, I love drinks lists when they are like this and even put a strength logo next to it, some food menus will have a Hot spicy guide or a Veggie guide, in Asia the more help you provide in the drinks list means people don’t have to be embarrassed and ask questions

Ingredients

2 oz Vodka (optional is to use Homemade water melon vodka)
2 oz Fresh Watermelon juice (made on the spot in a juicer) or 5 x 1” cubes of fresh cut Melon
¼ oz M.B. Watermelon Liqueur
¼ oz Sugar Syrup

Muddle watermelon and add rest then shake hard and strain to remove all pieces of fruit, use a Chilled martini glass and garnish with a piece of watermelon, it looks and tastes fantastic.

VariationsThere are a few Melons on the Market and do also make great drinks in this style, substitute your favourite Melon, I suggest maybe you might need to vary the ingredients, try it out. Another fresh Melon Cocktail is a Melon Martini (Fresh)

Drink specs
There are a few versions of this great cocktail and this one I think is the best, in my mind the vodka must be premium light vodka like Skyy Vodka. M.B. Watermelon liqueur cannot be substituted and if you can’t find it and you really want to make this drink then either use Midori or Orange Curacao, liqueurs come in many brands and I recommend you stick to a recommended brand. Remember how to choose a fresh watermelon

Millionaires Martini

Have you jumped straight to this section; well I hope you are not disappointed with my selection of Martinis, this is another one of my own. This one on the list is the sexiest drink in the world and again I’m sorry for using the Martini name, I have given this one to people who don’t usually like to drink vodka and they have more often than not had another one, you might also have to look around for the parfait Amour Liqueur, but it is available in Asia on the shelves of good super markets or specialist shops.

Ingredients

2 oz Grey goose Vodka
Bar spoon Noilly Pratt French Vermouth
Bar spoon Parfait Amour Liqueur

Add all ingredients in the shaker add cubed ice and stir & Strain in to chilled Martini glass and flame an orange skin on top and drop in for visual, letting the customer know what you have done to his/her drink.

Variations
This drink isn’t to be changed and I don’t know of any other cocktail similar to this.

Drink specs
This drink was created with Grey Goose in mind and cannot be substituted, Grey Goose is expensive so maybe try and pick one up on Duty free or ask a returning friend to bring one back for you and tell them you know how to make a great Vodkatini using Grey Goose. Vermouth must be Noilly Pratt and the Parfait amour can be any premium liqueur brand, practice first doing the orange flame, it’s a very important part.

Chocolate Martini
This has become a very popular drink around the world now and the recipe will vary from bar to bar and every bar says theirs is the best, including me I would like to take this opportunity to say my Chocolate Martini is the best.

Ingredients

2 oz Vodka
½ oz Crème de Cacao White
Chocolate sauce

A picture would help you understand what it looks like, but i'm sorry i dont have one so take a moment to try. Take a chilled martini glass and pour a thin line of chocolate sauce inside of the rim of the glass and let stand for 2 minutes as you make your drink, fill the shaker with the vodka and cacao and shake hard for about 20 secs , I like this one to be shaken hard to get some air in the mix, then strain into the martini glass, now the chocolate sauce will have dripped & fallen down the glass now in the style of tears, then sprinkle some chocolate powder on top.

Variations
You can change the Crème de Cacao to dark for a chocolaty look but I don’t know why I am so sure that the White Cacao of Marie Brizard and Hiram Walker have a more chocolaty and silky taste than the Dark version which I find a bit to dry when shaken up. If you find Vodka called 42 below made with the Fijoa fruit it would make a great variation of the chocolate Martini.


Drink Specs
The Vodka for my Chocolate Martini should be light like a Skyy or 42 below, the Chocolate sauce can either be Hershey’s or another good brand you can even make your own, but it will harden very quickly, the Crème de cacao must either be a brand know or have been recommended, the chocolate sprinkles can be made fresh by grating chocolate straight on top, using chocolate powder is also ok

Know Your Products (Gin)

"was due to be published in a magazine in Feb 2009"

Do you have any idea what type of Gin you get when you ask for a Gin & Tonic, or do you know if you need to pay more to get a good Gin & Tonic? Let’s talk about Gin and how & why Gins price tags vary.
I love Gin & Tonics and I know when I’m being over charged for a Gin & Tonic. Now in Hong Kong, Asia and the world there are probably 4 Major brands of gin that you see on the shelve of every bar. I won’t say the brands names, but I’m sure you are thinking about them now. Now do you get any of these gins in your Gin & Tonic, 99% of time I would say probably not? These gins are normally reserved for the Dry Martini guy with his two olives, or the guy who when he orders, doesn’t say Gin & Tonic he says the brand name & Tonic. So how can you know if you are being over charged for Gin, well the four major brands you see on every shelve are always premium price. So what about the regular guy like maybe you and me who probably has a major brand at home for the odd Gin & Tonic, but refuses to pay the price for a major brand in a bar. We are the guys who have a house pour (also known as a well pour or speed rail pour), now these brand names vary considerably, but most premium established restaurants or bars will have a major brand as a house pour or a 2nd division brand (explain later what I mean for a 2nd division).
Theirs 3 types of Gin in my mind
1- Gin made in UK
2-Gin made in Holland (Genever)
3-Gin made else where, I only consider 1 & 2 “who cares for American or Spanish Gin, sorry to be rude, but it’s “England’s National Spirit”, but the English didn’t invent it, I hear you say. Correct, but we know how to make it the best! Now that’s not the technical 3 or 4 types listed elsewhere. Now let’s get in to about Gin, why are some gins in the speed rail? And why are some Gins are on the bar shelve? Let’s mix all the gins up and categorize them in to their correct places and not by price or fame for now.
There are three ways of making Gin, this is the most important part, knowing how it’s made can help you choose your Gin.
1) Cold compounding-1) - All the botanicals are measured crushed and steeped in the measured amount of spirit for a measured amount of time, after which some are then redistilled, some are left to stand, but both after being filtered are diluted to bottle strength.
Cold compounding-2) - All the botanicals are measured crushed and put in a fine mesh bag before being added the alcohol; after the bag is removed the spirit is filtered, diluted to bottle strength.
Cold compounding-3) - The rarest method of cold compounding is the least used today (a common style for making cordials & Liqueurs) the botanicals are suspended over the alcohol tank, and then the alcohol is continuously pushed over the botanicals until all the flavours have been added.
2) Essential Oils method - The botanicals are crushed and cooked first to remove the necessary oils which are needed, they are then concentrated into a clear liquid with alcohol and added to a large tank of the neutral grain spirit, they are allowed to marry for a period of time before being filtered and diluted to bottle strength.
3) Gin head distillation method - A pot still is used to redistill a neutral grain spirit, so that the alcohol steam moves past a series of fine mesh metal trays suspended in the neck of the still, the vapors pass through the trays, when condensed becomes the finished product. No filtration is needed and the Gin is diluted and bottled to strength.

The 3rd method Gin head distillation means the label can say “distilled”, the 2nd method essential oils was originated as a prohibition style, it’s still used today for very low priced Gins. I can imagine the 2nd method being used in its crudest form possible sometimes. The 1st method cold compounding is the most common technique for mass produced gins, and some of them are excellent.
Ok! So what brands use what method? The easiest thing to look for is the word “Distilled” this is because the Gin has been made in the 3rd method and the most expensive and traditional way. Now I do not agree that is a fore-sure way to choose Gin, but definitely the first thing to look for. Other words on the label are “London Dry Gin” this is a gin traditionally made in London, but not any more as no law controls the word London on the label as the place of origin. Majority of these will be made in the cold compounding method. “Distilled London Dry Gin” this means its made in London (probably) by the 3rd method, the top distinction of a premium brand. Other label descriptions “English Gin” Could either be made in England or labeled so to suggest the English style probably Method 1.” Dry Gin, Extra Dry Gin, Very Dry Gin, English Dry Gin all mean the same really Gin is dry yes! And they are probably made in method 1 style and a lot of low priced Gins will be made by the 2nd method and normally just labeled as Gin. Now “Plymouth Gin” well if you see this on the label this can only mean one thing, this means it’s a gin made in Plymouth, there is only one distillery making Plymouth Gin today. Don’t think there’s a gap in the market there as they control the name Plymouth Gin as well. This Gin is more full bodied meaning a bit of a punch with great nose.
So ask the bartender what’s his house Gin, and if it doesn’t either have London Dry Gin or Distilled London Dry Gin on the label or if it’s a brand you’re not familiar with then I suggest don’t order it. That’s a very basic guideline as there are some great Gins on the market that won’t have either of those two descriptions, but if you have never seen the label and don’t know the brand I suggest don’t take the risk, Some brands will look fantastic and that’s all. You might hear me say it a few times, “go with what you know or have been told”
Ok so lets re-cap, your gonna have a Dry Martini before dinner then I suggest a “Distilled London Dry Gin”. For a Gin Tonic, Gin Fizz, Collins or Pink Gin go for a regular London Dry Gin, but make sure it’s a brand you know. For cocktails & mixed drinks you still need the quality, but you don’t need the expense and the 2nd division Gins (London Dry Gin with a brand name you know) are better in mixed drinks and cocktails except the Dry Martini that needs a Distilled Gin in my opinion as straight Gin can be very overpowering after a while, distilled gins are lighter and crispier. My favourite Gin to order in a bar and I even use it at home for Gin & Tonics is a 2nd Division Gin from England. I come from a long line of East End Gin drinkers, I know all about muva’s ruin, we’ve always drunk the Gin that’s "by appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain" (that’s what Gin is, “its from London”
To answer some of the first questions, do you need to pay more to get a good Gin & Tonic? No! Just check what gins the bartender has and select the best one for the type of drink you are having, and most of the time that means a 2nd division Gin, so Gins price tags vary because of the way their made, but remember it doesn’t mean its gonna taste better for you.
Gin Cocktails are amazing when made right, Gin is a very dry spirit and very aromatic so 99% they will always work best with a sweet ingredient. My favourite mixed drinks are Martinez, Fancy Gin Cocktail, Gin Rickey, Tom / John Collins, Bronx, Abbey Cocktail, Monkey Gland, Gimlet, Dry Martini, Singapore Sling, Desert Healer, Cucumber Martini and the Bramble

Cocktail of the week is going to be a cocktail that gets some people confused about the name see previous Blog (3 Confusing Cocktails)

Tom or John Collins (3 Confusing Cocktails)
Recipe
2 oz Spirit of your choice............Collins glass with ice
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice.................Build all ingredients (i like to shake)
¾ oz Sugar Syrup......................Garnish with lemon wedge squeeze/Lemon wheel
3-4 oz Soda Water

Method
Use a 12-14 oz glass filled with ice, add the first 3 ingredients in to a shaker and shake & Strain in to the ice filled glass and top with Soda Water and garnish

Drink specs
The Lemon juice must be fresh and strained (no pulp and seeds), Make your Sugar Syrup 1 part white granulated Sugar to 1 part of boiling water, fill any liquid container ½ way with white granulated sugar then fill the other half with Boiling water and stir until dissolved, then refrigerate for 15 minutes then take out and shake again then store in the fridge until chilled. One more thing never use a pre mix for any drink, for a Collins there are lots of different pre mixes available and they should not be considered in making great drinks. The soda water can be one of your favourite brands and the Gin is a choice of your own, but make sure you have a brand you know.

Spirit Lover
“Keep Mixing” (any questions or feedback)

(Disclosure: This entire above article is of the sole opinion of the author and not gospel, plus it is recommended to drink in small amounts ok!)

Conversion of Measurements

"I always thought that learning a few measurements was very usefull"

Here follows a brief conversion table for you, only one thing to consider is that a USA oz is only slightly smaller than the UK, plus the ml measures have been rounded up very slightly so there is no decimal point. This is a rough guide.
I don’t know why some people say fancy a dram because it’s the smallest measurement known to man and would take over eight drams to get only one oz of booze, and in Scotland they even say “a wee dram”. I think a Scottish Dram must be different from everyone else. I've had a scottish wee dram!


Dash (1/8 Bar Spoon).................0.5 ml
Fluid Dram.............................3 ml
1 Bar Spoon (Tea spoon)................5 ml
¼ oz...................................7 ml
2 Bar Spoon (Dessert Spoon)...........10 ml
½ oz (Table spoon)....................15 ml
¾ oz..................................22 ml
1 oz (Pony)...........................30 ml
1 ¼ oz................................37 ml
1 ½ oz (Pousse-Café glass)............45 ml
1 ¾ oz................................52 ml
2 oz (Double or 2 Shots)..............60 ml
4 ¾ oz (Gill or Wine Glass)..........135 ml
8 oz (Cup)...........................228 ml
10 oz................................285 ml
17 oz................................500 ml
20 oz ( 1 Pint)......................570 ml
24 oz................................700 ml
26 oz................................750 ml
35 oz................................1000 ml (1 Liter)
48 oz................................1300 ml (1.3 Liter)

Its a simple post this time, but one that might come in handy (maybe)

Cheers
Keep Mixing

The Unknown Bartender

The 3 Confusing Cocktails

“They have confused Bartenders and People for years” (wrote in 2004)

The Sour, The Fizz, The Collins

I would like to say I reckon these drinks are exaggerated far too much, they are great drinks, but are nearly all the same. So there's absolutely no ned to worry, it's all a big mess over nothing.
The lemon juice and sugar might change from bartender to bartender or Home recipe, but the only real difference is the Soda water measurements, the Sour is famous for Whiskey (could be Gin if you want), The Fizz and The Collins are famous for Gin, but they are great drinks with lots of variations and you can even try Liqueurs or even flavoured Vodkas instead of Gin.

The Sour

This drink is a simple version of an old drink called a fix, but the Sour still appears on menus today where the Fix is non existent. A Fix was basically the same, but with a garnish of fruit in season probably meaning raspberries or blackberries so adding a little fruity flavour. The Sour is simple to make in my mind and some professional bartenders say the Sour is a benchmark for bartenders and maybe it is. I bet they would also say when making a Sour style drink always put the sour ingredient in carefully first as you can add later, but you can’t take it out so probably all the recipes in this section can benchmark a bartender to be professional or not. If i'm making a sweet Sour I will choose to use 1 ½ oz of base liqueur (Midori, Amaretto, Crème de cassis, etc...) and an original spirit version i will use 2 oz of base spirit (whiskey, Rum, Vodka etc…) keeping the rest of the ingredients the same

Ingredients
2 oz Liquor or 1 ½ Liqueur.......Rocks Glass with ice
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice............Shake & Strain all ingredients
¾ oz Sugar Syrup...................Garnish with Orange Slice/Cherry
(Optional) Splash of Soda Water

The Fizz

So we have the Fix which didn’t go far because of the OTT style with loads of garnish and was probably made in hotels for a long while, but in the regular bars they changed it to a Sour (no garnish). So the Sour became the first of the Sour styles then when Bottled Soda water came on the scene at an affordable price maybe then more and more bars then were serving the Fizz’s and Collins and the Fizz is just an extension of the Sour and then the Collins is another extension, 3 simple drinks eh! All extensions
Also the Fizz has to be in a glass in between a Collins and rocks, highball style of about 10 oz

Ingredients
2 oz Spirit of your choice........Highball glass with ice
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice............Shake & Strain all ingredients except Soda water
¾ oz Sugar Syrup...................Garnish normally none, but a Lemon wedge is ok
1-2 oz Soda Water

The Collins

Onto the 3rd and last of the fix extensions. Probably the second most famous Gin cocktail to the Dry Martini and can lead to another debate about the way this is now ordered in some Bars / Restaurants in Asia, it has become one of those drinks that most people order with out knowing what’s in it.
A Tom Collins was originally with a Gin called Old Tom Gin, but the Collins drink was with regular Gin and was known at the time as a John Collins who was the registered creator with his mates in the place he worked. John Collins as he was known was either a Bartender or Waiter, well he worked in a Hotel Bar in London during the 1890’s and quite rightly it was created and named after some one. Then someone made it with another Gin called Old Tom Gin and he/she named it appropriately as a Tom Collins.
Now though, when anyone orders a Collins it is ordered as a Tom Collins and they just expect it to be with any Gin which I think is fine and not necessary for the Bartender to give the John and Tom Collins story and the Tom Collins cocktail is now being served this way. So if you order a John Collins or Tom Collins in most bars you will get the same Gin based cocktail, maybe! Because some Bars mainly in America will give you a Bourbon cocktail if you ask for a John Collins, what a mess eh! And the USA bartenders claim the Collins cocktail came from there side of the Atlantic, No chance its an English drink from London, so which one is true eh, are you with me or not! Also as they state that a Tom Collins is with Gin and a John Collins is with Bourbon it shows they have no idea about the collins. So there we have three great drinks.

Ingredients
2 oz Spirit of your choice............Collins glass with ice
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice.................Build all ingredients
¾ oz Sugar Syrup.......................Garnish with lemon wedge squeeze/Lemon wheel
3-4 oz Soda Water

Hope you like my version of the history of those 3 drinks and thats how i would serve them if i get in to a bar again.

Thanks for reading and Keep Mixing

Name or Drink

"I First wrote this in my book in 2003, i still wonder today about this, what was first the name or the drink"

Two main drinks that could have took the title The Cocktail and The Crusta, why do we say lets go and have a cocktail and not lets go and have a Crusta, they did over 100 years ago, “even I fancy a Collins” or “I’m gonna nip in the lounge for a highball”. These phrases are said now when we are in the bar, but the first thing we say is let’s go for a cocktail (or a beer mostly, but that doesn't fit in my article) then after we get to the bar we ask the bartender “can I have a Collins please” or “I would like a Highball bartender” or more up to date in Hollywood “hook me up with a Dry Martini please”. We know it’s been recorded in many books and in 1807 the word Cocktail appears in text saying “Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters” but then some drinks appeared with the word cocktail in the title, the first main book in print was Jerry Thomas listing a drink called a Cocktail or Fancy Cocktail, but maybe already by then people commonly referred to any mixed drink as a cocktail, so its not surprising that the word cocktail not only went on to mean any mixed drink it went on to be known as a party term, or canapés term, anything flash really, even dress’s are designed for cocktail party’s called Cocktail dresses. So why not a Crusta or Fizz, just because the word cocktail was in text, Crusta could have took the title, No! Well maybe not as it doesn’t sound that nice, not really a positive lively word is it? But what a great drink that looks like it should have the title of being named a cocktail. My favourite is the Fizz, this should have been it for me we should have had two words describing drinks. Conversation could be, “hey wanna go for a Cocktail or a Fizz” a fizz could be describing “Any drink mixed or built using carbonated type water” Quoted here and now. So we can go to lounges for cocktails and pubs and cafes for a Fizz. But the Crusta needs some recognition, it’s the for father of many mixed drinks, as Jerry says the Crusta is an improvement of the cocktail so a cocktail became commonly known then as a mixed drink and the Crusta became a great Cocktail


The Cocktail

What was a cocktail in the old days, because today it basically means that any two ingredients mixed together can be called a cocktail? A Fresh Lime Soda is a cocktail. Jerry Thomas in 1862 called it a modern invention and used for special occasions, but even then nearly all drinks had similar ingredients so it wasn't that special. A cocktail then is not in the same text as we know it today, it described a certain type of drink, so how did it become to be the word that describes all mixed drinks, maybe always men talking in the 1800’s must have commonly said “Fancy a cocktail” and it stuck and the young generation of the time thought it was cool to say lets have a cocktail as today many young now say lets have a Martini. The word Martini now can mean exactly the same as the word cocktail did over hundred years ago; many people finish work and say lets get a Martini not a cocktail so the 1807 printed description of the word Cocktail could be changed for today to saying “Martini is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters”. In the old days it was a drink called a Cocktail and today its a drink called a Martini
The Fancy cocktail was the same recipe as a Cocktail, but in a nice glass (maybe a Martini glass) with a lemon twist and the glass rim rubbed with the peel

Ingredients
2 oz Spirit of your choice Martini glass no ice
¼ oz Orange Curacao Shake & Strain all ingredients
4 dash Angostura Bitters Garnish with Lemon twist and rub rim of glass
½ oz Sugar Syrup

The Crusta

This also first appeared in a published writing by Jerry Thomas how to mix drinks in 1862 and also with a picture to show how it’s supposed to look and even appeared again in print over 130 years later in Dale DeGroff’s “The Craft of the Cocktail”, Jerry’s book says the Crusta is an improvement of the cocktail created by Santina, a Restaurant owner in New Orleans about 1850’s, the Brandy cocktail in Jerry’s book was Brandy, Curacao, dash bitters, dash sugar syrup served in a glass with ice and a squeezed lemon peel and a Brandy Crusta was with a little lemon juice and served in a sugar rim glass with the whole of a lemon peel inserted in the rim of the glass. During this time Brandy (Cognac) was becoming harder to get and probably wasn’t mixed up much and started to vanish from menus and this led to less and less Brandy creations from bartenders. This is a spectacular cocktail with taste and looks great. This could have helped Brandy start on a new direction with bartenders, but because of the shortage of brandy due to phylloxera in Europe it seemed to stop at this creation. I would recommend any Bartender to put this on his menu or do a Brandy promotion using this cocktail. The original is Brandy, Curacao, dash bitters, dash sugar but many new versions are with Maraschino liqueur instead of the sugar syrup now and its not sure when that came about, try it with or without the maraschino see which one you prefer


Ingredients
2 oz VSOP Cognac Chimmy glass with ice (Sugar Rim)
¼ oz Orange Curacao Shake & Strain all ingredients
½ oz Fresh lemon Juice Garnish with Lemon peel in rim of glass
½ oz Sugar Syrup or Maraschino
dash Angostura Bitters

Ï hope you liked that, more to come on similar things"

Cheers
The Unknown Bartender

Know Your Products (Tequila)

Tequila
By: Unknown Bartender (Article first published Sep-2008)

Now why is there so much misconception about Tequila! Maybe someone has said to you Tequila is a dreadful spirit or someone has said to you it’s a magnificent spirit. Well I’m going to put the facts on the table and let you decide. So this article is going to give you some information on Tequila, the best way to enjoy Tequila and how to choose Tequila.
Fact: Tequila is listed as a Denomination of Origin with Champagne, Sherry, Cognac and Mezcal
The popularity of Tequila and the on and off bad harvest’s of Agave over the last 20 yrs has put the price up, but I’m here to tell you that the price of Tequila is not over priced, its well worth it! You jest mate! I hear you say. So would you also disagree if I said to you it is the cleanest spirit in the world, of course you will, but read on! I’m not saying its good to drink Tequila, it’s not good to drink at all suggested by some scientists, but we all know that so in moderation is ok.
Firstly let’s clear up the difference between Mezcal and Tequila.

The three main differences of Tequila and Mezcal are:
1) the type of Agave used
2) the way the Agave is cooked after harvesting
3) the place it can be made.
Mezcal can be made using 8 different varieties of Agave the green Agave being used 80% of the time. Mezcal Agaves are smoked under the ground with charcoals, not cooked in ovens like Tequila Agaves. The smoky taste of Mezcal is very apparent especially when you taste it side by side with Tequila. Mezcal can be made all over Mexico with Oaxaca being recognized as the main place and most of the exported Mezcal will have come from Oaxaca, Tequila has to come from five designated areas. So lets talk about the great product on the bar shelve called Tequila.
Fact: Tequila is actually a form of Mezcal as Bourbon and Scotch are forms of Whiskey.

Tequila is made from a plant called the Agave Tequilana Weber – simply known as Blue Agave. The Blue Agave has to be grown in the government controlled areas, there are five in all, 1.Jalisco, 2.Nayarat, 3.Michoacan, 4.Guanajuato and 5.Tamaulipus, but 99% of Tequila is produced in Jalisco with Guanajuato and Tamaulipus having only one distillery each. In Jalisco there is also a difference of highland and lowland Tequila, from the west coast to the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains rising on average from 5,000 feet to 9,000 feet above see level with the most famous town for Tequila called Guadalajara that sits 5,000 feet above see level in a big plateau. Highland Tequila agaves are larger (up to 40kg) and their sweet and fruity with a spiciness on the nose, and will normally be aged in re-used oak barrels, usually old bourbon ones. Lowland Tequila Agaves are smaller (less than 20kg) and tend to have a stronger Agave taste, more earthy, especially with good wood ageing and normally will be aged in new oak barrels. You should choose what Tequila to drink exactly the same way you choose any other spirit or wine. The first simple thing to look for on the label is “100% Agave” if this isn’t on the label then don’t buy it; it’s as simple as that (that’s only an Opinion).

It takes average 3-4 years for the Agave to grow before it produces a seedling shoot that can be harvested, but in the wild the plant would die after producing a seed. For the next growth it will be replanted to go through the cycle again, having the seed shoot cut off makes the Agave central stem (heart) swell. The Agave will then take another 7-8 years to grow in to an Agave that can be harvested to make Tequila, so after aging an Extra Anejo (average 3-5 years) some Tequila you’re drinking in the bar or at home could have taken a distillery over 12 years of controlled production to produce that nectar you’re sipping.

So choose a bottle that says “100% Agave” on the label, look closely because it is not always clear. If there isn’t anywhere that it says “100% Agave” then it means it’s a mixto’s Tequila which uses only 60% blue Agave and 40% other distilled alcohol, it could be spirit distilled from grain or spirit distilled from molasses, there’s no law to regulate the added 40%, normally though a non Agave sugar water solution is added during the fermentation process. Now if the tequila is shipped to America (for example) to be bottled, then the 60% Agave is normally reduced to 51%.
100% Agave Tequila is not a new thing, Tequila before was always 100% Agave, but with the popularity of Tequila during the 1970’s in California and most of America, we mostly now know Tequila to be silver or gold (lick/Sip/Suck), but even as far back around the 1930’s in America the mixto’s Tequila was probably starting to become popular. So for the distilleries to make Tequila as a mixto’s and to shorten the time of production and reduce the costs considerably, Mixto’s production was increased and the export of Tequila rocketed and the law was and is still now today that to be called Tequila it has to be made with minimum 60% Blue Agave and be grown & produced in one of the five designated states.

Fact: Mixto’s Tequila silver and gold are the same, but only for the gold being coloured with caramel (burnt sugar) to soften the edges, which it doesn’t? It just means it costs more in the bar.

Then in the early 1990’s the Americans and Europeans started to drink more and more 100% Agave Tequila, and boom! Tequila started to get recognition and rightfully took up an important place on the bar shelf. Out was the phrase of “give me your best top shelf Tequila”, to more connoisseurs asking simply “what 100% Agave Tequila do you have”.
There are sometimes up to 500 different types on some bar shelves in Mexico, but not always in production, actual listed in production is never known, but is estimated around 2000 labels exist now, that’s including the flavoured Tequila, with over 100 registered distillery’s, nearly doubling the amount of the early 1990’s, these are just rough figures, not official government figures.
In Hong Kong there are only a few imported 100 % Agave Tequilas for sale in bars, but some bars do actually import for there own requirements, so check out the Tequila in your local bar next time

So I hope you can still enjoy a shot of Tequila, but sipped like a cognac from now on and understand its value against a premium cognac. Or have it in a Margarita, now don’t forget the best tasting Tequila is 100% Agave Tequila and is better for you than the mixto’s. And I promise you if you don’t mix your drinks all night, you won’t get a hang over with 100% Agave Tequila. It’s the cleanest spirit in the world! Do you know why? Because the Agave Sugars are 95% fructose and not glucose, and all mixto’s added alcohol is derived from glucose. I’m not a doctor and I am NOT recommending anything here, just putting down the facts. Big debate, maybe it shouldn’t have been mentioned remember anything in excessive amounts is not good for you. There’s even a product on the market called Agave Syrup that you could substitute for Sugar Syrup in your Margarita

Cocktail of the week is you guessed it a….
Margarita
Note
The two most important things you must taste from a Margarita is the Tequila you choose and the Fresh Lime Juice (Verbatim; from the master Julio Bermejo, Tommy’s in San Francisco). Remember just to use this as a basic guide you can vary the portions to suit yourself, (Julio Bermejo’s recipe is about ¼ oz more Sugar Syrup with Mexican Limes or course)

Recipe
2 Part or 2 oz Tequila 100 % Agave
1 Part or 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ Part or ½ oz sugar syrup
¼ Part or ¼ oz Orange liqueur
Method
Salt rim the glass first if you prefer with salt, it’s not a must then shake all ingredients in a shaker and strain in to a 12 oz tumbler/ rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge so the guest or yourself can add some more lime juice if they or you wish.
Drink Specs
The Tequila must be 100% Agave, make sure your lime is not a Thailand lime or Taiwan or Australian lime as they are too bitter and best for cooking the best limes are Key Lime, Florida Lime and Mexican limes being the best. Fresh means squeezed from a fruit so stay away from concentrate juice or any thing in a bottle, squeeze it your self on the spot, always try your lime juice after you squeeze it to make sure its ok, your looking for a sour taste, but sweetly lip smacking, remember no bitterness or tannins NOTE: “always measure juice from fruits, recipes that say juice of 1 lime is misleading as all fruit will hold different quantities of juice”. The orange liqueur is best with Cointreau or any brand triple sec can be used, choose a triple sec brand you know and trust or have bean recommended its very important, and please stay away from using things like Grand Marnier, that’s a no-no in my opinion, Grand Marnier is a beautiful liqueur and shouldn’t be added to a Margarita. The sweetness from the Cointreau and Sugar Syrup are not really to taste, their just there for the Alcohol and Sour content to be blended together. Make your Sugar Syrup 1 part Sugar to 1 part of boiling water, fill any liquid container ½ way with white granulated sugar then fill to the top with Boiling water and stir until dissolved, then refrigerate for 15 minutes then take out and shake again then store in the fridge until chilled. One more thing never use a pre mix for any drink, out now for margarita’s there are lots of different pre mixes available and they should not be considered in making great drinks

Spirit Lover
“Keep Mixing” (any questions or feedback about any product please email)

(Disclosure: This entire above article is of the sole opinion of the author and not gospel, plus it is recommended to drink in small amounts)

Introduction

Hi, this is the blog if you love all beverages from Coke to Cognac, Wine to Whiskey, or any other match up.
I will be publishing my Encyclopedia on the blog as often as i can because no one wanted to print my master piece.
I Hope you like the content and I hope I can bore you or entertain you with some interesting story's (some true) of my life in the Beverage Business, but mostly I will be writing about my beverage knowledge
Chars
The Unknown Bartender