Mixes on a bar are very important for consistency and standards, they are not so important for home and not really necessary all the time, but if you’re at home and making a lot of different cocktails a mix will be one thing very important for you too make up. Example is a small batch of sugar syrup is a good mix to prepare in advance. There’s a mix on a lot of bars called sweet & sour which is fresh lemon or fresh lime juice mixed with sugar syrup. Some bars will use egg white in the mix and some bars will use a concentrated lemon juice, but of course fresh lemon or lime juice is the best and in my opinion no eggs please.
Some people see the menu and ask for me to take out the sugar syrup, I will try to convince them to have it in because combined with the fresh lemon or fresh lime juice it’s so important in blending together the ingredients for a nice drink, it’s only there to soften the fresh lemon or fresh lime juice and it’s always a very small amount normally average a half of a bar spoon of sugar maximum and great for blending the drink. Think of it as a seasoning in cooking like adding a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary mixes are nearly always available in bars now and most bars will have there own secret special recipe, but the recipe will have the same base of tomato juice. Every bar will claim to have either the best ever or the best basic original Bloody Mary mix, also now they are made by a few companies as pre mix in a bottle and you just have to add the Vodka or Gin.
The best way to enjoy a Bloody Mary is defiantly make a pre mix first; it’s very enjoyable and will have every Bloody Mary tasting the same for your guests or yourself. It will last in the fridge for about 2 days maximum. I was introduced to this basic recipe by Don Foley at China Max in Hong Kong (sadly the restaurant has gone now), I have stuck with it ever since I think it’s absolutely fantastic, and if you really want to spice it up make some Pepper vodka to use. I’ve listed a total of three variation recipes see what you would like to try
Ingredients
Basic recipe ......................................Option 1 ..............................................Option 2
23 oz Tomato Juice ........................23 oz Tomato Juice ...........................23 oz Tomato Juice
22 oz Clamato Juice....................... 22 oz Clamato Juice ..........................22 oz Clamato Juice
3 oz Worcester sauce ....................3 oz Worcester sauce ........................3 oz Worcester sauce
½ tsp Celery salt ...........................½ tsp Celery salt .............................½ tsp Celery salt
½ tsp White pepper .....................½ tsp White pepper ........................½ tsp White pepper
½ tsp Ground Black pepper ........½ tsp Ground Black pepper ..........½ tsp Ground Black pepper
2 oz Fresh Lime Juice ..................2 oz Fresh Lime Juice.................... 2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp Horse Radish .......................1 tsp Horse Radish .........................1 tsp Horse Radish
10-15 Fresh Basil leaves (cut).. .2 Cloves Peeled chopped Garlic
First mix all liquid together and stir thoroughly, then add all dry goods and mix thoroughly; these recipes can all be made in a blender at low speed only
Sugar Syrup
Sugar Syrup can be used in many things and will keep for about 2-3 days in the fridge, you can use it in cocktails and ice teas are the most common and it’s very useful to have sugar syrup always made up. On the bar I will like to only make enough for up to 18 hours service so we are never left with any old products on the bar, but at home I’m sure you can be more aware of rotation
Ingredients
6 LB White Granulated Sugar
2 LTR Hot Water
Put together in a jug and stir until sugar has dissolved, then put in the fridge for 15 minutes. Take out and stir again, then store in a covered jug until use.
Sweet & Sour
Sweet & Sour is of course another important mix to get right and the use of fresh ingredients is very important; some bars now will use a powdered version and just add water to it, there are many packaged sweet & sour mixes on the market and I recommend staying away from any pre mix from a sachet or bottle of any sort. Making a good sweet & sour mix for the home bar is not necessary, but for the bar also not always necessary, but sometimes it’s very important for the bartender to make sure his sweet & sour mix is prepared before they open and prepare only enough that will last for about 4-6 hours of business so it’s always fresh and good. I personally hate it when bartenders make pre mixes and at the end of the shift put it in the fridge and use it again for the next day, the reason this happens is because they over prepared and are scared to throw it so the bar costs wont go up.
So something even worse happens the customer gets a drink with out-of-date pre mix and slowly after time the business goes down because the bartenders are not on the ball. Some of my cocktail recipes are explained using separate sugar syrup with fresh juice which is a Sweet & Sour mix, but a bartender can use his Sweet & Sour mix if he’s preparing a batch for a function, but at home and bar I recommend you follow it as it is using the separate sugar syrup and fresh juice, just prepare the sugar syrup, fresh lemon and fresh lime juice in little bottles and use fresh as you go, always squeeze the fresh lemon and Lime juice for maximum 4-6 hours of service and NEVER keep fresh juice over night.
Ingredients
1 Ltr Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Ltr Fresh Lime Juice
1 Ltr Sugar Syrup
Put the Fresh Juice in a Jug first, remember fresh lemon and fresh lime juice are not the same so the correct procedure is to add the sugar syrup to the fresh juice bit by bit and taste each time. The measurement above is a guide line as fresh juice can change from day to day; make sure your limes are not from Thailand or Australia. Test your fresh juice first before you start and make sure it’s not bitter. The taste of the finished product should be as the name says; first taste in the mouth is sweet followed by a sour finish in the throat and then an overall freshness sensation of lip smacking.
Other Pre Mixes used in some cocktails
A Pre mix is very important sometimes, example being you don’t make fresh ice tea on the spot it has to be prepared in advance before hand and chilled to be enjoyed, a Bloody Mary in my opinion will taste better when its prepared with a mix, if you want to serve a drink at home to some friends coming over you can choose a drink that suits all and prepare in advance. It's much more special than doing nothing and offering a Gin & Tonic or Whiskey & Coke. So if you prepare something special, not only does your guest love it halfs your work load and you can spend more time with your guests.
Example is a simple drink; you wish to give your guests a Screwdriver when they arrive, a very nice drink to make, but you don’t wish to make one each time your guest arrives, so you have 6 guests, you need approximately 2 drinks per person which is plenty before dinner, calculate the volume you need 48 oz Fresh Orange juice and 18 oz Vodka, so squeeze all your oranges before hand and pour in to a large jug add the vodka and stir slowly and then store in the fridge. Then prepare 12 slices orange and also store in the fridge in a plastic container, maybe you can even do this 2hrs before they arrive, then just before they arrive layout your 6 glass’s, have your ice ready near by either in the fridge or a ice bucket if your lucky to have one and as they arrive put the ice in the glass then pour the chilled pre mix into the iced glass and pop in the garnish and you’ve made a great drink in about 10 secs.
Making a drink is just like cooking, they have been related for ever
Here is a selection of pre-mixes from the recipes on this blog
Calamansi Soda Mix
1 Part (12 oz) Fresh Calamansi Juice ..........Store in Clear Plastic Jug
1 Part (12 oz) Sugar Syrup ............................Mix all ingredients
...........................................................................Shelf Life: 1 days
Yield: 24 oz
Citrus Freeze Mix
1 Part (12 oz) Fresh Lime Juice .................Store in Clear Plastic Jug
2 Part (24 oz) Distilled Water ..................Mix all ingredients
2 Part (24 oz) Sugar Syrup ........................Shelf Life 1 days
Yield: 60 oz
Guava Juice Mix
2 Whole piece Guava ..............................Store in Clear Plastic Jug
35 oz Regular Guava Juice .....................Blend all ingredients
....................................................................Shelf Life 1 days
Yield: 42-45 oz
Honey Mix For Tea
1 Part (12 oz) Taiwan Honey or Floral Honey .........Store in Clear Plastic Jug
1 Part (12 oz) Sugar Syrup ..........................................Mix all ingredients
.........................................................................................Shelf Life 2-3 days
Yield: 24 oz
Ice Tea
12 Darjeeling Tea Bag .........................Store in Clear Plastic Jug
2 Earl Grey Tea bag .............................Build all ingredients
5 Litre Hot water .................................Shelf Life 1 days
Yield: 5 Litre
Lemon grass Tea
25 grams Dried Lemon grass ..................Cool down then Store in clear Plastic Jug
10 Darjeeling Tea Bag ..............................Build all ingredients
6 oz White granulated Sugar ..................Shelf Life 1 days
35 oz Hot water
Yield: 41 oz
Lime Soda Mix
1 Part (6 oz) Fresh Lime Juice ................Store in Clear Plastic Jug
2 Part (12 oz) Sugar Syrup ......................Mix all ingredients
.....................................................................Shelf Life 2 days
Yield: 18 oz
Lychee Honey Mix
2 Part (8 oz) Lychee flavoured Honey ..........Store in Clear Plastic Jug
1 Part (4 oz) Centifloral Honey ......................Mix all ingredients
2 Part (8 oz) Regular Lychee Juice ...............Shelf Life 3 days
Yield: 20 oz
Lychee Puree Mix
4 oz Regular Lychee Juice .........................Store in Clear Plastic Jug
1 Can Lychee with Syrup .............................Blend all ingredients
........................................................................Shelf Life 4 days
Yield: approx 16-18 oz
Mint Tea
35 Stem Mint Cool down then.................. Store in clear Plastic Jug
4 Darjeeling Tea Bag ...................................Build all ingredients
2 Litre Hot water........................................ Shelf Life 1 days
Yield: 2 Litre
Rose & Ginger Mix
10 oz Rose Syrup .......................................Store in Clear Plastic Jug
10 oz Sugar Syrup ....................................Mix all ingredients
6 oz Fresh Lemon Juice.......................... Shelf Life 2 days
4 oz Fresh Ginger Juice
Yield: 30 oz
Tamarind Soda Mix
1 Kg Tamarind Solids ..................................Cool down then Store in clear Plastic Jug
2 Litre Hot Water ........................................Bring to boil and simmer 15 mins strain add Sugar Syrup
1 Litre Sugar Syrup .....................................Shelf Life 4 days
Yield: 3 Litre
Dragon Eye Juice Mix
1 Can Dragon Eye with Syrup .................................................Store in Clear Plastic Jug
6-8 Fresh Dragon Eye (peeled, seeded and washed) ..........Blend all ingredients
......................................................................................................Shelf Life 3 days
Yield: approx 15 oz
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