A Muddled Thought

The Bar Smarts Tool Kit

Are you a bartender looking to take your skills to the next level? Or are you a cocktail geek looking to push your geekiness further?

Then maybe BarSmarts WIRED is just what your looking for.

After the success of the five day BAR (or Beverage Alcohol Resource) Program led by cocktail luminaries such as Dale DeGroff, Dave Wondrich, Steve Olson, Paul Pacult and Andy Seymour, this same group created the Bar Smarts Advanced Program. This is a one-day program that consists of lectures, a hands-on practical exam in which the student is required to prepare three cocktails for one of the BAR instructors and a one hundred question exam including a blind tasting portion. Students prep prior to this one-day event with four weeks of study that include four online quizzes.

Bringing this concept one step closer to home and making it even easier to access, Pernod-Ricard and the BAR Instructors created BarSmarts WIRED, an online version of the BarSmarts Advanced Class.

Through BarSmarts WIRED, participants complete assignments, take exams and gain certification at home or in their work environment during the specified two-month window.

This online version of BarSmarts covers the same topics that the live version does, only allowing the participant to take part from the comfort of their own home. Making it easy for any bartender or spirits enthusiast to expand their spirits knowledge and learn how a spirit is made and how to properly pick apart flavor notes in a spirit, as well as expand and gain new insight into classic recipes and bar techniques.

The cost of the program is $45 and includes a BarSmarts branded bag and bar tools, which will be sent to all registered participants. While not currently open for sign-up, BarSmarts WIRED will be re-opening on February, 1st 2010.

So if you have someone in the family that’s a bartender or appreciates the craft of cocktails, think about getting them a late holiday gift in BarSmarts WIRED.

For additional information, visit http://www.barsmarts.com

With the holidays approaching, we decided to take a look at some items that if we received we’d be very pleased with.

This list covers all range of spirits and mixology fans, whether your looking for a gift for your favorite bartender such as Japanese barware, a book to get a friend started exploring and learning how to make cocktails at home, or a unique spirit that you’d think would make a great gift for that spirit enthusiast in the family, we’ve got everything covered here.

So over the next 12 days, we’ll be posting a new gift recommendation each day.

Several weeks ago I attended a Beam Global Portfolio party in which I bumped into several individuals that were working with the new Benji Menedez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso Cigar line. During the discussion the topic came up of pairing this new cigar with a spirit.
As someone who enjoys a cigar from time to time, they offered to send me one to give a try and provide some thoughts on a spirit pairing.
The Partagas Majestuoso is a limited series that’s only being available in quantities of a five thousand box run with twenty cigars per box.
After nosing the cigar a bit, I detected some aromas of chocolate and espresso. Which made my first thought to try a rum that had some similar flavors to it.

I happened to have a bottle of Chairman’s Reserve St. Lucian Rum handy that seemed like it might be a good fit. With Chairman’s Reserve being a combination of double distilled and continuous stilled rums its flavors of vanilla, caramel and cocoa among others made it a nice pairing with the flavors of the Majestuoso. A few other options to explore would be a tequila that has similar tones such as Riazul, Partida Reposado, or Milagro Anejo or a whiskies such as Laphroaig, or a Dalmore King Alexander that would play well with the flavors present in the cigar.

If your interested in trying a Benji Menedez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso Cigar, there holding several events to announce the launch of the cigar.

To register for one of these events you can go to BenjiMenendezSocial.com.
You’ll be asked to enter one of the city specific passwords below. Each password is limited to twenty-five attendees.
City Time Password
Los Angeles, CA Dec. 1, 2009, from 6-8 p.m. BC6FE5A
Las Vegas, NV Dec. 3, 2009, from 6-8 p.m. 002F932
Chicago, IL Dec. 8, 2009, from 6-8:30 p.m. FA0B2B1
New York, NY Dec. 15, 2009, from 6-8 p.m. 93F0C04

When do Bartenders have Breakfast? Usually late at night. What better time to celebrate the last night at Tales then with an unbelievable bash thrown by Plymouth Gin.

Uber Bar Tools Pro Stirrer

Finally some fresh tools to go with all these fresh ingredients.

So that doesn’t really make sense, though that was originally going to be the title for this article, which is the first thing that came to mind when I came across Uber Tools. With the move to fresh ingredients, home-made infusions, bitters, and more creative thinking behind the bar it was only a matter of time before someone decided to redo some of the most prized tools of the modern day bartender who more and more frequently are becoming known as mixologists.

Uber Bar Tools, a company based out of Australia has created a set of revised, high quality and nearly indestructible tools to be used by future mixologists.

We decided to take a look at a three of their products, the Pro Stirrer, The Julep Strainer and The Strain Ray.

So as many modern day mixologists tend to break ice with bar spoons, what better product to come up with then a bar spoon that includes a weighted back that is perfect for breaking and shaping ice to fit the drink at hand. The Pro Stirrer is weighted perfectly and just feels right in your hand. Made of high quality metal, it works great in any task as simple as stirring a drink, to helping top a drink with another spirit such as the occasional absinthe or wine float.

Next up a look at both of the Julep Strainer and Strain Ray. The Julep Strainer works great when mixing with fruits or vegetables and trying to keep most pieces out of your cocktail such as mint, basil or most berries. A note if working with some fruit such as black berries or blueberries we’d recommend adding another strainer to filter out additional pieces as while the julep strainer did a better job than we’ve seen with other strainers it did still let an occasional small piece through.

The Julep Strainer assisting in the end product.

The UberTools Julep Strainer

Sadly there’s not much we can say about the ray strainer, which is actually a good thing. It just does what it was designed to do. It fits in a boston shaker perfectly, and allows you to strain your drinks, keeping the ice and other ingredients out of your glass. As with the other Uber Bar Tools, it’s solidly built and does a great job for what it was designed for.

The Strainers in Action

A Closeup of the Uber Bar Tools StrainRay

The Uber Bar Tools Pro Stirrer retails for $21.95 while the Julep Strainer is $19.95 and the Strain Ray is priced at $29.95

Uber Bar Tools set out to do exactly what they wanted, to create a set of well crafted and durable tools for the modern day bartender or mixologist. These would a valuable addition to anyone’s bar kit. Additional information can be found at the Uber Bar Tools Website- http://www.uberbartools.com/

I’ve been unable to find any issues with these tools, and plan to add instructions to my will to be buried with the Pro-Stirrer as it’s become my favorite tool in my current bartending kit.

Kanpai is the Japanese equivalent of the english word cheers. Which is exactly what you’ll say after that first sip of whiskey from the Suntory family.

The Suntory Distillery was established in 1923. Suntory founder Shinjior Torii had the vision to create a whisky that embodied the spirit of Japan and was suited to fit the environmental conditions of Japan. Using a pot still based system* in which the flame is applied directly to the distillation system, this allows Suntory to develop scotches with a wide range of flavors from a light whisky to a heavy whiskey. While Suntory does use traditional pot still distillation methods, it does have some unique characteristics that its competition, that of Scotland and Ireland lack such as utilizing the pure waters of Kyoto which allow for the notes of honey that are a segment of the flavor profile. In addition, Suntory uses a combination of American, Spanish and Japanese oak to create it’s unique flavor.

So you’re probably wondering okay sounds like the process behind Suntory Yamazaki Scotch is similar to how distilleries produce their products, but does it taste any good?

Well actually yes. We took a look at both the 12-year and 18-year varieties of single malt Suntory Yamazki scotch.

12-Year Old Yamazaki

The 12-year exhibits notes of sweetness and heavy barley on the nose. When moving on to tasting it neat, flavors of oak, malt, barley banana and even the occasionally notes of toffee and nuts show themselves. Once a splash of water is applied, the sweetness that appeared while nosing the scotch comes out even more followed by mellow tones of butter, and mild notes of honey. Oddly adding water also gave this scotch a bit more heat, which is something we’ve not come across before, though while it did have an additional kick once a splash was applied it didn’t lose any of the original flavor. This scotch seems suited more for the experienced scotch drinker, rather than serving as an introduction to scotch for someone.

Rating- 8 out of 10

18-Year Old Suntory Yamazaki

In total opposition of the 12-year Suntory Yamazaki is the 18-year which between the two bottlings is the preferred option. While this might come off predictable in choosing the more aged of the two options, the reasoning behind this is due to the more balanced profile that the 18-year exhibits. Starting off with the nose that displays hints of honey, cherry that occasionally shows itself and a pleasant sweetness that just calls you to taste it. When taken neat the 18-year has a body that holds flavors of sweetness, mild vanilla and notes of oak. Upon adding water, some notes of berry begin to blossom. Additional mild notes of coffee then join alongside these notes of berry. Unlike some other whisky’s that are of similar age, the 18-year Suntory Yamazaki finishes very smoothly, and not harsh. These flavors and smooth finish make this a great introductory whisky to introduce any beginner to the world of single malts.

Rating 8.5 out of 10

A Glass of Suntory Yamazaki with a proper Japanese Ice Cube.

If enjoying a Japanese scotch on ice, the best style of ice to use according to the Japanese are ice spheres.

Don’t worry unlike some other Japanese innovations, you can purchase these within the US.

As pictured above, these can be purchased via the Museum of Modern Art’s store.

Follow this link for more information:

Moma Store Ice Spheres

*Pot Still –In a pot still distillation system, heat is applied directly to the pot that contains the mash. By utilizing this distillation method it allows for the vapor to condense with the alcohol and create a richer spirit. This process is usually repeated twice. Once this is complete, the spirit (in this scotch) is placed in barrels to develop age, which then results in a change from a clear to a darker brown spirit.

Pimms, the classic gin based liquor has it’s origins dating back to the 1800’s in a London bar. Invented by James Pimm as a digestif , it features a citrus and spicy herb taste. Today, Pimms is most commonly associated with the cocktail known as Pimms Cup.
We at A Muddled Thought decided in addition to trying out the Pimms Cup to also have some fun and see what other recipes we could invent using Pimms.

The Classic Pimms Cup Recipe-

2 oz Pimms No.1
Fill Highball Glass with Ice
½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Top with 7up, Sprite or Ginger Ale
Note: There are many variations of this recipe. Some use fresh lemonade instead of soda, and add other ingredients including cucumber.

Thinking the Pimms might balance with a Blanco Tequila and the sweetness of some Velvet Falernum, we came up with Rosa Pimms.

The Rosa Pimms. A Combination of Pimms No.1, Blanco Tequila, and Velvet Falernum.

Rosa Pimms

2 Oz- Pimms No .1
1 oz Partida Blanco Tequila
½ oz Velvet Falernum
Fresh Lime Juice(Half a Lime)
2 Dashes Whiskey Barrel Bitters

And to follow the Rosa up, here’s a drink that might help quench your summer thirsts. A new take on punch using Pimms and adding bourbon, Licor 43, and some mint leaves.

A Pimms Splash. A combination of Pimms No.1, Bourbon, Licor 43, Orange Juice and Grapefruit Bitters.

The Pimms Splash-

Pimms Splash
1 oz Pimms No. 1
2 Oz Makers Mark Bourbon
Bar Spoon of Licor 43
¼ Oz Orange Juice
2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters
3 Mint Leaves in bottom of glass(Do not muddle, rather clap them)
Shake with Ice
Fill Old Fashioned Glass with Crushed Ice

Q Tonic in it's purest form..

I recently received a sample of Q-Tonic to try out. In recent weeks I’d heard some very interesting things about how Q-Tonic was the next revolution of tonic, with its natural ingredients including Agave, Peruvian Quinine, lemon juice and bitters. The ingredients remind me of the beginnings of a summer beverage.

The story of Q-Tonic can be traced back to a summer night in Brooklyn when Q-Tonic’s founder, Jordan Silbert discovered that the tonic water he and his friends were using was essentially just fructose corn syrup, something that just didn’t seem right to mix with a good gin.

Jordan believed that fresh ingredients and quality spirits should be paired with a tonic water that is capable of standing both alongside as well as on Its own paired with just a lime slice and some ice.

Flash forward a few years later and after having scoured the world from the Peruvian Andes to the Mexican countryside, Jordan emerged with the recipe for Q-Tonic.

As with all items reviewed at A Muddled Thought, I had to try Q-Tonic without any other ingredients. What I discovered is that Q-Tonic by itself has a mildly sweet yet bitter taste, but pairs well with a dash of fresh lemon juice and ice for a quick summer refresher.

After the stand-alone taste test, I decided to try a few recipes. Some classic and some newly created for this review.

First up a Gin and Q-Tonic-

2 oz of your favorite Gin(We used G’Vine Florision for it’s floral and refreshing flavor)
High Ball Glass filled with Ice
Fill with Q-Tonic
Garnish with Lime Wedge

Between the lightness of the Q-Tonic and the Floral Tone to the G’Vine, this would make for a very refreshing version of a Gin and Tonic for those soon to come summer nights.

Next up is a recipe created to take advantage of the agave that’s used in the Q-Tonic.

Entitled the Mellow Q as it’s refreshing and from the few people who tested this drink seemed to be relaxing as well.(Note this drink was tasted by 2 tasters independent of A Muddled Thought)

The Mellow Q-

1 oz Canton Ginger Liquor
2 oz Partida Blanco tequila
1 oz Agave nectar
3 Dashes Grapefruit bitters
Splash of pineapple juice
Serve in a High Ball Glass that’s been filled with crushed ice
Top with Q-Tonic

The Mellow Q. A combination of Blanco Tequila, Canton Ginger, Agave Nectar, Grapefruit Bitters, topped with Q-Tonic.

Inspired by how well the G’Vine and the Q-Tonic worked with each other, I decided to try something a bit different, adding Absinthe, Mint and Averna. This has been dubbed the “Prohibition T”.

The Prohibition T-

The Prohibition “T”
2oz G’Vine Floraision Gin
1 oz Lucid Absinthe
3 Dashes Averna
Four muddled mint leaves
Shake with Ice
Serve in 4.5 oz Coupe Glass

The Prohibition T. A Combination of G'Vine Florasion Gin, Absinthe, Averna, Mint Leaves topped with Q-Tonic.

One final cocktail, a modified Pimms Cup No.1 replacing the Soda with Q-Tonic.

“Mind your P’s and Q’s” (Pimms and Q-Tonic)

2 ½ Pimms
½ Oz Fresh Lime Juice
3 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters
Fill Highball Glass with Ice
Top with Q-Tonic

Mind your P's and Q's- Pimms No.1 , Fresh Lime Juice, Grapefruit Bitters, and Q-Tonic.

By itself, neat this Añejo is full of flavor, and exhibits tastes of pineapple, light cocoa, agave, caramel and spice.

While most añejo are aged for only 12 months, Milagro ages theirs in oak barrels for 18 months. These additional six months allow it to mature into a smoother and more refined taste than most of its competitors.

So what happens if you take these amazing flavors and incorporate them with a few other ingredients for some cocktails?

The Agave Pipe

I created a modified version of the Smoker’s Delight, which normally utilizes Laphroiag 10 year old scotch, Mozart Chocolate Liquor and aromatic bitters.

I decided to play off the flavor nuances of the Cocoa and Caramel Undertones of the Anejo with the Smokey Flavor of the Laphroiag.

1 ¼ Oz Laphroiag Ten year
2 Oz Milagro Añejo Tequila
Chocolate Extract(3 Dashes) or Chocolate Bitters
2 Dashes Aromatic Bitters
3 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters

(Note-I’d l would recommend a 2:1 Ratio of Añejo to Laphroaig for future experiments)

The Agave Pipe. A combination of Milagro Anejo Tequila, Laphroig 10 Year Old Scotch, Chocolate Extract, Aromatic Bitters and Grapefruit Bitters.

The next drink that was created was a version of Dale DeGroff’s Whiskey Smash, however replacing the Bourbon with Milagro Añejo Tequila and replacing the simple syrup with Agave Syrup.

The Milagro Smash

2- 2 ½ Oz Milagro Añejo Tequila
1 oz Agave Nectar
Cut half of a Lemon
Mint Leaves
Muddle the Lemon, Mint and Agave Syrup in Shaker
Add the Milagro Tequila, and shake vigorously
Pour into old fashioned glass filled with crushed ice
Garnish with mint

The Milagro Smash. Comprised of Milagro Añejo Tequila, Agave Nectar, Mint and Lemon.

Tequila Manhattan
1 ½ Milagro Añejo
¾ Lillet Rouge
½ Oz Cointreau
Stir well and strain up into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist

The Tequila Manhattan. Comprised of Milagro Añejo Tequila, Lillet Rouge, 1/2 Oz Cointreau

While working with the Milagro Añejo, the weather was quite warm which inspired this next drink. Something resembling a grown-up version of a Tiki Drink, with a bit more refined flavor, thanks to the Milagro Anejo.

Foggy Hawaiian
2 oz Milagro Añejo Tequila
½ oz Pineapple
½ Licor 43
1 oz Agave Nectar
3 Dashes of Grapefruit Bitters
2 Dashes of Aromatic Bitters

The Foggy Hawaiian. A Combination of Milagro Añejo, Pineapple Juice, Licor 43, Agave Nectar and Bitters.

The King of Cocktails, Dale Degroff in action.

Some things do truly get better with age.

I was recently invited to attend the NY celebration of the 203rd birthday of the American cocktail, Yes, that’s right folks, 203 years ago, the concept of the cocktail as we love and know it was born.

The American cocktail was first dubbed as such in 1806 in a Hudson New York based publication known as “The Balance and Columbian Repository”. This publication defined the cocktail as a stimulating liquid composed of spirits, sugar, water and bitters. Taking a look at a classic cocktail, such as a Sazerac seems to fit this description being made up of Absinthe, Simple Syrup, a dash of Peychaud bitters, and rye whiskey. Ah, where would we be without the cocktail?

To celebrate this occasion, a raucous and booze filled bash was put together by Ana Jovancicevic from HandCrafted PR and Aisha Sharpe of Contemporary Cocktails.

This celebration, hosted at the asian-influenced tri-level restaurant Pranna , located at 79 Madison Avenue brought out a some of the most talented and innovative mixologists in the country, to work their skills behind the bar.

A glimpse of a few of the masters at work.

Dale in the process of making a batch of cocktails

Dale Degroff was working on two different angles when behind the bar. He was dishing out Pernod Absinthe in the classic fashion as well as creating perfect passion cocktails.

Dale dishing out the Pernod Absinthe.

The Perfect Passion Cocktail –

First make Strawberry Lychee Syrup
This is done by mixing equal parts of Strawberry and Lychee purees (such as Perfect Puree of Napa), with an equal part of Agave nectar combine well and then chill.

The Cocktail Recipe is:

1 1/2 ounces Belvedere Cytrus Vodka
1 ounce strawberry Lychee syrup
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur
Lemon peel Garnish
Assemble all the ingredients except the lemon peel garnish in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish by twisting the lemon peel over the top and dropping it into the drink

A Perfect Passion-Created by Dale DeGroff

Leo Degroff, Dale’s son served up Grand Marnier Smashes.

Leo working on a round of Grand Marnier Smashes.

Ingredients-
A large helping of Grand Marnier
Muddled Mint
Muddled Lemon
Note:As this drink is a new take on the classic Whiskey Smash, invited by Leo’s father, Dale DeGroff it normally calls for 1 ½ to 2oz of Whiskey normally Makers Mark. I asked Leo about the amount of Grand Marnier per drink, and he replied with “a lot”. In retrospect I’d say about 4oz would make for a nice drink.

The finished product. A Grand Marnier Smash.

Simon Ford, The Ambassador for Plymouth Gin served up the Cocktail 203.

Simon working on the Cocktail 203

Simon named this for the occasion as it was made on the fly. I think the name fits, as it embodies something old and something new. Using Plymouth Gin, which has been around since the 1700’s and a few things newer such as Canton Ginger liquor and the Zipang sparkling sake.

The Components of the Cocktail 203

Cocktail 203

6-8 Blueberries Muddled
2 parts Plymouth Gin
1 Part Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Part Canton Ginger Liqeuer
1/2 Part Simple Syrup
1 Part Zipang Sparkling Sake

Shake all ingredients except Zipang and strain over fresh ice into a collins glass…top with Zipang Sparkling Sake and garnish with a 2 fresh blueberries and a lemon slice.

Julie Reiner of the Clover Club and FlatIron Lounge shaking up a batch of Clover Club Cocktails.

Clover Club Recipe

1 1/2 ounce gin
1/4 ounce grenadine
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1 whole egg white
Shake very well with ice. Strain into a wine glass.

The Classic Clover Club, prepared by Julie Reiner.

Gary Regan, of Ardent Spirits served up the Plymouth Hoe. At the moment, Gary is planning to post the recipe in a future issue of SFGate, in which he writes a weekly column. As such no recipe is currently posted. The best I could surmise besides the Plymouth Gin, is he also used Grand Marnier Navan. Once the recipe is available it will be posted in this article.

Gary working on the mysterious Plymouth Hoe.

Gary Regan's Plymouth Hoe

Audrey Saunders of The Pegu Club offered up a Gin Mojito incorporating Pernod Absinthe.

Audrey creating her cocktail masterpiece.

The recipe is currently unavailable, as I’m waiting to hear back from Audrey.

Audrey's completed Gin Mojito.

Other guest bartenders included, Allen Katz of Southern Wine and Spirits, Charlotte Voisey-Brand Ambassador for Hendricks Gin, Misty Kalkofen of Green Street in Boston, Jason Kosmas of Employees Only, Dave Wondrich, Aisha Sharpe, and Erin Williams of Pegu Club.

A final celebratory shot, to end the night with.