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BAR TIPS & SECRETS
- Chill Out
- Always chill a glass before you fill it. There are
basically three ways make a glass cold:
- Put the glasses in the refrigerator or freezer a
couple of hours before using them.
- Fill the glasses with crushed ice just before using.
- Fill the glasses with cracked ice and stir it around
before pouring the drink.
If refrigerator space is not available for pre-chilling, fill each glass with ice before
mixing. When the drink is ready, empty the glass, shake out all of the melted ice, and
then pour in the drink.
- How To
Muddle
- Muddling is a simple mashing technique for grinding
herbs, such as mint, smooth in the bottom of a glass. You can buy a wooden muddler in a
bar supply store. It crushes the herbs, much as the back of a soup spoon might, without
scarring the glass.
- Stirring
- Pitchers of cocktails need at least ten seconds of
stirring to mix properly. Carbonated mixers in drinks do much of their own stirring just
by naturally bubbling. Two stirs from you will complete the job.
- Shaking
- Shake any drink made with juices, sugar, eggs or
cream, or use an electric blender. Strain cocktails from shaker or blender to a glass
through a coil-rimmed strainer.
- Pouring
- Pour drinks as soon as you make them or they will
wilt. Leftovers, should be discarded or they will be too diluted by the time you get to
"seconds."
When making a batch of
drinks at once, set up the glasses in a row. Pour until each glass is half full, then
backtrack until the shaker is empty. That way everyone gets the same amount, thoroughly
mixed.
- Floating
Liqueurs
- Creating a rainbow effect in a glass with different
colored cordials requires a special pouring technique. Simply pour each liqueur slowly
over an inverted teaspoon (rounded side up) into a glass. Start with the heaviest liqueur
first. Pour slowly. The rounded surface of the spoon will spread each liqueur
over the one beneath without mixing them. You can accomplish the trick using a glass rod.
Pour slowly down the rod.
- Flaming
- The secret of setting brandy (or other high-alcohol
spirits) aflame is first to warm it and its glass until almost hot. You can warm a glass
by holding it by its stem above the flame or electric coil on your stove until the glass
feels warm. (Avoid touching the glass to the flame or coil; that could char or crack the
glass.)
Next, heat some brandy in a saucepan
above the flame (or in a cooking pan). When the brandy is hot, ignite it with a match. If
it's hot enough, it will ignite instantly. Pour the flaming liquid carefully into the
other brandy you want flamed. If all the liquid is warm enough, it will ignite.
- When Using Eggs
- Eggs go into the shaker before the liquor (so that
you can make sure the egg is fresh). To separate yolk from white, crack the egg in half on
the edge of a glass. Pour the egg yolk from on half-shell to the other, back and forth,
until the white runs down into the glass below and only the yolk is left in the shell.
Used cracked ice to blend egg with other ingredients you need
to chill.
- Fruits And Juices
- Whenever possible, use only fresh fruit. Wash the
outside peel before using. Fruit can be cut in wedges or in slices. If slices are used,
they should be cut about one-quarter-inch thick and slit toward the center to fix slice on
the rim of the glass. Make sure a garnishes are fresh and cold.
When mixing drinks containing fruit juices, always
pour the liquor last. Squeeze and strain fruit juices just before using to ensure
freshness and good taste. Avoid artificial, concentrated substitutes.
When recipes call for a twist of lemon peel, rub a
narrow strip of peel around the rim of the glass to deposit the oil on it. Then twist the
peel so that the oil (usually one small drop) will drop into the drink. Then drop in the
peel. The lemon oil gives added character to the cocktail, which many prefer.
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