Mega-cocktails in the Windy City
One evening during the National Restaurant Association Show I was fortunate enough to join Donna Hood Crecca, editor of Cheers, for dinner at Nacional 27, an acclaimed restaurant in Downtown Chicago that features central and south American cuisine. The evening’s fare was indeed amazingly delicious, but Donna and I weren’t there necessarily for the food, we chose the venue for its cocktails . . .
The Yoda of Mixology
In my considered opinion, Gary Regan is the exact center of the spirits universe, the fulcrum upon which civilization balances. It’s not that he’s especially urbane, tall or imposing, and it’s more than his wit and mesmerizing visage. He deserves this mantle because of one incomparable claim, namely that no one on the planet knows more about all things mixology than Gary Regan. Furthermore, I seriously doubt that there exists a rhythmically breathing person who is more of an authority and ardent advocate for the art and trade of bartending . . .
Does anyone really know what women want?
What do women really want? Mike Ginley knows. And does anyone want to know how Mike Ginley knows what women really want? Get this, he asks them . . .
Bummer Cocktails at SFWSC
You can imagine that after a long day of swirling and spitting spirits that sipping a cold cocktail before dinner sounds mighty swell. That’s what was foremost on the minds of the judges at the recently concluded San Francisco World Spirits Competition as we entered the restaurant. Collectively we had evaluated about 400 products that day, all without having swallowed a drop . . .
Lesson learned
I learned, or more accurately re-learned an important lesson as the co-host of and judge at the 2nd annual International Cane Spirits Festival held in Ybor City, Florida . . .
Don't Serve What You Wouldn't Drink
At the risk of attracting unwanted controversy, I think it would be for the best if we got rid of cheap booze altogether. There’s not an inexpensive brand that’s worth its selling price. I’m not a spirit snob; it’s just that I can’t imagine pouring the stuff down my throat, or anyone else’s throat for that matter . . .
Dump those lesser products!
What would happen to your bar if you stopped buying triple sec altogether? I’ll tell you what would happen—your Margaritas, Cosmopolitans, Long Islands and Kamikazes would improve significantly. They’d be more vibrant and delicious, guaranteed. Why? Because you’d start making the cocktails with Cointreau, which ounce for ounce is the definitive triple liqueur.
Wither our industry?
Right when you think you’ve heard just about everything there is to hear about this industry, someone goes and bursts that notion to smithereens. If you’re a fan of the macabre and aren’t repulsed by raw violence, read on; otherwise you’d be well advised to avert your eyes . . .
Lysol — new king of the hill
There’s a good possibility that I’m extremely odd. But I assure you that I’m no germaphobe. Guys rarely are. Drop a hunk of steak on the bathroom floor, we’ll still eat it. Heck, we’ll pick our teeth with our fingernails regardless of where those fingers have been recently. Suffice to say that when it comes to germs and me, I’m not a prissy, fussbudget . . .
Yeah, yeah old school this!
I started bartending in college in the early ‘70s, which if you do the math makes me old. The sole benefit of being over fifty seems to be the perspective it affords. When people today speak about “old school,” they’re talking about Jack Robertiello’s and my alma mater. As a card carrying alum of this often referred to institution, allow me to say that when it comes to life behind bars, few things about the “old school” were better then, than they are now. In fact, the world of bartending 30 years ago bears scant resemblance to the ultra-efficient, premium-laden, creatively inspired beverage programs of today . . .
Bastions of the Classics
Anyone who’s attempted to create a cocktail phenomenon knows the difficulty of balancing the flavors of widely disparate ingredients. The margin between sublime and repugnant is narrow and often measured in drops. The more attempts you make, the more appreciation you’re bound to develop for those who’ve tried and succeeded . . .
Head toward the Light
Why on Earth are there so many flavored vodkas? Really. You’ve wondered the same thing. Liquor companies seem to be releasing a new one weekly. Sure, I appreciate the vibrancy of the cocktail culture, but is there really marketing research that validates producing a flavored vodka for every known fruit, vegetable and confection? Can cottage cheese flavored vodka be too far off? . . .
Team Bartending
As anyone who knows me will gladly attest, I am slightly askew of the norm. My odd assortment of foibles and disorders have led me to be indelibly labeled as defective. Not surprisingly, my patchwork personality followed me behind the bar lo those many years . . .
Just in the NICK of time
Even though he is my friend and a fellow correspondent, if you’re a restaurant owner in the Washington, D.C. area, please do not HIRE career mixologist Nick Wineriter. I personally assure you that he is a product of the “Old School,” someone who believes in precise drink-making and attends to his guests’ needs with impeccable care. The formalized training he’s received has been of the highest caliber, doled out by venerable and well-seasoned bartenders and managers. And while still a relatively young man, Nick has learned his trade well . . .
The John Ramirez School of Management
At a speaking engagement in Monterey, someone asked me who was the best manager I had ever worked for and why. I don’t recall having ever been asked that question and it took an uncomfortably longer time for me to conjure a response. Like many I think I was mismanaged more often than not, but many of those pronouncements are unreliable because of the extreme immaturity. After more than a few awkward moments a name fl oated to the surface. I snagged it out of the murky pond and blurted out the name, John Ramirez . . .
Does Gin Still Have a Pulse?
Reports of gin’s imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated. Not only have I actually spoken with gin,but at establishments where people still appreciate civility and style, gin is thriving and basking in the attention . . .
Snifters, Aged Rums and the Quality of Life
Don’t get me wrong, I love aged rums. I love their dark, mahogany hues and wafting aromas of Caribbean fruit, vanilla and molasses. That’s why as of 6:15am this morning I’ve offi cially declared sipping barrelaged rums from snifters the new, cool thing in bars. When people ask you why dark rums are so hip, so happening, here’s a point-by-point breakdown of the approved response. Read through the talking points and commit them to memory. Let their irrefutable logic secure foothold in your mind and wash all other conscious thoughts away . . .
How Do Your Drinks Rate?
I’ve been studying cocktails for a while now. One of the things I’ve learned is that given access to the finest drinking making products-spirits, aperitifs, bitters, that sort of thing- magnificent glassware and a clientele with plastic in their wallets and fifties in their pockets, that crafting fabulous cocktails is a cinch. What’s really challenging is making well-executed specialties on a budget and catering to a clientele who aren’t so loose with a buck . . .
Want a Job in the Nation's Capitol?
At the risk of being sued or pummeled head to feet with brass knuckles and shoved in the trunk of a late model Buick, I have to spill the beans about my friend Nick Wineriter and his recent run-in with the bar from hell. Prudence dictates that I change the name of the offending establishment, a well-known
Washington, D.C. restaurant to which I will refer to as “Blank’s on Blank Street.” . . .
The Right Guy at the Wrong Time
Last night I had to fire a young man. It was just my luck to be working at a client’s restaurant when an incident occurred that immediately changed this fellow’s status with the company. As fate would have it, a few hours before firing this server I was asked by my client (who as usual was spending his money and time lounging on the beach in Maui) to conduct interviews of a few prospective servers . . .
Tip Jar, Where Art Thou?
A few years ago, a musician wrote an article regarding the effect the size and shape of a tip jar has on one’s tipped income. It was his contention after years of firsthand observation that a large, glass brandy snifter prompted people to tip more. He went on to say that if bartenders used snifters and ensured that the tip jars were highly visible to guests that they would make more gratuities . . .
Slow Pouring Baltimore
Why do bartenders choose to steal when I’m seated at their bar? I must attract bad juju, a lightning rod for malfeasance. I regularly catch them ripping off the house out of the corners of my eyes. I see it done right done right in front of me. It’s enough to make me want to stay home . . .
Hurry Up and Slow Down!
I was already concerned. The restaurant was packed, the lounge was filled past capacity and the bar was like a war zone. The underside of being a popular joint on New Year’s Eve, I thought to myself as I slowly made my way to the service station at the bar . . .
Thumbs Up from Vegas
Here it is, my notebook from the Nightclub & Bar Show. It was buried in the bag of stuff that invariably follows you home from the “The Show,” the one containing the odd assortment of sales brochures, liquor samples, promotional key chains and wind shield scrapers, hangover cures and radioactive condoms you pick up walking the aisles of the exhibition floor . . .
Inside the SF Spirits Competition
I think being a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the highlight of my work year. This event is the largest spirit competition in the United States and is widely considered the most prestigious of its type . . .
Avoiding Bartending Gaucheries
Where’s my camcorder when I need it? I’ve apparently slipped through a rip in the fabric of time and space and have landed at the bar from hell. Forget asking where it is, because it could very well be in your neighborhood. Let me just say that sitting here at the bar affords me a glimpse into Dante’s Inferno. So this is what nether regions look like? . . .
What's Not to Love About the Cheers Beverage Conference
I am once again crammed into a seat on a commercial airliner, making my way home from the recently completed Cheers Beverage Conference held in Irvine, California. If you weren’t fortunate enough to have attended, let me fill you in on why you should do so next year . . .
Why I Admire Starbucks
I enjoy bashing multinational corporations as much as the next guy. Especially when one of their herd does something outrageously stupid. Then I’m talking trash about it with my first cup of coffee. But you can bet with confidence that cup of coffee is from Starbucks. Now there’s a corporation that even I won’t talk trash about. Political correctness be damned, I’m a loyal fan of Starbucks . . .
So This Guy Walks into a Bar...
I had occasion to visit with F. Paul Pacult at the recently concluded Cheers Beverage Conference and was once again the better for it. During our chat he told me about his afternoon outing with Dale DeGroff. For the benefit of first time visitors to Earth, Paul is our planet’s leading authority on spirits and all things alcohol and Dale is known simply as the King Cocktail, and deservedly so . . .
Party of One
The captain just announced that we’ve leveled off at 28,000 feet and that it’s safe to use approved electronic devices, which I presume doesn’t include my new cattle prod. The woman seated next to me is not so quietly snoring and the kid in front is repeatedly slamming himself against the seat back (pity about the cattle prod) . . .
A Problem with "No Problem"
At the risk of sounding like a surly curmudgeon, I hereby declare war on the phrase “No Problem.” It has no place on-premise. Last night, our server refilled my coffee and when I said thanks, she replied “no problem,” pirouetted and left . . .
Territoriality
I’ve seen Wild Kingdom, I appreciate its purpose in nature. Dogs mark their territory. Lions, muskrats and low land gorillas all protect their territory. But bartenders? Well, apparently in some clubs they do. Last night I was doing some recon for a restaurant client in a Southern California town that shall remain nameless (San Diego). It was a fairly cool operation on a respectfully busy night. I made my way to the bar and grabbed a barstool . . .
