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From Drinks

From Behind the Bar: On Drinking for Free

It is clearly unprofessional from both sides to do the buy-back.
Lets face it - it comes out of the pocket of the bar-owner. And from the bartender perspective it is [honestly] to make more tips.

There is still the need of inviting one or the other guest - maybe the order took long time, maybe just to pamper regulars - however this should happen from the manager, in a more formal way.

You don't get something extra, if you are regular customer of your supermarket - or any other shop. Why should you get something for free in a bar?

The bartender should show is appreciation for guests, in a different way [knowing the favorite drink, anticipating the needs, calling the guest by name or just being more attentive]. This makes everyone happy! And in some exception the bartender can really buy a drink for a guest [on his tab] or ask the manager if it is alright to invite the guest...

From Drinks

Our Favorite Cocktails of 2011

@monopod
Well I don't think that this drink is close to a Negroni, if you can rely on the picture.
A Negroni is quite short and a pronounced aperitif - while this drink is long and after the description [perfect summer sipper] still refreshing...

From Drinks

From Behind the Bar: On The New Year

I like the mood of this article...

However I am not so euphoric about mixology nowadays.
Sure, mixology becomes mainstream, sure it becomes more of a culinary art. However the problem with something which becomes mainstream is, that the quality becomes diluted. And customers and guests become confused. And then there is the commercial aspect - there are only a couple of bars which defy the temptation to make just as much money with as much guests as they can.

Volume always will compromise quality [and quality is so important in this culinary art].

I guess, that we are in a stage, which people in the 40's and 50's were before. There was quality, but cocktails were not yet so mainstream. When these drinks became more popular, this resulted into a time, which we are calling today winking "the dark age of cocktails".

From Drinks

Cocktail 101: Five Essential Rye Cocktails

Most Bourbons are not made with wheat but with rye [Straight Rye = >51% Rye; Straight Bourbon = 51 - 80% corn; rest is surely Barley and either way rye or wheat].

It also depends really on the product / the mash bill of the brand.
E.g. Wild Turkey 8 years old is so rye-spicy, that you could swear, that it is a rye, if you try it blind - it is surely spicier, than a lot of Straight Ryes.


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From Drinks

From Behind the Bar: On Drinking for Free

It is clearly unprofessional from both sides to do the buy-back.
Lets face it - it comes out of the pocket of the bar-owner. And from the bartender perspective it is [honestly] to make more tips.

There is still the need of inviting one or the other guest - maybe the order took long time, maybe just to pamper regulars - however this should happen from the manager, in a more formal way.

You don't get something extra, if you are regular customer of your supermarket - or any other shop. Why should you get something for free in a bar?

The bartender should show is appreciation for guests, in a different way [knowing the favorite drink, anticipating the needs, calling the guest by name or just being more attentive]. This makes everyone happy! And in some exception the bartender can really buy a drink for a guest [on his tab] or ask the manager if it is alright to invite the guest...

From Drinks

Our Favorite Cocktails of 2011

@monopod
Well I don't think that this drink is close to a Negroni, if you can rely on the picture.
A Negroni is quite short and a pronounced aperitif - while this drink is long and after the description [perfect summer sipper] still refreshing...

From Drinks

From Behind the Bar: On The New Year

I like the mood of this article...

However I am not so euphoric about mixology nowadays.
Sure, mixology becomes mainstream, sure it becomes more of a culinary art. However the problem with something which becomes mainstream is, that the quality becomes diluted. And customers and guests become confused. And then there is the commercial aspect - there are only a couple of bars which defy the temptation to make just as much money with as much guests as they can.

Volume always will compromise quality [and quality is so important in this culinary art].

I guess, that we are in a stage, which people in the 40's and 50's were before. There was quality, but cocktails were not yet so mainstream. When these drinks became more popular, this resulted into a time, which we are calling today winking "the dark age of cocktails".

From Drinks

Cocktail 101: Five Essential Rye Cocktails

Most Bourbons are not made with wheat but with rye [Straight Rye = >51% Rye; Straight Bourbon = 51 - 80% corn; rest is surely Barley and either way rye or wheat].

It also depends really on the product / the mash bill of the brand.
E.g. Wild Turkey 8 years old is so rye-spicy, that you could swear, that it is a rye, if you try it blind - it is surely spicier, than a lot of Straight Ryes.


From Recipes

The Spotted Pig Pimm's Cup

I doubt, that they are serving the Pimm's Cup at the Spotted Pig with "large mint leaves".
The original [even more original than cucumber] garnish of a Pimm's Cup was Borage leaves, which eventually look exactly like the "large mint leaves" in the drink of the picture...

Borage has a herbal quality which also includes cooling cucumber aromas.

Cheers!

From Drinks

Cocktails and Spirits with Paul Clarke: Scotch or Bourbon?

I think the comparison is really not appropriate:
We should ask if Bourbon or Scotch Single Malt Whisky...

And this question is quite hard to decide: there are amazing bold bourbons around and if you compare an average bourbon with an average malt I would go for the bourbon - however there are just stunning malts as well: The cited Islays for example, which kicks the hell out of you, or some remarkable malts like Aberlour a'bunadh, Macallan Sherry Oak, Glenmorangie Artisan Cask and many more!

It is not really the question what to chose, as these spirits are so different, that the need to coexist (that is the paradox in the spirit world - a flavored neutral grain spirit can be both a gin or a vodka - however that different spirits like bourbons, Irish and Scotch (plus the sub-variations blended and malt) are just whisk(e)y!

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About opinionated alchemist

Website: http://www.opinionated-alchemist.com

Location: Dubai

About: I am an bar expert, who is focussed to raise the quality of bars and drinks and supports the cigar smoking culture

Favorite foods: These are more drinks...
Though also forbidden pleasures as foie gras, truffles, wagyu beef and duck fat fried french fries.

Last bite on earth: Slow roasted wagyu beef cheeks