What Rambo learned at Bartending School today

[mordecai]



I've seen recipes for a dry martini where they say to fill the glass up with ice, pour some vermouth in, drain it out, and then pour the gin over the vermouth'ed ice. People seem to hate the **** with a passion.

This is usually the normal process when I order it, unless I tell them to do otherwise.

 

[whodini]



It sounds like this school is more geared toward preparing students to work behind a standard bar (i.e., a bar that is neither specializing in cocktails nor part of a nice restaurant) than toward learning how to make cool cocktails. My wholly unsupported speculation is that 90% of cocktails served at such a bar are really simple along the lines of vodka cranberry, G&T, Jack & Coke, etc., so I doubt the school will teach students how to make a Sidecar, much less an Aviation. In any event, cocktail recipes are really easy to come by in books or on the internet. Still a cool thread to learn about the workings of a bar.

This is sort of true, but I was taught to make a sidecar.

I took tending school while I was in college and a few of my observations were:

-From a manual of 50+ drinks, maybe 35 of them I've never seen or heard of again.
-From a manual of 50+ drinks, maybe 35 or more will have their own variations. For example, if you ordered a .357 at a bar and DIDN'T get a confused look, you'd probably not get what you had in mind. You could argue with the staff and they'd either tell you: a) that's how they learned how to make it, b) that's what's in their bar manual, or c) "Well, you ******* idiot, if you want a complicated cocktail just tell us how to make it."
-If you try to order something special at a bar, 95% of bartenders won't know it or will have forgotten it. The good ones will be upfront and ask you what's in it, the rest will invent their own concoction and then pull the "that's how I learned it" routine.
-There's a reason why those bottles in the bar collect dust. Who the **** has ever ordered Benedictine or know what Sloe Gin is?

 

[Grenadier]

I came across this YouTube series awhile ago; about 25-30 videos of how to make a variety of drinks. The host is an old-school New Orleans bartender from the Library Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton; very classy.

Here is the one for the mint julep:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[willpower]



I came across this YouTube series awhile ago; about 25-30 videos of how to make a variety of drinks. The host is an old-school New Orleans bartender from the Library Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton; very classy.

Here is the one for the mint julep:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

"Then comes the zenith of Man's pleasure. The julep, the mint julep. Who has not tasted one has lived in vain." Holy jeez, the guy might be the coolest bartender ever.





Rambo, keep it up it. Interesting read.

 

[Blackhood]

Liked and subscribed. I've actually been looking for something similar for a good while now.

 

[Piobaire]

A Martini is supposedly descended from the Martinez. The Martini became popular during prohibition since gin was the most commonly made "bathtub" spirits. When prohibition ended, and quality gin was available again, it had to be made with more gin to stand up to the coarsened tastes of the drinking public who were used to bathtub gin.

Btw, Huntsman is the hands down master on this stuff. He turned me on to a few things, one of which would be: http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/300/ssn_raising_the_bar_martini_service_640x360/

 

[impolyt_one]



This is sort of true, but I was taught to make a sidecar.

I took tending school while I was in college and a few of my observations were:

-From a manual of 50+ drinks, maybe 35 of them I've never seen or heard of again.
-From a manual of 50+ drinks, maybe 35 or more will have their own variations. For example, if you ordered a .357 at a bar and DIDN'T get a confused look, you'd probably not get what you had in mind. You could argue with the staff and they'd either tell you: a) that's how they learned how to make it, b) that's what's in their bar manual, or c) "Well, you ******* idiot, if you want a complicated cocktail just tell us how to make it."
-If you try to order something special at a bar, 95% of bartenders won't know it or will have forgotten it. The good ones will be upfront and ask you what's in it, the rest will invent their own concoction and then pull the "that's how I learned it" routine.
-There's a reason why those bottles in the bar collect dust. Who the **** has ever ordered Benedictine or know what Sloe Gin is?

This is true... in America. Honest to god, most Japanese bartenders at good bars (not beer dives) have insanely solid repertoires of up to like 500-1000 drinks, as a regular thing.

I drink whiskey highballs at Japanese bars, here is the general way they do it;
-cut a rough block of ice off a large block, small enough to fit in a highball.
-pull a clean highball glass off the shelf, put ice in, and then use bar spoon to swirl the ice around until the glass frosts up sufficiently. Dump ice and water out of glass eventually.
-cut a new block of ice off the block, hand carve it to a perfect sphere using a combination of pick/little Yanagi knife, can be done in about a minute by a lot of bartenders. Wash ice quickly to smooth it and make it transparent, spin it in a towel to dry it, let it sit and frost again for a moment, and then put in cool highball glass
-fill glass about halfway up with whiskey or bourbon of choice
-top off with club soda (Wilkinson brand from the glass bottle if in Japan)

Here is my bartender making ice:
[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[Alter]

Nice thread, Rambo.

 

[KJT]



Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

This is true... in America. Honest to god, most Japanese bartenders at good bars (not beer dives) have insanely solid repertoires of up to like 500-1000 drinks, as a regular thing.

I drink whiskey highballs at Japanese bars, here is the general way they do it;
-cut a rough block of ice off a large block, small enough to fit in a highball.
-pull a clean highball glass off the shelf, put ice in, and then use bar spoon to swirl the ice around until the glass frosts up sufficiently. Dump ice and water out of glass eventually.
-cut a new block of ice off the block, hand carve it to a perfect sphere using a combination of pick/little Yanagi knife, can be done in about a minute by a lot of bartenders. Wash ice quickly to smooth it and make it transparent, spin it in a towel to dry it, let it sit and frost again for a moment, and then put in cool highball glass
-fill glass about halfway up with whiskey or bourbon of choice
-top off with club soda (Wilkinson brand from the glass bottle if in Japan)

Here is my bartender making ice:
[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

This is so cool! So Japanese too. Do they do that every time you order a drink?

That iceball looked like it was too big for a glass though.

 

[Manton]

i don't think i've ever had a martini

 

[gomestar]



i don't think i've ever had a martini

James Bond always has one before saving his country.



I suppose that's the indelible line between Manton and James Bond.

 

[willpower]



Here is my bartender making ice:

Wow! That drink must cost around $50

 

[itsstillmatt]



Wow! That drink must cost around $50

At three minutes an ice cube, a lot of people are getting thirsty.

 

[FLMountainMan]

Rambo - brilliant thread, please keep it going!

 

[whodini]



This is true... in America. Honest to god, most Japanese bartenders at good bars (not beer dives) have insanely solid repertoires of up to like 500-1000 drinks, as a regular thing.

That ******* crazy video aside, that high number can be a bit misleading. Not every cocktail is going to require a combination of 6+ different ingredients.

In fact, many cocktails are different only by the addition or subtraction of an ingredient. A Fuzzy Navel is peach schnapps and oj, add vodka and you have a Hairy Navel, add cranberry and you ******** on the Beach, etc.