TALK DRINKS

Apothecary or Bar??? – Hotlanta Times

As a bartender, I love all the extra things such as bitters, syrups and nectars at our disposal to add to cocktails. Why not get creative and put all of those special liquids in the various empty bottles that you have around the bar. By removing the labels and properly cleaning these bottles you can give your ingredients the home they deserve. Our bar will look like an Apothecary, with all of the different colored and shaped bottles that we have displayed, labeled and ready for use. We can also purchase other containers, bottles and even medicine droppers to store specialty items. It becomes an interesting talking point with your customers when they see you dash a special ingredient from a strange looking bottle. Have fun! - Navarro Carr, Bartender at Trois (Atlanta)

The Avocado Margarita - Orlando

I've got a great new twist on a classic cocktail. It's a delicious and refreshing recipe for the hot steamy days of summer. Salud - Ryan

The Avocado Margarita
2oz Partida Blanco Tequila
1oz Avocado puree
3/4oz Partida Organic Agave Nectar
1oz fresh squeezed lime juice (juice from 1 lime)
First, puree half an avocado with enough lime juice to get a smooth paste. Add all ingredients into a Boston Shaker and shake well. Serve on the rocks and garnish with a few slices of avocado. Enjoy!!!

The Big Easy Fundraiser - Windy City Post

Since Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans is going on as we speak, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to blog about the Post Katrina work we in Chicago have been involved in. The other night I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser sponsored by the USBG (US Bartender's Guild). Peter Vestinomos, a mixologist from Sepia (Chicago), has been working on a post Katrina based project with the service industry from New Orleans. The downtown business area was one of the hardest hit sectors and they are working to develop a Bartender’s Guild chapter in N.O. to organize and strengthen professional bartenders. Ann, the developer of Tales of the Cocktail, was present along with a few key bartenders from The Big Easy. The event was held at Weeds Tavern which is a historic corner bar from the 60’s here in Chicago. The bar members helped to repair the patio area of Weeds in their agreed sister city bar make-over plan. They painted, nailed and did a little bit of everything, all in order to raise awareness and money to fund the New Orleans BG. Later this year the Chicago bar team will be headed down to the Big Easy to help repair a historic “Nawlins” bar. Weeds looked great with its new face lift and we had a great evening tipping them back. Cheers to everyone for the hard work and dedication to this project and this industry. - Alex

The Bachelorette - The Colorado Rockies

Here's a recipe that I've been working with for the last few days and is a hit here at the Cigar Bar. Give it a shot.

The Bachelorette
1 pint of heavy whipping cream and confection sugar
3/4 oz Organic Agave Nectar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 oz. Partida Anejo Tequila
Blend the first 3 ingredients adding the sugar to create a whipped topping. Layer kahlua, bailey's and anejo in a shot glass and top with the whipped cream.

You could also use the left over cream on top of mexican coffees or desserts like apple pie, etc. Cheers - Scott

JAZZIZ - Welcome to Miami

Recently, I attended a great party at JAZZIZ Bistro.  JAZZIZ is a new and exciting dining experience replete with great food, specialty drinks, unique atmosphere and the best music in South Florida. A state of the art sound stage, indoor and outdoor bars/lounges and retail space makes JAZZIZ a one of a kind destination for people who enjoy great food, entertainment and a place to hang with friends and loved ones. They serve fantastic fresh cocktails perfect for the hot steamy days of S. Florida. Along with the fabulous cocktails and delicious hors d'oeuvres that evening, there was a fashion show and the night closed with the amazing voice of KJ Denhart. I'm adding JAZZIZ to my list of regular hot spots. Salud - Marita

St. Germain Cocktail Competition - NYC

I flew into New York last weekend as a guest of Cooper Spirits. Their acclaimed St. Germain Elderflower liqueur cocktail competition had finally finished and being very fortunate to have had my submitted cocktail win a round of the contest I was there for a shake off.

The competition was hosted at acclaimed cocktail bar Employees Only, and only 12 were allowed to compete for the cash prize. The competition was stiff.

Taking a dip with your favorite spirit - What happens in Vegas...

(And I don’t mean swimming with a bottle of vodka)
Welcome back. Hope everyone had a great 4th of July Holiday!!! I surely did.
OK, this is a little off the beaten path but something that can be useful behind the bar as well as at home. Here’s the deal, I’ve always included some form of alcohol in my cooking whether its drunken pasta boiled in wine, a beer sorbet or bourbon burgers but lately I’ve been so busy I don’t have the luxury of cooking for myself. Now it’s a strange request when you ask the waiter if the chef can sauté the shrimp in mango rum so spare yourself the cross-eyed looks. Instead, you can try these very simple and tasty dessert ideas. 

Back to the Glamour Days - Welcome to Miami

Happy 4th of July!!! Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to see Alice Russell, one of the UK's hottest singers at the Delano's Florida Room. From the soulful, jazzy music to the master mixologists behind the bar; not to mention my ever so dreamy companion for the evening, you could not have asked for a better night out on South Beach.

Walking into The Florida Room takes you back to an era of glamour and class of Miami Beach that the South Beach of today has made us forget. Mind you I am not old enough to remember!! All I have are the stories from my parents and pictures of the land that neon and velvet ropes have erased from our minds.

Best Drunk Guy Story

Hi, Ryan from Orlando here. I have the best drunk guy story to share with you. I was working at a lounge in a new condo building last year. It’s around midnight on a very slow Monday, last call is at 2. A guy comes in and pin balls his way to the bar. After a ordering a glass of water he asks for a Grand Marnier. After I made sure he wasn’t driving I gave it to him.

Me: “That will be eleven dollars.” and the dude gets mad.
Dude: “What!? You’ve gotta be f@#king kidding me!”
Me: “Nope, it's eleven bucks”
Dude: “I’m not paying that”
Me: “OK, then give it back, I’ll drink it”

The good part: The guy pauses for a second, looks at the drink, looks back at me and pours it on the floor and smashes the snifter on the ground. Didn’t say anything or look back, he just walked out. After what I just witnessed sunk in a laughed about it for about a week.

That’s a pretty awesome drunk guy if you ask me, but it's all part of the job. Cheers and always pay your bartender. - Ryan

CONDUIT RESTAURANT in S.F.

Happy Monday. If you are ever in San Francisco, you have to check out this fantastic restaurant called CONDUIT. CONDUIT is an ultra modern and sleek dining experience in the heart of San Francisco. Black wood tables and chairs and black tiled floors fill this 110-seat dining room. Steel, copper and bronze adorn the bar, walls and ceiling.
A few weeks ago, I joined Lead Barman Reza Esmaili and Executive Chef Justin Deering in hosted a Cocktail Dinner during S.F. Restaurant Week. We hosted a multi-course dinner matched with Partida Tequila cocktails to showcase San Francisco’s vibrant cocktail culture, and of course, our delicious food. Reading the menu was enough to make your mouth water. Salud - Jacques

The Cigar Bar - The Colorado Rockies

Since the introduction of the smoking ban in Colorado on June 1, 2006 there has been a period of adjustment in the hospitality business. Many small neighborhood bars that relied on a clientele of smokers have had to rethink their business plan to stay alive. Although it has been difficult on the smoking public, it has opened a number of new places to go for non-smokers, whom before wouldn’t have ventured into places that were notoriously smoky. As other bars conform to the new playing field, a loophole in the law has allowed a small number of bars to continue to allow smoking. One such place is my bar, Cigar Bar in Lakewood. 

Friday Night Live Concert Series - Windy City Post

The summer cocktail season is finally here for die hard Chicagoans. It’s not easy to have only 3 months of summer with 9 months of pure endurance. Chicago patios are open and cocktails are being served all over town. I recently attended the Friday Night Live Concert Series at Joe's. Every Friday night, Joe’s Bar partners with Chicago Sport & Social Club and Partida Tequila to sponsor a live band concert. They invite local artists and provide them a venue to perform their talent. Joe’s has multiple rooms and a large outdoor patio where they hosted the first band last week with 5 more to go. The cover band rocked the house while Partida Margaritas were being served all around. I can’t wait till the next concert. If you are in Chicago, this is the place to be on Friday nights. Salud - Alex 

Bartending from An Old School Bartender

I am not sure if this is happening in other cities, but it’s certainly happening in Austin and other cities in TX. I can't tell you how many times my friends and I have asked ourselves,"Where are all the good bartenders?" Many of us think the good bartender is a dying breed. This is what I think a good bartender should be:

1. When you are behind the bar, it’s not all about you. You are in the hospitality business and you must provide good service with a smile!

2. When you are busy, take multiple orders at once, not just the order of the person in front of you. More than half the time, people are ordering the same drink(s) and you can mix several at once. It will make you a faster bartender and make your life easier. 

3. Be personable and friendly. Introduce yourself and ask for your customers' names. Take pride in your work (back to Rule 1!). 

4. Your shift doesn't end when you serve your last drink. Make sure your bar is clean, well-stocked and ready to go for the next bartender. A clean, organized and well- stocked bar is a happy bar.   

5. Give your customers an extra level of attention by introducing them to premium spirits or your favorite drinks. Customers will appreciate the fact that you are going out of your way to make their experience a little better. Remember, going to the bar can be both a fun and educational.    

Bartending is not just about serving a drink; it's about making the most out of every customer interaction. Salud from an old school bartender. - David

The Mexican Mojito

Happy Friday!!! Summer is here and I have a great new cocktail recipe for you to try this weekend. It's light, refreshing and delicious. Nothing bets sipping a Mexican Mojito by the pool on a sunny afternoon. Cheers – Anthony Alba, Master Mixologist, Liquidity Global, Las Vegas

Mexican Mojito
2.0 oz Partida Blanco Tequila
1.5 oz Partida Agave Nectar
4 lemon wedges
4 lime wedges
10 mint leaves
1oz Club Soda
Muddle the fruit, add ingredients and ice, then stir gently. Served in a rocks glass.

Bombay Sapphire Gin Immersion - L.A. Happenings

It's been a busy few week in Los Angeles. Bombay Sapphire invited around 20 of LA’s elite mixologists to an immersion at the Edison in Downtown LA. Milo Rodriguez flew in from Miami to host a tasty "Cocktail to Start", a little history and education before the crew was let loose on the bar. The best part of these functions is catching up with old friends and making new ones. The pictures tell the whole story. There are also plenty of fresh fruits & veggies and fresh squeezed juices for us to play with. Thanks to Aidan Demarest, Director of Beverage and Spirits at the Edison for the invitation. Cheers - Damian