TALK DRINKS

Fruity cocktails count as health food?

"Fri, Apr 20, 2007 WASHINGTON, (Reuters Life!) - A Study finds a fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, U.S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday. Adding ethanol - the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits - boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found. Any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

London Calling (Part 2): Partida Tequila hits the UK.

I was very proud to be part of Partida Tequila's debut in the UK. The London & UK Bartenders are hooked on 100% Agave Tequila and love to use it in their cocktails. Tequila has a huge growth potential in the UK & Partida Tequila is spearheading the movement of premium Tequila and educating the industry on the 100% Agave Tequila category. We launched Partida on Wednesday 6th June at the London Bar show. We had a demonstration stage where I was lucky enough to share the stage with some very talented Tequila aficionados. Julio Bermejo from Tommy's Mexican Restaurant & The Ambassador for Tequila to North America shared his Knowledge of Tequila with fellow Ambassador of Tequila for Europe, Thomas Estes. The crowd of bartenders and Bar owners could not get enough. These two combined make up a superpower of Tequila  facts and they are both huge fans of Partida. Henry Besant from the WorldWide Cocktail Club in London and I demonstrated and educated the packed audience on Partida cocktails....

Cocktail Crawl in S.F. (FoodBuzz)

Check out this great video about cocktails in San Francisco and Tres Agaves.

http://www.foodbuzz.com/videos/us/california/san_francisco/26445

London Calling (Part 1)

I have finally recovered after a whirlwind trip to London to take part in the London Bar Show and help launch Partida Tequila in the UK. London is undoubtedly the Best Bar city in the world right now and it is a pleasure to spend time with all the talented, passionate and creative bartenders. It is an even better experience having them make a few cocktails. Every year in June, London’s Earls Court is the host to the UK Bar Show. This is a two day exhibition featuring all Sprits & Beer brands. The days are filled with wonderful educational Spirit & Cocktail seminars. It has truly become an international show with experts from around the world attending and hosting seminars. I ran into many friends from around the US who also attending the show....

Food & Tequila Pairing in Washington DC (June 25th)

The Liquid Chef, Inc.’s (Junior Merino) philosophy behind cocktail and food pairing is to raise the awareness of the balance and harmony of artfully executed cocktails. A well-balanced cocktail is like a well-made dish where every ingredient is elegantly showcased without masking the flavor of the main spirit/ingredient making a harmonious impression.

A cocktail should not ONLY complement a dish but they should complement each other and enhance the consumer’s experience. The cocktail should be balanced, using fresh and the best ingredients to allow the art of cooking and mixing show off the talent of the Chef and the Mixologist....

Cocktails in the Big Easy

I have finally made my pilgrimage to the fine city of New Orleans, arguably one of the birth places of the cocktail. I was lucky enough to go to New Orleans to host a presentation for the Hilton Hotel on the importance of a "Fresh Cocktail" program.

After the presentation I had a couple of nights to explore the city and go on the hunt for a few Sazerac's and any other tasty cocktails I could find. New Orleans is a city filled with a great drinking history. First, I found The Napoleon House (est. 1797) and had a Pimm's Cup. They have been famously serving this great drink since 1914.....

Rayuela (SOHO, NYC)

Last week was the grand opening of a hot new lounge called Rayuela in SOHO/Lower East Side.  This sexy new Latin-American bar is complimented with delicious food, awesome Latin beats and an excellent drink menu, which I helped create.  I was at Rayuela for their “soft opening” on Wednesday night mixing up all my favorite drinks like the Mescal Cocktail, Pina Partida (see below for recipe), and my signature drink, Coming Up Roses. We had a superb turn out and a great time was had by all.  Salud – Junior

You can read all about Rayuela in the Street Grub section of New York Magazine or in the RareDaily.com.
http://nymag.com/daily/food/2007/06/rayuela_mixologist_junior_meri_1.html?ftr-promo

http://www.raredaily.com/food-drink/rayuela_restaurant_nyc/

Rayuela
165 Allen Street (bet. Stanton & Rivington)
New York, NY 10002

"Top 10 Bartenders" - Beverage Journal (June 07)

Congratulations, Jacques and Junior, for being selected by Beverage Journal as “Mixologists to Watch: 10 Up and Coming Bartenders”.  You are both outstanding bar chefs and we’re proud to have you on our team. – Gary Shansby, Chairman and CEO, Partida Tequila

Please click here to read Beverage Journal’s “Mixologists To Watch: 10 Up and Coming Bartenders” article. (PDF 434k)

Pina Partida

Last Thursday, I was hired by the employees of Deloitte to teach them how to make trendy cocktails. The event was a lot of fun and very rewarding. We made four cocktails and a non-alcoholic drink, and everyone loved each cocktail we made. However, the favorite of the night was the Pina Partida cocktail, which is made with Partida Tequila Blanco. Please send below for the full recipe.

Pina Partida
2 slices of English Cucumber 1/4 inch thick
2 chunks of pineapple
2/8 of a lemon
1/3 oz Partida Agave Nectar
1 1/2 oz Partida Tequila Blanco
1/2 oz Sprite

After consulting for a few years, I have realized that people are always looking to learn something new and looking for a new experience. As Mixology gains more popularity people want to know more about it. Salud – Junior

The Importance of Customer Satisfaction

One of the most important keys for me in bartending is the opinion and satisfaction of my guests. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if we make the best cocktails but whether or not they meet the approval of the guests. A major part of satisfying the guest is to create a new memory or experience associated with the cocktail they are about to consume. For example, I use seasonal ingredients, Latin flavors, ingredients, herbs, spices and products from around the word to create unique combinations and concepts. These are concepts my guests would have never thought possible. They then take that with them, a memory of that drink experience. Salud - Junior