duke of braganza

1 3/4 oz Cachaça (Seleta Gold)
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano (Cocchi Americano)
1/2 oz Drambiue
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with absinthe or Herbsaint (Herbsaint), and garnish with grapefruit oil from a twist.

Two Mondays ago, I made eye contact with my bottle of Drambuie and I thought about the Prince Edward and the tequila variation that Misty Kalkofen made for me at Drink. When I began to consider what other spirits would work, I recalled how my Madame Mustache was originally crafted with cachaça before I turned it into a rhum agricole number in honor of the birthday of the person running that industry night. Instead of dropping in cachaça and calling it a day, I recalled how well an Amburana-aged cachaça worked in Sazerac, and I exchanged the Angostura and orange bitters for Peychaud's Bitters and an absinthe rinse. For a name, I sought out a famous prince of Brazil, and I learned that the Portuguese title was also known as the Duke of Braganza.
The Duke of Braganza offered up a floral aroma from the grapefruit oil mingling with the Herbsaint's anise and the cachaça's funk. Next, honey, peach, and malt notes on the sip carried a noticeable amount of body, and the swallow began with grassy, funky, and herbal flavors and ended with an anise finish.

adelita

1 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1 bsp Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lemon wheel (lemon twist).
Two Sundays ago, I returned to the Haus Alpenz recipe collection and spotted the Adelita that called for three of their products that I already owned. The bonus was that it was created by Carrie Cole while she was at the Hawthorne in Boston which would put it around 2013; the combination also reminded me of her Bird Bath at Craigie on Main even though there is only one ingredient in overlap. La Adelita is a famous narrative song about the Mexican Revolution that became the term for a female soldiers who were vital in overturning the government. Once stirred and strained, the Adelita shared lemon, violet, and a slightly peachy bouquet to the nose. Next, white grape was accented by nectarine notes on the sip, and the swallow showcased tequila with herbal flavors blending into sharper floral ones.

artichoke hold

2 oz Bourbon (Wild Turkey 101)
1/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
2-3 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with fresh ice, and garnish with an orange twist.

A few weeks ago, I had spotted a recipe in Imbibe Magazine online called the Artichoke Hold, but I paused on it for it shared the same name with Jeremy Oertel's drink. Then two Saturday nights ago, I was in the mood for a nightcap, and this Old Fashioned-like number seemed perfect enough for the moment to override my hesitations. Actually, it reminded me more of a Fancy Free with perhaps the Cynar subbing in for the classic's Angostura or a Bensonhurst without the dry vermouth. Therefore, I gave this creation of Steven Tuttle of Kettner Exchange in San Diego a whirl.
This Artichoke Hold offered up orange and nutty cherry notes to the nose that led into malt and a hint of cherry on the sip. Next, Bourbon was accented by nutty cherry melding with funky herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, my choice of Wild Turkey 101 made for a hot and aggressive drink until there was more dilution from ice melt with time.

the sex lives of cannibals

1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (Coruba)
1 oz Aged Demerara Rum (El Dorado 5 Year)
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Whip shake, pour into a Tiki mug, fill with crushed ice, "float" 1/4 oz allspice dram (Hamilton's), and garnish with freshly grated coffee bean.

Two Fridays ago, I thought about the pairing of coffee and Campari in cocktails like the Lodge Negroni and Lonnie Desoto. Soon my mind wandered towards combining two hallmark Tiki drinks that contain one or the other of those ingredients, namely the Mr. Bali Hai and the Jungle Bird, respectively. Given that there is overlap with rums and pineapple juice in the two libations, the only deciding factor was which citrus to use in the mashup; I opted for the lemon from the Mr. Bali Hai so as to keep a more neutral flavored acid source. Since allspice dram complements Campari in recipes like the Chester Rapkin and Negroni Grog and complements coffee such as in the 1919'36, I added it in as a top layer to cascade down through the crushed ice.
Instead of mashing up the names akin to the Mr. Bali Bird or other, I wanted something colorful and abstract like The Facts Concerning the Late Van Hagen & The Thirsty Man's Safari (but perhaps not quite so long), and I landed upon the The Sex Lives of Cannibals which was a travelogue by J. Maarten Troost about his time in the South Pacific. Once prepared, the drink greeted the nose with allspice and coffee aromas. Next, lemon, dark roast notes from the coffee, and a hint of pineapple filled the sip, and the swallow presented dark funky rums, coffee, and orange flavors with allspice notes entering the mix as the liqueur sank through the ice to get to the straw. Here, the Campari came across as less intensely bitter and more dark similar to the feel of Amer Picon.

one more that's it

1 oz Meletti Amaro
1 1/4 oz Four Roses Bourbon
3/4 oz El Dorado 8 Year Rum (El Dorado 5 Year)
2 dash Mole Bitters (Bittermens)

Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.
For a nightcap two Thursdays prior, I sought out the Brooklyn Bartender book where I found the One More That's It attributed to Rob Krueger of Extra Fancy. Once built, this rum-whiskey Black Manhattan-like drink donated a orange, caramel, and violet bouquet to the nose. Next, the amaro's caramel filled the sip, and the swallow proffered Bourbon, rum, and bitter herbal flavors.

island time

2 oz Rhum Agricole (Rhum Clement Premiere Canne)
3/4 Zucca Rabarbo (Sfumato)
1 oz Lime Juice
1 dash Scrappy's Lime Bitters

Whip shake with ice and pour into a double old fashioned with pebbled ice (shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe).
Two Wednesdays ago, I reached for Sother Teague's I'm Just Here for the Drinks and took note of the Island Time as a weird smoky Rhum Sour of sorts. Sother described his creation as "It's a lot like drinking a Daiquiri while enjoying a cigar." After having enjoyed the Sfumato Swizzle, it seemed up my alley. In the glass, the Chinese rhubarb in the amaro offered up a smoky element to counter the brighter grassy and lime aromas on the nose. Next, lime and dark earthy flavors on the sip transitioned into grassy, smoky, and bitter notes on the swallow.

lake city quiet pill

1 1/4 oz Amontillado Sherry (Lustau)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/2 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Scotch
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make a relatively low proof nightcap that Christine Fernsebner Eslao had posted on her Instagram a month or two before. Christine provided the recipe for the Lake City Quiet Pill that the bartenders at Backbar served her, and I believe that it was one of their creations; indeed, commenters on Instagram and on here have pointed out that it was the handiwork of Backbar bartender (now at Brick & Mortar) Amanda Greenfield. The drink name refers to the conspiracy theories regarding website-driven hitmen for hire; these tales of private assassination are best summed up by the mini-FAQ on a sub-Reddit LakeCityQuietPills that declares, "Some think they are a group of men and women operating as assassins through channels online. Others think they could be former military or contractors who like to keep in touch via unorthodox ways and some simply think it is a long-played hoax. And me? I don't know... that's why I created this subreddit. I want to know the answer to the who, what, where, why and when of Lake City Quiet Pills." Regardless, Scotch and Cynar have worked well in drinks like the Black Diamond Flip, Scotch and cacao in the Lord Bullingdon's Revenge, and Cynar and cacao in the Avenue A, so it seemed perfect with the fourth ingredient of sherry.
The Lake City Quiet Pill provided a woody spice and peat smoke nose that led into grape, malt, and darker notes from the cacao or Cynar on the sip. Next, smoky Scotch, caramel, and chocolate-herbal flavors rounded out the swallow. Hopefully, this quiet pill can lead to no harm now and in the future.

:: the need for a mentor ::

First published on the USBG National blog in July 2018; slightly adapted version here.

Throughout my bartending career I have frequently felt the need for a mentor. Usually this feeling is when I am approaching a crossroads or perhaps merely sensing the need for change and improvement, and a mentor seems like the easy out where someone will swoop down and tell me which direction to go. I have had many mentors throughout my bartending career, but none of them actually told me what path to take. Most of them were rather good at one or a few aspects of the trade and were willing to correct what they saw wrong, give advice when asked, or listen to my complaints and suggest ways of handling the problems. Countless times, these mentors did not even realize that they were teaching for I was observing their methods. Indeed, I have had mentors in how to welcome guests, how to patch up a bad moment and turn it into a good experience, how to deal with difficult coworkers and not be a dick; how to cut people off and kick people out with grace, etc. Many of the ones that I learned from excelled in only one or two things in my eyes, but they did that aspect of the job exceptionally well. Some I worked with (or for), but many that I learned from were my bartender and I their guest.

I recently watched an episode of Erick Castro's Bartender at Large series where he interviewed Giuseppe Gonzalez that hit on this topic. It was not even mentioned in the teaser description of the video, and I tuned into this one for I had met Giuseppe at my first Tales of the Cocktail in 2009 and bonded over the fact that we were both biology majors at the same university only a few years apart. I reconnected with him years later on Facebook after reading one of his long, opinionated rants and felt that I ought not miss more of what this man had to say.

As their banter drifted from bartenders who cannot think on their own for how to reinterpret drinks from the written recipe to taste better (or perhaps they shift the character of the drink too far to still be called the same thing), and Giuseppe got on the topic of mentoring. To wrap things up, Erick asked him for advice on how bartenders should create their own drink specs and riffs. In the last four minutes of the episode, Giuseppe griped that his workers complain to him after six months that they are not being mentored, and he explained that it is the [expletive] job. Giuseppe explained that Dale Degroff did not have a mentor – he just did it. True, Audrey Saunders was mentored by Dale, but she was independent and did both the research and the work herself as well. Giuseppe commands us to stop looking for mentorship. He suggests things: pick up a book, talk to peers, do the research, and grab bottles and experiment. Things come through work, repetition, and time. A bartender does not get that good from reading a book alone, but by holding down the job for years. Learn to listen and observe so as to do the job better over time.

At this point in my career, I am less looking for guidance in how to do the basics of the job, and more in which direction to take. While some bartenders have the advantage of well-connected bosses who set them up with the next leg of their career, most of us do not, and must rely on associates who relate needs and job openings, or perhaps utilize job boards for what is available. No one can answer the questions of what is the right next step for a person, but sometimes asking and looking around can show the opportunities and directions that exist. All too often, young bartenders hop from job to job without figuring out how to make themselves fit in better at the current spot. The continual hopping every few months inhibits the learning and growth that would likely make them better bartenders in the end. As Giuseppe proffers, hunker down and do the job and learn to do it better by repetition and adaptation.

This is not to say that one should not be on the look out for teachers, but it will often not be as formal as school (save for the first job, the first nights at a new position, or perhaps Barsmarts and similar classes). More likely, it will be from tinkering and figuring out things first hand or from observing someone doing something better and learning second hand and perhaps following up with asking questions or advice. Moreover, when the time comes, the favor should be repaid whether by offering sagacity or being willing to provide it. Becoming the bartender, bar manager, or owner with humility that people will seek out for guidance is definitely a solid end point in one's development.

Bartending in the 19th century was taught solely by apprenticeship. The 1860s saw the first bar books to come out, but it was not until Harry Johnson's 1888 bar manual that there were well laid out written instructions on how to do one's job better. These days, there are lots more books, articles, seminars, and videos to supplement the career growth that is earned the old fashioned way: on the job. One ought to utilize every avenue available; however, only some of the bartender's wisdom can be taught by a formal mentor. Determining the career path and when and where to move to still have to come from within to make sure that they are the right steps. The best that one can do is to try to take in as much knowledge from as many sources as possible and integrate them into how to improve at one's trade.

ninety-nine roses

1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin (Tanqueray)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Combier)
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with 5 drops of rose water (Mustapha's).
For the cocktail hour two Mondays before, I delved into the Brooklyn Bartender book and spotted the Ninety-Nine Roses. The recipe was created by Jonathan Kobritz at the Hotel Delmano, and the combination of apricot and ginger reminded me of the Queen Anne's Revenge. In the glass, the rose water in the Ninety-Nine Roses dominated the nose. Next, lemon and hints of orchard fruit on the sip preceded the gin, apricot, and ginger swallow along with a perfume-y rose finish.