Good day everyone
Today I am going to talk about what it takes to make a good cocktail.
Like everything in life there is a special ingredient. There are many people that talks about the secret ingredient; in success, in food in relationships and so there is a secret ingredient in cocktails too. Can you guess what it is? You got it, it is love or passion. Without a passion for cocktails, a love for making tasty drinks you will not make a great cocktail, period.
I have worked in several different bars and many times I worked with really fine bartenders but they were not true mixologist or liquid chefs. Yes, I said chefs because just like a culinary chef, you, as a mixologist, are making something from a bunch of ingredients that someone is going to consume.
I digress, the point I am getting at is that every single bartender that I worked with in the same bar at the same time, were using the same recipe as me. They did not vary a single drop from what I did because well honestly, we used a premixed cocktail, so they couldn’t have varied from what I did but yet, many people rather ordered from me because they enjoyed the drink I made more than the same drink some of the other bartenders made. Why? Because I have a passion for what I do.
Just like the greatest chefs in the world you need to have a passion for what you do as a Liquid chef. Without passion you will make a good cocktail if you follow the recipe and have all the tools but you will not make a great cocktail! People can even taste it in a cocktail when you are sick or in a bad mood; that is if they know you and what you are capable of as a mixologist. So make sure that when you are about to take a journey into the world of cocktails, you have the passion to do so, otherwise you will not succeed as a Mixologist.
To become a true mixologist you must, beside passion, have a creative streak/instinct. Why, you may ask? Because you must be able to imagine what different flavour combinations taste like and create new cocktails, with flavours that makes sense. I have worked in a bar where we used different fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, essences and amazing syrups not to mention the array of fresh juices and liquor. We had to be very creative in that bar because other than to follow recipes we had to come up with fresh ideas and we also had a BYOC (build your own cocktail) section for the guests. We had to be able to help people in making the correct choices as to mix drinks that makes sense. So the creative mind had to kick in. The same as chefs, it is not called the culinary arts for no reason.
There is a lot more I can say but I want you to come back so I will stop here and I will ask of you to leave a message or note if there is something on your mind. But before I go I am going to share a recipe with you, two in-fact of the same cocktail. One classic version and one modern version. Make them both and see which one you like best. I bet you it will be the classic.
Classic Margarita: the classic margarita got its origins not in Mexico but in Great Britain or more specifically, The United Kingdom Bartenders Guild. It is a simple drink yet it has complex flavours and very easy to make to your taste. If it was too sour simply add less Lime juice or too strong add less Tequila or too sweet add less cointreau.
1.5oz Tequila Blanco
0.5oz Cointreau
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
or just mix to taste
Shake well with Ice and strain into a Martini Glass
Modern version of the classic margarita: This is the one that we are all very familiar with and associate with Mexico. You can make this straight or on the rocks or, you can make it frozen.
1.5oz Tequila
0.5oz Triple Sec
1oz Lime juice/cordial
1.5 oz Sour-mix
Shake and strain in margarita glass with salted rim/add to blender with ice and blend until smooth pour into glass with salted rim.
Of-course you can also make flavoured Margaritas by adding the mix or juice but better yet the fresh fruit that you want the flavour to be instead of sour-mix, sour-mix is but a lemon&lime flavour. My favourite is mango.
Either way Enjoy!!
Remember this: Mankind’s only limitation lies within the development and use of his/her own imagination.
Thanks
Everhard Smith
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