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Our other choice is taking what we can from the culinary garnish world, like:
~Have fun!
Google the best bartender books. Reading is soo helpful & each different book will have alot of info on different topics & techniques. Gotta own Death & Co.
Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607745259/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_J6H1BRQ2HFJ45K32RW20
My all times favorite “learn to make drinks” book is Cocktail Codex. It is an intro to basic classic cocktails and tons of variations ranging from basic to complex. Great for beginners and experts alike. Bonus it is a beautifully made book and is a great coffee table book as well
I work for a private bartending company and bought this bar bag last year from Amazon. For someone who has a lot of bar equipment to transport it has come in handy for sure. The exterior is virtually waterproof which is good for use behind a bar. I also ended up exchanging the tools it came with for some of my 'more trusted' equipment-such as the jiggers and pour spouts which were plastic and on the cheap side-however the rest of the gear (aka 12" muddler etc) is extremely sturdy and metal. And the knife it came with is amazing!!!
Uber bar Tools Boston Bar Roll Deluxe, Black and Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016HW000Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.hXXAbKSYJ2B6
These have been the best thing I've found. They take a bit of work to get a lot made, but they are clear and they keep shape well.
The one thing I suggest is to fill them most of the way then get them to the freezer and top them off using a funnel once you get them in. Otherwise you have to be perfectly still to move them and that never happens.
Sphere:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7QZG0K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Cube: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N215Q1Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Those are beautiful. For a disposable option, I use these. They are super sharp and hard (cheap, too!)
While I think you're typically right about the kits, I will say that I got this one when first starting out, and I still prefer the shaker, stirring spoon, and Hawthorne strainer that come with it. Those alone are well worth the price of the whole thing, and I do get some use out of the other pieces. That being said, the jigger that comes with it is only useful with drinks that call for whole-number ounces of ingredients, which is frankly not a lot. The OXO jigger mentioned above is my favorite because it comes with a 1/3 ounce measurement, which is surprisingly rare to find.
Don't know where you are, but Amazon USA has a 375 ml bottle of olive juice/brine for $15 and free shipping.
I highly recommend this great read from David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum
The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails
There are more in-depth books on individual spirits, but this one gets us 95% of the way there.
That would probably work. I'm not familiar with that product though. On Amazon, I found this product which says it's a mojito in a bag. Is that the same idea as the mojito in a can?
I recently purchased this juicer and I do recommend it. It can handle much larger fruit than the typical handheld hinged citrus juicers, while being substantially easier to move and clean than the large freestanding juice presses. Additionally, the part that presses down on the fruit is covered, so it is less prone to making a mess by squirting juice out the sides, and I find that it is substantially more efficient and leaves less juice in the fruit. The pour spout is also very handy when pouring into a jigger. It is a little more difficult to clean than the smaller juicers, so if I'm just squeezing a single lime I'll grab that, and if I'm juicing dozens of fruits I'll use the press, but for most jobs I use this style now.
For home use, there's no reason to spend more than for this 11-Piece Boston Cocktail Shaker Set. $32, 4.7* rating, free shipping and holds up to professional use. Save your money for ingredients. Booze ain't cheap.
Came here to recommend this. Great choice.
With your culinary focus, you might also like The One-Bottle Cocktail where the emphasis is placed on utilizing fresh ingredients to make syrups, shrubs, etc.
The 12 Bottle Bar is what you're looking for. The authors min-max everything to the nth degree. They break things down so you can go with 3 or maybe 6 bottles. There's also an old website they published long before they published the book. 12 Bottle Bar
Me is more like, wanna do the thing that I do the best! And I only can make good coffees not the best. For bubble tea, I couldn’t find it artistic.
I’ve got another book which is trying to convert Sun Tzu s Art of War for business, I recommend it.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Small-Business-Competition/dp/0814433812
Link is here, and good luck on that! I believe that it’s gonna be beautiful.
What technique are you using to do the layering? I normally use a bar spoon like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Pattern-Morphine-Bartender-Cocktail/dp/B07QBJ6ZQH
The non-spoon end of it has a flat disk. If you pour your liquid down the handle, the disk disperses the liquid so that it doesn't mix when it hits the liquid that's already in the glass.
Alternatively, you can bend the head of a regular spoon (that you don't want any more), and pour your second liquid onto the back of the spoon.
Also from the minds of Death and Co (in addition to Cocktail Codex), check out Welcome Home. They help you apply their pro principles to your home bar. I’ve picked up a number of great tips from it.
Probably Cocktail Codex. Most books these days have their own variations or twists on the classics, I think cocktail codex does a pretty good job of explaining what the variations are and why they made them.
Meehan's Bartender Manual is also very good, but might be more industry oriented than you're looking for as a hobbyist.
I am also a beginner and I bought this book about 2 months ago.
The Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails
I personally use these and I love them. Syrup comes out at the right rate, doesn't make a mess, and is well sealed. The size is also perfect to get through in a reasonable amount of time. I have 3 I keep consistently (simple, demerara, and ginger) and will rotate the other 3 bottles with new concoctions. They also provide a large pipe cleaner so they're easy to clean. I also try to include an ounce of high proof spirit in the bottle to help keep it more stable.
Is it something you want to paint the glass with, or incorporate it into the cocktail?
If it’s just the glass I’ve used this in the past: Rainbow Dust Metallic Food Paint... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BDTS1SK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Eventually, it’d begin to peel, but usually by the time the cocktail was finished.
Between xanthum and Arabic, they’re usually ingredients that are used together. Arabic to emulsify and incorporate a food safe paint, but honestly that and the paint would taste like shit. And the xanthum stabilizes the emulsification, but again doesn’t taste good and could create weird textures in the drink if it wasn’t precisely measured out.
If it’s something to color the actual cocktail, have you looked into luster dust? A little goes a long way for adding color, and it kind of shimmers in the light. The shimmering may be good or bad for your cocktail, but it works.
Otherwise look into colored liquers that make sense flavor-wise.
I would say try the Bombay. Fee Brothers bitters aren't ango and they're great.
I think, - and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, that 'aromatic' is usually what a company calls it's take on ango-style. So they will probably serve in the absence of true ango bitters. Bitters aren't terribly difficult to make though. This book has recipes for tons of them. The 'BTP House' bitters recipe in this book is how to make passable ango-style bitters at home.
They aren't perfect of course, but with some experimentation you could end up with some interesting bitters of your own invention. You'd at the very least have something interesting about yourself for conversation, lol. Here's the book: https://www.amazon.com/Bitters-Spirited-Cure-All-Cocktails-Formulas-ebook/dp/B004KPM12G/
For beginners? Without a doubt, Gaz Regan's The Joy of Mixology and Jeff Morgenthaler's The Bar Book, in that order.
When buying products to make drinks and stock a home bar it is important to get ingredients that can be used in many different drinks and tick as many boxes as possible. It can be expensive ti get everything at once but the options become so much more. I would avoid getting super cheap "off brand" but entry level branded spirits are often fine.
Vodka, Gin, rum are a must, with tequila and cognac as options. A triple sec (orange liqueur), and an apricot liqueur. Also good to have sweet and dry vermouth (shelf life is not huge on these though, and should be in the fridge). I would also look at angostura bitters and peychaud bitters, maybe an orange bitters.
Alongside these alcohol products I would make myself a sugar syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water, reduced until dissolved) you can use this same process to create grenadine and orgeat syrup. Then just juices, lemon/lime as needed and any carton juices needed.
I would also recommend downloading the app "perfect drink" " you can input all the products you have into your cabinet in app and it will tell you what you can make.
Of course this list is quite large to buy all at once but with all these ingredients you will be able to make a vast amount of drinks, and the more diverse product selection you have it is then more about replacing a few things than having to buy lots every time.
Elite Gourmet EFD319 Food Dehydrator, Adjustable Temperature Controls, Jerky Herbs Fruit Veggies Snacks, BPA-Free, Black 5 Trays https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BSQZ2LS/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_HWH12FQ0B2AACY3X0CNC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I've never seen a comprehensive recipe book for shots. We mostly have to know the classic shots (B-52, Woo Woo, Kamikaze, Red Death, etc) by heart. Tipsy Bartender probably has this kind of stuff locked up. Just search for "shots".
Two books that I use for reference when consulting are:
We're not looking at altering technique here, but at changing ingredients. The foam is created by denaturing (in this case lengthening) proteins through the physical work of shaking or blending. This traps air, creating tiny bubbles. The most obvious sources of proteins, typically used by bartenders, are egg whites and pineapple juice (enzymes are proteins).
If we're defining fizzy as effervescent, increasing the viscosity of the cocktail can help your cause. This has typically been achieved using gomme syrup (made with Gum Arabic (acacia gum).
You also might want to make your shaken cocktails in smaller quantities. As Harry Craddock once suggested, our cocktails should be consumed while still laughing at us.
Two books reach publication this month...
David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum edited the The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails; 864 pages of, well, what Dr. Dave does best. The cocktail/spirit nerds among us rejoice. Many have been looking forward to this tome's arrival.
Alex Day has added a third book to his franchise; Death & Co Welcome Home: [A Cocktail Recipe Book]; over 300 pages, 600 recipes and a thorough guide for the home cocktail enthusiast and rookie bartender alike.
If I can make a suggestion these bottles are perfect for simple syrups. The spout is the perfect size for getting a steady flow, I never get too much or too little. The 250ml is also perfect for when I want to do a small batch of an infusion, since it comes out to 1/3 of a fifth.
Absolutely this. Got there before I could...
Death & Co is a really great read, I'd also recommendTristan Stevenson and his books - really helpful and some golden bits of knowledge in there. This one specifically:
The Curious Bartender - Tristan Stephenson
Best advice I can give from my personal experience, is sack off paying for this education. You can do all the learning DIY.
It would also help to find a bar or employment (if your in the industry) that caters for creative and high quality drinks as your passion and enthusiasm will be picked up on and developed. It's easier to develop those skills further if you put yourself in an environment that supports that, however only really applies if you are in hospitality.
As a starting point, I'd recommend learning classic cocktails as most modern drinks are twists, or variations of these drinks. Learning the cocktail families is also a really good information to know, it'll help down the road.
11-piece kit. $40. Prime shipping. Lifetime warranty. 4.8* Holds up to hard pro use. What's not to like?
Perhaps grab a copy of the The Flavor Bible.
Beet-Rhubarb
Tomato-Basil This and the previous also allow for more savory profiles
Strawberry-Rhubarb
Lavender-Rhubarb
Strawberry-Basil
Plum-Chilli
Maple-Ginger
Pear-Ginger
Cardamom-Pear
Apple-Ginger
Blackberry-Thyme
Kiwi-Lime
Tart Cherry-Vanilla
Cranberry-Orange
Citrus (grapefruit, clementine and/or lemon)-Rosemary
Ginger-Orange
Pineapple-Jalapeno
Elderflower-Mango
Blueberry-Ginger
Raspberry-Peach
Careful w/ that muddler for leafs. Dont tear leafs. Lightly press just enough to extract a smell. That muddler is better for fruit smashing. Bar spoon is decent. Id buy a mixing glass for stirred drinks
Hiware Professional 24 Oz Cocktail Mixing Glass, Thick Bottom Seamless Crystal Mixing Glass https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MKMGLZR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_66Y8NNGTYQ670ZDCW3VT
Some. I recommend:
Brad Parsons' Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
It provides an entire look into maceration and infusion.
Amy Stewarts' The Drunken Botanist is our friend. It's more than worth the few bucks it costs.
I'm not quite sure I understand your question, however. You really want to know what's water vs alcohol soluble, not fat soluble, right? We don't mix with lipids all that much.
In general, fatty compounds (lipids) are insoluble in water and require alcohol (an organic solvent). The rest work much better in water. That's why, depending on what we're infusing, 100 proof NGS is typically the go-to.
Monin provides a natural raspberry concentrate without any added sweetener.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07845X3BJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_VxUeJf5L2rOvq
They have several other flavors, including mint, basil, and other herbs, as well as fruits, berries, nuts, and one-offs like oak barrel and cucumber.
I have only tried the raspberry and the cucumber, both were great.
Everyone is always learning and experimenting so have fun with it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R03ZCZS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Something like that for home ice and a nice heavy gauge shaker set and you can make basically anything.
Can I nab a 50% off coupon for 3 bottles? I stumbled upon this thread after totaling up my order for 3 bottles (Original/Bacon/Pumpkin) but Withco has you beat... 32 cocktails for $20
I would maybe try something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000DCS18/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_jaG6FbBVQRM95
Essentially it uses inert gas to replace the air in the space in the bottle; the idea being that it will oxidise less.
My preffered method: spray the inside of the glass with an atomizer filled with the vermouth, then pour the gin.
As other people said, keep lemons and simple syrup around-- both are very cheap. (Get a juicer for your lemons to make the most out of em.)
As for whiskey, there are three types: bourbon, scotch, and rye. My very dear favorite of the bottom-shelf brands is Old Evan Williams, a bourbon. (Yes, I am cornfed trash.) Bulleit does both bourbon and rye and is a step up... a lot of bars go through this stuff like crazy. Get to Costco if you can-- their selection is a little small but always very cheap. I know they have Bulleit rye, and the Kirkland scotch is pretty smooth and something like $20. Maker's Mark is a step more expensive still, but it's good. Sometimes you can find a bottle at Trader Joe's for $25-30 which is totally worth it.
Finally! Cheap whiskey, like cheap wine, improves if you put it in a decanter. I have this one, which also comes with some lovely matching rocks glasses that are the perfect size and weight for a whiskey drink. Keep your whiskey in the decanter and a couple of the glasses in the freezer, and you're golden.
ETA: use Amazon to pick up any cheap home bartending tools you might want (for now, the decanter plus a shaker and small juicer). I've gotten all mine from there and they're perfectly serviceable.
As much as I love Creme De Violette, and messing around with Butterfly Pea Flower tea, look no further - I've got the sauce.
If you want a seriously purple drank, you need ube extract. If you've ever had taro bubble tea, it's a similar flavor. I highly recommend this recipe for the Commodore Daiquiri from Brian Miller, tiki legend and owner of the Polynesian in NYC. Image of it here.
1 oz Pineapple infused White Rhum Barbancourt 1 oz El Dorado White Rum 1 oz Lime juice .5 oz cane syrup (I use 2:1 rich cane) 1 teaspoon orgeat (recipe calls for Orgeat Works Heavy Duty Orgeat, but that's hard to find these days unless you're working at a top-tier bar. I'm using BG Reynolds currently) 5-6 drops ube extract
Stirred, not shaken!
All IBA official recipes plus a few others right at your fingertips.
Unfortunately we are android only at the moment. Any suggestions are appreciated.
As far as bar ware, you could get him a good jigger. This is my favorite jigger that I use all the time. For something with better aesthetics, I also have this bell jigger
I haven’t used it but I see “Seed” advertised a lot.
Edit: seedlip! Seedlip Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirits Sampler (3 Bottles) Grove 42, Spice 94, Garden 108 - 700 ML Each https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QFYCV3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eaPcFb6VFT857
You should check out reviews of that brand from outside Amazon, and if they don't exist outside Amazon, no dice. Sets can be okay as most of the equipment is a little ubiquitous, but you should buy at least your shaker separately and give it some thought because that's one thing you really don't want to be faulty.
I bought this one from Piña Barware and I love it, it's good and hefty, great seal, great quality, one piece inside with no corners or creases. It'll last me ten years. I've had other cheaper Boston shaker sets and I would never ever go back. They stop sealing, or they're too light, or they're too small. Don't compromise on the shaker tins!
I went for this and I really can't complain: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01MFHD6WB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wue.Eb69AVGNJ
It's a link to german Amazon, but I guess you'll basically find it worldwide.
And well it's kinda pricey but I have it for quite some time now and have always been happy
A few questions:
Where are you buying limes? If there's a Mexican grocery in you area, try there. In my town, limes are WAY cheaper at the Mexican grocery than they are at the Kroger.
What are you juicing them with? A hand juicer will do all right but a juice press like this one will get you more juice per lime and faster processing for batches of them.
As for whether bartenders juice limes all day, the answer is no--we do a whole bunch all at once at the very beginning of the shift. I do about four pounds at my bar on weekend days.
It is absolutely worth having fresh citrus juice to make drinks. If you go to bottled stuff the quality dropoff is pretty steep.
This isn't the kit but it has all the same stuff that came with mine, I have a Boston shaker with the glass.
CucinaPrime 13 Piece Stainless Steel Professional Bar Set (2 Cocktail Shakers, Jigger, Speed Opener, Waiters Corkscrew, Strainer, Long Bar Spoon and 6 Black Bottle Pourers) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VCBL8GQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hv-uAb5ESV3YN
A Centrifugal Juice Extractor! They're not cheap, but there's something magical about being able to throw in a beet or a ginger root and get a pure liquid extracted instantly.
I learned the hard knocks way but The Craft of the Cocktail is a great beginners book.
Right now I'm checking out some of the recent books that have come out about the history of San Francisco cocktail culture.
High Spirits: The Legacy Bars of San Francisco about drinking establishments that have been open for >40 years.
and
Drinking the Devil's Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and Her Cocktails about SF cocktail history with a focus on 7 cocktails of historical import to the area.
I have my eye on a new book that releases tomorrow, Oct 13th. Here is the Amazon link. It chronicles another Manhatten bar, Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, with special emphasis on unique creations like Death and company and extended discussion about absinthe. http://www.amazon.com/The-Dead-Rabbit-Drinks-Manual/dp/0544373200/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1T9TMZ973EJ0GG24R1VK&dpID=51zcEo0oo3L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_
Buy this book. Best place to start for building a home bar.
The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles. Hundreds of Cocktails. A New Way to Drink. by David Solmonson
I helped my brother out with this at his wedding. He used something like this:, and had two drink stations with two different flavors each. The sangria was mixed up the morning of in large glass mason jars, just the fruit and wine, not the soda. There was a fridge near by just for the sangria and someone was responsible for mixing the wine/fruit with the soda in the dispensers whenever they ran low. (It was pre-done so that one jar of mix plus one bottle of soda made a batch). In my opinon, Sangria is best when the soda is freshly added (not hours and hours before, it will go flat)
I'm working on a forthcoming (relatively) upscale California beach-side tourist town seafood-focused restaurant's beverage program, so I'm revisiting Beachbum Berry Remixed for some Tiki-related inspiration.
Also, just got the new issue of Imbibe in the mail the other day, so I'll probably flip through that a few more times.