Introduction
You can certainly see this in the media. The movies have always conveyed a “joie de vie” that comes with a respectable consumption of alcohol - think of James Bond ordering his “shaken, not stirred vodka martinis.” The TV show “Sex and the City” has made the Cosmopolitan one of the most popular drinks sold in bars today.
But even more evidence of this resurgence is seen in restaurants. Most restaurants now offer numerous variations on martinis including chocolate, apple, and saketinis. Margarita menus are found in restaurants that have never sold a tortilla chip.
If you need further proof, just go visit a liquor store and look at the variety of vodkas, (a new maple-sap one just came out) single malt scotches, or gins. Not only are microbreweries thriving – there are over 1,000 in the U.S. and Canada - but we’re beginning to see a boom in microdistilleries making high end gin, whiskey and other spirits. According to “The Wall Street Journal”, (May 5, 2004), “The small distillers are riding the coattails of the liquor industry, which is bustling thanks to the cocktail culture permeating the nation’s bars and restaurants.”
This renewed sophistication is not just restricted to spirits. The worlds of wine and beer have experienced an explosion in wineries and breweries. Numerous countries (Chile, South Africa, New Zealand) now produce delicious wines at relatively inexpensive prices. In the beer world, micro breweries are numerous and the word “artisinal” is now as associated with beer as with cheese or bread.
And we should acknowledge that some people like to experience the ambiance of the cocktail hour, but either don’t like the taste or the effect of alcohol. Bartenders are devising equally sophisticated non-alcoholic versions of popular cocktails.
While there’s a whole new world of taste to be experienced, there’s also confusion. I cater small events, usually parties held at someone’s house. Buying liquor and setting up a good bar has become an increasingly complex question for my clients. Even the old standby of just offering beer and wine has become complicated.
And the same confusion holds when dining out. While the new cocktails are really fun, and often quite delicious, they’re pricy. So it helps to have a pretty good idea that you’re going to really like a drink before you order it.
This course is designed to help you get around that confusion:
- First, we’ll have a primer in liquor types, all kinds of spirits. We’ll also discuss brands, and I’ll make some suggestions as to what to buy.
- There will be a short lesson in wine and beer, enough to allow you to choose wine and beer not only for a full service bar, but also to choose appropriately for a wine and beer bar or just for home consumption.
- I’ll present advice on how to set up a bar, including glasses and equipment. We’ll look at the types of liquor needed, and how much to buy for a basic bar, a luxury bar, and a party bar. We’ll discuss garnishing and presentation.
- Included in the course are recipes for both the classics and some of the new favorite mixed drinks. I’ve included enough alternatives so that you’ll be able to comfortably improvise and make your own “Joetini” or “Marytini.”
- And we’ll talk a little about how to insure that your guests and you take precautions against the potential downside of too much alcohol – whether you’re drinking it or offering it. Along the same lines, there’ll be some recipes for great non-alcoholic drinks.
With the instruction, the course will suggest several additional resources. We’ll have fun looking at some web sites. Liquor companies have designed among the most sophisticated and entertaining web sites around.
The books listed as resources will get you through even the most challenging questions. They’re also designed to be useful even during the pressure time when you’re behind the bar and someone just asked you for a drink you’ve never heard of, like the martini version called a Negroni (Fill glass with ice. Add one ounce gin, one ounce Campari, one ounce dry or sweet vermouth, stir, strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with a lemon twist) or a Death in the Afternoon (Add one ounce Pernod to nine ounces champagne. Do not stir).
One of my favorite authors has always been P.G. Wodehouse, inventor of such great characters as Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. He presents an interesting definition, i.e. that “Alcohol is a misunderstood vitamin.” So sit back, begin to understand and enjoy, and here’s a classic Irish toast to get us started:
May you be poor in misfortune
Rich in blessings
Slow to make enemies
Quick to make friends
But rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward
Please note: I do require that anyone taking this class be of legal drinking age.
Lessons
Click here to see course syllabus
