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Amateur Bartenders/ Mixologists here! (21+ only)

Discussion in 'Non-Dama Drama' started by Emil Apostol, Mar 11, 2018.

  1. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
    Philippines
    Note: Since this forum is dealing with alcohol, please be reminded of two things:
    -This thread does not condone underage drinking. Alcohol is only to be purchased and/or consumed by people above the legal drinking age for alcohol.
    -This thread also does not encourage negligent drinking and alcoholism. Please drink responsibly!

    That being said:

    Anyone here dabble in the art of making cocktails? I consider myself an amateur bartender/mixologist. I started because of a combination of my dad having an expansive liquor collection and my uncle giving me a complete set of bartending equipment for my birthday.

    I personally love bartending because of the ritual of the activity, and because I feel like an alchemist or a potions master while doing it. It doesn't hurt either that the finished product is delicious.
     
    Mar 11, 2018
  2. slothymane

    slothymane Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Austria
    I wouldn't necessarily call myself a mixologist of any kind but if there's a party I mostly end up mixing the drinks.

    Also I'm proud to say that I can mix some mean drinks based around Gin
     
    Mar 11, 2018
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  3. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

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    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
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    Ditto on parties. Whenever my family needs booze for visitors, I'm usually making pitchers and pitchers worth of mixed drinks.

    I'm more of a whisky guy myself, actually. Most of the liquor in my house is whisky, so that's where I started learning the craft. :)
     
    Mar 11, 2018
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  4. slothymane

    slothymane Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Austria
    my father has a pretty good whisky sortiment as he's half scottish but I'm not that big of a fan.
    there are some mild ones I like tho so I might develop a taste for it aswell
     
    Mar 11, 2018
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  5. xplodit

    xplodit Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2017
    Location:
    Memphis
    I’ve bartended before. These are some favorites:

    Tequila:
    El Diablo - roughly two shots tequila, half shot cassis, half shot of lime juice shaken, poured over ice top with ginger beer for extra sweet or soda for a little bit lighter drink.

    Whiskey:
    Sazerac (New World) - 1 sugar cube and about 4 drops Peychaud’s bitters muddled in a mixing glass, add 2 shots of Sazerac (whiskey not cognac) or other Rye Whiskey and stir. In a chilled old fashioned glass swirl about 4 drops of absinthe, Herbsaint, or Pernod around to coat the glass. Pour in whiskey from mixing glass. Rim the glass with a lemon twist and place in drink to garnish.

    Gin:
    Malhorta Muddle - In a mixing glass muddle 3 slices fresh ginger(1/8 inch wide roughly) with 2 shots of gin. Add an ounce of simple syrup or agave nectar, add an ounce of orange juice, and add juice from 1/2 of a lime. Shake the crap out of it, pour into an ice filled cocktail glass while straining out the ginger. Top with 2 ounces of ginger beer or ginger ale, garnish with a mint sprig or two.

    Now I’m thirsty. Enjoy!
     
    Mar 11, 2018
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  6. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

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    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
    Philippines
    My tip for that is to make a Whiskey Highball! Just top 2 ounces/ 60 mL of whisky with Soda Water and give it a brief stir. You get to appreciate the whiskey flavor without having to endure the sting.
     
    Mar 11, 2018
  7. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

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    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
    Philippines
    These sound delicious! Will see if I can try out that Malhorta Muddle. :)
     
    Mar 11, 2018
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  8. Cheech_Sander

    Cheech_Sander Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2016
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I used to barback and bartend. Great job. Fun, awesome money, but totally exhausting.

    My personal drink is a nod to my italian roots; a negroni, rocks. I typically use any london dry, but my wife introduced me to some nice Juniper forward gins from Finland (Hel Sin GiN and Helsinki Dry) that are awesome. Always use Antica (cheap vermouth will ruin the drink). I see places barrel age theirs, but I actually don't like that. Ice is your friend in this drink and always.

    For a japanese/kendama inspired drink, try a Hibiki sour. Hibiki japanese whisky, lemon juice, honey, and egg white if you like froth. shake hard and strain into martini glass. garnish w bitters and a lemon twist. Serve with a yellow POP!
     
    Mar 11, 2018
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  9. xplodit

    xplodit Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2017
    Location:
    Memphis
    I’m really interested in trying some Chinese wine and whiskey someday. I’ve heard it’s some of the best in the world, but most are rarely exported. Anybody happen to savor these flavors, perhaps on a trip for a Kendama tournament?
     
    Mar 11, 2018
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  10. goenKendama

    goenKendama Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Location:
    Metro Manila, Philippines
    Did some bartending back in college as a part time job but molecular mixology always looked interesting after seeing some here in Tokyo. (can't find the video of the guy I saw)

     
    Mar 12, 2018
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  11. Qonnor

    Qonnor Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2017
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Ooh y'all are hitting all the classics! I bartended for a while in college then had the privilege of helping manage a little bistro in my college town. While I was there I got to experiment a ton and even put some drinks on the menu which had always been a dream of mine.

    The sazerac has always been one of my favorite cocktails. It's simple, elegant, and you can tell a lot about a bartender by the way they make it. The same can be said of an old fashioned, but while an old fashioned mostly brings out the beauty in a good whisky, a sazerac completely transforms it.

    Negronis are also one of my favorites. I'm a big campari fan, and I love the way it plays with a good botanical gin. I also love the boulevardier as I feel like it, like a negroni, does something beautiful to a good Rye Whisky. That said, I'm super wary of ordering anything with vermouth in it at a bar since most treat their vermouth like a spirit rather than a wine. Any time I see vermouth come out of a bar rail instead of a fridge I cringe a bit.

    All that said, I'm a big of fan of Tequila cocktails. Any combination of tequila or mezcal and a marascino liquer or even amaretto is fantastic to me. A guilty pleasure of mine has always been two shots of tequila, a shot of disaronno and an amaro cherry. We also served Margaritas for a bit at the restaurant in collins glasses topped with prosecco and those were heaven.

    Have y'all watched much of Jefferey Morgenthalers stuff? He owns a couple amazing bars in downtown PDX and I absolutely geeked over his whole philosophy for a long time. His stuff is well worth a watch, plus the cocktail in this video is amazing. I got to have one made by the man himself last year and it was a treat:

     
    Mar 13, 2018
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  12. slothymane

    slothymane Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Austria
    Oh snap just noticed that the Title says (21+)
    the legal drinking age for beer wine etc here is 16 and for vodka, gin etc 18 so I guess I'm in the clear here haha
     
    Mar 14, 2018
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  13. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
    Philippines
    Don't sweat it bro! I only put the 21+ warning to discourage irresponsible drinking and/or avoid trouble. If you know what you're doing, by all means enjoy the conversation! :)
     
    Mar 20, 2018
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  14. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

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    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
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    Morgenthaler's videos are awesome! I actually made a variation of his Jägerita a while ago that adds an egg white and brown sugar instead of simple syrup. I call it the Jägermeister Sour.

     
    Mar 20, 2018
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  15. KeeganS

    KeeganS DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2016
    Location:
    Boise, Idaho
    Tipsy Bartender on YouTube has some unique and really cool drink tutorials.

    Modern Rogue on YouTube also has a few unique and very standard drink tutorials that most bars and bartenders would know how to mix (ex. Manhattans, Old Fashioned (in regular and jello shot form), Caipirinha, Spicy Margaritas, etc). There's also an episode of what standard 5 bottles every at home bar should have.
    They also have a few episodes dedicated to learning more about certain alcohols (namely beer and whisky) and a couple on how to make your own alcohol (pruno, which is a drink not recommended at all, and mead, which is totally recommended).
     
    Mar 21, 2018
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  16. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
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    I subscribe to both channels! They have awesome content.

    Personally, I also watch the youtube channel How to Drink. They're not very active as of late, but their cocktail videos are super well made!
     
    Mar 22, 2018
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  17. KeeganS

    KeeganS DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2016
    Location:
    Boise, Idaho
    Now that I've gotten my promotion at work, once I start bringing in more money I definitely want to try my hand at a few of the drinks both have posted up on youtube.
     
    Mar 22, 2018
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  18. Emil Apostol

    Emil Apostol DS Legend

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2017
    Location:
    Philippines
    Aside from kendama, I am a big whisky/whiskey fan! Anyone else share a liking for the water of life? If so, what's in your glass today? :)
     
    Mar 21, 2019