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bartending and flair performing can be very enticing (not to mention it always impresses chicks no matter what they say, i'm a chick so trust me); but before you get to all that, it's important to get rooted to foundations.
shown here is the boston shaker, this particular one is the Rosle Boston Shaker which you can buy from Kitchen Etc. you can also opt for one without measurements on the glass and that can be obtained pretty easily here from a shop called Sia Huat on Temple Street. they stock many household and bar knick-knacks and you can always find what you need there.
there are other types of shakers such as the cobbler shaker which is a three piece shaker, and is easier to master than the boston shaker although it seemingly takes more time to make a cocktail. i'm gonna focus on the boston shaker because it's the one that's most used in bars, and just because it looks cooler and gives you more street cred.
using the boston shaker is a simple mix, slap, shake, and strain strategy: mix all your ingredients into the glass, turn the glass over into the metal tumbler and slap the glass bottom so the tumbler and glass meet and seal with a satisfying 'thwup' sound, shake vigorously (not to worry, if you've slapped your glass right, there shouldn't be a drop even threatening to leak) to give your ingredients a good mix, hit the two pieces apart, and lastly strain your cocktail out into a presentable cocktail glass.
a couple of things to note are:
1. when shaking, be sure to keep hold of the two pieces, not just holding on to one piece and having the other fly away into your guests.
2. always smile when shaking.
3. when hitting the two pieces apart, give a good whack with your hand at the slant where the glass is resting on the metal tumbler.
4. when straining, pour out of the metal tumbler while using the rim of the glass as a strainer; that said, some cocktails do not require straining and your cocktail can be simply poured out of the tumbler.
shake it away!
since it's been so incredibly warm the past week, i thought i'd throw in a recipe to one of my favourite summer chillers to sip on while you melt away in the sweltering heat.
CAIPIRINHA (pronounced kai-pee-rin-ya)
image taken from www.sambagrill.no
to make your own cachaca, you'll need:
2 ripe limes
2 barspoons of sugar
50 ml cachaca
crushed ice
simply wedge the limes, drop them into your glass, add the sugar, muddle these 2 together, add the crushed ice and shake in a shaker, pour them out into a rock glass and top up with more ice.
spotted on design blogs and websites everywhere, the italian make Jerry Lamp is touted to be virtually indestructible; made of nontoxic hypoallergenic silicone (what???) that is unbreakable and never hot to the touch. it can be hung just about anywhere from the hook at the top, and you can easily replace the light bulb through the opening at the bottom of the can. oops, lamp.
it's perfect for the kids room, but also, perfect for your crazy house party! leave these lying on the ground with nary a concern about the lamps even cracking.
imagine the lamps with weak light bulbs poetically scattered around the garden at your cosy cocktail party; an artistic and modern take on candlelight.
get your own from Design Within Reach for only $50 (U.S. currency i believe, reduced price because of summer sale; usual price at $145), light bulb not included. the lamp also comes in white. DWR ships from the states and is currently unable to ship worldwide, but i'm sure you smart folks out there would be savvy enough to work around it.
i recently went for a cocktail session by Belvedere at china one which opened my eyes to the world of vodka, and one of the first questions that popped up was where the true origin of vodka lay.
ask a polish where vodka originates from, and they'll tell you poland; ask a russian where vodka originates from and they'll tell you russia and add in that poland used to be part of russia.
i'm just going to leave it up to you to decide.
vodka is a clear distilled spirit, and commonly made from grain such as wheat or rye, potatoes; i guess technically you could also make vodka from bread. it's popularity i believe lies in its versatile and relatively neutral taste which allows it to be manipulated in many cocktails. take Smirnoff for example, a fabulous housepour, good with anything from diet coke to freshly squeezed juices; but i would not drink it straight, chilled or otherwise.
the debate on the birthplace of the largest distilled spirit category is never ending, though it can be largely agreed that the warmth running through the body from the burn of vodka was largely used as protection against the cold throughout poland, russia and the scandinavia; a liquid antidote for the harsh, squalid environment of the chilly northern and eastern europe.
[perhaps a reason why vodka is so widely available is because it is a relatively fuss-free alcohol to make and most importantly does not require aging; the scroungiest of us all can easily produce vodka in their own basement. producing vodka involves a basic process of fermentation, distillation, filtration, dilution and finally bottling; the processes of all the above do tend to get very technical to the untrained distiller and perhaps drinker, and justifiably deserves another post on its own.]
if you ask me, i personally prefer my vodka (and alcohol in general) mixed with juices or other liqueurs (i'm a real lightweight), but here's one that blew my mind away with its simplicity yet complicity both in taste and presentation from Bartistry mixologist, Zac.
Ultimat Chocolate Martini
40 ml Ultimat Chocolate Vanilla Vodka
Ice
1. Chill martini glass.
2. Fill tall glass with cubed ice.
3. Pour vodka into the tall glass filled with ice.
4. Using stirrer, stir the mixture till water level rises to half the tall glass.
5. Pour the diluted vodka into your chilled martini glass.
6. Serve with a stick of cinnamon.
the Ultimat brand is one of the more premium brands of vodka available in the singaporean market, a unique point about it is that while most vodkas are made from wheat, rye, potato, corn etc, Ultimat is one of the few made from potato, wheat, and rye. the chocolate martini blend of Ultimat vodka gives off a very strong chocolate scent that can be detected from behind the bar; which perhaps would put off the vodka purists.
if you're one who likes to drink vodka neat, from what i've heard, an excellent brand you should go for is Jean Marc XO (this is from the same house as XO cognac), a 9 times distilled, multi wheat vodka, which goes smooth and rich down your throat; a surprisingly delightful trickle of floral notes and spices.
speaking of Jean Marc XO and Ultimat, i come to the issue of premium and non-premium vodkas, many people would argue that vodkas are meant to be predominantly tasteless and neutral which accounts for the fact that it is such a dominant mixer spirit in bars, and therein lies the contradiction of different tastes in vodka or the reluctance to shell out money for a better vodka brand when the difference in taste is technically indistinguishable. to that, i'd have to say nay; there can be a difference in tastes of vodkas first based on the ingredients used for fermentation, for example, wheat-based vodkas is said to give a more spicy taste, while rye-based vodkas would give you a spirit that is more peppery etc. furthermore, high-end vodkas are generally easier on the palette (i.e. you don't fight for oxygen with the fire down your throat that follows after a shot), presents more tasting notes and is better drunk neat, while housepour vodkas such as Absolute and Smirnoff are better used in mixers that would disguise their harsh flavours; if at home you are using your vodkas mainly for mixers there is no sense in splashing your cash on a premium vodka, you're better off spending that money on expensive glassware.
at the end of the day, it doesn't matter where vodka is from, it's here to stay, in chilled shot glasses and fancy liquid concoctions; seated comfortably at the top of the alcohol chain, a long way away from its once less-than-glamorous beginnings.
If you'd like to find out more, please check out Shrine to Spirits, The Spirit World or Chowhound.com's disscusion thread on vodka.
this is the cutest thing i've seen in amsterdam, in a narrow (as spaces in the city usually are) shop along prinsengracht.
these glassware are ceramic (no, your peepers are not deceiving you!) cups designed to look like crumpled plastic glasses, and Rob Brandt has done a fabulous job. in fact, this discovery is what has propelled my interest in searching for quirky knick-knacks for my future home!
this is a small but great addition to your house party kit, and you can get your very own set from pigeonhole.
be sure to remind your guests that they are not disposable!
