back to basics

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!

cool down in the heat

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

the caipirinha is the national cocktail of brazil, much as the mojito is to cuba and the martini to james bond. it is a delightfully simple cocktail to make, and tastes absolutely refreshing. it is traditionally made with cachaca (pronounced ca-sha-sa), the national alcohol of brazil (fast facts: there are over 4000, some say 5000 brands of cachaca in brazil; 1.3 billion litres of cachaca are produced in brazil yearly with only roughly 1% being exported) lime, and crushed ice.

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.