bar-log = blog

old tom gin - a metaphysical convergency

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 05:30:56 +0400

This post is not as other ones. It didn’t flew directly to me...
There were multiple occasions, which formed the idea of the content.
Old Tom Gin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Old Tom Gin (or Tom Gin or Old Tom) is a lightly sweetened Gin popular in 18th-century England that now is rarely available. It is slightly sweeter than London Dry, but slightly drier than Dutch/Holland Gin/Jenever, and is thus sometimes called 'The Missing Link' [1].
The name "Old Tom Gin" purportedly came from wooden plaques shaped like a black cat (an "Old Tom") mounted on the outside wall of some pubs above a public walkway in the 1700s England. After a pedestrian deposited a penny in the cat's mouth, they would place their lips around a small tube between the cat's paws. From the tube would come a shot of Gin, poured there by the bartender inside the pub.[2]
Old Tom Gin was formerly made under licence by a variety of distillers around the world; however one was recently relaunched by Hayman's distillery based on an original recipe.[3] The first written record of Old Tom Gin being used in the Tom Collins cocktail was the 1891 book, The Flowing Bowl: When and what to Drink.[4]
[edit]

• There was the gin workshop of Angus Winchester, just last month. Obviously he needed to touch the subject Old Tom. I mean, this is what the rave is all about for the moment...
•
• There was the discussion of Kaiser Penguin about the Martinez cocktail, which is an original Old Tom cocktail.

• There was a couple years ago the generous gift of Triobar Mike, who send me a small bottle to try Old Tom gin.

• There was my fascination about authentic oude genever and even more: long aged corenwijns.

Well - we are always talking about “one” Old Tom gin. Have a look what Wikipedia says besides.

If we are talking about Old Tom - if we are comparing new variants or if we discussing about its use in cocktails, we are talking about a very floral and rather gentle expression.

And this is what I actually experienced, when I tried Mikes sample.

But I have the feeling that: This is a lie!

Why do I have this strange idea?

Well we are talking about Old Tom gins, which were decreasing in use and popularity - these were Old Toms from the end of the 19th century.

And?

This time, the base alcohol was already produced by the patented Coffey still. It didn’t needed anymore sugar additives, because the base was already quite clean and neutral.

So these were not the typical Old Tom gins, which were typical for the era before the “invention of the continues still”.

In my “thought experiment” Old Tom supposed to have a different style. It supposed to be much maltier, as the base alcohol was produced in a pot still - from barley malt.
It supposed to be rather like oude genever, though with more complexity, as the Englishmen used more botanicals as the Dutch. I even would think of more sweetness, as sugar in a heavier distillate is doesn’t have the same effect as in almost neutral alcohol.

We would need to calibrate and to experience cocktails completely new... we would need to try to understand mixology from this time another time.

One of my potential trend spirits for the next year[s] are: obviously the different Old Tom gins [hopefully somebody produces also the earlier type of the Good Old Tom] - but even more: Korenwijns.
This would suit very well to the historian cocktail trend, as well as to the unbroken trend of malts and the raising interest of gins.

Close to my [German] heart, would be also Steinhäger - which is kinda German gin. This is a quite robust spirit - interesting fact is, that it is the only “similar to gin spirit” which actually utilize juniper in the mash - not only as botanical!
Unfortunately is largely produced in a strength of 38% abv which is not really good for mixing. The guys might think, to change their strategy [to target 60 years old and above] and target the GSA bar lobby...

Well, I drifted away. But I hope you got the point: more interesting as another gentler gin for vodka drinkers, or another juniper bursting gin, or another floral but still neutral “New School Old Tom” would be Old Toms or alikes, with more personality and which are showing more of their base alcohol.

what the heck bars have to do with the iPad?

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 19:19:01 +0400

Again a little unintelligible post... I mean, it is a bit weird...
Anyway - finally this is my website, and I can be as eldritch as I wanna be, can’t I?

I read an article on gizmodo.com about the iPad: many people are complaining [wether they are developers and complaining about the closed ecosystem of the Apple product or the rest of the spectators, which are complaining about the same thing, though doesn’t even have a reason to do so].

I like the product. I actually love it. And this because of one main reason: besides of the fact, that it is just sexier than all competing tablets, Apple always is more a consumer product as its competitors. You mustn’t be hacker, or PC tinkerer to operate a Mac. And the iPad brings this idea even further.

Think about a car. It is long time ago, that most of us don’t tinker anymore their new car. A car comes nowadays as complete product - nothing important has to be added or tinkered or adjusted.
So PC should come ready, and if it needs to be updated, this supposed to be automatic...
The iPad is very much like that - and I love it for this.

What does everything has to do with bars?

I am honest - I drifted a bit away. One idea when I thought originally about this post was, to point out, that the iPad is the perfect product for an interactive bar menu. Well it needs to be a lot of tinkering before, but it is fast and snappy enough, and I’ve heard, that the PDK is easy enough, to make applications, even if you are not a master in programming...

But no, I don’t want to talk about an interactive menu system.

I want to talk [again and again] about an closed ecosystem. The difference between Apple and other PC producer is the limitations Apple keeps and nurses.
Since a long time, Apple didn’t offered a PCMCIA port - despite the fact, that most competitors have one and a lot of people are asking for. Or Apple dropped the VGA port very long time ago. Or Apple didn’t offered anytime [at least a physical] second button for the mouse.
Even the MacOS [operating system] is quite straight forward. There are a fair amount of plug-ins, open standards which are not supported.

With so many restrictions, you might think, that the products are quite inimical to creativity.
Though wait: Apple is known as one of the most creative company.

Well the bar industry is very similar to the Windows world. Everything is allowed, all ideas or standards are compatible, unattached to the facts, if these points are beneficial for the product, if they are risky or are even harmful to the concept of the bar.

The bar is a world of freedom, in which everything is possible, but nothing really counts.
Maybe it is the more extreme than freedom: anarchy.

Is that favorable? If you ask me: I am a free mind, but I oppose anarchy. Anarchy is utopia; anarchy [without victims and turmoil] cannot be reality!
So often I don’t really feel comfortable if it comes to bars and what they are doing.
Hell, I don’t even feel comfortable, when I see what I did before, few years back.

Often it is not about pointing fingers - the bartenders didn’t had rules or regulations and trespassed against them! On the other hand: often they are marketed as specialists and gurus though still make quite poor drinks - which are against all [not existing] rules for a good and classic drinks.

What I mean is, that we would need an organization like Apple, which is putting up rules and regulations - which not oppose innovation, but still isn’t hooked up of every [absurd] trend.
An organization, which defines levels of knowledge of [different levels of] bar staff and even can propose training modules.

I don’t expect a hype similar to Apple’s - though then the quality of bars would become much more consistent - and innovations would become more sustaining.

And well... then we can still work on the idea of using the iPad as an innovative, interactive bar list.

habanosommelier competition

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 13:08:06 +0400

It was early... the competition on Sunday started at 10:00 in the morning; a time I am usually deep in my dreams and even sheep aren’t disturbing my well deserved resting time...

14 more or less experienced participants [including me] mingled in the Casa del Habanos JBR in Dubai with the sales executives of Baqer Mohebi and few other guests and spectators.

First of the agenda of the day was the test. Half true / false questions, half open questions, this questionnaire really challenged me [as well as the others]!
Not that the questions were overly difficult - moreover there were quite unexpected topics.
e.g. How is the machine, which sucks air through the cigar to check the correct draw is called? Until now I have no idea! Is it called sucking machine???
Or what are the four different classifications all Habanos brands undergo? As the different markets have no special name, the question was for overachievers, but not for the knowledgeable cigar servant...

When we were finished, most of us felt quite horrible... For me it was clear, that even if I would take the first place, the participation of the Festival de la Habana was unrealistic - as you had to achieve 90 points [of 30 maximum points in the written exam and 70 maximum points of the practical test].

For the practical demonstration I was second...

So after the first person came back from the first floor [torture room] I also packed my things and went up.

I found a quite uncomfortable setting: a table with two chairs with the test persons and opposite the jury.
Well this was manageable - but then I saw the humidor! And I freaked out. I expected half of the 8 different cigars supposed to be save bets. Cigars which you would have almost in every humidor. Cigars like Montecristo No.2 or No.4 or Edmundos, like Cohiba Robustos or Siglo VI, puros like Romeo y Julieta Churchill, Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona, Punch Punch and so on.

I don’t need to tell you know, that there was not one of these reputable cigars. I cannot recall all, but it was a Punch Robusto Edicion Regionales, a Trinidad Fundadores, a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial, Partagás Shorts, San Cristobál de la Habana La Punta and Vegas Robaina Famosos.

My heart slipped deep into my trousers! Usually San Cristobal La Punta is not a big problem - I am usually confused with the Fuerza - though at the end [if I am not so nervous] I put it right... not this time: I pointed out wrongly to the Fuerza.
I was so panicking, that I even announced the Partagás Shorts [I have those stoggies in my humidor] as Punch Petit Corona - c’mon Shorts are much shorter and well the label said Partagás not Punch!

I actually brought extra some wet towels for my hands to wipe my hands before service - and I forgot this detail!
Well - the presentation went quite well on, though I lit the cigar with cedar wood, which went out several times - it seemed that the wood was stored in the walk in humidor and was slightly damped.

When I came out, I knew exactly - no Cuba is not for me this time.

At the end I made the third place, after a lady from the Address Hotel Marina, which came to the Casa almost every day starting one week before the competition and exercised.

She even did over 90 points and will go to Cuba.

I hate to say it, but if I wouldn’t be such a lazy bastard, I would outshone every participant [maybe even Felix - who didn’t participate this time]. Though I am not.

My resolution for this year is though: to smoke more cigars, to be even more attached to the subject and prepare a little better before the next competition.

Lets see, if I am not too lazy to do so...

P.S. What bothered me the most:

The whole competition, from the first briefing to the final competition day, was much too much related to win the specific challenge in Cuba.
It really distracted the intention for the whole habanosommelier, to train better cigar service, better knowledge, more cigar culture in gastronomic venues.
It started with the briefing - Felix made it very good, to explain exactly, what the judges are looking for, what to mention, what to do and not to do...
 This was a big help for some - for others like me, it limited much to much my vision about the cigars.
I actually repeated the same scenario in the bar yesterday. The guests got a perfect service - but the guests mentioned “thank you very much for the training”. It was not meant negatively, but you don’t really want to give guests a lecture. Small talk and maybe the offering of a drink pairing might be more appropriate.
So the whole scenario is completely theoretically! In the competition you supposed to explain shortly every single cigar of the selection, ask the guests for their preferences and selecting and suggesting a appropriate cigar for the guests. Well- nobody really wants to know the details of every single cigar - at least not verbally presented!
Another thing was obvious. The guy in the competition wanted to have a prestigious cigar - which only let to the Trinidad Fundadores; though the lady was a beginner and just wanted to have an easy to smoke cigar. The jury expected that we supposed to select the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial - though this cigar has a giant girth! I know, that ladies [especially cigar novices] doesn’t like too big ring gauges! So I steered her away of this trismus resulting puro and offered here a Punch Robusto, which is much thinner and also shorter - less intimidating! I think, the selection of the target cigar was really wrong!

Last but not least the venue. The La Casa del Habanos is a great place to smoke a cigar [if you don’t like to drink alcohol - otherwise come to Cooz] - though it is a completely wrong venue for the competition. It started already with the practical test - when every participant had to take one table, though there wasn’t enough of those... it went on with the practical competition: the room for the jury and the table with the test persons were not comfortable at all. The spirits could not be opened, because of the lack of liquor license - the other participants had to be outside, because you could hear every word from the 1st floor downstairs. Please do it the next time in a hotel!

Another pity: there was nothing like a gala dinner or nice cocktail reception with the press at the end.
It was just not professionally - and in Dubai, there are a dozen hotel companies whose banquet department could make it a unforgettable experience for every person - participants, jury or spectator!

the blasphemy: a Taiwanese whisky better than scotches

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:33:26 +0400

Wow - this will piss off a lot of Scotch drinkers and supporters:
Kavalan Single Malt whisky - made in Taiwan, blew away its Scottish competitors with ease!
Please head over to Luxist.com to read the original post!

So what happened?
First of all the competitors: Langs Blended Scotch [2nd], King Robert Scotch, St. George Whisky and Bruichladdich X4+1.
Who the hell selected these unknown and somewhat crappy products? It is obvious, that a proper composed product will win against discounter products!
You might say that Bruichladdich is a mean malt - and you are right - though the selection of the X4+1 ensured, that even the Laddich wouldn’t surely win! It is a very young and unconventional product - IMHO purely a collectors and geeks whisky.

And what is Kavalan all about? Kavalan is Taiwan’s whisky distillery, though it is built by Banffshire and uses Scottish malt. There are not more informations...

Does this “incident” takes the credibility from Scotch? Very unlikely - to be honest: there are a lot of good malt whisky around in a lot of other countries: France, Germany, the US, even Canada...
These products can be fantastic... but how consistent is the quality - not of one product or brand, but of the whole region? And how much is sold? You’ll already have your answer: Scotch [like all regional protected products] is all about consistency, availibility and that you can be sure, to get an appropriate experience, if you consume it; though this doesn’t mean, that you want to try the lowest and cheapest stuff!

I really hate this headlines, which are hooking up the average Joe, but if you look closer, haven’t got any substance!

Please Kavalan - make another blind tasting with independent persons. But this time, you might choose, main competitors [for malts]; e.g. Glenmorangie “the original”, or the Balvenie 12 years old, or maybe Glenlivet 12 years old, or even Monkey Shoulder.
I don’t mean, that these are the greatest malts [and it is just a list of entry malts, which just came to my mind], though you have a malt, so you supposed to compare it with a malt! And you want to make a shocking headline - so you supposed to beat the benchmark products from the market - not the misery low end products...

This practice actually prevents me to try this whisky at all [anyway, it will be difficult to get it here in Dubai]. I really hate more and more the practices in the liquor industry... is there no more fairness and dignity???

first sessions of diageo world class in dubai

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:24:59 +0400

Guys - I hope, you know, that I am not brand obsessed. Or that I am a person, who to kneel down in front of people of whose others say that they are gurus.

Though I am actually really looking forward to the Diageo World Class competition.
It is because, it is not only a lame cocktail competition. No - it is a comprehensive program, where you can show, how good you are as host, as cocktail créateur, as spirit geek and as bar entertainer. Obviously it concentrates to award the really best bartender.

Lets not say, that the best will win [this you can really only do, e.g. in sports] - though it will show, who is really good...

Well - like said, the first session was with Angus Winchester, who is one of the best known personalities in the now global bar world.

Sunday was the very first session - hosted by Ravi a good friend and manager of the Buddha Bar Dubai. There were a lot of people around - I haven’t counted, but it was said, that there were around 150 of them! In the first minutes Felix and Russell mixed classic and contemporary drinks with Tanqueray 10 [by the way, I think Diageo, supposed to get first of all the menus in Dubai right: I think Tanqueray is the most wrongly spelled word here - and if it comes to Tanqueray No.10 I have even seen it as 10 years old...] .
For me it was a bit... dull - most of the people just stood before the two and made pictures and videos and tried and were just overly excited... well I was not.

After around 40 minutes, Angus mounted the stage and talked first about the history of gin, about hoaxes about gin, about Tanqueray and Tanqueray ten.
Then he mixed few contemporary gin drinks from cocktail-gurus around the world. Inter alia the Garden G&T, which was new for me - but a bit complicated to be a drink of my choice [T10, elderflower syrup, cucumber, mint, lime, tonic]. The Clover Club, I knew before - though it is only a good drink, if a proper raspberry syrup is used [for this application I love the new Monin fruit puree].
He also concocted a Basil Smash - one of the best cuisine style drinks I tried in the last few years!

After a few other drinks, like a Red Snapper he closed with a classic Martini Cocktail.

It was a good presentation and I have quite enjoyed the company of other bartenders in Dubai.

Did I learned something? Well... - not a lot. There were few touches, which I actually didn’t realized before. Not big things.
I was never so crazy about drink history. So it was an interesting note, that genever wasn’t invented by Sylvius de Bouve, as it was already documented 70 years before his date of birth; but it didn’t exactly rocked my world...

What have I missed? Honestly: that he kicked the bartenders into their butt [or into worse parts]. Angus is a nice person and he actually showed which options bartender have to prepare a drink.

This is a good thing, if you have seasoned and versed bartenders listening. But for most bartenders, it would be great to go back to basics.

Listen to me, Dubai: Go back to basics!

Back to basics!

Back to basics!

Back to basics!

We have a hell of a lot of 5 star hotels here in Dubai, with heavy frequented bars.
And in those luxury environment, barmen cannot deliver a constant level of quality of classic drinks.

Most bars are not able to make a decent Martini cocktail [cold enough but not over-diluted], or a Whiskey Sour, or a Gin Fizz.
For me, it simply doesn’t make sense, to talk about historic drinks and/or the last trends - if the simplest basics are not met.

==========================================

On Tuesday then, Diageo hosted another small event in Cooz bar. This was a bit a disappointment, as I thought, it would be rather a discussion than another “monologue” about gin.

Again Angus talked about history of gin and contemporary bartenders and drinks... Though a good chance of getting the opinions and perspectives of the brighter folks of Dubai’s bartenders was gone.

The short get-together after the sessions though was quite nice and I enjoyed it until my better half picked me up from the hotel...

MXMO XLV - Drinks with tea

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:08:22 +0400

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The first Mixology Monday in 2010 is hosted by cocktail virgin slut and tea is the topic, which sets it apart.
Lets first of all see, what Frederic from cocktail virgin slut has to say:

CocktailVirgin will be hosting this month's Mixology Monday, a monthly online cocktail party with a different theme each month. This month the chosen theme will be tea.

Tea has played a historical role in cocktails for centuries. Perhaps the best documented early example was its inclusion in punches as part of the spice role to round out the spirit, sugar, water, and citrus line up. Later, teas appear in many recipes such as Boston Grog, English Cobbler, and a variety of Hot Toddies. And present day mixologists are utilizing tea flavors with great success including Audrey Saunder's Earl Grey MarTEAni and LUPEC Boston's Flapper Jane. Now it's our turn to honor this glorious cocktail ingredient!

Here's how to play:

• Find or concoct a drink recipe that uses tea or tisane (a herbal "tea" which lacks tea leaves) as an ingredient. This can be hot tea, cold tea, tea syrups, or infusions and use it in a cocktail, punch, or other drink type. Be careful how long you infuse them (after 2 hours, things get really bitter!) if you go that route, and feel free to take a shortcut and use Beefeater 24 which has tea already in the botanical mix.
• Make the drink and then post the recipe, a photo, and your thoughts about the drink on your blog or on the eGullet Spirits and Cocktails forum.
• Include in your post the MxMo logo and a link back to both the Mixology Monday and CocktailVirgin sites. And once the round-up is posted, a link to that summary post would be appreciated.
• Post a link to your submission in the comment section here, or send an email to yarm-at-verizon.net

The due date is Monday, January 25th which I will interpret as whatever gets posted before I awake on Tuesday the 26th.

Cheers,
Frederic

Tea... that sounds interesting! Tea is highly aromatic with an astringent quality. And it is virtually everywhere on this planet consumed.

Though - you know me - I just don’t want to take a random recipe...

When I heard tea, I remembered the rather annoying time in Yekaterinburg. Tea is a very common beverage in the culture there. And it is usual to drink black tea in combination with Varenja - kinda berry jam - some people are dissolving it to sweet the tea - others are spooning it separately.

As I supposed to take care of the Fireside bar there, I created a drink, which was directly taking onto this ritual; the Fireside Sour.

Basis of this drink was blended Scotch - first, because Fireside is a whisky-centric bar - second because people like to drink whisky there.
Honestly - Russians are drinking quite a lot of whisky - especially those who can afford to drink it - vodka there [even the very fancy Russian vodkas like Kauffman or Beluga] is really cheap. Even a pouring spirit of an imported beverage, is more expensive as a premium vodka.
Hence Scotch is much more expensive - well and this is the point - Russians like to buy expensive things - if they can afford those.

Anyway - I infused Johnnie Walker Red Label [yes I would not use it normally - though we had quite a lot of bottles of it in the bar] with Lapsang Souchong - which is a really smoky black tea.
I’ve combined the tea infused scotch with freshly squeezed lemon juice and varenja syrup [varenja combined with simple syrup- much easier to work with] plus a bit of egg white.

This is a fantastic drink, smoky - whisky-y and fruity with a lot of froth of the egg white.
I like to spray some citrus oils from a twist. So you get rid of the egg white-y smell...

Never seen this method - though everybody is talking about egg white, though didn’t you ever recognize the light but definitely recognizable smell of it? This is not really appetizing. But with a twist, it will be al OK!

So here we are:

The Fireside Sour

5 cl Lasang Souchong infused Blended Scotch
2 cl instantly squeezed Lemon Juice
2 cl Varenja [Russian berry jam] Syrup
1/4 Egg White

Shake all ingredients very long and very strong with a Boston Shaker on whole ice cubes.
Strain into a pre-chilled ice cube filled tumbler.
Use a large citrus twist [lemon or orange] to spray citrus oils on top of the surface and garnish, the drink with it.

cigar business compared with bar industry

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:54:04 +0400

I am actually preparing a bit for the new competition: the habanosommelier 2010 - here in Dubai.
The competition is really demanding - the questions are difficult and the time to prepare yourself is short.

Though this is not the subject of this post. As Cuba is a kinda micro-climate for the cigar business, it is very interesting to take this business as example, how a controlled environment can sophisticate a product.

I think nobody can really argue about Cuban cigars and their quality! I think it is not necessary the individual product - a lot of non-Cuban cigars are absolutely great - it is more about the whole cigar infrastructure - the diversity - the philosophy, which sets Cuban smokes apart!

What makes Cuba so incomparable?
Due to the centrally planned economy in Cuba and the fact, that all are reporting to the exclusive Cuban cigar company Habanos, every single brand is obedient to the overall strategy.
That means, all factory sizes [vitola de galera] are absolutely the same - doesn’t matter, if Cohiba, Montecristo or El Rey del Mundo!
The production methods and the credo of authentic high quality and regional products are also shared of all brands!

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t judge the political consequences... but the result on the cigar culture is impeccable!

What we have in the bar business is an absolute free market - everybody can do whatever he/she likes! There is not even an overall agreement, that artificial colors and flavors supposed to be not used - or that fresh juices are the only appropriate choice...
That doesn’t make the individual cocktail bad - though it also means, that there is not a chance, to create a consistent, connoisseur bar culture!

And the bar unions and associations doesn’t make it better - as they usually don’t make rules - and in their competition quite bad drinks are winning.

If you are comparing, which points a product with controlled origin [AOC] would need to fulfill [and Habanos cigars wouldn’t have a big challenge to meet this expectations] I am asking myself, why it is not possible to make similar solicitations for bars & bartenders.

This might be a far stretch - but for me it makes perfect sense. Well I don’t mean, that a bartender would need to have a maximum and minimum size or has to be of a special origin - but the recipes, would need to be standardized, fresh produce when possible would need to be used! As well as specific services of a bar, would need to be a minimum requirement [e.g. complimentary water to spirits and dry, medium and sweet cocktails].

The lack of choices, makes a product better. This you can see, if you are looking at Cuban cigars [they are only using Cuban tobacco and only from the Vegas Finas de Primera, There are less than 200 sizes [vitolas de galera], which all cigars need to follow - the construction is more or less always the same, etc]. The overall quality of Cuban cigars is great! And you’ll know quite good, what you can expect.
For the moment, this is just a dream, if it comes to bartending. There are only very few bars on this planet, you know, what you expecting. Bars like Milk & Honey or Pegu Club. Even bars, which have a very good reputation, disappointed me regularly.

So we would need a kinda quality seal for the bar - very similar, to the habanos seal, you can find on any original box!