Written by admin
on July 3rd, 2009
Setting up your own bar is actually quite easy to do. There are however, a few things that good bartenders need to know to run a bar efficiently. In order for a bar to succeed, you’ll need to have the basic wines, liquors, and spirits - along with the right equipment. Although these things are essential, bartenders also need the proper technique for mixing drinks and cocktails as well.
With bartending, the location of the bar is very important. The bar should be placed in an area that is easy to reach and provides plenty of space behind it. There should be plenty of room for glasses and drinks, along with a chair or two as well. The bartender has to learn the area behind the bar, and know everything about it. Bartenders need to know their area well - and how to perform their mixing duties when business heats up.
Another job bartenders have is knowing their drinks. Bartenders are responsible for serving and mixing drinks, which is a wide variety to say the least. It can be nearly impossible to know every possible drink mixture, why is why most bartenders use mixing lists hidden under the bar to help them know what goes in each drink.
Bartenders don’t have a lot of time to mix drinks, which makes it nearly impossible to read each and every label.To help with this dilemma, you can arrange your drinks and alcohol a certain way, in order to make sure that you know where everything is. This way, when business picks up and you find yourself short on time - you’ll know where everything is.
To become a successful bartender, or mixologist, it takes years of practice. There are several styles of bartending as well, including the well known and very impressive flair style. Flair bartending involves very impressive techniques and tricks, which will leave customers truly amazed. Flair is the hardest style of bartending to perfect, taking years and years of practice. Flair bartenders all around the world will tell you that flair brings the most crowds - although it can also cost a lot of money in broken bottles along the way!
Each and every bar should also have the basic spirits, such as Tequila, Vodka, Rum, and Gin. There should be also be fruit juices on hand as well, such as lemon juice, orange juice, and even pineapple juice.Barring exceptions most of the mixed drinks require juice, like screwdrivers - which are prepared by using Vodka and orange juice. Mixed drinks are very popular, making it essential for the bartender to be a good mixologist - and have the right materials on hand at all times.
A lot of drinks that bartenders mix will require special gadgets such as shakers, measuring cups, rinsing bowls, and straws. Shakers are the most commonly used gadget, as they are essential for mixing alcohol. Bartenders will also need to keep cloth on hand as well, to quickly clean up spills and wipe down the mixing area from time to time.
As a career, bartending can provide you with a lot of money. If you go to college and learn the techniques required for bartending, you can make more money than you ever thought possible. The job is high paying, a lot of fun, and a great way to meet new people. There are a lot of colleges and universities that offer bartending, or you can study online. No matter which way you go - bartending will be a lot of fun and will take you far in life as an exciting career.
Continue Reading Article
Written by admin
on July 2nd, 2009
Are you trying to find something new to do this spring? Do you care to learn more about the local wine industry? Are you interested in spending your hard earned money at a local business rather than sending it out of state or out of the Country? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I suggest you go to a winery near your home very soon. I recently read that there are now wineries in all 50 states so chances are there are some in your neighborhood.
There are many reasons to pack your wine tote and visit a local winery and now I’m going to share three of them with you. First, most local wineries offer free or low cost tours and tastings. You’ll have the chance to sample several different wines and then purchase only your favorites. You’ll also have a chance to check out the vineyard and winery and learn how they make the wine. Someone will be there to answer your questions and you might even be fortunate enough to meet the owner.
When you visit, be sure to pack your picnic baskets because most wineries have decks or picnic tables where you can sit down and enjoy a picnic dinner and a bottle of wine. Since wineries are usually out in the country, they offer spectacular panoramas of the surrounding areas. Can you think of a better way to unwind than with a romantic picnic in the country?
Another feature that many wineries offer are Saturday outdoor concert events. You can relax and enjoy some great wine as local talent shares their music with you. If kicking back isn’t your speed, many wineries offer dancing as well. Many let you bring your own dinner so call your friends, pack your picnic backpack and make an evening of it.
Make plans to go to your local winery this spring. You’ll find the surroundings relaxing and entertaining. Whether you go for a tasting and tour, a romantic picnic for two or an evening concert, you’ll have a great time and you may even find a new hobby.
Continue Reading Article
Written by admin
on July 1st, 2009
Absinthe is an anise flavor liquor which is made by distilling alcohol with herbs one of which is wormwood and aniseed. We know it is strong and can get you drunk easily, but what percentage is Absinthe and what is the proof?
Here are the alcohol by volume levels of popular brands of Absinthe:-
La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise 68% alcohol by volume (136 proof)
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or 65% alcohol by volume or 130 proof
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Jade Edouard 72% abv (144 proof)
Sebor is 55% alcohol by volume (110 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% alcohol by volume is 136 proof
Mari Mayans Collectors 70 is 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee Parisian 68% abv is 136 proof
Lucid Absinthe which is 62% abv is 124 proof
Jade Verte Suisse 65% alcohol by volume which is 130 proof
Pernod Absinthe 68% abv (136 proof)
Kuber 53 is 53% abv or 106 proof
Pere Kermanns 60% alcohol by volume or 120 proof
Jade PF 1901 which is 68% alcohol by volume is 136 proof
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% alcohol by volume (106 proof)
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
La Fee Bohemian 70% alcohol by volume (140 proof)
Let’s now compare Absinthe to other beverages:-
Whisky such as Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch 40% aby (80 proof)
Absinthe can be up to 75% alcohol by volume (150 proof)
Regular Tabel Wine 9-12% abv (18-24 proof)
Beer is only 4 or 5% alcohol by volume or 8-10 proof
The alcohol-information.com website has worked out that if you have one shot of 190 proof Everclear is equivalent to drinking 2.85 cans of beer and about 3 brandies. With this information we can establish that one shot of Absinthe is equivalent to two.25 beers. So, the 22 shots of Absinthe is equivalent to forty-nine.5 cans of beer!
As you can see, Absinthe is much stronger than types of fermented drinks such as wine and beer. We need to be careful when consuming Absinthe because it is so strong and will intoxicate quickly. We need to take particular care when mixing Absinthe with other alcoholic drinks in cocktails.
Care needs to always be taken when your are making your own Absinthe drink. When you buy an Absinthe kit like Green Devil then you are simply steeping herbs in a neutral alcohol such as Everclear or vodka. Everclear has an abv of 95% and a proof of 190 so it is much stronger than commercial Absinthe. Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com also have to be mixed with a neutral alcohol such as Everclear or vodka. The finished Absinthe will be whatever the proof or abv of the neutral alcohol you have used.
What is the percentage in Absinthe? For commercial Absinthe look on the bottle label or, if you are ordering online, look at the product details for abv or proof. If you are making your own Absinthe from a kit, you need to look at the bottle of Everclear or vodka that you are using.
Continue Reading Article
Written by admin
on June 30th, 2009
Most people find the whole thing rather daunting when they first start out wine tasting. Knowing about wine is something that takes time to learn but you should not be daunted by the prospect of being with more experienced wine tasters. Well you will never learn if you do not experiment with different wines and the best way to do that is with a wine tasting tour. You can learn all about the peculiarities of individual wines and the grapes. It will be explained how you can distinguish individual regions and teach you about each regions benefits.
You will see a wine taster start by decanting some wine and studying the wine as it settles. Next the wine takes a twirl around the glass while they look at the color and take in the scents given off before sipping a little to judge the taste. You will be shown all of this on Californian wine tasting tours and you will learn how to do it yourself.
After you have been on your wine tasting tour it would be a great treat for your friends and a chance to show off your knowledge by holding a wine tasting party. I doubt there is a better way to feel comfortable while wine tasting. Spending an evening with friends tasting and drinking wine teaches you about wine and is a very enjoyable way to spend an evening.
Judging a wines quality and understanding it’s features requires a lot of experience and that does take some time to learn. To truly enjoy a good wine you need to have a good understanding of wine and wine making. We can learn to identify flavors we get from a wine and know the ingredients used to produce it.
Most of us have little understanding of the wine making process beyond crushing grapes and letting them ferment. Anyone who loves wine would enjoy a trip on a San Fransisco wine tours where you will see different vineyards and learn how wine tasting requires you to pour the wine into a glass and use your senses to judge the quality of the wine.
It is important when you are judging the quality of a wine that you consider the look of the wine in the glass. The next sense we use is our sense of smell to examine the fragrance of the wine. This enables the wine taster to properly understand the nuances of a particular wine and an experienced wine taster can learn a lot about a wine from it’s nose. The scent of a wine says a lot about the grapes used and the production process the wine has gone through. You will also be able to figure out information about the way the bottles have been stored.
Wine tasting starts with us swirling the wine around the glass before we sip it. One sip of wine tells you a great deal about that wine and what made it what it is. Once we have sipped the wine we move on to get enough in our mouths to coat the whole inner surface of the mouth so the flavor is strong. They say that to get the maximum sensation of a wine while it is in your mouth you should draw in a little air.
Going on a wine tasting tour is probably the best way of learning about what makes a truly great wine and it will teach you how to appreciate the good wines available at the lower end of the price scale.
Continue Reading Article
Written by admin
on June 29th, 2009
How to make white wine is a question ask why many people. In fact the making of white wine has been a craft since the dawn of time, when grape stompers cheerfully made grape juice with their bare feet.
Then the machines took their place which extracted grape juice without all the mess and destruction of the fruit’s skin. Then again wine makers are still in the spot light during the whole flavor mix, which fits the consumer’s taste.
Preparation is the first step in white wine making, or any other wine for that matter. Get the grapes ready; see to it that they are picked in the prime of their life, as well as the perfect time of the day to be assured that there is balance between its sugar and acid content for the wine.
Carefully picking the grapes avoids it from bruising as well as from external organisms that may contaminate it. The cleaner takes care of unwanted pests, such as spiders, as well as dirt that are definitely not part of the brew.
Grapes are then put into a juicer that gently wrings out the juice from the fruit. Since this is the white wine making process, the fruit’s skin as well as its stem is removed before further processing. Adding acidic flavor as well as color to the concoction is not ideal in making white wine.
Fermentation begins when the juice is transferred into a stainless steel container. Since the juice contains sugar being that it is natural in fruit, yeast is added in order to transform these sugars into alcohol.
Some wine companies use the all natural yeast which would develop from the grapes themselves, or add cultivated yeasts that are usually added into the concoction. Usually this process in white wine making takes about three to four weeks to be completed. This is part of the process on how to make white wine.
During the fermentation stage, temperature must be taken note of because it contributes effects to the taste as well as the color of the wine. Maintaining the desired temperature may mean the use of cooling pipes to get the right feel for the quality wine desired.
Cold stabilization is a process that follows fermentation. The wine is cooled to almost its freezing point that would mean the demolition of what is known as the tartaric crystals. These crystals cause no harm to consumers, but this process is done just to be sure that the flavor is not affected, and that the consumers do not freak out upon the sight of crystals in their wine bottles.
White wine making involves the aging process, just like other kinds of wine. Aging is usually done in barrels, but now some companies utilize stainless steel containers that are oak laden at the bottom. During the aging process a bacteria is added into the brew that makes malolactic fermentation begin.
Since the brew still contains malic or sharp acid, this final fermentation’s bacteria transform these acids into mild acid, also known as lactic acid.
Oak is usually the primary material that the wine absorbs, giving it a smooth finish as well as an oaky taste.
Making white wine involves a few additional steps that would give it its crystal-like color as well as its smooth texture as compare to other types of wine. Basically, wine is just plain wine.
It’s up to you to find that wine that calls out your name and satisfies your taste, making you a happier person inside due to the health benefits; and outside due to your thriving social life.
Continue Reading Article
