Bar Book Elements of Cocktail Technique
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THE THE BAR BOOK ELEMENTS OF COCKTAIL TECHNIQUE JEFFREY MORGENTHALER with MARTHA HOLMBERG photographs by ALANNA HALE CHRONICLE BOOKS SAN FRANCISCO Text and illustrations copyright © 2014 by Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Photographs copyright © 2014 by Alanna Hale. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-4521-3027-9 (epub, mobi) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available. ISBN 978-1-4521-1384-5 (hc) Designed by Alice Chau The photographer wishes to thank Arlo Jamrog and Helynn Ospina. Chronicle Books LLC 680 Second Street San Francisco, California 94107 www.chroniclebooks.com This book is dedicated to the countless men and women all over the world whose bars I have sat at over the years, asking questions, borrowing ideas, and stealing recipes. It is your combined knowledge that fills these pages, and it is you who continually inspire me to work harder, learn more, and share with the rest of the world so that we can continue to keep growing this thing together. CONTENTS WHY I MAKE COCKTAILS, Gin and Tonic 62 AND WHY I WROTE THIS Ginger Beer 65 BOOK 8 Dark and Stormy 68 ANY GOOD COCKTAIL SPARKLING WINE 70 NEEDS THESE THREE ELEMENTS 10 French 75 71 I’VE ORGANIZED THE BOOK THE WAY I BUILD chapter n 4 MY COCKTAILS 11 SIMPLE SYRUPS 73 chapter n 1 SELECTING THE RIGHT 75 CITRUS JUICE 13 SUGAR MEASURING YOUR CHOOSING YOUR FRUIT 16 INGREDIENTS FOR SIMPLE SYRUP 78 CHOOSING THE RIGHT JUICER 19 SUGAR SYRUPS IN COCKTAILS 81 JUICING TECHNIQUE 22 House Old-Fashioned 82 27 CITRUS PROFILES Rum Old-Fashioned 82 28 Daiquiri No. 3 Oaxaca Old-Fashioned 83 Maple Old-Fashioned 83 chapter n 2 OTHER JUICES 31 chapter n 5 COMPOUND TYPES OF JUICERS 33 SYRUPS 87 IMPROVISATIONAL JUICE EXTRACTION 34 SWEET SYRUPS WITH 38 APPLE JUICE ADDED FLAVOR 90 Flannel Shirt 40 FLAVORLESS BUT PINEAPPLE JUICE 42 FAMILIAR: GUM SYRUP 90 Kingston Club 42 Gum Syrup 93 TOMATO JUICE 43 HERB SYRUP 94 POMEGRANATE JUICE 44 Mint Syrup 96 GINGER JUICE 45 FRUIT SYRUPS 97 98 FRUIT PUREES 46 Grenadine 100 Bellini 49 Jack Rose Raspberry Syrup 102 Clover Club 102 chapter n 3 Ginger Syrup 103 SODAS & Pineapple Syrup 103 MIXERS 51 Hotel Nacional Special 107 Oleo Saccharum 108 A HISTORY OF Philadelphia Fish House CARBONATION 53 Punch 111 56 Tom Collins ORGEAT 112 SODA WATER 57 Japanese Cocktail 113 TONIC WATER 58 SHRUBS 114 Quinine Syrup 59 Strawberry-Mint Shrub 114 chapter n 6 chapter n 9 chapter n 12 INFUSIONS, MEASURING 183 GARNISHING 247 TINCTURES & WHY DO WE MEASURE? 185 DROPPED GARNISHES 250 BITTERS 117 MODERN MEASURES 186 Daniel Shoemaker’s Brandied Cherries 252 119 MEASURING TOOLS 188 INFUSIONS Todd Thrasher’s Tequila por Mi Amante 122 SPEED AND FREEDOM 191 Pickled Onions 256 Thyme-Infused Cointreau 127 Vesper 196 VISUAL GARNISHES 259 Chinese Five-Spiced Dark Rum 128 chapter n 10 UTILITARIAN GARNISHES 266 Nocino 129 STIRRING & 268 Limoncello 130 RIMMED GARNISHES SHAKING 199 Margarita 272 WOOD INFUSIONS, A.K.A. BARREL AGING 132 AROMATIC GARNISHES 274 CHILLING AND DILUTION 201 278 TINCTURES 133 Sazerac 203 Cinnamon Tincture 134 STIRRING 210 Autumn Leaves 135 Martini INDEX 282 213 BITTERS 136 SHAKING 220 House Orange Bitters 138 Sidecar Revolver 140 chapter n 11 chapter n 7 OTHER MIXING DAIRY & EGGS 143 METHODS 223 CHOOSING THE BEST DAIRY BUILDING IN THE PRODUCTS AND EGGS 145 GLASS 225 CREAM 146 ROLLING 225 146 Alexander Cocktail SWIZZLING 226 Irish Coffee 150 Queen’s Park Swizzle 226 152 EGGS BLENDING 227 Cynar Flip 153 Piña Colada 229 154 Clyde Common Eggnog MUDDLING 230 161 White Lady Mojito 233 Caipirinha 237 chapter n 8 “MIXING” ABSINTHE 238 ICE 163 FLAMING DRINKS 239 Blue Blazer 240 165 HOW ICE BEHAVES FIRE FOR TOASTING 241 WHY ICE CLARITY Café Brûlot 242 MATTERS 165 FIRE AS CARAMELIZATION STORING ICE 168 TOOL 243 TRANSPORTING ICE 168 Spanish Coffee 245 HANDLING ICE 168 TYPES OF ICE 170 Mint Julep 176 WHY I MAKE It was just supposed to be a summer job, but when the fall quarter rolled around, COCKTAILS, AND the owners asked me to stay. And so I did. WHY I WROTE THIS I worked at the Tiny Tavern in Eugene, Oregon, for four years while I went to BOOK school, and that time spent behind the bar there, serving the same three beers every I’ll never forget the first time I stepped night, laid the foundation for a life-long behind the bar. It was the night of April 25, love affair with bars and bartending. 1996, which was a Thursday. I’d somehow convinced the manager to give me a job, I started my first architecture job the summer though I had no experience and was after I graduated. It wasn’t entirely full-time about ten times cockier in the interview work, so I kept a few shifts behind the bar to process than I was in real life—or a pay the bills. It was fine, and I was happy to hundred times more than I should have be finally working in the field I thought I been, given my limited social skill set. wanted to be in, but over the course of several years I realized that I’m not really the type to The place had been around since the repeal sit behind a desk. of Prohibition, with smoke-stained walls and Naugahyde booths. It was pretty rough-and- I also realized something else, something far tumble, over in the sketchier part of town, more important: bars, bartending, and cock- opposite the university district, where I lived. tails were my hobby. I found myself coming I was nervous as hell, and my hands shook as home every night and reading up on classic I wrote down every order for the only drink cocktails. I spent my time at work online, we served there: one of three beers on tap. bidding on out-of-print cocktail books, rare That night, and for pretty much every night bar tools, and even rarer liquors. I had cock- the first summer I spent there, at least ten tail parties and regaled my friends with tales people told me I was the worst bartender of the daiquiri, sidecar, and Manhattan while they’d ever seen. we sipped and swilled. But I honestly didn’t much care. I was at the Eventually it became clear to me that my real University of Oregon, getting my degree in interest lay in spending time behind the bar, interior architecture, and bartending at night and I slowly phased out the architecture— to make some money, meet some ladies, and much to the chagrin of my friends and have a little fun. Little did I know the job family. I became involved in the world of would grow on me, and that I would begin restaurants, climbed higher and higher to grow on those people who thought I was up the ladder of fine dining, and learned the worst bartender ever. more and more every day about the craft of tending bar. 8 THE BAR BOOK / ELEMENTS OF COCKTAIL TECHNIQUE I started my own blog, mainly so our guests could have access to my cocktail recipes. I became more connected in the growing worldwide community of people interested in cocktails. People began to look to me for information, and at some point someone called me an expert. It’s all very surreal to think about. When I’m not actively behind the bar, I spend my time managing, traveling, speaking at seminars and conferences, and training the next gener- ation of bartenders. And these days, it’s only once a month that someone refers to me as the worst bartender they’ve ever seen. WHY I MAKE COCKTAILS, AND WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK 9 ANY GOOD COCKTAIL fresh from a local farm? All of these decisions are as important as the recipe we’ve spent NEEDS THESE years researching and perfecting. THREE ELEMENTS But the third thing, the one that’s so often overlooked by bartenders and home mixers, When I train bartenders, I begin by teaching and the thing that’s the subject of this book, them one basic rule, and here it is: There are is TECHNIQUE. Everything from juicing three things, of equal importance, that make those lemons properly, preparing your egg a great cocktail. And unless all three are whites, and measuring the ingredients to how given their due respect, the drink you make the drink is shaken, strained, and served in a isn’t going to reach its full potential. perfectly chilled glass is as important as the The first of these is the RECIPE that you recipe and ingredients you’ve selected. choose. Let’s say we’re going to make a As you might guess, there are plenty of books whiskey sour in this example. Well, if out there about recipes. And there are more you really start doing your research, you’re and more volumes on bookstore shelves every going to find that there are about a thousand day about cocktail ingredients. But this different recipes out there for a whiskey sour. book aims to be among the first in what will Check the Internet if you don’t believe me. hopefully become an ongoing conversation One old book might tell you to begin with about technique. 1 oz/30 ml of whiskey and 2 oz/60 ml of sour mix, but some guy’s blog might argue that it’s gotta be 2 oz/60 ml of whiskey, with fresh lemon juice and a dollop of egg white.