This featured in the January issue of Australian Bartender magazine

By Philip Duff
Philip Duff is not writing a book. philip@liquidsolutions.org

I was at two book launches in the last two weeks, both in New York: the official launch of The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan and the launch of New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park’s cookbook.

The latter was also a celebration of Eleven finally achieving the coveted third star from Michelin and the announcement that owner Danny Meyer was selling Eleven to his protégés, the authors of the cookbook, general manager Will Guidara and chef Daniel Humm.

Jim’s book is gorgeous - beautiful, heavy and brilliantly written. It’s a manual too, detailing the philosophies of PDT, the tools and equipment they use, even diagramming their mise-en-place. An amazing achievement. The Eleven Madison Park book is, if anything, even more mind-bogglingly good than their party was, and their party was at least as good as Jim’s book. (How cool was their party? Well, Jim was bartending there!). The Eleven book weighs more than 3kg, and is as beautifully photographed and typeset as any such high-end food-porn cookbook from a posh restaurant you’ve ever seen.

What sets it apart is that, like Jim’s book, it goes further than just F&B porn: it describes not just their philosophies, but how they evolved and how they work, listing the entire all-day chronology and checklists and floorplans of what is one of the world’s greatest restaurants (and the World’s Best Restaurant Bar at Tales Awards ‘11).

However, those books will never sell a great amount. And that’s not a bad thing.

What Jim and Will have done is create a second platform - their books. Even in this Kindle-infested age, we accord books unusual respect: the grandees of our world like Dale de Groff, Gaz Regan and Dave Wondrich admit that their fame (and lucrative bookings to teach and judge on behalf of drinks brands) increased exponentially after publishing their respective books. There is a little money in writing books, but not very much - no more than you’d make by putting the same effort into bartending, really. Honest. But books extend your fame globally, and thus give you a platform from whence to explore further commercial possibilities.

A bar or restaurant- like Jim’s PDT or Will & Daniel’s Eleven- is a platform: most bars and restaurants break even at best. Jim and Will used PDT and Eleven as platforms to get book deals, and will (I hope) use their books as platforms to many and even greater things yet.

Whatever your platform - bar, book, blog, a contest you run, whatever - it is up to you to commercialise it. A friend of mine is trying to start a bar in a city new to him. He has form. He has won every award there is. His long-term ambition, after hearing me speak so lovingly of Oz, is to eventually emigrate to Australia and start a bar there too. But first, in the next 5 years he wants to open and run the world’s best bar.

“Philip,” he said, “if I get all this done, open the bar, and it’s a huge, huge success, will I be able to do anything I want? Will I be able to just move to Australia, immediately get financing and open a bar there?”

“Not necessarily”, said I.

“Why? Why not?”

“Because opening the bar will only bring all those opportunities your way. Within months, you’ll be deluged with offers from investors who want to back you, staff who want to work with you, hotel chains who want you to develop a template for them that’s a bar just like yours…”

“So?”

“That’s just getting the opportunity, though - the platform. You need to commercialise that. You need to be ready when you get the offers, able to negotiate in the boardroom, able to know what questions to ask and how much to ask for, able to make your promises and keep them…”

For bar owners and restaurateurs, many start with a single place (that breaks even) and use it as the cornerstone of a group, learning more with each opening, attracting better staff, getting better deals on loans and real estate until they finally do begin to make 10%. For authors, just the book is not enough - you need to get out there, teach, train, consult, write more books, get a YouTube channel, get your own TV show.

Get your own platform. It should be something you love, the way Jim loves PDT and the way Will and Daniel love Eleven. Your first platform takes time, and energy, and love. When it is up and running and perfect, begin to prepare for opportunities. Make connections. Don’t wait for them to happen if you’re ready. Combine preparedness with the opportunities you get from your platform and you won’t go wrong. When opportunity comes knocking, be ready.

This piece featured in the December issue of Australian Bartender

By David Spanton

What is it about Hurricane glasses I hate so much? Is it the fact that they scream my cocktail list is stuck in the 80s? Or maybe the bartender loved it so much they stole it from the Tropicana bar at Hamilton Island? Either way, I can’t tell you how much I cringe at the sight of this glassware.

I have visited enough cocktail bars and judged enough cocktail competitions over the past decade to know that if you fancy this 15 ounce mountain of glass that customers have to stand on their stool to take a sip from, then your drinks list is a concern.

Secondly, you will never win a cocktail competition using a Hurricane glass - no mater how good your drink tastes. There are just so many other options you could consider that can accommodate your cocktail. Like a fun Tiki mug or a 12 ounce highball. The obsession with larger and larger size cocktail glasses over the decades, much like our food portions, has left many cocktails supersized to ridiculous proportions.

Just look at the Martini glass that is designed to accommodate a three ounce drink, so a five ounce glass would be sufficient. That being said anything from nine to thirteen ounce Martini glasses can be found in bars around the country! Either you put 10 olives in your glass or your proportions for many a cocktail are completely over the top. Today when bars are expected to operate to such a strict responsible service policy, such supersized concoctions won’t do you any favours, let alone the extra stock you’re using.

Let’s be honest. Most of the cocktails that end up in Hurricane glasses are either blended or frozen (one popular exception is of course the hard hitting Long Island Ice Tea) and for most readers I don’t have to tell you that these types of cocktails have been out of fashion for the better part of a decade. But even if they make a comeback and the blender once again becomes a staple for every bar, there is no need for the Hurricane glass even for mocktails, or ‘mocking cocktails’.

Yes, yes, I know there has been a bit of a boon in ‘bringing back the fun’ to cocktails with some blue libations and the like making a comeback, but do these really have to be served in the ghastly vases? Check out Hinky Dinks (Sydney) if you’re after some tips on how to have fun cocktails while still using snazzy glasses.

The hurricane cocktail was invented in New Orleans in the 1940s by Pat O’Brian to help move some of his cheap run to the visiting sailors. But even then I would have preferred no Hurricane glass. My suggestion is don’t bother stocking it, even in the face of ‘Shane & Shazza’ regular protests! I’m prepared for a few pre-Hurricane glass emails, but before you hit SEND remember that I have a problem with the glass, not the cocktail, so do your customers a favour and get rid of this daggy glassware.

Cheers,

Dave.

This Drinks With featured in the January issue of Australian Bartender magazine.

Interview by Edward Washington

This month we take a little time out with one of the cocktail industry’s iconic operators, Mr Sasha Petraske. In 2000 Petraske opened Milk & Honey (New York) in what he says was a response to the decline in the city’s bar culture. Six years later he was named in the New York magazine as one of the city’s most influential people - high praise when you consider that Hillary Clinton (the current US Secretary of State) has also made the list.

Since then, he has also partnered with Jonathan Downey to open Milk & Honey (London), been part of the team that recently opened The Everleigh in Melbourne (with co-owners Lauren Schell and Michael Madrusan) and is also involved with our own Sam Ross in launching Attaboy - which will take over the current site of M&H, New York.

Safe to say he’s a busy man, so in the time it takes to stir down a Manhattan we hit him up about his past, present and the future.

Tell me a little bit about your businesses.

“We run bars for people who can manage to stay quiet and polite when they drink.”

How did you first get into the bar business?

“I was saving money to open my own café and I was getting nowhere so I decided to get a job in a bar to help. That was 15 years ago and the café is now a retirement plan.”

What’s the attraction of the bar business for you?

“Waking up at 1pm.”

Is it important for you to have a personal connection with your members?

“Without a doubt, but it is much more important to have a personal connection to one’s employees.”

What’s your proudest achievement in the bar industry thus far?

“Having such a dedicated staff, and retaining them for so long.”

What excites you about the London and New York bar scene?

“I feel that both cities are reaching a critical mass, where a good cocktail will soon be the rule, not the exception.”

Do you have any concerns for their future?

“Both cities are threatened by exorbitant rents and fees, and I’m currently working on a project in Texas.”

What cocktail trends are popular at the moment in your bars?

“Amari and exotic bitter ingredients are the order of the day.”

How have you evolved as a business operator over the years?

“I’ve learned that the layout of the room, bar and equipment is as important as anything. A well designed venue can give better service with fewer people, and it is important to remember that restaurants don’t close for lack of ability to pay the rent. It is always inability to make payroll that puts the nail in the coffin.”

What mistakes taught you the biggest lessons?

“Wow. Too many mistakes to list, but the biggest one was not being capitalised. I would advise the aspiring bar owner to wait an extra year or so, just to build a good credit rating.”

How do you continually develop your creative ideas?

“Reading and watching old movies.”

Do you have any exciting plans for the future?

“I am doing a line of menswear, off the rack suits with a 1930’s cut.”

What’s the best and worst thing about owning your own bar?

“You usually don’t have to get up in the morning. However, you do have to witness the occasional drunken bad scene.”

Are there any local or international bar operators that you admire? If so why?

“Peter Dorelli, Salvatore Calabrese and Dale Degroff. We are standing on the shoulders of giants.”

How important are staff in operating a successful business?

“You are a capitalist. In the service economy, the goodwill of your staff is your capital, just as much as your beer taps and air conditioner.”

What advice would you give young bartenders who want to open their own bar one day?

“27 years old might be a bit young.”

What are your Top 5 tips for running a successful bar business?

• Customers come first.
• Employees come second.
• Owners come last.
• People pay for quality and employees deserve top quality equipment.
• Give employees clear, consistent and objective quality standards.

Complied by Edward Washington & Simon McGoram
Photography by Steve Brown

We’re conscious of an increased effort by Aussie ‘tenders to offer an array of tasty snacks and treats (sometimes complimentary) for their tippling guests. You don’t necessarily need an industrial kitchen to turn out interesting and flavoursome ‘bar-bites’ either, although a good relationship with a chef might be advantageous. Bar-bites can be as simple as a ‘toastie’, hot-dogs, oysters, nuts, popcorn, pickles or house marinated olives. They can also be more substantial and labour intensive, like the rustic ploughman’s plate and pork pies that are offered up at the Lord Nelson Hotel (Sydney), or in Melbourne where The Waiting Room’s serves up their Classic Cheeseburger and the Kodiak Club offers its face melting Buffalo Wings.

With consumers demanding a little bit more with their drinks these days it can be very handy to have a few, simple recipes up your sleeve to keep them coming back to the bar - so we’ve put some starters together to get you in the groove.

Rockpool Bar & Grill’s Salted Butter Caramels

Featured here are the totally delectable salted butter caramels that Rockpool Bar & Grill has made famous. An excellent accompaniment to a peated Scotch whisky - think a generous dram of Islay and you’re on the money. Neat.

• 500g caster sugar
• 250g liquid glucose
• 4365g pouring cream
• 125g butter with sea salt flakes such as Lescure, cubed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 1 ½  teaspoons sea salt flakes such as Murray River pink sea slat flakes

*Lightly grease and 22cm square cake tin and line with aluminium foil or baking paper. Spray again. Combine sugar, glucose and cream in a heavy based sauce pan over a medium to - low heat and cook, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat to medium to bring to the boil slowly. Cook gently until the mixture reaches 113°on a candy thermometer, then whisk in butter a cube at a time. Continue to boil, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 119°. Immediately remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla paste. Pour into the prepared tin and sprinkle with the salt. Set aside in a cool dry place for at least 3 hours or until completely cooled.

Remove block of caramel from the tin and place on a chopping board. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1.5cm wide strips, then cut each strip into 2cm pieces. Wrap in cellophane and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 5 days.

Smoked Almonds

Smoking some bar treats is simple stuff and the result will be a raft of happy bar flies munching away in flavour utopia. Smoked almonds are the perfect accompaniment to dry Sherries or cocktails like the Adonis (pictured), but choose any nut that suits.

• 500g Almonds
• Murray River pink sea salt flakes
• Quality extra virgin olive oil
• Hot smoked paprika (optional)

*Place your almonds in a stainless steel gastro tray large enough so that you can spread the nuts out to one layer thick. Place in your smoker and smoke with hickory chips for 30 minutes to one hour. Once smoked roast the nuts (without oil) in an oven on 180° for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown and fragrant. Note that because of their high oil content, the almonds will continue to roast after you remove them from the oven. Once cooled taste test to ensure that have the proper crunch and that they taste toasted, not bitter or burnt. To serve drizzle just a little quality olive oil over the nuts and sprinkle with sea salt.

**If you lack a smoker simply roast the nuts and season with a mixture of smoked paprika and salt.

Adonis recipe

• 60ml dry Sherry (like La Goya Manzanilla)
• 30ml Martini Rosso vermouth
• 2 dashes The Bitter Truth orange bitters

*Stir down and serve up with a lemon twist.

Beef Jerky

Jerky is an ideal bar-bite to serve along side your favourite brew or boilermaker and we’ve paired this recipe from (RPB&G) with the 2011 vintage Endeavour Amber Ale for the ultimate ‘dude-food’ offering. If you’re a small bar without the time or expertise, find yourself a premium butcher because they should have something similar on hand.

• 2 kg Beef - Rangers Valley Rib Cap
• 200ml Soy sauce
• 100ml Worcesteshire Sauce
• 15g Ground Cumin Seed
• 10g Smoked Sweet Paprika
• 5g Medium Chilli Powder
• 20g Murray River Pink Salt
• Trim excess fat and skin off

*Prick with butchers tenderizer about 15 times per cap Mix ingredients and marinate for 8-12 hours Slice beef against the grain into 3mm wide strips Mix beef strips in leftover marinade and place in dehydrator, making sure not to overlap. Keep in dehydrator for 5 hours at 65 degrees. Portioned out in 25 gram portions and cryovacced.

The ‘art’ of pickling

Pickling has been around since, well, that’s anyone’s guess; it even rates a mention in the Bible (apparently - we haven’t read the while thing yet!). Salting meats was a common practise in the Navy to draw the moisture out of perishables to enhance preservation, and these days bars and bartenders are offering up some great treats from their very own pickle jars to stem your hunger. The ‘art’ of pickling is something in itself and perhaps, save from curious barkeeps, might be on the way out as a regular food offering. Just about anything is up for a picklin’; chillies, garlic, eggs, onions and vegetables all come up a treat and could just be the thing to keep your bar stools full. In honour of an old trend, now ‘new’ again, we’ve got a pair of pickling recipes for you to enjoy.

Pickled Onion

“Choose small uniform onions; make a brine that will hold up an egg, and pour over the onions boiling hot. Let them lie for 24 hours, drain and wipe dry. Put in bottles and pour a cold cider vinegar over them. Season with sliced horse radish, whole pepper…Put in bottles and seal.”

Vaughan’s Vegetable Cook Book (1919)

A Basic Pickling Recipe

The great thing about making pickles is that it’s a high acid process - with enough vinegar added to your mix it’s hard to get wrong. Here’s a basic pickling recipe to get you started you can adjust spices to your taste.

This recipe will pickle about 500g of peppers.

• 500grams fresh jalapeno or other green peppers washed and stabbed three times with a small paring knife
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups vinegar (white or cider works best)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt (non-iodised is best for this recipe to avoid the pickle brine going cloudy)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1. Stab each pepper three times with a sharp paring knife and place them in a sterilised large glass preserving jar.

2. In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the other ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.

3. Remove from heat and pour the brine over the peppers. Place the lid on the jar and let cool. Once cool allow to mature in the cupboard for at least a week. Refrigerate once opened.

*Pickled peppers make a fantastic looking and tasty garnish for your Bloody Marys.

Written by Joshua Clifton from MasterBar Coaching

MasterBar Coaching is your online resource for you bar and restaurant. The team provides staff training packages, one on one management consulting, Marketing development & strategic planning. We work with some of Australians leading regional venue owners to provide the first of its kind online resource. masterbar.com.au

Welcome to the modern era of the bar and restaurant. The rules have changed, venues have evolved and the customer reigns supreme.

So what makes a successful bar and restaurant? Before we tackle this question ask yourself this: what do you think makes a venue successful? What distinctive traits do the venues that are doing well have in common?

Think of your establishment as a tree. To have a large strong healthy tree you must first develop a large extensive root system and the larger the root system the more support and potential the tree has to grow.

Here are five steps to make sure you’re in tune with your venue.

1. Staff recruitment and training

An interview should be thought of as a relationship building process. Think of yourself meeting a new person. What sort of environment would you want to be in? What initial questions would you be asking them?

Ask yourself this:

• Do I like this person and do I admire and trust them?
• Is this individual driven?
• Do they have passion and admiration for the job?
• Are they friendly, outgoing and do they have a strong desire for the business?
• Are they a long term or short-term thinker? And how do they handle their money?
• And be honest - ask them why they are here!

*Remember: staff are your biggest form of word-of-mouth promotion and a happy, engaged staff member can generate large amounts of cliental! A staff member who has a passion for the venue is one of your greatest assets.

2. Effective & Efficient Systems and Structures

A venue is only as strong as its systems and structures. Having efficient and effective structures in place can create staff efficiency and professionalism within the workplace.

I believe that having these in place creates a happier work environment with less stress for management and resulting in a more consistent product. It can be anything from a cocktail cheat sheet in the bar, or wastage controls in the kitchen - simple but effective.

*How are the structures in your venue? Look at any current problems in your workplace and ask yourself if they can be solved with a set of instructions.

3. Product, Service & Entertainment

Customers want to be impressed when they go to your business either by the venue staff, music or the facilities - so you have to play to your strengths!

What is it that truly shines in your venue and what makes the most money?

• Food,
• Beverages,
• Customer service
• Location

Society is constantly evolving. New establishments are opening up and customer preferences are being influenced on a day-to-day. Stick to your roots and remember why you have achieved success already.

*Have a major selling point and use it to your advantage and give customers a story to tell to their friends.

4. Your Market

All venues have characteristics that differentiate themselves from other venues. Ask yourself: What type of person would your venue be? Try to imagine what they like and dislike and compare your business personality and customer personality and find commonalities between them.

5. Management Direction & Vision

Your direction and vision is what binds the venue together and makes it successful. But what does it all mean to you? What’s the big picture? What’s the end goal?

Visualising your future is a crucial step toward helping you develop a clear focus and gain momentum in the right direction. So how do you visualise your future and your venue? Where do you see your venue in 6 months? One year? 10 years?

Will you have more venues opening up and where will they be?

Having clear and concise goals in the future allows you to make more informed decisions on a daily basis. Ultimately this 5-Step process is designed to help you step back and really visualise what your venue means to you and where you want it to go.

The most successful venue owners today constantly look to the future for the next step and with this process you can develop your venue to be a leader in its field and take the final step to a successful business future.

This exclusive cigar & spirit matching event was held at Zeta bar and featured in the December issue of Australian Bartender magazine.

When David Spanton put the call out through social media to see who might want to take part he was swamped, and in the end a lucky group got to join him on Zeta’s balcony to enjoy some fine cigars and some terrific spirits. Those lucky attendees were; David Spanton (Editor and Publisher Australian Bartender magazine), (Sam Bygrave (Cohibar, Sydney), Collin Perillo (Zeta, Sydney), John Toubia (Grasshopper, Sydney), Charlie Lehmann (Zeta, Sydney) and Samuel Spurr (cigar writer for Inlumino Cigar News Australia). The spirits on offer were top notch, and some interesting matches were found over the afternoon’s course.

First up was the Tezón A?ejo Tequila which most present agreed had a lot of obvious citrus and a lovely, vibrant and golden colour. Collin noted some influence from a cooler climate with it being a Highland’s Tequila and having obvious minerality and Sam Spurr liked the spirit’s fresh and zingy characters which he thought matched well to his cigar’s spice (Sam was smoking the Punch Super Selection No.1). “The lighter style of the cigar matches the Tequila,” he said after considering the two products together. Collin on the other hand found that his cigar (the Partagas Series D No. 4) was a bit too spicy for his match. He suggested that his cigar might be more suited to a whisky.

Next up was the 1991 Cognac de Collection Jean Grosperrin. Collin - who was smoking a Partagas Series D No. 4 - immediately picked up on its dark chocolate and butterscotch notes and found his combination was a winner. John found the spirit dryer than he might have expected and David thought that the higher alcohol of the Cognac matched his cigar’s characteristics (David was smoking the Montcristo No.3). The No. 3 is a cigar that shows softer coffee and vanilla notes with some creaminess, and gives the impression of a milder style - so a good style to match with a Cognac, and something that wouldn’t overpower such a delicate, yet robust, grape spirit.

Bacardi 8 was the next to get a run and Sam Bygrave (who was smoking the Boliver Belicosos Finos) noted that the cigar complimented and lifted the characteristics of the rum immensely with its power, complexity and notes of exotic dried fruit. “It doesn’t overwhelm the spirit’s character and in my mind matches well and lingers,” he told the group. Charlie confirmed Sam’s thoughts, noting that the cigar’s qualities moved ’seamlessly’ with the rum’s complexity and body. David thought that this combination was a perfect match, and went on to note that Bacardi 8 was a great looking rum that he often matched with cigars.

Tips to know…

• Cigars have a front, middle and end section which will give different flavours, and intensity.
• If you’re having to suck to hard - the cigar might be too tightly packed and no good.
• Cognac is a ‘traditional’ match, however; whatever spirit you like can match the right cigar.

Jumping from rum to bourbon the crew cracked the Elijah Craig 12. “It’s got a beautiful colour,” noted Charlie, and Dave found some very earthy characteristics in it. Sam Bygrave noted its sweetness and Collin found that it had a natural tobacco flavour to it which matched his cigar to a tee. John was impressed by the balance between his Partagas Senior Corona (which is also a great introductory cigar) and the Elijah Craig 12 and thought for the time being that this was his perfect match-up.

Next in line was the Bundaberg Master Distillers’ Collection Port Barrel Finish, a rum that no one present had had the good fortune to taste. Charlie noted its sharp and distinct nose, but found the spirit mellowed out once tasted and Sam Spurr thought there was a good amount of ‘zing’ on the back palate, and that the product had good length. The group agreed that there was a port finish ‘at the back’, and David thought the new release “holds well with my medium bodied cigar” (Montcristo No.3). Sam Bygrave also thought that this spirit was working wonders with his cigar (the Boliver Belicosos Finos), and that he was able to pick up much more of the subtle notes that he had previously been able to.

Last but certainly not forgotten was the Yamazaki single malt whisky. Collin considered the ‘fresh and sweet’ notes of the malt matched up to the ’serious end of his cigar’ and Dave got an overload of senses - “it is a beautiful partnership”. He recommended that it would be well matched by a medium-bodied style of cigar, something that was not to overpowering and that would give equal weight to both product. Charlie, who was smoking the Partagas Corona Senior as well, found the Yamazaki stood up to the cigar and it’s fresh and mellow palate was a perfect match. Sam Bygrave found the group’s voice when he said, “this spirit is like a palate cleanser”. With its power, finesse and balance the Yamazaki was a great choice to finish on.

Sam Bygrave, Cohibar - Sydney

Cigar - Bolivar Belicosus Finon

“Loved the Belicosus and the Cognac had great fruit and epic length. The Yamazaki was almost purpose built for the cigar, and the Tezón Tequila brings out the spice of the cigar.”

Charlie Lehmann, Zeta - Sydney

Cigar - Partagas Corona Senior

“The Bundaberg has a sharp and surprising taste with its mellow character working really well around the woody features of the cigar. The final third of my cigar also brought out the vanilla in the Elijah Craig bourbon. When I went back to the Tezón Tequila I got a lot more intensity of flavour too.”

Collin Perillo, Zeta - Sydney

Cigar - Partagas Series D No. 4

“The sweetness, caramel and citrus of the Bacardi 8 works well with, and compliments, this cigar. And the Bundaberg also compliment the No. 4, without overwhelming it.”

David Spanton, Australian Bartender magazine

Cigar - Montcristo No. 3

“The medium flavoured Montcristo work reasonably well with the Tezón howeverit did overpower the Tequila somewhat, so you lost a lot of its fresh, floral and delicate characters. A much softer, milder cigar would allow this spirit to shine. The Bundaberg work a treat with this style of cigar and held up well.”

John Toubia, Grasshopper - Sydney

Cigar - Partagas Senior Corona

“The Partagas was not a great match for the Bundaberg, however it held up well to the Elijah Craig bourbon. When I tasted the Cognac for a second time, I really enjoyed it and found it worked much better with my cigar.”

Samuel Spurr, cigar writer - Inlumino Cigar News Australia

Cigar - Punch Super Selection No. 1

“I wouldn’t have picked the Bundaberg as what it is, and with this match I pick up more of the cigar than I previously was. With the Yamazki, I don’t know if I am tasting the spirit or the cigar - they’re well balanced. This cigar matches the Tezón for the time being (the beginning of the cigar).”

This article featured in the December issue of Australian Bartender magazine.

By Philip Duff
After Sydney BarShow Week Philip went on to speak at San Francisco Cocktail Week, Art of the Cocktail (Canada), Bar Convent Berlin and Portland Cocktail Week. He is now hibernating in a cave with an IV drip full of nutrients and headphones playing soothing whale music. philip@liquidsolutions.org

The Real Money is in International Brands

* The figures that Philip is referring to below come from Drinks International’s Top 50 Spirits & Wine Brands by Value research published March, 2011. drinksint.com

If you rate a brand the same way that you calculate a credit rating for a company, all the usual suspects; Johnnie Walker, Bacardi, Chivas Regal etc are present in the Top Ten - and all are globally distributed. If you crunch the numbers a little bit more however the story gets even more interesting: dividing a top brand’s case sales by it’s brand value gives a brand-value-per-case-sold and teaches us that the world’s most lucrative spirit is Glenfiddich.

They built a brand value of $275million on the back of just 700,000 cases a year of the familiar triangular bottle. Interestingly is that spots nine and ten are taken by baijiu brands - Drinks International noted their inclusion ‘as a couple of surprises’ - who have managed to crack the puzzle of being both mega best-selling and premium-priced products.

No-One’s Getting Rich

*AUD amounts have been converted from supplied EUR amounts using xe.com

We all know liquor is not that expensive to make, but did you know exactly how not-expensive it is? Let’s lift the veil and investigate just what the cost is of producing one 700ml bottle of un-aged spirit actually is. Grain alcohol comes in under $1AUD (grape alcohol is 30%-50% more), a standard bottle (satin finish with silkscreen label and window) is a tick over$1.66 and the screwcap, bottling, case and divider sit around $1.12: total per bottle less than 4000 cases is about $3.70, and drops to $2.80 for more than 4000 cases.

Now, I know you’re thinking back to that great training session with the kindly-faced master distiller who patiently explained that their ’special strain’ of wheat, type of grapes, breed of potatoes etc cost up to eight times more than most types. But that was balls. Grapes, grain and potatoes are commodities, traded in one of the world’s most open and transparent markets. They are cheap to buy, cheap to ferment, and cheap to distil. Reducing cost-of-goods is a religion in any business. In the above example, reducing bottling costs by just 10 cents per bottle would result in a million dollar savings for a million-case brand without affecting quality or image.

Bottling Blues…what happens when it’s bottled.

In the above example, the bottle has yet to leave the distillery (or, to be correct, the bottling plant), so let’s see what happens when it does. Let’s say the cost of producing our one bottle of un-aged spirit is around $3.13AUD, what’s the ‘value chain’ of one 700ml bottle of un-aged spirit? Including; production costs, producer’s profit, marketer’s profit, distribution costs, distributor’s profit and retailer’s profit (given at 30%) the cost to a consumer in a liquor store is around $28.20. For a consumer in a bar the cost is raised to around $118 (with the bar’s profit given at 83%).

Speaking as a bar owner, I can confirm that an 83% gross profit will not have you buying your Mercedes just yet. Bars need to hit a 75% gross profit margin to make any money at all and usually, at the end of the year, less than 10% is left over when everyone has been paid including the taxman. That 75% GP target is for the entire beverage program not just un-aged spirits. Many items such as more expensive wines and spirits and cocktails featuring expensive, obscure spirits, are sold for less than a 75% margin. This is to exude cachet, inflate cash-flow and offer a wider range of products for the discerning guest.

A bar that turns over $675,000AUD a year is lucky if they have $67,000 left over at the end of the year. Usually this figure is substantially less as ‘unplanned’ expenses like; air-conditioning, repairing and replacing machinery and maintaining and refurbishing the interior have to be taken into account. Paying more than $20AUD for a bottle essentially means that you’re financing that brand’s advertising and promotions (A&P) budget, or perhaps helping pay for an especially ‘blinging’ bottle.

And so we have it: the only way to make decent money in the drinks business - whether you distil it, sell it, wholesale it or serve it to customers or guests - is to be an absolutely penny-pinching maniac, earn modest margins, expand your business so you have economies of scale and tell a nice story about a fine product in an attractive bottle, sold for the right price and in the right way, to anyone who’ll listen.

Marketing. It makes our world go round.

Featured in the December issue of Australian Bartender magazine

Written by Edward Washington
Cocktail photography by Steve Brown and Rob Palmer

With the mixological potential that a modern day bartender has at their disposal it still doesn’t discount the value of pre-made purees and syrups. If anything, the care and dedication of these producers ensures that all bartenders can have the finest quality products on hand when making drinks.

A while back (March, 2011) Bartender featured a recipe to make your own Orgeat syrup. As appealing as it might be, when you’re five deep and pumping out Mai Tais through summer’s long months having a stock of pre-made orgeat on hand, or a phone call away, is reassuring. So what else does using pre-made syrups and purees offer to a bartender? Chris Patsos from Posi-Pour Wholesalers, distributes the widely known and used Monin syrups, he knows that his products offer a number of distinct advantages. “Our products offer bar staff a higher quality in taste and aroma for their drinks,” he stated when asked about the benefits.

All Day Baby

• 30ml Les Vergers Boiron strawberry puree
• 45ml vodka
• 15ml Mandarin Napoleon
• 2 dashes Yellow Chartruse
• 20ml lemon juice

*Shake ingredients and strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a wide lemon twist.

Christian Blair Crown & Sceptre, Adelaide

Monin also has bartenders from around the nation produce signature cocktails for their products, which is a great way to showcase their portfolio’s potential. Patsos sees a few favourites amongst the Monin portfolio: “the most popular [from the Monin range] would be caramel, vanilla, hazelnut and chai”. Flavoured syrups are a fantastic tool in any barkeep’s kit and Chris Hysted, from Melbourne institutions Black Pearl and The Attic enjoys what they bring to a drink: “texturally they can be very cool, they deliver creative freedom as well as being useful for balancing drinks.”

For higher-volume venues the luxury of having time to repeatedly mix, make and prepare ‘house-made’ ingredients is often scarce. Jason Williams, Keystone’s group cocktail manager, conceded that while his bar teams do make a lot of their own products: “[they] also use several brands of syrups, purees and preserves [as] sometimes you either can’t make something as good, or it costs too much time and money.”

Les Vergers Boiron has a wide range of prepared fruit and vegetable purees that could suit a range of cocktails - especially the classic Bloody Mary with their 100 per cent tomato puree. “It’s all about consistency and quality,” says Matthieu Naudy from Les Vergers Boiron.  “If you do your own purees you are subject to seasonal variation and quality of the raw materials.”

Time efficiency another also a prime reason to use pre-made products. While bespoke creations are the rage having high quality products ready to go is a blessing. “Because I work in a nightclub rather than a bar people are less willing to wait for cocktails so syrups and purees play a big part in making premium cocktails at efficient speed,” says Will Cabantog bar manager at Brisbane’s Eve Nightclub (winner Nightclub of the Year, 2011). “Having these products on hand helps to avoid muddling certain fruits which can take time and sometimes even produce a better flavour.”

Mai Tai

• 15ml Monin orgeat syrup
• 45ml Jamaican rum
• 15ml orange liqueur
• 30ml lime juice
• 15ml overproof rum (as float)

*Shake and strain ingredients into a double Old Fashioned glass that’s sporting a couple of large ice chunks. Float a little OP rum and garnish in an extravagant manner.

Adapted from The Essential Ingredient by Dale DeGroff

Even having the one staple product that every bartender needs - sugar syrup - pre-made and delivered to your bar can save you a lot of headaches over those busy weekends. “Good quality syrups are like the black keys on a piano, says Jason Crawley of Crawley’s Bartender Syrups. “They’re 100% mandatory [and] add richness, depth and options to your drinks”.

So, the verdict is in. Pre-made syrups and purees are shaking the stigma and can offer bartenders from around the nation options, ease and consistency when making drinks.

This article featured in the December issue of Australian Bartender magazine.

Interviewed by Edward Washington

While Don Francisco Hajnal was in town recently for Sydney BarShow Week, we caught up with him for a chat about his role with Jose Cuervo Tequila. Having been involved with the magical spirit for many, many years, Don Hajnal had a lot to say - and we were happy to listen.

How was your trip to Sydney BarShow Week this year?

“It was very interesting and I enjoyed the city, the people and BarShow’s environment while I was in Sydney.”

Were you impressed by the appreciation of Tequila while in Australia?

“I was impressed at BarShow in the way people talked about Tequila. It was exciting to see more people experiencing Tequila especially in a country like Australia which doesn’t have an established Tequila culture like Mexico or North America does.”

What was the attraction of Tequila that led you to where you are now?

“First, I love that Tequila is a deep, traditional Mexican drink. Second of all, the process for making Tequila is complex and its raw material, the Agave Azul, is a unique plant full of components and properties that give personality to Tequila. I also love Tequila because of its rich history.”

When did the Jose Cuervo story first start?

“In 1758 when Don José Antonio Cuervo was granted with a large extension of land by the king of Spain in Tequila Valley, and started to grow agave there. We are the oldest active distillery in Mexico. Now they are coming up be the 10th generation there.”

Tell me a little about your role with Jose Cuervo Tequila.

“I have been the Maestro Tequilero (master blender) for Jose Cuervo since 1999. My knowledge is very vast, and that allows me to speak at seminars and conferences teaching people about Tequila. I have also participated in the development and launch of several brands of Tequila that José Cuervo produces.”

What makes Tequila unique in the wide world of spirits?

“Tequila is made only from the Agave Azul Tequilana, a plant that needs eight to ten years to mature. Our process is very meticulous, which allows special aromas and flavours to develop. It is not possible to find those characteristics in other spirits. In this way, Tequila is unique.”

What are the benefits from slow cooking the agave?

“This part is very important, because the slow cooking of the agave provides the main components for the unique flavours and aromas that distinguish the Tequila and give it its personality.”

Are there any interesting facts about Tequila production that you like to share?

“Patience is the name of the game. It means that all our processes to make Tequila are methodical and precise. We never bottle our Tequilas until the master tasters have tasted them. Only when they are happy do they approve the production batches for bottling.”

What’s your proudest achievement thus far with Tequila?

“Lots of things make me proud; the fact that I founded the Mexican Academy of Tequila Tasters, that I was named Maestro Tequilero, that I can teach people the truth about Tequila and that I have the opportunity to visit countries around the world to speak to people about my passion for Tequila - these are all very special opportunities for me.”

How important Tequila for the modern cocktail bartender?

“Taking into consideration the new wave in the art of the mixology I think that Tequila is an ideal spirit to mix perfect cocktails because of its unique flavours and aromas.”

What are some tips you can share to tasting and assessing Tequila.

• It is preferable to use the correct glass (such as the Riedel glass for Tequila).
• Perform the tasting using the five senses.
• For the aromas; keep your mouth slightly open, put your nose into the glass and breathe in (gently).
• For the flavour; only take a tiny bit in your mouth but leave it for around ten seconds before swallowing.
• The most important thing is balance and harmony in the liquid.

This feature appeared in the December issue of Australian Bartender magazine.
Written by David Spanton

A once undercover spirit out in the open air

You know what they say, ‘what is old is new; what’s out is in’ and ‘what’s illegal is now legal’ and so and so on…

This is all true for my topic of conversation this month and not only has American un-aged whiskey (aka moonshine, white dog, hooch, or as PR types like to say ‘new-make whiskey’) come back in fashion, it’s starting to appear on some of the world’s best cocktail lists. That’s right the imbibing product of choice (no really - choice) during America’s prohibition era is back in favour in a big way.

This time around however what we have on offer is a wonderful selection of exciting spirits that are actually very enjoyable to drink compared to the nasty ‘do it yourself’ bathtub prohibition concoctions of yester year.

So what is moonshine, white dog or un-aged whiskey anyway?

Exactly what the name suggests - the raw white whiskey spirit that comes fresh off the still. There’s no barrel aging to smooth it out, nor flavouring to change the raw taste. That being said there are no real rules with this style of whiskey and some producers are aging it for very short periods, using all different kinds of mash bills or even creating flavoured un-aged whiskey much like you would flavoured vodka.

The term moonshine came about many years ago from the illegal production of spirits that was distilled at night in secret locations (to avoid the authorities). Distilled by the light of the moon the term ‘moonshine’ was soon born into popular culture.

White Dog Old Fashioned

• 45ml Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1
• 5ml strong saffron syrup
• 2 dashes peach bitters

*Stirred down and served over ice with a grapefruit twist.

Fred Siggins, Kodiak Club, Melbourne

White Manhattan

• 45ml white whiskey
• 15ml DOM Benedictine
• 15ml  bianco or blanc vermouth
• 3 dashes orange bitters

*Add ingredients to a mixing glass and stir over ice chunks. Serve up with an orange twist.

Why is white dog popular?

So many things do come back in fashion given enough time (way too soon for 80s fashion to be back already if you ask me!). So when a spirit has such a ’speak easy’ rebellious connotation to it, plus is jammed packed full of flavour, it’s easy to see why bartenders and distillers are in love with this category once again.

Another reason distillers (especially the many new micro-distillers popping up) are so fond of producing un-aged American whiskey is that they can start selling their product straight away and get some fast cash flow into their business, instead of having all their stock just sitting around aging in barrels for a number of years waiting to be able to sell it.

The Kodiak Club in Melbourne has an extensive American whiskey collection and the crew loves playing around with their Buffalo Trace White Dog. Not only is it a product that adds new dimensions to their cocktail offerings, they see it as a great talking point for customers as well. “You can really taste the corn and rye grains used in the mash, and there’s a grassy, summery, sweet thing that I love,” says Nathan DeBritt, owner of The Kodiak Club. “I also love it because of the history behind it - moonshine is a people’s spirit.”

Dave’s Top 5 un-aged spirits

Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1

The same mash combination that is used for their popular Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and George T. Stagg bourbons and comes off the still at 62.5% abv. There’s no mistaking this as a corn based whiskey with a hint of sweet rye.

What they say: “Clear, un-aged and conveys flavour of sweet corn, with a short and hot finish.”

Hudson New York Corn

Like many of these new un-aged whiskies their ‘oh so cool’ small bottle packaging is a major drawcard for bartenders wanting to stock these products on their back bar.

What they say: “Distilled one batch at a time from 100% New York Corn. No sugar is added. This unaged sipping spirit is clear and soft on the tongue, with a faint aroma of cornfields at harvest. It’s bottled at 46% alcohol by volume and is the foundation for Hudson Baby Bourbon.”

Rye New Make Whiskey - Trybox Series

I found this Rye spirit to be spice and very sweet and perfect for sipping. Their Corn New Make lacked the grain flavour of the Rye but both come at a full traditional barrel entry proof of 125, or 62.5% abv that really packs a bunch!

What they say: “The Rye New Make utilises the traditional Heave Hill rye mash bill, the same that is used to produce world-renowned Rittenhouse Rye. The Rye New Make adds an element of spicy, sharp fruitiness to the taste.”

Death’s Door White Whiskey

What they say: Made with organic hard, red winter wheat and organic malted barley. Double fermented and double distilled in 90-gallon pot still then rested for 72 hours in uncharred Minnesota Oak. A sweet fruit and light grain noise, reminiscent of a little bit reposado tequila and a little bit pisco, opens sweet and warm with light vanilla tones and a faint taste of malted grain. Creamy mouth feel and gentle flavours.

1512 Barbershop Rye

This little gem from a third generation San Francisco Baber is impossible to find but well worth searching for it (get me another bottle if you do). Loads of spice and citrus with a nice warn vanilla finish.

What they say: “Sweet grain new make on the nose with a smooth palate and some rye spice.”