The Complete Bartender: How to Mix Like a Pro, Updated with Exciting New Drinks, Revised Edition - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Robyn M. Feller is a New York-based writer and editor. In her spare time she works as a professional mixologist. She is lots of fun at parties.

Laura Lifshitz is a blonde, pint-sized, battery-operated tour de force of wit and neuroticism. A comedienne, writer, Columbia University graduate, and ex-MTV personality, Laura attended bartending school, but to her Jewish father’s stern disapproval, never became that big successful bartender he was dreaming she would be. He still harasses her for the money she spent on tuition.

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INTRODUCTION

BEING a skinny, blond lightweight, the first time I went to a bar, I had to sneak in illegally. It was a bar in the West Village, and I felt so cool—as if I had pulled a prank on the entire universe. I got kicked out for making out loudly with a patron rather than being an utter drunk, so I guess I get a bonus point for being a flirt and not an alcoholic.

My intimate relationship with liquor began in the city, despite the fact that I was raised in the Garden State. I got to know some of the newest and best drinks by hanging in the bright lights, big city, but it wasn’t until my stint at bartending school that I really learned the basics of the art heretofore known as mixology. As an actress and stand-up comic, I figured bartending would be a great way to make money at night and maybe even pick up a hot guy or two. My Jewish dad lovingly handed me the bread to pay for the class, but once I realized I might attract more loons behind the bar than I already did in front of the bar, I decided to keep my love for liquor a “nonoccupational” pursuit. Needless to say, my father was not too happy that his precious money had been squandered. To this day he still says, “Remember when you took that bartending course? You never even worked a day behind the bar.”

Thanks, Pops.

During the class, I applied my perky overachieving attitude to mixing drinks, just like I do with everything else in life.

“The drink has to be perfect. How do I know exactly how much to use?” I asked my instructor, a handsome dark-skinned hipster who wasn’t even trying to be a hipster.

He pushed his dark Buddy Holly glasses back up his nose and said, “There are no concrete rules in love . . . or alcohol. Just play around until it tastes right. Put your Type-A attitude aside.”

I was skeptical of his laissez-faire outlook, but I went with it, and so far, no one’s been hurt. And that’s just the point of this book. Except, perhaps, for hard-core bartending jobs at pricey restaurants, mixology is at best an inexact science. If it had to be precise, very few people would drink, and the world would be a miserable place (and perhaps less populated). There are always going to be differences in the way two people mix the same drink. Some go heavy on the alcohol, some go light. Some change the ingredients, some change the proportions. Lots of ice versus one or two cubes. You say old-fashioned, I say lowball. The goal is to make a drink that tastes good to you—and to your guests.

Get intimate with your liquor supply. Experiment with what you have using the recipes in this book, or try something new. The recipes—some new, some old, some adapted for today’s tastes—are mere guidelines. The step-by-step instructions are intended to make mixing a drink as easy as possible for you.

Because all drink and no play makes for a very unintelligible and dull boy or girl, I’ve filled this book with party-planning tips and ideas for creating the perfect home bar: the drinks, the ambience, and the attitude that will enable you to be a master mixologist and the perfect host.

And don’t forget: Try not to overindulge. While I love a good party as much as the next gal, I’m more concerned about your health, your personal welfare, and the well-being of your friends. Don’t let your friends drink and drive. And if health is your main concern when it comes to libations, never fear. In the age of Zumba and the juice cleanse, plenty of folks are drinking more moderately in the interest of fitness. This book offers plenty of ideas for lighter and nonalcoholic drinks that won’t make you regain the freshman fifteen.

Bartending can be lots of fun if you follow your instincts, do what you like, and provide your guests with a safe good time. Relax and enjoy yourself, and you’ll always be the life of the party.

Cheers!

STOCKING YOUR BAR

THE home bar should reflect your personal taste and reveal a little about what makes you you. Not everyone needs to stock every exotic liquor on the market just to impress a few visitors. If all you and your friends ever drink is beer, wine and straight vodka, well then, there’s your shopping list, my friend. But home bars can grow. Maybe you’ll start out with three items and gradually add a few different liquors and a flavorful liqueur or two. Then one day you’ll be browsing in a liquor store and you’ll pick up a small bottle of whatever it is you’ve been meaning to try—and so grows your home bar.

Your initial purchases, then, should be based on what you’ll use most and what you and your friends and family like. If you know what you want, you’re better off buying in large quantities, since larger bottles are generally less expensive per unit than smaller bottles. But there’s no need to go overboard when making your initial purchases; buy reasonable amounts, unless, of course, you are sure that you like something in particular. Then, by all means buy as much as you want, especially if you find it for a good price.

While every bar will be slightly different, here are some basic guidelines. Outlined below is a suggested shopping list for a starter bar. Make any adjustments you like.

The Basic Home Bar Checklist

LIQUORS

1 bottle bourbon (750 ml)

1 bottle brandy (750 ml)

1 bottle Canadian whiskey (750 ml)

1 bottle dry gin (1¾ liters)

1 bottle rum (1¾ liters)

1 bottle Scotch whiskey (750 ml)

1 bottle tequila (1¾ liters)

1 bottle vodka (1¾ liters)

LIQUEURS

small bottles of the following:

triple sec

amaretto

crème de menthe

Drambuie

crème de cacao

Bénédictine

Kahlúa

Cointreau

WINE AND BEER

1 bottle dry vermouth (small)

1 bottle sweet vermouth (small)

2 six-packs beer (1 regular, 1 light)

2 bottles white wine

2 bottles red wine

1 bottle rosé wine (optional)

1 bottle champagne or sparkling wine

The Home Bar of Champions

If the basic stocking suggestions don’t appeal to you, perhaps you’re looking for liquors that make a bolder statement. Well, take a look below. The spirits mentioned here are more daring—they go beyond the ordinary bartender’s collection, allowing you to be a mixologist’s mixologist. But you needn’t invest in the entire list right off the bat. Go slowly. Find out what you like by tasting, whether at friends’ homes or when you go out for a drink.

And if you like a drink you taste when you’re out, ask the friendly bartender for his or her number—for the drink recipe, I mean.

LIQUOR

1 bottle brandy

1 bottle V.S.O.P. cognac

1 bottle dry English gin

1 bottle Irish whiskey

1 bottle dark rum (Jamaican)

1 bottle gold rum

1 bottle light rum

1 bottle blended Scotch whiskey

1 bottle Tennessee whiskey

1 bottle gold tequila

1 bottle white tequila

1 or 2 bottles premium vodka (Russian or Scandinavian; store in your freezer)

LIQUEURS

small bottles of the following:

framboise, kirschwasser, plum brandy (slivovitz) or other flavored brandies of your choice

crème de cassis, sambuca, Galliano, Frangelico, Kahlúa, peppermint schnapps, peach schnapps or any other of your favorite liqueurs, approximately five bottles in all

WINE

3 aperitif wines, such as Dubonnet, Lillet, Campari

1 bottle cream sherry

1 bottle port

1 bottle madeira

several bottles of your favorite white wines, including at least one table wine and one dessert...