Mixed up ?
TOOLS GOT YOU
I’m quite proud of my collection of bar tools, glasses and gizmos, collected from years of dedicated writing, reporting and drinking in the name of journalism. But I’m perturbed and a little embarrassed to say that I haven’t been using many of them correctly.
That’s what I discovered after chatting recently with Michael Rooney, the wise sage of Orange County’s mixology world and beverage director at Costa Mesa’s Vaca and Laguna Beach’s Broadway restaurants. Scholarly, resplendently bearded and impressively detail-oriented, Rooney is definitely the go-to guy for any kind of question about spirits and cocktails, no matter how obscure. And he knows the strengths and shortcomings of every device.
Take the Hawthorne strainer, for example. I always thought of it as an ingenious and self-contained little contraption — that slinky-like coil around its rim is a great way of quickly straining the ice out of your cocktail shaker.
But to Rooney, it solves only half the problem. “We generally use a conical mesh strainer alongside a Hawthorne strainer,” he explained. “The Hawthorne keeps the large particles (of ice) out of your cocktail but lets the small ones escape. And those small pieces can add up to a significant amount of water after they melt, which will noticeably dilute the cocktail.”
Who knew?
Rooney has a word of advice on properly using the Hawthorne strainer: “Have the mixing glass completely loaded with ice. That way the strainer is sitting on top of the ice. When you pour
it out you won’t have a wave of ice rushing toward the strainer.”
I was always a little confused about the shaken-vs.-stirred rules of cocktail preparation. (Thank you, James Bond!) Rooney said the rules are easy, but ironclad:
“The general rule is if a cocktail contains citrus, dairy or egg white, you’re going to want to shake it pretty well. Citrus juice, eggs and cream are all emulsifiers that must be combined thoroughly with everything else. You don’t want them to separate in the glass. Straight spirits, liqueurs, bitters and syrups do not need to be shaken.
“Remember, when you’re shaking a cocktail you’re letting oxygen enter into the equation. It provides you with a more effervescent, bright cocktail, which is what you want for that kind of drink. But when you’re stirring, that action removes air from the equation. It leaves you with this long, luxurious, silky mouthfeel. That’s what you’re after in a Manhattan or a Negroni.”
The muddler is also frequently misused, though it’s more a matter of backing off a bit, Rooney said.
“A muddler compresses the substance that you’re muddling without breaking it, which releases volatile flavors. You want to press something such as mint just enough to release its oils rather than rip it, which can create bitter elements. You don’t need to use a lot of weight to get the desired effect.”
So stop wielding that masher like you’re the Incredible Hulk. Gently, Bruce Banner, gently.
Rooney is picky about his cocktail glasses, too. He uses cocktail coupes — they’re smallish, rounded and shallow — not martini glasses at his restaurants.
“We don’t use traditional martini glasses,” he says. “For me, they’re a marketing gimmick. The only plus I can give a martini glass is its style. But they don’t travel well. You can’t walk with liquid in them. And because of the severity of its angles, garnishes don’t sit easily on the rim. When you’re drinking out of one, the rim is so wide that someone like me with a beard and mustache, well, it all gets in there.
“Coupes have rounded edges, allowing you to walk easily with one in your hand. You can even get bumped into a bit without spilling anything. And it’s a vessel modeled after Marie Antoinette’s breast. You can’t get much more elegant than that.”
And if you’re still befuddled by muddlers, try the Agricole Mojito that doesn’t use a muddler at all.
“A muddler compresses the substance that you’re muddling without breaking it, which releases volatile flavors.” — Michael Rooney, beverage director at Costa Mesa’s Vaca and Laguna Beach’s Broadway restaurants