BRUSH UP ON BAR BASICS
A book, simple tools and quality spirits are the keys.
With the kids back in school, it’s a good time to brush up on some slightly- more- grown- up skills of your own. Yep, it’s time to shake up your bar basics.
After all, cocktails are the big trend in entertaining these days. They’re fun, sophisticated and delicious — and they can be a surprisingly economical way to entertain. And with all fall’s dinner parties, cocktail dos and family feasts just around the corner, that’s good news for a busy host.
Not sure where to start? Here’s a quick refresher course.
Making good drinks starts with good quality spirits. That can be a pricey investment, but you probably need less than you think — even the experts don’t always have that many bottles at home.
“I’m not a guy who has a lot of home bar stuff,” says Keith Trusler, bar manager at Bluewater Café + Raw Bar, who figures he only has about six bottles at home. “The person who loves to invent cocktails at home, they need that wide range of things to play with. I just have what I like to drink.”
Most experts agree: The best way to build your home bar is to buy just the spirits, liqueurs, bitters and mixers you need for the drinks you like best, then add to your collection as your tastes evolve.
Then, of course, you need a few tools.
“My tip would be, keep it simple,” says Matt Martin, bar manager at Fat Dragon Bar- B- Q. “Keep it simple from the spirits you choose to the hardware you buy. If you’re making a bar at home, get the basics, get a book, get the tools and keep it simple.”
A good cocktail book is probably the most important tool any bartender can have. Other than that, you need a good three- piece cocktail shaker and/ or a two- piece Boston shaker, an accurate jigger, a bar spoon, sharp knife, bottle openers, hawthorn strainer ( the one with the twisty wire bit) and a citrus juicer. A tea strainer, mixing glass, muddler and silicone ice cube trays are also handy, but not essential.
As for glassware, you really only need rocks ( old fashioned) glasses, but it’s also nice to have cocktail ( martini) glasses, champagne flutes, Collins ( highball) glasses and, if you prefer your spirits neat, spirits- specific glasses like Reidel’s Hennessy Cognac and Single Malt ones.
Once you’ve upgraded your gear, you can get to work on improving your skills.
If you’ve never made cocktails before, it’s best to start with something simple and classic — such as the Manhattan, Negroni, Sidecar, Margarita and Tom Collins — then work your way up to the more complicated drinks and trickier techniques.
“Do some research and find some recipes. Or get yourself a good classic book like The Savoy Cocktail Book,” advises Trusler.
“And use good ingredients. Your drink is only going to be as good as the sum of the ingredients that go into it. Start with fresh ingredients and keep your recipes simple. And go for balance.”
That means, for starters, using freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of pre- made sour mix, making your own simple syrup ( just heat equal parts sugar and water and stir until combined) and avoiding any drink mix that comes in a bucket.
Finally, once you’ve mastered a handful of classics, you can add your own unique twists.
“You can use things like bitters and acids to add depth and complexity to what should be a simple harmony of flavours,” Trusler says. “The next step would be to start doing infusions, then taking ideas from other people or that you’ve seen in restaurants and bars.”
And then, before you know it, you’ll be hosting the most swellegant parties in town.