2 oz rye whiskey
¾ oz fernet
¾ oz Meletti amaro
2 dashes Fee Brothers black walnut bitters
Cherry to garnish
Add all ingredients except garnish into a glass pitcher, add ice, and stir 30 seconds. Double-strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry.
209 STAGE DIVES & FIST FIGHTS
USBG | SAN ANTONIO CHAPTER
STEPHAN MENDEZ
Beverage Director The Boulevardier Group
Named after the imagined bad behavior too many of these boozy, tequila-based cocktails might inspire, this drink is not for the weak. The crown garnish is designed to be a fun touch, and is appropriate considering this drink’s popularity has kept it on The Last Word bar’s cocktail menu a record three time in a row. It really is the king of the ring.
1½ oz blanco tequila
¾ oz Pedro Ximénez sherry
¾ oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes cardamom bitters
Orange peel, cut into the shape of a crown
Combine all ingredients except orange peel in a rocks or old-fashioned glass, add ice, and stir. Garnish with an orange peel crown.
210 SACRA MONTI
USBG | UTAH CHAPTER
ALEJANDRO OLIVARES
Bartender | Under Current
This cocktail is named after the series of sculptures and religious shrines that runs along the Italian mountain range connecting Lombardo and Piedmont, where Zucca amaro and Cocchi vermouth di Torino originate. It’s a little bitter, a little herbal, and it comes with a cherry dessert.
1½ oz bourbon (Buffalo Trace preferred)
½ oz sweet vermouth (Cocchi preferred)
½ oz Zucca amaro (rhubarb bitter liqueur)
3 dashes aromatic bitters (like Angostura)
Cherry to garnish
Combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake hard 8–10 seconds, and strain into a coupe or cocktail glass. Pinch the lemon peel over the drink (to express the citrus oils) and then drop it in the glass.
Entertaining & Hospitality
You probably have a favorite bar or local watering hole, and chances are good that part of the reason you like the place has something to do with how comfortable and welcomed you feel—not just the quality of the drinks.
Sure, recipes are important, but even if your host knows how to mix every classic recipe, it won’t necessarily make for a bar or party you’ll enjoy being at. Hospitality, proper planning, and keeping guests happy and upright (so they remember how much fun they had) are as important to a great bar as the recipes.
Here we apply some pro hospitality techniques to hosting your next event. Learn how to build a perfect drink menu, make your drinks look photo-ready, and even mix great mocktails. Being a good host will make your parties that much more fun for your guests and easier for you to enjoy.
Not sure where to start? Check out item 213 to get started.
211 BE THE HOST WITH THE MOST
USBG | ST. LOUIS CHAPTER
TED KILGORE
Proprietor, Beverage Director of Planter’s House
When it comes to hospitality, we’re not saying that you need to act like you’re running a bar when you have your friends over for drinks (unless they tip well). But there are some things to glean from the way bartenders think about service, so Ted Kilgore of Planter’s House gave us some tips on the kinds of things he and his staff think about when serving guests.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE It may seem obvious, but busting out the high-end craft cocktails made with bitter Italian amaros when you’re having your grandma over with other family members is probably not the best idea. If they’re not happy, you probably won’t be, either.
EARN THEIR TRUST Few people are born cocktail geeks, and most evolve their tastes as they experience new things. Earn their trust—first by giving them what they want instead of what you think they should have, and then graduating to the new and undiscovered. The key is to help people understand the magic of cocktails via things they feel comfortable with.
BUILD AN ACCESSIBLE MENU Is your new party cocktail a twist on a Manhattan? Make it obvious in the name so that people who like the classic will be drawn to the update. Fanciful names are also fun—just be prepared to explain the drink by comparing it to something else they may know.
RESEARCH YOUR SPIRITS If you’re mixing with an unusual ingredient (always good), try to learn a little bit about it: how it’s made, where’s it’s from, its history, and other interesting tidbits. Even better, be prepared with tasters for your guests.
PUT ON A SHOW Do your best to make sure guests have a great time. That’s why they’re here, so embrace the theatrics of the cocktail making, the alchemy of the creation of the drink, and the conversation surrounding it. And don’t forget to be a guest at your own party—make sure you’ve got a drink, too.
212 DEAL WITH DRUNKEN GUESTS
Even the most well-prepared of drinkers will sometimes get a little pickled without meaning to. It happens, and, as a host, it’s your responsibility to make sure everyone has a good time and stays safe. Here’s what to keep in mind when a friend abruptly goes from tipsy to trashed.
TAKE CARE If a friend is clearly tipsy but not lampshade drunk, make sure he’s not driving, arrange a safe ride home, and give him a bottle of water and some solid, heavy snacks to help get him upright again.
MAKE UP THE SOFA If he’s really not like himself, seems confused, or is acting irrationally, don’t let him leave. The last thing you want is for your buddy to get behind the wheel, pass out in a cab or subway, or get arrested for public intoxication—or worse.
FORGIVE POOR CONDUCT Remember that movie The Exorcist? Remember all the mean and manipulative things that the possessed people said? There’s a chance a drunken guest may behave in ways that shock you—and he may not have any memory of the episode the next day. Best to forgive and forget, and know that he would be horrified if he knew what a jerk he was. Treat him like you would like to be treated when it happens to you someday.
PREPARE FOR A MESS Remember that other traumatic part of The Exorcist? Get a bucket nearby even if your pal doesn’t look ready to spew. Remind him repeatedly where it is. Some demons just need to be cast out.
BE PATIENT Forget coffee and all the tricks you’ve heard for sobering up—the only one that really works is time. Waiting it out can be agonizing, but hopefully everyone will do that while sleeping.
SEE A DOCTOR Beware of alcohol poisoning—if anyone has trouble catching his or her breath or starts breathing irregularly, experiences a change in skin color, or shows any sign of seizures, get him or her to a hospital immediately.
213 GET READY TO PARTY
Trying to plan your next party? Let us help you come up with some ideas and devise a cocktail strategy. What kind of party were you thinking of hosting?
214 PLAN YOUR GLASSWARE AND BOOZE
Ending up with leftover booze is never a big problem after a party, but finding yourself with a bunch of random bottles or, worse, a mostly full tapped keg is never good. And just as dreadful is running out of beverages partway through the night. “Oh, look at the time! We should probably head home to, um, water the plants.”
When you’re planning a party and trying to figure out how much booze to buy, a good standard calculation is 1½ drinks per person per hour, although that number should get lower as the night goes on (or, at least, you hope it does). FYI: A standard keg (15 gallons) will yield about 160 servings. A case of wine is 60 glasses, and each bottle of booze is about 13 shots.
That’s a great starting point for a group that’s an even mix of big drinkers, teetotalers, and average folks. But you know your friends best, so adjust the numbers upward if you know a lot of party animals, or downward if you’ve invited a lot of people who need to operate heavy machinery afterward.
215 BUILD A PRO COCKTAIL MENU
USBG | SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER
KEVIN DIEDRICH
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p; Operating Manager | PCH (Pacific Cocktail Haven)
The quality of a drink is always important, but the menu it comes from might be even more so. The drinks can illustrate a historical or playful narrative via their names or descriptions, telling a story that entices, educates, and entertains. Bartenders spend a lot of time designing and thinking about menus, but choosing cocktails for a home event isn’t hard if you know what to do. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
MAKE IT LEGIBLE Don’t spend too much time choosing fonts and flourishes that are completely indecipherable in dim light; choose clean, legible fonts printed at a nice size. Otherwise, you’ll spend the rest of the night reading it out loud to everyone.
CHOOSE YOUR DRINKS WISELY If you’re planning an event for a large number of people, don’t offer drinks that have egg whites or cream, or that involve muddling. Your menu won’t be lacking; your guests will be the ones who suffer as they wait for a drink (well, them and your arms). Muddling also produces a giant, wet mess, on top of being slow and exhausting in large numbers. Choose drinks that can be built in glasses, like bucks and mules, old fashioneds, or sparkling wine drinks.
DON’T OVERWHELM YOUR GUESTS Let the size of the space determine how many drinks are manageable. Even in a small bar, offering too many options means that your drinks get lost and people will only order the first few on the list.
KNOW YOUR CLIENTELE You hopefully know your friends well enough to know what theme appeals to them. Are they more likely to drink beer or wine? Offer them your spin on a shandy (see the DST, item 180) or sangria (see item 177). Then you can throw something in there you like and see if you can win them over to other things.
KNOW YOUR SPACE Unless you designed it otherwise, chances are that your house bar isn’t built to make a large volume of cocktails. This is why punches are great.
HAVE A RODEO CLOWN OR TWO Just like bull riders need help distracting the animals in order to keep the show going and prevent injuries, you’ll need some help keeping the drinks going. Punch is your rodeo clown. They’re a great buffer and refilling is easy if you have backup batched punch in the fridge. Put forth a little effort ahead of time to create beautiful garnishes and some signage explaining what’s in it, and guests can serve themselves while you get a chance to catch your breath. If you’re hosting the party, the last thing you’ll want to do is spend your whole time mixing drinks for people.
THINK SEASONALLY No, we aren’t going to lecture you about buying local and in season (yes, you should do it), but you should consider the seasons when choosing drinks for your menu. You don’t want to put a super boozy old fashioned on there when the humidity levels are sky-high that day. If it’s hot out, think refreshing and juicy drinks (it can be as easy as a gin and tonic). If it’s cool weather, spirit-focused cocktails are more appropriate.
KNOW THE MAGIC NUMBER If you’re hosting a big party, plan for two punches and two cocktails, or one punch if it’s no more than 30 people.
VARY THE GLASSWARE Mix up the glassware so you don’t have four cocktails that are all in highball glasses, because that’s boring. People flock to visually interesting drinks, and using different glasses gives them graphic appeal.
216 COOK UP A HOME BAR
USBG | ST. LOUIS CHAPTER
MATT SORRELL
Co-owner | Cocktails Are Go!
The kitchen may not be the sexiest place, but for most of us, it’s simply the best option for a home bar. Here are a few key elements to keep in mind.
WORKSPACE Most kitchens have enough space to move around, plus plenty of surface area to mix at—all at comfortable countertop height (it’s important, as stooping can hurt your back). Bonus: Kitchen spaces and their surfaces are designed for easy cleanup.
PLUMBING Probably the most important consideration in a home bar is having access to a sink—you’ll need it to rinse equipment and dump out ice. If you set up your bar in a part of the house without plumbing, you’ll be constantly running back and forth to the kitchen. You might as well save the effort and just make drinks in there to begin with.
STORAGE Most kitchens are already designed with easy access to storage in mind—including lots of cool, dark spaces for stashing your booze, plus spaces for glassware and equipment. And the kitchen, of course, has the big kahuna: the fridge—where you’ll find ice, juices, and syrups galore.
217 DESIGN A POP-UP BAR
USBG | ST. LOUIS CHAPTER
MATT SORRELL
Co-owner | Cocktails Are Go!
If you’re hosting a larger gathering and want to mix cocktails for all your friends, you may need to relocate your bar for the occasion. Keep the same elements in mind—this time in their most mobile applications—and it’ll be a painless pop-up party station.
WIGGLE IN A WORKSPACE A folding table works great for temporary setups, but be sure to save your back by adding risers to the legs of the tables. You can use bed risers or simple lengths of PVC pipe to give it a boost—just make sure you choose a wide enough diameter for the legs to fit inside the pipe. Also make sure that you position the tables so that you have room to move around—working smashed up against a wall is not fun.
FIND WATER Try to be in close proximity to a water source and drain. If not, pick up a couple of food-grade buckets at your local hardware store for dumping ice and rinsing bar tools. Put some mats underneath the buckets to keep the floor dry, and a slip-proof gel mat for yourself will also help keep you comfortable.
HIDE THE STOCK Position a tablecloth so that the slack in front completely hides the space underneath the table. This will keep your rinse and dump buckets out of view and allow you to store extras out of sight. If you will be going through a lot of glassware or need different types for different drinks, set up a table behind you to keep them on deck.
HAVE ICE AT THE READY The easiest way to have access to lots of ice is to use a cooler. Stack it on top of milk crates or a spare cooler to bring it up to a comfortable height—about waist height is ideal for scooping.
218 SET UP YOUR BAR LIKE A PRO
USBG | ST. LOUIS CHAPTER
MATT SORRELL
Co-owner | Cocktails Are Go!
The design of a bar and the placement of the equipment are as crucial for a home bartender as they are for a pro, allowing you to efficiently make drinks and welcome guests at the same time. Before you start stocking, let’s explore the space.
RAIL Where the most commonly used spirits are kept for popular drinks and special menu items. Ideally, it sits in front of and below the bartender, keeping bottles out of sight but within arm’s reach.
Useful at home? A version is helpful for hosting events at home, but feel free to place those most-used bottles on top of the bar. You can also use a row of bottles to hide equipment or recipe cheat sheets.
UNDERBAR The area underneath the bar for backup bottles of booze, a first-aid kit, towels, and miscellaneous knick-knacks that don’t need to be on display.
Useful at home? Yes, and if your bar doesn’t have a front to cover the backup bottles of booze and ice, use a tablecloth with all the slack toward the front in order to keep the clutter out of view.
PERSONALITY WELL This station is dedicated to the bartender(s) working to deliver drinks to everyone waiting at the bar, often with personalities as enjoyable as the drinks.
Useful at home? At home, this is your bar and your stage. Be nice to your groupies.
BACKBAR The area directly behind the bartender where premium spirits, books, and glassware are kept.
Useful at home? Yes, especially for hosting. If you don’t offer a menu, it allows your guests to see what’s available, and it keeps your glassware handy.
ICE BIN A large stainless-steel tub that sits below or next to a bartender’s workstation but above the rail. Professional bins have a clever area for bottles of juice and sparking wine or soda to stay chilled in sleeves.
Useful at home? Yes, because a cocktail without ice is not very far removed from drinking straight out of the bottle. K
eep things classy with a large bucket or tub of ice cubes for mixing and filling glasses, along with a smaller container for all your juices, sodas, and mixers.
GARNISH BIN This compartmentalized tray holds the olives, citrus wedges, cherries, and other garnish items. If you aren’t the one bartending, don’t touch it—and definitely don’t help yourself to its contents.
Useful at home? It can be, but it’s not necessary. A few nice glasses or small bowls will work; just don’t forget the garnish tongs.
SERVICE WELL If there is more than one bartender, this is the station dedicated to making drinks for the floor (rather than the bar). A bar mat or missing stool in front are your clues to stay out of the way of the waitstaff.
Useful at home? If you’re hosting an elegant soirée with passed drinks, setting up a bar in the corner to knock out cocktails is a great idea.
BARBACK The person working in unison with the bartender to keep supplies stocked, ensure a clear area and clean equipment, prep juices and garnishes, and do whatever else is needed so that the bartender can focus on making drinks.
Useful at home? If your parties draw large crowds, a barback keeps you mixing and hosting at the same time.
219 GO WITH THE FLOW
USBG | ST. LOUIS CHAPTER
MATT SORRELL
Co-owner | Cocktails Are Go!
The location of your home bar for entertaining is as important as the drinks themselves. Of particular significance is the flow of the space—good to consider for any event and critical for large ones—even if it’s a self-serve bar.
People will naturally migrate to the booze and to each other, which means you should think about where those clusters will form and their effect on the party’s foot traffic. Try to position the bar in a room that has multiple points of entry and provides exits to other rooms, so people can come and go and not create a logjam in front of the bar. Avoid rooms with dead ends, like porches or sunrooms, which give folks nowhere to go once they’ve got a drink in hand.
The Complete Cocktail Manual Page 13