Newcomer Introductions

Hello everyone

Dezman Turner — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:08:26 GMT

I just set up a small little bar in Oakland CA which specializes in craft and classic cocktails. It's been 3 months now and the bar has increased profits by %40 which is really exciting for me as this is the first bar that I started from scratch and built from the ground up. The reason I am posting is to continue this progress by frequently changing cocktails to include seasonal syrups and specialty creations. I am currently working on a house bitters and all of my syrups are made in house. Once I have permission I will start infusing my own liquors (thank god California just started letting us do this again) starting with a citrus vodka and moving through more liquors. I am hoping that more veteran bar owners or managers have some insight and advice to help me on my path of bar managing. I appreciate any kind of help. Thank you.

hello from Salem, OR!!!

Ralph — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:21:44 GMT

Hello all!! pretty much the worst drink mixer on earth. I try hard though... Frequent traveler for work so I get around a lot.. Pretty much it....

Hey all

Brian Robinson — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:33:08 GMT

I was registered here a LONG time ago, but I more than likely was flushed since I never contributed. But after having really gotten deep into cocktails and spirits in general over the past 7 or 8 years, I figured I'd pop back in.

Some of you more than likely already know me, but for those who don't:

I'm the Review Editor and Media Liaison for the world's largest Absinthe education organization, The Wormwood Society. I'm also an avid spirits historian and collector. I'm always in the market for vintage bottles (as I'm sure many here are).

Also, at the risk of being mocked and ridiculed, yes, I'm the douche who won the Monteleone Hotel Cocktail contest for the Carousel Bar at Tales of the Cocktail several years ago. I'll go ahead and say it: no it wasn't the most advanced or complex cocktail. But it wasn't meant to be. :)

Cheers!

Hello Hello!

Precious Bartending — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:07:41 GMT

Hi everyone. My name is Jes and I just wanted to introduce myself. I am a beginning bartender with aspirations of beginning my own private Bartending company. I just want to get some pointers on alcohol (in all senses), mixers, history, everything and this seems like the perfect community to get the as much info as I can. I'm ready to learn!!!

Hello from Denver, Colorado!

Todd — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 02:39:55 GMT

Hi everyone,

My name is Todd. I am the bar/restaurant manager/bartender of Asti D'Italia, a small fine-dining Italian restaurant in Westminster, Colorado. I am also a bartending school instructor and grad school student (who needs sleep? ha ha!). I have a deep respect, passion, and love for classic cocktails, and thoroughly enjoy making them as well as adding personal twists to some of them.

Glad to meet you!

Ciao from Italy

Andrea — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:30:56 GMT

Hi all, I'm Andrea a 42 year's old guy from Milan, Italy.

love mixing quality spirits for me and friends. My margaritas are often better than the ones of the bars...I have also a particular feeling with Campari.

i saw some posts on this forum and, what I might say, all you folks are very competent and passionate!

New Guy from PA, USA

Mr. D — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:29:10 GMT

Howdy!

I'm new to mixing, having introduced myself to it in 2012. I am a big fan of classic American cinema ('40s and '50s especially) and I would always wonder what those drinks tasted like. It seems like everyone drank in those movies and everyone had a bar of some sort at their home and office. I don't have any good bars near my home, but I finally realized that I could mix for myself!

I thought it would be easy. First on the list was the classic Martini, so I looked it up online. Gin and dry vermouth - it looked simple enough. There were a TON of gins available, though, so I went back to Google: "best gin for martini." Whoa baby! That is when I learned that NOTHING about home cocktails is simple. Well, let me rephrase that: there is nothing about home cocktails that cannot be made complicated!

I tried Bombay Sapphire - didn't really like it, but that could be because I had never tasted anything like gin before and didn't know what to expect. Did some more research and tried New Amsterdam. Loved it! Finally settled on Bombay Original and 8:1 ratio. Oh, and I also discovered that stirring is the correct way to prepare a martini (makes sense, when you think about it. Also happens to taste a lot better).

Anyway, that was just the beginning. Every time I do more research on a cocktail, I find out even more stuff that I NEED To LEARN! I suspect I'll be at it till I die...

But I enjoy it. I enjoy it so much that I even started a blog about it (among other things): www.cocktailsgunsconfederates.com. I'll be posting a new cocktail recipe there on Saturday.

Thanks a lot a looking forward to learning a TON from y'all, so you'd better not let me down!

Greetings, salutations, aloha!

Suzanne — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:11:18 GMT

Greetings All!

Suzanne

Hello! Looking for help in redesigning the home bar

Rob Martin — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 05:04:17 GMT

Hi Everyone!

I bought a house three years ago which had what the previous owner called a "preacher bar". This was a closed in bar area behind two pocket doors - really more of a closet with a mini fridge, a couple of glass shelves, and a base cabinet and counter top. As it is, I have found there are more down sides to the current design. The refrigerator heats up the space when the doors are closed, there is a lot of wasted space that is hard to reach, and the ceilings is very tall which makes for poor lighting.

Does anyone know of resources - books/web/??? where I can get ideas for improving the space? Also helpful would be hints for organizing cocktail essentials so that it does not look cluttered.

Any history on if this type of bar setup would be nice (does the term "preacher bar" really have a definition?

Thank you in advance!

Rob

Hello from Portland

Pete — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 04:27:11 GMT

Hi all, I signed up here so I figured I'd say hello.

I am no expert I just like to make cocktails here at the house. And read about them on line. Once in a while I try to invent one. So carry on!

Pete

Aloha kakou!

Josh Miller — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:54:26 GMT

Hey folks,

Thanks for welcoming me into the fold. My name's Josh, and I love making and learning about cocktails. I started getting seriously into rum, tiki drinks and classic cocktails a few years ago, and have been writing a blog about same for a little over a year at inuakena.com. I have a lot to learn about spirits, cocktails, and other drinks, so I look forward to interacting with the community. I'm on twitter @inuakena as well.

Huli pau!

Josh

New(er) to mixology

Hetzer_Der_Metzger — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:02:38 GMT

Hey all,

New here and new-ish to mixology.

I got interested in making all kinds of drinks when I was 21 and my grandpa picked up a book at a garage sale called "Just Cocktails." It is bound in wood and leather straps, has a hand-painted cover of a rooster and just has dozens of old pre- and post prohibition recipes. I got hooked-in quick trying to make whatever I could with what we had just so I could try it.

I'm now 24, went to a bartending school and beginning to bartend at a country club in Cincinnati, OH.

If anyone knows of any good books for mixology or just any general tips, I'd be glad to hear. I always love reading up on the older drinking culture and especially around the prohibition era.

Zum Wohl!

New

Frank Caiafa — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 09:19:44 GMT

Hi all,

I am the bar manager for both Peacock Alley at the Waldorf=Astoria and The Vault at Pfaff's, in NYC.

Your groups posts are very interesting and informative.

Happy New Year!

Best,

Frank

Hi!

mikealanfoster — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 02:48:00 GMT

Hi guys,

Im Mike! Im just about to move down to London, and I finally decided to create myself an account after lurking on this forum for a long time!

Brand New

Edward B. — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 22:02:00 GMT

Hey all.

My name is Edward or Ed and I just recently got into cocktails (my 21st was in August.) I'm looking to attend bar tending school in the near future and hope to learn a lot from the rest of you guys.

New Guy

mrbarman — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 03:04:23 GMT

Hey All,

Been meaning to get on this forum, so here I am! My name is Doug Compton. Been tending bar for going on 20 years, most of which in high volume. Currently I'm the Bar Manager for Volterra in Kirkland, WA. For those of you now from the NW, thats just East of Seattle. Love the cocktail scene and always interested in new product, new recipe ideas and of course, all the crazy shit that happens makes for interesting reading.

Best wishes!

Doug

Welcome to The Chanticleer Society!

Robert Hess — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:37:14 GMT

The "Chanticleer Society" you might ask? What the heck is that?

The answer to that question is both complicated, and simple. Just to make it easy, let's start with the simple.

We were looking for a name to christen a new organization of cocktail enthusiasts, and after a little head scratching David Wondrich uncovered the following quote:

"The Sunday Mercury says that if you are at a hotel, and wish to call for a beverage compounded of brandy, sugar, absynthe, bitters and ice, called by the vulgar a cocktail, ask for une queue de chanticleer-it will be an evidence at once of your knowledge of French and of Chesterfield."
- The New Orleans Daily Picayune, February 2, 1843, p.2

which provides an interesting alternative term for cocktail. Listed here "une queue de chanticleer" is roughly translated as "a tail of the rooster", in which "chanticleer" is used for "rooster" instead of the French "coq". "Chanticleer" is the name given in some old English myths and fables for a rooster character that sometimes appears.

So that is the origin of the name. But why you may ask create this particular group, at this particular time? Well, that's where things get a little complex. There were several different "pressures" that brought this about.

1. I was wanting to hold some public seminars here in Seattle, but to do this, and be able to serve cocktail samples at them, I had to create a non-profit organization.

2. MSN Groups decided it was going to shut down in February 2009, which meant that my drinkboy discussion forum would be going away. For technical reasons I couldn't host it on the drinkboy.com website, so I decided that I should create a new website for this.

3. There has recently been a lot of activity in regards to Bartenders Guilds, both ones that are officially part of the USBG, as well as some independent groups starting up. They are of course set up to be by, and for, bartenders, but they also are providing some level of "participation" by non-bartenders, but not as a primary focus.

So, I decided to try to take these issues, combine them together, and form an organization that is by, and for, cocktail enthusiasts. Besides providing a discussion forum to replace the drinkboy forum, the plan is for it also to assign "ambassadors" around the world who will take on the responsibility of keeping abreast of the cocktail happenings in their area. They will keep tabs on the bars and bartenders of note in their locale, and be able to report on the status when the need arises.

We will also lock arms with the various other organizations, websites, etc that are cocktail related, hopefully providing a great network of resources and opportunities.

We are still in our formative stages, so various details surrounding what this organization is, and where it is going will surely change over the weeks, months, and years to come.

-Robert

Another new guy

Benzocaine — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 21:27:22 GMT

Hey everybody. I'm new to the forum and somewhat newish to the art (and for me, hobby) of mixology / bartending (or whatever the kosher, "in" word is this week, ha ha). I hope to glean some good information about various drinks and techniques from you all and maybe I can add a bit of something here and there, myself. Thanks

So Im a new guy.

Spencer — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 03:43:47 GMT

My names Spencer, I'm a 22 year old who landed a job where they let me do whatever I deem fit behind the bar, and I would hate to squander such an opportunity.

I have a love for alcohol that almost seems ridiculous. I love the culture, history, and human emotion tied to and good aged rum. And appreciate the dogma and meticulous detail and the arguments over the correct way to make a Sazerac.

I came across this page and haven't looked far into it, But as soon as I read "Cocktail Enthusiasts" I clicked the sign up button. I look forward to learning from everyone and sharing in my successes with you all!

Cheers!

New member

Doug — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:17:07 GMT

Greetings,

I am an beverage and tabler service instructor at The Culinary Institute of America. I look forward in learning from the wide range of individuals that are part of this society.

Cheers,

Doug Miller

Hello from Salem

Gregac1984 — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 01:15:45 GMT

Hi,

My name is Greg and I am currently finishing law school in Salem. I really enjoy a well made drink. Unfortunately, there are not many places here in town to get a cocktail worth drinking but I have been working to build up the home bar and learn new recipes. Here's one I made tonight:

Spicy-er American Trilogy

1 oz Rittenhouse Rye

1 oz Laird's Applejack

.5 oz lemon juice

tablespoon-ish brown sugar (I didn't have brown sugar cubes and honestly who does? I have never seen them for sale).

2 healthy dashes orange bitters

muddled horseradish root (I used a disk about the size of a thick quarter, and it is very firm so muddle the crap out of it)

garnish with an orange twist

Now I should note I did not come up with this on my own. I had something similar at The Modern Hotel in Boise. I asked for something spicy with applejack and they told me it was a modified American Trilogy. This is my best recreation.

Happy to be here,

Greg

A classless engineer with a taste for good drink

ABarnes — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:51:07 GMT

Hello everyone, good to meet you all!

I'm a 22 year old recent engineering school grad from central Massachusetts. I was fortunate enough to be able to work my way through college at a local factory, and as an industrial/chemical engineering major I was offered an engineering position immediately after I graduated.

I don't know what attracted me first to classic cocktails, but throughout my "career" as a typical drunken college student, I guess I always felt dissatisfied with what everyone around me was drinking. This led me to craft beer, which was probably the best thing that could have happened. Coming from being used to buying a case of the cheapest beer available on a friday night, craft beer was an expensive luxury, and every bottle was to be savored and enjoyed. Between tuition, rent, and food, I could hardly afford to get drunk on five-dollar-a-bottle beer, and once the switch had been flipped that alcohol was much more than a fun way to get inebriated I fostered a much more mature attitude towards drinking.

Probably six months ago, I started to be very interested in absinthe. I knew by this point that the idea that it was some sort of wild hallucinogen was a fairy tale, but something about the louching ritual, the odd combination of class and grace it added to the drink, really stuck with me. During my research, I stumbled across Robert Hess's absinthe video on Small Screen Network. I was engrossed. I watched probably 3/4 of his catalog in one sitting and knew cocktails were something I had to try. (That video is also what happened to lead me here!) I started small, a Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, the Americano, and I tried to perfect making them at home. After graduation, though, the fortuitous combination of suddenly having free time, few debts, and steady disposable income ballooned my home stash of liquor from 5 bottles to dozens of different brands and types.

Since then, I've become almost a cocktail evangelist amongst my friends. Some have taken to it, and some have rolled their eyes, but at least it's always ensured that I can count on good company and good drinks on a Saturday night. :)

Again, very good to meet everyone, and I'm excited to be part of this forum.

A bartending lecturer would like to say Hi or is it CHEERS?

perfection — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 04:37:21 GMT

Hi all

I am a bar and beverage lecturer and am currently involved in revising and rewriting course packs for bar and beverage modules for a hospitality mgmt college here in India.

During the course of my writing the packs i ran into several contradictions and grey areas and i would love to solve these issues by speaking to practicing professionals through this forum. (i do not practice anymore except the odd home and family functions where i make mistakes and geta way with it) Of course i have researched the internet but the more you read the more confusing it gets

Most of my questions will be theoretical and hopefully so will be answers as the more vague and ambiguous they are, the more confounded students get.

So Hi everyone - hoping for your support

Brazilian Newcomer

Thiago Ceccotti — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 23:09:08 GMT

Hi,
I'm Thiago from Brazil
found this very good forum and joined you!

I started mixing cocktails for my friends and I've been working at a bar for 6 months now.
I love to host a party, mix drinks, read about cocktails and the "scientific" methods (mixology) and host a bar.

That's me, hope we get nice discussions

Newcomer from St. Louis

Scientist McGee — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 06:19:33 GMT

Hey everybody,

My name's Denis, and I live in St. Louis. I love reading about and mixing up cocktails in my home.

I also write a blog about all the new cocktails I try. My blog's called "Scientist McGee" and can be found at http://scientistmcgee.wordpress.com/.

I also love looking for old glassware at thrift stores and antique malls around town. Now that I've run out of room at home for glasses for myself, I still get to enjoy the thrill of the hunt for cool finds by selling them now on Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ScientistMcGee).

I'm excited about joining this group, and look forward to learning a lot more from all of you!

Thanks, Denis