Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/524520
www.cheersonline.com 33 June 2015 • EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE BASICS AND KEEP UP WITH THE TRENDS. Read books and watch technique videos online, says Dimitrios Zahariadis, cofounder of TheCocktailChemist.com and president of the U.S. Bartenders Guild Connecticut Chapter (USBG CT). As for recommended reading, New York bartender Jon Kraus swears by The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique, by Jeffrey Morgenthaler; Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail, by Dave Arnold; and the Bartender's Choice app by Sam Ross of Milk & Honey fame. "Defi nitely buy The Mr. Boston Offi cial Bartender's Guide," says James Menite, bartender at The Plaza Hotel in New York. "When I fi rst started out, I yellow-Sharpied so much into that book. Now one of my recipes is in the book. My career has come a full 360 degrees." FIND TIME TO WORK IN THE KITCHEN AS WELL AS BEHIND THE BAR. "It teaches you to be fast, clean and organized," says bar consultant Johan M. Stein, principal of Cat & Mouse Consulting. Barbacking is also great for young bartenders, he notes. "I became a great bartender because I was fi rst a good barback and proved myself there." PRACTICE MISE EN PLACE OR "PUTTING IN PLACE." Organize and arrange items that you expect to use during a shift for easy access to save time, says Joe Alberti, bartender at McCoy's Oceanfront at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa. MAKE YOUR OWN SYRUPS. Homemade syrups not only add a cool element that can't be bought in stores, "they also save you money, as they last for about a week and are only the cost of a cup of sugar and things like a thumb of ginger or a pineapple," says Cody Goldstein, head bartender at Red Farm in New York. It's a good idea to infuse your simple syrups with herbs, fruits, etc. rather than infusing spirits, says Alberti. This will cut down on liquor waste. DIMITRIOS ZAHARIADIS JOHAN M. STEIN JOE ALBERTI CODY GOLDSTEIN