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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/524520
www.cheersonline.com 34 • June 2015 USE A JIGGER. Measuring with a jigger provides quality control and enables you to get exact proportions every time you make a cocktail, says Chris Almeida, bartender at The Eddy in Providence, RI, and president of USBG Rhode Island. "You can make the cocktail exactly the same way, every time. It eliminates a lot of the factors of variables," he says. "Friends don't let friends not use jiggers." LEARN TO FREE POUR. While many advise using a jigger for most pours, bartenders should also be able to free pour. Practice every day to learn to pour a ½ oz. to 4 oz. at a time with both hands, says Zachary Blair, lead mixologist at the Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, NY. You should also learn to bump pour—continuously pour from glass to glass, he says. Aim to get the pour right each and every time, says Owen Joseph, bar supervisor of the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Cape Cod, MA. "You're assured that it will be a great drink, and your guests will always have a consistent one. Count whilst pouring and adjust your count to suit the ounces or parts thereof." USE A PLATE FOR RIMMING GLASSWARE. Don't dip sugar/salt glass rims in typical plastic containers, Alberti says. Use a plate instead, so that the salt or sugar doesn't get inside the glass and create an unbalanced cocktail. SOURCE LOCAL INGREDIENTS. Visit your local farmer's markets, gardens and even fl orists, says Greg Fournier, beverage director of the Harbor View Hotel on Martha's Vineyard. "Everyone enjoys sweet fl oral scents in the summer and complex unique herb fl avors for the fall." And if you don't know what something is at farmer's markets, just ask, says Bob Peters, head mixologist for The Punch Room at The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, NC. "Most of the time farmers are more than happy to let you sample their fresh produce." ALWAYS CLEAN YOUR TINS AFTER EACH DRINK. "I have worked with numerous bartenders who dump their tins in the sink after each drink," says Goldstein. "This not only leaves them with no tins at some point but also slows the process during busy hours if they have to make more then one drink at a time." ZACHARY BLAIR OWEN JOSEPH GREG FOURNIER