KC Tea

KC TEA

2013 version

2016 version

Hello again boys and girls!

It's been quite a while since my last update but have no fear, another cocktail is here! Easy to make, this cocktail has an interesting combo that'll work! Before we go to the specifics, I have to say that this recipe was "given" to me by a customer at my work. To be honest, I first didn't quite catch the name of the drink but after he told me what comes in it, I quickly google'd down the ingredients and bam!

Introducing the KC Tea.

• 5-6 cl (2 fl oz. or a double shot) of Hennessy VS (many recipes specifically call of VS, albeit I used VSOP since I didn't have the VS brand)
• Sprite
• a lemon wedge

In a tumbler build the drink; add the ice, the cognac and top it off with sprite. Squeeze the lemon wedge onto the drink and drop it in as well.

If I had used a highball - glass, this drink would've been much more "diluted". With the tumbler...wow. A strong, yet pleasant drink to have! The cognac gives its kick + the citrus aromas from the sprite are well noted. But next time I would probably make this in a bigger glass. Probably.

2016 Edit*

So yes, I made this one, pretty much (!) three years later in a bigger glass! A G&T - goblet! Using the same amount of liquor I was now able to add more soda which made this drink deviously pleasant! I can hardly taste the alcohol in this one! :D

Watermelon Whip

WATERMELON WHIP

(Two versions of it)

Good evening again! Here is a cocktail I quickly summed up for my wife, is easy to make and tastes delicious! I call it the Watermelon Whip.

• 2-3 lime wedges
• 2 cl cointreau OR aged rum
• 2 cl watermelon liqueur
• pineapple juice

First squeeze in the lime wedges, add some ice and add the alcohols. As you can see in the pictures, on the right version I poured the watermelon liqueur last. Apparently it didn't sink and mix with the juice (which was nice). Top it off with some pineapple juice, add a few straws and if wanted a lime wheel/wedge as a garnish. Done!

This was an excellent drink. I used a smaller glass on purpose; if you have a bigger glass, just double the ingredients and you should be fine. The watermelon liqueur (which I haven't used before) worked well with the rest of the ingredients and even when I substituted the cointreau with aged rum, the drink didn't lose its initial "touch". The rum + pineapple did work together quite nicely!

Tears of happiness & Life as a bartender

EXPERIENCING THE CONCEPT
"AFTER WORK"

Let the Dude dance!

I believe the following experience I had deserves its own segment I like to call Tears of happiness & Life as a bartender.

First though I need to back up a few months. Roughly 1½ months ago I officially started my career as a bartender. Following the co-determination at my old work place I realized I would never advance in my career working there. Not to mention the love for cocktails and customer service, I also realized that now would be my time to look for another job.

At this today I work at Restaurant Teerenpeli; 

"Teerenpeli restaurants offer a large selection of home-brewed and imported beers and ciders. Beers and ciders brewed by Teerenpeli Brewery are famous around Finland and have won several prizes in different competitions."

Their flagship product, the Single Malt 8 Year Old whisky

Having literally no previous work experience from restaurant/catering business, I admit my previous self-learnt know-how regarding alcohol (legislation) and so forth has helped me...a lot. Nonetheless, I still have so much more to learn and when it comes down to alcoholic beverages, the business is a never-ending school.

I enjoy...no, I love my work. Fair enough, it could be (probably is) my honeymoon phase in the business. 

But back to my initial story. What happened yesterday was something so extraordinary and amazing! (I can hear people who have worked in restaurants for years sigh now) Let's break it down:

Yesterday, on the second of Nov...Movember, I woke up at 10:00am. Actually my alarm clock rang at 10 o'clock, but I set it on snooze for another 30 minutes.

I went to work as normal at 19:00 accompanied by my wife. At our restaurant we have regular Burlesque shows ~once/month and thanks to Halloween we had a horror/halloween themed - show tonight. My wife went to watch the show (with a friend of ours) whereas I worked behind the counter in the cellar (where the show was held).

I worked until 3am. Or it could've been anything between 3:30-4:00, I can't really remember. After all of the customers had left and we got our the place cleaned up we had to "poison" the tap tubes/pipes from the cellar. This meant we poured the remaining content from the tap into jugs. 

Me and four of the workers remained inside for the After work drinks.

(picture somewhat related)

The feeling when us guys sat around a table around candle light in an otherwise completely dark restaurant, drinking beer/cider and just...talking the night away. For me it was indeed a very special situation since I have never been in these "After work" - situations (figures knowing how short a time I've worked now). I had a warm, fuzzy feeling inside me, something I have difficulties better to describe!

Better yet, we talked until the morning sun started shining over the city. The cleaner-dude had already come around 8am and right before 9am we left...but not home. We went to the pub opposite to ours and had a few drinks more + breakfast + continued our talking.

I finally headed home at 10:30, having been awake for 24 hours now. I do acknowledge that in the restaurant business that is not a "extreme" time to be awake non-stop and truth to be told, not once did I feel

1. tired

2. drunk

I was back at home at 11am. Okay, then I got a bit tired.

Overall, I feel super happy. I had an amazing 24 hour.