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. 

Brain Hemorrhage

BRAIN HEMORRHAGE

Well met once again! It's been quite the pause since my last update (okay, two weeks) so I thought "now it's time to make a cocktail again!" 

Fair enough, this is more of a shooter and if you look closely, you might note the similarities with a shooter I made back in the days (or this)! Instead of going all "alien", I present the Brain Hemorrhage. (the US Halloween is knocking at our doors so I found this fit for any Halloween party whatsoever)

It's very simple to make. All you need is (love):

• ½ shot peach schnapps
• ½ shot Irish cream (or any cream liqueur)
• ~a tsp of grenadine

First pour in the peach schnapps, then carefully layer the Irish cream on top and finally with a tea spoon drop the grenadine the in the middle. The effect should look somewhat as in the picture above.

Taste-wise semi-good. During the middle part, where the Irish cream has "curdled" a bit has a rather yucky feel in the mouth but that's a diminutive detail.

Happy capitalistic Halloween everyone!

The Margarita Cocktail

THE MARGARITA

(Like a tequila based Sidecar)

Good evening again ladies and gentlemen! It's time for this week's cocktail!

The Margarita. This is the cocktail everyone's heard if not in the actual world, then in numerous movies to say the least. Essentially a Sidecar with tequila instead of brandy, I've always had a rather love-hate relationship regarding this drink. The love being, I mean, it's a Margarita. I've hardly ever made one in my life and it's one of those cocktails you just got to make or at least drink once in your life time.

The hate that the few time's I've made it, they've turned out crappy. Or maybe because I'm not the greatest fan of tequila, or the tequila brand I've used is poor (you wouldn't know how rare it is to find quality tequila in Finland) or that the frigging salt rim ruins everything for me.

I've decided to meet my demons by creating two variations of the classic Margarita; the one on the left is a home-based cocktail and the one on the right is the one (usually) served in Finland (alcohol-regulations).

First, the home based variation:

• 4.5 cl quality tequila (read this if you want to know more about tequilas)
• 2 cl triple sec (I used cointreau)
• 4.5 cl fresh sour mix (1:1 ratio fresh lime juice and simple syrup ie. ~2 cl both)

CHECK THE UPDATED VERSION FROM BELOW!

The second is the more common (Finnish) version:

• 2 cl blanco tequila
• 2 cl triple sec (usually cointreau though)
• 2 cl lime/lemon juice

Both recipes, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass or if at home, you can use a tumbler with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and of course if you prefer, the salt rim; I let the video do the talking for me (it's really educational as well!)

Since I'm more of the sugar-tooth type, I totally liked the home based more. I think the whole existence of that horrible salt rim has given me great traumas over the Margarita. Should I ever make a Margarita to my friends (at home)...I would totally go with the first version. Hands down. If you prefer a more zingy/sourer version, go with the second.

Here's a Margarita that I made today, a good ~2½ years later! I will still stress the fact when making these drinks (or ordering at a bar) that

• FORGET any pre-mix stuff! It is SHIT.
• Make sure the tequila is 100% de agave! Otherwise you are stuck with SHIT.
• The drink is as good as its worst ingredient!

When we have these on the table, here's a solid recipe, it's a bit tweaked since the first time I made it:

1. 6 cl 100% de agave blanco tequila
2. 2 cl cointreau
3. 2 cl fresh lime juice
4. (1 cl agave syrup)

Agave syrup rounds up the drink nicely + smoothens its. I used it in this version and I will say it worked just nicely! But it is up to you if you prefer a more zzziinggg in your Margarita!

Hop Toad Cocktail

HOP TOAD COCKTAIL

It's a day off so why not have a cocktail? Exactly! 

Today I'm doing a Hop Toad Cocktail using this as my inspiration. The result? Read for yourself.

• 4.5 cl aged rum
• 1.5 cl apricot liquor (I used dekuyper's apricot brandy)
• juice from ½ a lime
• a few dashes angostura bitters

Add everything in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake! doublestrain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

This is actually a rather sour drink, having no apparent (duh) sweetening agent,. My first sip and I immediately notice the sourness, then the apricot's sweetness and finally the rum that kicks last, but not least. I must say as much as this looks like a Daquiri I've made and feels like one (perhaps the aged rum - lime combo), this has nothing to do with it.

Not a super cocktail, but if you like sour things, you will love this one.

Bloody Mary

BLOODY MARY

Today's "episode" is a rather special one! In honor of my 20th time donating blood I decided to make up just a perfect cocktail for the event, the Bloody Mary! Everyone's heard of it, some have tried it. I have one memory of drinking this some years back. Today I'm about to tackle this drink the second time.

I made some studies before getting really into this drink. As some might know, the base for any Bloody Mary consists of:

• vodka (some might use gin and I see no objections to this)
• tomato juice (salt free!)
• lemon juice
• Worcester sauce
• tabasco
• (white/black) pepper
• celery salt
• a traditional decoration; a celery stalk / lemon wedge

Wow, that's a lot of stuff. Nonetheless, that's the base. After that you can easily make your own little mini-meal buffet and add ingredients that you find interesting, worthwhile or otherwise awesome. I looked up a few different recipes and found out that many use horseradish in the mix.

Nonetheless, here's the recipe I used:

• 6 cl vodka
• 12 cl tomato juice
• juice from one lemon wedge
• 2 dashes tabasco
• 2 dashes Worcester sauce
• a pinch celery salt
• a pinch dried dill
• a pinch ground white pepper
• a teaspoon prepared horseradish

Poured everything in my mixing glass and rolled it. Meaning, I poured the content in my tin cup and then poured it back in the mixing glass. Repeated this a few time. This way I got all of the ingredients properly mixed without getting too much dilution. If you have a pint glass, pour your mixture in there (I used my mixing glass). Decorate with a celery stalk and/or lemon wedge. Optionally you can use a lime wedge and even a strip of fried bacon is okay (sounds amazingly good!)

I...just...can't say I'm a big fan of this drink. I don't know what it is, but in my opinion this drink is too heavy for cocktail consumption. But we all like different things. Perhaps you like this or perhaps you don't. Like the Laphroaig whiskey, you either like it or you don't. There's no in between.

Guion Cocktail

GUION COCKTAIL

Well met again. It has been a (long) while since my last post, but hush now child, it's time for a new cocktail! I introduce you to the Guion Cocktail.

Full of flavor and complexity, this is definitely a pre-dinner cocktail. Let's have a look at it:

• 4.5 cl gin
• 4.5 cl sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 1 bar spoon of D.O.M. Benedictine ("float")

Stir the first three ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Finally pour the Benedictine over the drink. It won't float though, so don't worry about it sinking.

First things first. This is a beautiful cocktail. Its color is vibrant and very captivating. I could easily smell herbs from both the (dominating) Benedictine and the vermouth. Taste-wise, iiiinteresting. To be honest, for an all-alcoholic cocktail this sure doesn't taste like one! But then again, this is not a "simple" drink to just enjoy in a hurry. 

To sum this cocktail up...I could say if you like herbal flavors and something to really think about, the Guion Cocktail is for you!

The cocktail hobby - and you (part I)

THE COCKTAIL HOBBY - AND YOU!

(part I)

Well met again! A friend of mine told me some days ago I should write a comprehensive "beginner's guide" for any aspiring cocktail hobbyist; what cocktails one should definitely know how to make, what to have in one's personal bar cabinet and so forth.

Since this is going to be my 100th post (a sort of a landmark, yippee), I thought "why the heck not?" So where do we begin? Roughly three months ago I wrote about the tools of the trade, I won't babble about them again. Instead, I shall use them as a great reference along the way. Practice makes perfect they say…

The first part focuses more on tools and products in your very own bar. The second part is going to discuss the techniques and "must-know" cocktails.

Before we get to the fun part though (the alcohols) we need proper tools. Without them cocktail mixing is rather useless. The list below is what I think you should prioritize in the "to-get-list" when you want to start mixing cocktails.

•  A boston shaker. Forget the 3-piece-shaker, the boston version is way better in many aspects. 
• A jigger. Great cocktails mean precise measures. The measure list isn't there just for fun you know…(fair enough, with simple liquor+mixer cocktails it doesn't matter that much but when it comes down to more complex cocktails it does.)
• A bar spoon, preferably with twists in the shaft and a "hammer" end for muddling. A must have for stirring Manhattans and so forth.
• A good knife for cutting fruit/garnishes. Self-explanatory.
•  A tea-strainer. For that double-straining. The difference between a single and double strain can be huge (unlike the Xbox)
•  A peeling knife. For fruit peels. But a good knife as listen above can do the trick, if needed. 

After these you can start thinking of getting other tools that you might or might not need in your repertoire. Before you do think of something, think hard if you really really need that after all. As you've seen from my "Tools of the trade", there are a lot of items I personally rarely use (cough the zest grater cough), but there might just be that one occasion it's usable. But the seven items listed above are the tools for any starting mixologist. Then again, I would say a mixing glass is crucial too, but the glass-part of the boston shaker works just fine for that too.

Now that we're clear with the tools…the bar cabinet. What should one have in one's pride and joy? I've given this a lot of thought. I mean, a lot. The answer is not simple nor a no-brainer. But I think I've gotten it pretty close. Again, a list to help out any beginner. I'm still going to set up the list before we really get down to business.

Cocktail making in its essence is about using classic/basic products with a twist. Usually this means hard/medium liquors (with a mixer) implemented in a very curious and mysterious way. Fair enough, a Screwdriver is just vodka & OJ, but we must go deeper like Leonardo DiCaprio. What comes to vodka though, nowadays there are countless different styles of vodkas. These styles of products can make totally different cocktails! (Speaking of which I am starting a new blind taste regarding vodkas!) Try making a "Rum&Coke" with light rums, spiced rums, dark rums or even premium rums, there is a difference.

So if you check the internet for "what should I have in my bar cabinet" or so, you probably get numerous sites that all list their "top-have". Not going different there. So here we go. This is a list I think is the order of products you should get. Again neglecting personal preference, but hey, this is just my opinion man…

1. Cointreau (or triple sec)
2. Vodka
3. Whisky (bourbon > scotch blended > Irish blended > others)
4. Rum
5. Gin
6. Cognac (brandy)
7. Tequila
8. Others (vermouth, cremé de cacao and so forth)

EXTRA: Bitters, simple syrup

You might think "Why in Heaven's name is Cointreau on the top of the list???" The answer is simple; it's one of the most used / versatile liqueurs in the cocktail business! After that the list is pretty straight-forward. Vodka (not booze), whisky (bourbon for cocktails, single malts for sipping and enjoyed as they are), rum (light rum is good for cocktail mixing, aged ones give more complexity), gin, cognac and as our very last product tequila. Quite frankly, I've used tequila rarely. Mostly for the reason that the tequila I had was shitty quality so the only cocktail I could make decent out of it was a Tequila Sunrise. I know there are way better ones than Sauza, but tequila just isn't my thing.

After the "basics" you can start collecting other stuff. Keep in mind the usage of those products. Don't get a bottle of Chambord (raspberry liqueur) just because the bottle is super cool looking and would make your cabinet so beautiful and compliment all of the other bottles you have…if you don't use it at all. Given, many liqueurs especially are not used so often so give it some consideration before getting a rare "sage-mint-peach-flavored" liqueur; fact being after that one cocktail you'll never use it again.

Vermouths (sweet & dry) are a good choice, cremé de cacao (both white & dark), coffee liqueur and so forth…the world (and budget) is your oyster! 

I noted as EXTRAS two things one should have as extras. (Angostura) bitters and simple syrup. Both are often used in cocktails and are totally worth having. One bitters bottle will last for a (short) life time and simple syrup is easy to make at home; just bring to boil equal amounts of caster sugar and water and let it cool. Bottle and store in the fridge. Will last easily for a month!

I...think I've covered it all, at least most of it.

The Godmother

THE GODMOTHER

As promised, here's the close relative of our earlier cocktail, the Godfather. I give you, the Godmother. I wanted to put my "photoshop" skills to use and gave this drink some deserved style it totally deserved. Just like the fatherly version, you can play with the ratio. Be it 1:1, 2:1 or even 3:1 (like here) or vice versa, go right ahead! Just a friendly reminder though, the amount of vodka is usually superior to our almondy liqueur but hey, whatever floats your boat!

• 4.5 cl quality vodka
• 1.5 cl Amaretto Disaronno

Take a tumbler, fill it with ice and pour in your ingredients. As seen here, I used the 3:1 ratio and I must add, that the vodka I used was Russian Standard and boy was this vodka smooooooth as can be! I really enjoyed this drink. Albeit, the Godmother is like a "buffed" Amaretto on ice but the brand of vodka can really make a difference. Don't get stingy here!

So if you want to man-up your Amaretto, choose the Godmother. If you want more complexity, choose the Godfather. Either way, both are good choices.

Bellini

BELLINI

sorry about the foam part, I have an excuse explanation for that

A little while back I had my opened bottle of Prosecco at my disposal. In addition, I've always wanted to make a Bellini cocktail. An Italian classic, one might say. Rather simple (according to the recipe) to make, but practice was something...different.

• 5 cl peach pyrée
• sparkling wine (traditionally, Prosecco is used)

First put the pyrée in the glass and then gently pour in the wine. I had difficulties with the massive amount of foaming that occurred. Given, the sugar makes sparkling wine foam but this went totally berserk. I had difficulties (or lack of skill) getting a gentle pour and without my gentle pour that Bellini went cray-zayh! But after struggling I finally got it...somewhat right.

I finally gave this drink a gentle stir and set it aside for this picture. I must say though, this cocktail is not as good as I thought it would be. Somehow it tasted...stuffy. The berry cocktail before was totally more refreshing than this one.

Berries and bubbles

BERRIES AND BUBBLES

A summery greeting to you all! Albeit we're already going on August, it doesn't matter, the sun is shining, it's ridiculously warm outside so why not grab a perfect summery cocktail? Called the Berries and bubbles, I picked this up from a website (Smallscreen Network) and thanks to my wife who picked up some fresh raspberries I had the ingredients to pull one off. Note that any seasonal berry will do just fine. If you like strawberries or blueberries, go straight ahead! This cocktail is not specifically made for raspberries!

• depending on size, 8-10 large or 15-25 smaller raspberries
• 4.5 cl quality vodka
• 2 cl fresh lemon juice
• 2 cl simple syrup
• a good sparkling wine/champagne
• raspberries for decoration

In a mixing glass, add in the raspberries, vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup. Add plenty of ice, shake and (double)strain (for a clearer cocktail) into either a coupe or a flute. Top it off with your choice of sparkling wine and add a few raspberries (you can freeze a few if you wish) for the garnish.

Wouzaa! A sweet drink with a strong taste and aroma of raspberries. Especially towards the end it got even stronger; as you can see the sparkling wine (I used Prosecco) floated on top of the rest of the ingredients but nonetheless, a super refreshing and summery cocktail!

I could easily imagined this being done with blueberries, that would probably make one helluva cocktail as well...or any berry, for that matter!

Since I opened the bottle of Prosecco...I think it's time for the long waited Bellini...

The Old Fashioned

THE OLD FASHIONED

"That's like Don Draper in a glass."

Tonight we're doing the most classic cocktail of them all, the Old Fashioned. You might remember me doing a somewhat similar drink earlier this year (The bacon-infused bourbon Benton's Old Fashioned), but here is the cocktail that 

1. is a true classic
2. is my favorite cocktail of all times and
3. is friggin' good!

First things first. There are numerous "different" recipes out there. Moreover, even more different ways to make it (controversy ensured). I will explain to you how I make this cocktail and then let you decide. Just remember that the base for an Old Fashioned goes like this:

• sugar (1 cube or ~1.5cl simple syrup)
• angostura bitters (a few dashes)
• ice cubes
• bourbon at least 4 cl (1½ fl oz), preferably 5 cl (1 3/4 fl oz)
• (garnish)

As mentioned, some use simple syrup (1:1 ratio) and some use a sugar cube. I usually do the latter. It takes a little bit more time to do, since you have to "manually" dissolve the sugar but it doesn't bother me.

So what you want to do is to pour a few dashes on the sugar. You can either do this OR put a small napkin on top of your tumbler, put the sugar cube in the middle and then pour the dashes on top. This way you won't get angostura bitters all over the sides of the glass, because you don't have to be 100% precise with your aiming. Let is soak for a while, then drop it in the glass.

Using the end-part of your bar spoon (or a muddler for that matter), muddle the sugar into small bits. Take your bourbon and pour in a small quantity (not all of it, say a quarter of what you have) into the glass, stir it for the sugar to dissolve, drop 1-2 ice cubes in and continue stirring. More bourbon, more ice.

You should now have used all of your bourbon and the drink looks somewhat the same as in the picture above.

Now here's the part that many of us do differently. There are no true right's per se, but one wrong; just one rule of thumb; as long as you don't muddle any of the garnish in the drink, you're doing fine! I've seen one youtube clip where the guy muddles the cocktail cherry and orange wedge and every fruit imaginable in the glass before proceeding in the bourbon part! Oh why?!

Whatever you like, a slice of lemon, a wedge of orange, a cocktail cherry, any combination (I've rarely seen limes used, and to be honest I would skip that fruit altogether), that is very acceptable and if anyone tells you different, tell them to go F - themselves. What I recommend is using a peel of lemon and flame it.

Cut a peel of lemon, light a fire and press the peel close to the source of flame. The essential oils will burst on top of the glass. Rub the peel around the rim and drop it in. Of course the flaming part is very optional (remember fire safety!) and if you don't have a flame close by, powerfully pressing the peel only will release those oils as well. Give your drink a refreshing touch!

There it is, the classic, the one and only, the Old Fashioned. Enjoy.

The herbal-liqueur blind tasting

THE BLIND TASTING

And now for something completely different.

I decided to make a herbal-liqueur blind tasting and have five of my friends attend to it. To see whether they make similar notes of a tasted liqueurs...and for fun, most of all. Unfortunately I had to recuse myself from this event for reasons explained later on so I worked out the paper work. Nonetheless, I had three different herbal liqueurs at my disposal:

1. Unicum Zwack, from Hungary
2. Jägermeister, from Germany
3. Killepitsch, also from Germany (a local product from Düsseldorf)

I later realized that this tasting could've-should've had Underberg and Fernet Branca as well. Excluding the Killepitsch, the rest are well-known across the globe. But this sufficed well. 

I figured out how to maximize the most "realistic" results:

1. The subjects tasted these liqueurs by themselves (to minimize the influence of others' opinions) whereas I wrote down whatever they said
2. The subjects never saw any of the bottles used (to minimize the influence and associations of the bottle/label)
3. Only 1-2 cl (roughly ½ fl. oz.) / liqueur
4. The order for each subject was random (this probably had less/no meaning after all)
5. The subjects were to review smell and taste
6. The subjects gave points to each liqueur from 0-100

Before each tasting, I told my friend(s), that this was no competition, they didn't need to guess which was what and that they try to be as open as possible. I would write down everything and later compile a spreadsheet of the results. There are no right or wrongs nor any winners here. This blind tasting is for purely entertaining purposes and heck, maybe we discover something extraordinary from these samples!

Oh and I mentioned earlier I couldn't take part in this. The reason: Because I should have done this experiment first. I only realized after my first friend did the tasting that his opinions subconsciously (would) affect mine as well. Next time I do something like this I have to remember to first do it myself before letting my friends taste anything, this way the results are not affected by others.

So after I had my five sheets of results, I started compiling them together...and here are the results! 

(sorry about the picture stretching so far right, but otherwise you can't read sh*t! :) )

Killepitsch won and one thing that was actually pretty astonishing is that Jägermeister was reviewed the worst! To think of it, in the end were we really that surprised? Jägermeister to herbal-liqueurs is like Smirnoff to vodkas, Jack Daniels to whiskeys, Bacardi to rums or J.P. Chenet to wines; they're well branded and better known but when it comes down to "quality", they just might not cut it in the big boys' league. Don't get me wrong, I, for instance like Jäger but Killepitsch is better. Bacardi rum is great for mixing and Jack Daniels does work good with cola, but yeah, there are many better bourbons or wines than JD or Chenet. Personal preference, people...personal preference. If you enjoy your JD on the rocks, who am I to judge?

The psychology behind this experiment (or blind tasting in general) is very interesting. Although I only had three products and five tasters, reading the sheet gives us valuable information. But one point I have to highlight to you. Two of my friends noticed cardamom from Unicum Zwack. I found this extremely satisfying. Also, Killepitsch was clearly the sweetest of them all (4 out of 5 tasters) and Jägermeister was considered very alcoholic-like.

All in all, this blind tasting experiment was a great success and I would like to do it again, with different products of course.

The power of feedback

THE POWER OF FEEDBACK

(sipping a cocktail at the Lounge24 bar @ RadissonBLU Hotel, Tallinn)

Brace yourselves, because now I want to take a moment and discuss the power of feedback. People give feedback about restaurants, bars, places, whatever. Sometimes they tell it straight away when able and/or sometimes they send it via email after the given event. Be it good or poor service, food, drink or anything for that matter, I've noticed it's hard to speak up (at least for us Finns) when we really should. Only after the restaurant trip we complain to our friends "how poor the food was." When the waiter comes and asks if everything is/was fine, it's common to just say "yeah it was good." without really meaning it.

It's probably (most likely) a Finnish thing. There's a saying "You tell a few friends about a good (restaurant) and 50 about a poor one." That's hard facts right there for you.

But let's go back a few weeks time. The picture above was taken at Lounge 24 Bar at the RadissonBLU hotel in Tallinn, Estonia. It was one of the three cocktail bars I visited during my three day stay in Estonia. When I find a new cocktail bar there's one specific drink that I usually order to estimate the quality of the said bar. This drink needs enough technique and know-how to make good + I like the cocktail. It's the Manhattan. Like a good friend of mine told me how he can estimate the whole restaurant's quality by the eye fillet they prepare (if it's a good steak, it is likely that they know how to make good food in general), I can estimate a cocktail bar depending on how they make a Manhattan.

That said, the first place (wasn't a "pure" cocktail bar per se) I visited made me cry from the inside. I mean, if you take a tumbler with ice, drown that sum'bitch with angostura, then pour 4 cl (1½ fl. oz) of Jack Daniels and the same amount of sweet vermouth, give it a little stir and serve...wait, what? It was a horrible, utterly horrible Manhattan.

The other place was really meant to be a cocktail lounge, but they also served food. Having to wait 10 minutes for a Negroni ? Also, the said they haven't had angostura bitters for two months now (I first ordered an Old Fashioned). Two months? Really now? Hell, send a man on the first boat to Finland and get some!! A cocktail bar without angostura is like a McDonalds without BigMacs! Shameful what it is! The Negroni was as expected, good, but the atmosphere was bumming me out.

The last place...The best one I visited. It had its flaws (explained later), but clearly a cocktail bar I can easily recommend for my friends, the Lounge24 bar at the RadissonBLU hotel, not close from the Old City. Firstly, location. A rooftop cocktail bar? Rad.

Secondly, our waitress was very proficient; I asked something out of the list (twice) and although the Japanese Slipper wasn't as good as I expected, she went through with my order with pride. I had a long chat with her later on.

But there was one flaw, pretty much their only flaw they had. Their choice of vodka I mean liquor. As many might know, Estonia's national "vodka" is Viru Valge. Let's be honest. It is not vodka by any standard. It is booze. And the cocktails that had Viru in them (such as the White Russian I ordered) weren't as good as...anyone would've expected. Booze has a sharp taste to it where proper vodka is smooth as a baby's bottom. The waitress told me that the hotel has a contract with Viru Valge so they have to use it. Fair enough no that's not cool this has to change! A place like this must be saved!

Despite all of this, I had my best experiences regarding cocktail bars at Lounge 24. When we got back home I took the time and effort and wrote a lengthy feedback at 4 am. It had to be done. I explained them pretty much everything I am telling you now. But mostly I stressed the fact that if you use quality ingredients, you make quality products. And this can be applied to everything!

Being super full of myself, I even quote a part I wrote them:

"I don't expect things to change overnight or that you even agree with me, but I sincerely hope you see my point. About the larger picture I give you feedback about."

I meant that to the fullest. Even I have underlined the fact of quality ingredients when creating cocktails in this blog (right, right??)! Always use fresh ingredients and don't settle for crappy shit!

I received an answer some days later. You know, it felt so good to read that email. Without going too much into the details, just a quick quote:

"You gave us a very serious thing to think about and we will consider if and how we can change anything about this."

 I can't tell now whether anything has happened or even will. But be assured, the next time I will visit Tallinn, you bet your ass I will visit Lounge 24 again. And if I were to see and taste a quality brand of vodka in my cocktails...

...the power of feedback can be powerful indeed.

Thanks for reading this "rant", if you may.

Celestino

PS. Any thoughts? Is giving feedback really that hard, whether positive or negative? Has anything really changed afterwards? Or is everything just in vain? I'd like to read/hear your thoughts/comments.

Coco Jambo

COCO JAMBO

Now with sexy-wow effects! It's totally rad!

Welcome back to the summer drinks! First of all, here's the drink's title as an epic 90's song! But let's get started with this cocktail. So basically the Coco Jambo goes down as a (surprise, surprise), coconutty drink. But it's also a frothy, creamy cocktail, which in my opinion will be regarded as AWESOME! I got this recipe from a fellow cocktail-lover and the name I just made up. I mean, it has Coco in its name, so it must be great, don't you think?

• 5 cl fresh cream
• 1 egg white
• 1 tea spoon sugar
• 4 cl Malibu coconut rum
• 2 cl Irish cream
• (a cherry)

First things first, put the cream, egg white and sugar in a shaker and dry shake vigorously for a lengthy amount of time. After this pour in the alcohols, add plenty of ice and shake again for about 20 seconds or even more. Take your high ball glass and without straining pour in everything you have into the glass. Garnish with a cherry and add a few straws!

I was amazed how well Malibu worked with Irish cream! It's a "heavy" drink but easily enjoyed during any summer day.

The Godfather

THE GODFATHER

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse"

- Michael Corleone

That's right boys and girls. Here's a sweet-ish short cocktail that in its essence has no actual reference with the Godfather film/novels, except that the liquer used in this drink has Disaronno in it, which is Italian made:

• 2.5 cl Scotch
• 2.5 cl Amaretto Disaronno 

Pour both ingredients in a tumbler with ice and enjoy. The ratio with these two may and can be varied as the drinker sees fit. I liked the 1:1 ratio, it was both strong and sweet and when the ice melts it smoothens the sweetness of amaretto, I approve of that. I could understand the use of more scotch but having more amaretto probably won't cut it in the big boys' league.

The Godfather drink has a close relative, the Godmother, which will be introduced to you later!

Springbok

SPRINGBOK

"The springbok is a medium-sized brown and white antelope-gazelle from southwestern Africa."

But in the cocktail world, the Springbok (or Springbokkie, meaning "little springbok") it is a gold and green layered shooter originating from South Africa:

• ½ shot of Amarula
• ½ shot of cremè de menthé

First pour the cremè de menthé in a shot glass and carefully layer the amarula on top. Consume. This cocktail tastes like strong mint chocolate! 

If you want to impress yourself (or your guests) even more, use ice-cold products and keep the shot glass in a freezer for a while for maximum effect. Be warned, though...you'll fall in love with these ones!

The Heart Eater

THE HEART EATER

This is a story about a young man that ventured in the Great Plains of North America on a cold December night, 1841, in hopes of great adventure and fortune. It is purely fictional.

"To travel is to live."

- Hans Christian Andersen, 1805-1875

The winter breeze was strong tonight. Like any other night, Jedediah was walking in the woods with his companion, Jasper, in the middle of practically nowhere, finding shelter from the incoming storm. They had traveled for some time already and with the help of the North Star he was hoping to find Cheyenne, their next stop.

Hours after hours but still no sign of civilization. Jedediah was calm in mind. Their rations were close on ending but he was strong of will, and ammo. And no matter what they said, tonight he would hunt his very first bison.

Finally a glimpse of light in the horizon. A glimpse of hope for both of the travelers. They climbed the foothill and it felt like the highest mountain they've ever climbed so far. Jasper was getting weary. Jedediah on the other hand felt like a victor. 

They opened the front door, that made a heavy cracking sound. They were welcomed with a warmth that radiated from the interior. But not a single soul could be seen. They both quickly closed the door shut and gasped silently; here they could rest for a while, albeit Jedediah knew he would soon go out again.

                                                    

A man shows up from a room close to the counter. He smiles at Jedediah and Jasper and greets them; "Welcome, kinsmen. What brings you two here? Rest? Food? I can provide you with both. Then again, the storm is closing in on us, please, have a seat." The men sat down and dropped their gear on the ground. "You're hunters, aren't you?" He continued.

"Yes. And the night is not over yet." Jedediah replied with great confidence.

"Oh really? I know the wilds is flourishing with small game, I'm just not sure whether you should go out now when the breeze is getting stronger by the minute." The man said.

"Yes, really. I'm going to hunt us a bison." Jedediah said and looked the man straight in the eyes.

The man went silent. He then turned and walked towards the counter, grabbed two mugs and poured a honey-smelling liquid from a small-ish barrel on the wall. He sighed: "I don't think that's a good idea. Be assured though, if you ever do kill a bison, make sure to bring me its heart and I will make you a dish you shall never forget. Bring me its soul and I will make you a champion." The man said, brought the mugs to Jedediah and Jasper and lowered his hand on Jedediah's shoulder.

"I promise you that." He continued.

Jasper gulped down the drink and told Jedediah that he would get some rest. Jedediah nodded back with respect and started to clean his rifle. The man watched him closely throughout the operation. After a small while, Jedediah grabbed his gear again, thanked the man for the drink, grabbed his rifle and said:

"Don't you worry. I will be back in a little while."

Jedediah was not to be seen until the following morning.

The morning was perfectly clear. The storm never reached the lodge that was hidden among the trees. Jasper was worried that his companion would not return. The owner of the lodge told him that he saw a fiery passion for hunting in Jedediah's eyes when he said he would go after that bison.

"Don't you worry. He will be back in a little while." The man said.

And Jedediah did. The door opened and inside walked a man with blood on his hands. He laid his rifle on the wall and walked straight to the owner. He then opened his knapsack and inside some linen wraps he presented him the heart of a bison.

"Here, as requested. I complied your deed, now fill our need." Jedediah said following a big smile. The man took the heart and went in the kitchen. The preparation took him a decent amount of time. But what he presented Jedediah with was to be the most extraordinary experience he ever encountered:

Jedediah drank the concoction and immediately felt stronger inside. This is what he needed. This was it. In the afternoon, Jedediah and Jasper left. But before they reached the door, Jedediah turned to the man and said:

"By the way, what is your name?"

"They call me Hendrick's". The man replied with a smile.

The Heart Eater

• 3 cl Hendrick's Gin (1 fl. oz)
• 1.5 cl Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka (0.5 fl. oz)
• 4.5 cl grapefruit juice (1.5 fl. oz)
• 1.5 cl simple syrup (0.5 fl. oz)
• 1 cl Blue Curacao (1/3 fl. oz)
• a cocktail cherry

Shake the first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, doublestrain into a ice-cold cocktail glass (put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes or so), then gently pour the blue curacao in the middle of the drink and finally drop a cherry in the middle.