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This week on the podcast, we talk about alternatives to Simple Syrup, how to win at competitions and revisit egg whites in Cocktails.
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Bartender Journey Podcast # 141
What is Gum syrup or (or Gomme) Syrup?
Jennifer Colliau, founder of Small Hand Foods, describes it this way: “Gum syrup is simple syrup with gum Arabic added to provide texture. Gum arabic doesn't have much flavor on its own, although I use organic sugar in my gum syrup, which has a light molasses flavor and gives the syrup a light amber color. Gum syrup is best in drinks that don't have any other ingredients that add viscosity, like Old Fashioneds, Sazeracs and Juleps.”
o So what is the gum Arabic that Jennifer mentioned? It is an all natural resin harvested from the Acacia tree.
o Jerry Thomas used Gum syrup in many of his recipes.
o So what is the gum Arabic that Jennifer mentioned? It is an all natural resin harvested from the Acacia tree.
o Jerry Thomas used Gum syrup in many of his recipes.
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o Small Hand Foods makes many wonderful products, including:
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Using Egg Whites in Cocktails...continued.
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- Another option for cocktail foam is to add it on top of the otherwise finished cocktail from an iSi charger. Sometimes gelatin is added to make the foam even more stable. The foam can even be flavored, as Jamie Boudreau does in this video.
- Kellie Thorn, beverage director for Hugh Acheson and bar manager at Atlanta's Empire State South adds a little olive oil to her Fall Sour Cocktail to help with emulsification. You can see a video of Kellie making this cocktail on the Tales of the Cocktail web site.
- Egg whites in Cocktails were previously discussed in episode #138 Pisco Academy
How to Win at Cocktail Competitions
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At the Tampa USBG Repeal Day Conference recently, Nick Nistico gave a great Seminar on this subject. In 2013 Nick won more cocktail competitions than any bartender in the world. Here are some notes from his seminar:
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- Know the Brand! Very important to know everything you can about the featured spirit, but also any modifiers you use – you don’t want to put a competitor’s brand in your drink!
- Ask Brand Ambassadors about the direction of the brand – for instance, you might use a modifier from the brand’s portfolio, but the Brand Ambassador might tell you “oh, we are phasing that out!” If that’s the case, it could cost when it comes to the judging.
- Find out who the Judges are – google the shit out of them! Example, Nick found out what university a judge went to, acquired a cocktail napkin from that university, and placed it down in front of that judge.
- Simplicity usually wins.
- Prepare, practice and bring everything you need – bring more than what you need.
- Go to the venue sometime before the competition for dinner or drinks. Don’t show on the day of the competition as a stranger.
- Be dressed and groomed – think “is the brand going to want to put me on the cover of a magazine?” Nick changes his shirt just before going on.
- Introduce yourself to the bar back maybe tip him! Be nice!
- Ask yourself at the competition – do you really want to watch the contestants that go before you?? Maybe not - it could undermine your confidence, (or make you over confident!)
- How to loose – If you loose:
- Be Thankful
- Congratulate the winner
- Follow up with the organizers
- A Bar Above has a PDF that you can download about winning Cocktail Competitions and also lists upcoming Competitions here. Some of the main points on the document include:
- Follow the rules. Not most of the rules. All of them.
- Find the judging criteria and build your entry accordingly.
- Use the sponsor’s product, and avoid using products from competitors’ portfolios.
- Another source for locating Cocktail Competitions from Good Spirits News is here.
Cocktails of the Week
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Whiskey Cocktail
- Adapted from Jerry Thomas, How To mix Drinks, 1862 and borrowed from SmallHandFoods.com
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Comparing this version to the same cocktail made with Simple Syrup instead of the Gum Syrup, I found the Gum Syrup version more "viscous" and “substantial”. It tasted more like a cocktail than the Simple Syrup version, which tasted a bit like “sweetened whiskey”.
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The More Cowbell Cocktail From Liquor.com
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Bourbon Lift Cocktail
From Liquor.com The cocktail equivalent of a New York egg cream, this rich and fizzy bourbon drink is absolutely delicious.
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Book of the Week
Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
by Brad Thomas Parsons Toast of the Week
May neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you, The angels protect you, And heaven accept you. |
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