Liquid Bar Tools

On Bartender Journey Podcast # 135 we talk with “Flavorist” Jamie Beurklian from Bar 40 Bitters.

·      The Bar 40 Bitters are very unique –they come in 4 varieties:
   Sweet, Salt, Sour and Umami (or "savory").

·      A few drops can really change the flavor of your cocktail.  Jamie tells us how the Bar 40 Bitters were originally designed to “fix a problem” with a cocktail.

·      Bar40Bitters.com says their bitters are “based on the five gustatory taste receptors. Each flavor includes the compulsory bitter component and is paired with either sweet, sour, salty or umami (savory) flavor profiles”.  This allows the  cocktail creator to “chose the specific taste profile of their liking for their personalized cocktail creations”.

·      So we’ll make our cocktails of the week during the interview – we do a Manhattan & a Negroni (my 2 favorite cocktails btw!)  We make the Manhattan first with Umami bitters and then add the Sour bitters.

·      Cocktails of the week, provided by Jamie Beruklian:

Manhattan – Recipe #1:
·      1oz rye
·      1oz sweet vermouth
·      0.5 pinch (6-8 drops) of Bar40 Umami
·      stir with ice to desired dilution.
Notes:
This recipe will give you an ultra smooth experience, the harshness or "burn" of the alcohol just goes away with the strong aromatics of the Umami. I A/B tested it with a standard Manhattan with Angostura. They are Apples and Oranges... Angostura Bitters adds spices notes, which I like, but can be slightly harsh. Bar40 Umami just smooths it right out.  It is reminiscent of a hardy winter's meal. Very easy to drink.
 
Manhattan – Recipe #2 (adding sour):
·      1oz rye
·      1oz sweet vermouth
·      0.5 pinch (6-8 drops) of Bar40 Umami
·      0.5 pinch (6-8 drops) of Bar40 Sour
·      stir with ice to desired dilution.
·      Orange peel twist for aromatics
Notes:
·      Garnishing with an orange peel is great. It adds a beautiful orange aroma to it, which is very bright in the nose and makes the drink very desirable. but it just doesn't get enough acid in the drink to brighten it up for the tongue. So if you or who you are serving to wants something more bright, poppy and complex, adding Bar40 Sour just makes it more lively as it reacts with the vermouth. It beings out a beautiful complexity to it. A thinking persons drink.
Its easy to A/B the two recipes as you're building it and you can notice the difference yourself.
Negroni – Recipe #1:
·      1oz Gin
·      1oz sweet vermouth
·      0.5 - 1oz Campari
·      12-16 drops Bar40 Salt
Notes:
·      Negroni's are classically bitter cocktails. Campari is a wonderful spirit to my tongue. this cocktails bitter complexity makes for an excellent amuse bouche or aperitivo, kickstarting one’s tongue into gear for better tasting your meal. However, many people find the bitterness overpowering. I have had many people refuse a Negroni because they don't like the bitterness. I've realized most North American tongues aren't sensitized to bitterness on their palate. So to help this, adding Bar40 Salt to a Negroni will cut down bitterness of the Campari and let the citrus, grapefruit notes shine. it makes for a wonderful complex drink.  
 
Negroni – Recipe #1:
·      1oz Gin
·      1oz sweet vermouth
·      0.5 - 1oz Campari
·      12-16 drops Bar40 Salt
·      6-8 drops Bar40 Sweet
Notes:
In this cocktail, I made the Campari a variable. Because the Bar40 Salt will not totally kill ALL the bitterness in the drink (Bar40 Bitters still has bitter in them) yet you still want some bitterness which makes it a Negroni, so you can adjust the volume of Campari to the right level of taste based on your palate. However, Sweet perception is another taste that will help suppress bitterness. So to further add complexity to our drink, adding Bar40 Sweet will also help cut the Campari down. This opens up a bouquet of scents and tastes and makes for a truly complex and wonderful drink that wets your appetite and gets you in the mood to appreciate further food or cocktails.

 

·      Book of the week:  Well, I was planning to make the book of the week 901 Very Good Cocktails - A Practical Guide, but much to my surprise, it is sold out and only available on Amazon used for $360.05 (plus $3.99 shipping)!  We have a short interview with the author Stew Ellington recorded at Tales Of The Cocktail 2014.  The book is also available as an app for iOS for $3.99.

·      Toast of the week:

A toast is a boast or other compost

To a guest or the host or one we love most;

To a wink or or a girl that is pretty in pink --

Or any old thing, only for a chance to drink.