Sunday 2 February 2014

What's up in LONDON ????????




Last week I was in London . And I was thinking about you, our faithfull lectors.


I was with some friends chilling out, when we saw a bar with an Happy hours…

Soooooooo, we went in.







I have discovered a big big big menu… more than 150 cocktails….

15 min to choose, 40 min to put my hand on the bar , 5 min more to keep the attention of a barman.










But finally ….. FINALLY I got IT



It was a cocktail with champagne and passion fruit. You thinks it’s basic I am sur! But have you try a cocktail with champagne and REAL passion fruit ? it’s amazing!

There was ten cocktail with champagne but I couldn’t resist in front of this cocktail.


A cocktail with oreo, baileys, mint cream and vanilla ice. SURPRISING but not really light...

A real good bar, if you go to London you have to go there !!!



After I discovered the KOKO a night club in Camden it’s a old theatre transformed in nightclub. There was no cocktails but it was really beautiful and I wanted to share this experiences with you!


It’s wonderful ! Have a look:










Sunday 26 January 2014

Flaming shot !!

Looking for a way to take your drink-making skills to the next level ?
There are many good ways to bring flame into your party and impress your friends.
 
Let's start with the basics ... why drinking a flaming shot ?
 
- For the flavour : Indeed, burning alcohol will condense the flavours to make the drink's taste richer and deeper. For example for a Flaming Doctor Pepper shot, the burning caramelises the taste of the amaretto, and gives the drink its signature flavour.
 
 
- The Warmth : Setting things on fire makes them warmer, right? It's winter time, and we've already seen how to make a mulled wine with Anne So, flaming shot is a funny way to warm your body .
 
  
- The Show : Obviously the big one. The lighting of the drink is pure showmanship: fire is exciting and can really start the party.



Now, let's try with the classic flaming shot : Flaming Doctor Pepper

Ingredients:
Beer
Amaretto
Overproof rum
Pint glass
Shot glass
  • Fill a pint glass 1/2-3/4 full of beer;
  • Fill a shot glass ¾ full with amaretto;
  • Float ¼ rum over the top of the amaretto;
  • Light rum, allow it to burn for several seconds;
  • Drop flaming shot into the beer, chug contents;
  • You can also blow the shot out prior to dropping in the beer.
By following the steps outlined above, you too can master the flaming drink !

Well, don't forget that you are drinking something that is burning ...this man below will certainly remember the flaming shot experience...



 

Sunday 19 January 2014

The CO-COCKTAIL !


Thanks to last week’s post you are a really talented bartender and you are now literally able to juggle with rum, vodka and whisky without any risk! Right?!

Well if you don’t feel yet that confident, you should watch this amazing video! It will encourage you a lot to get trained to reach the level of this guy! He is absolutely INCREDIBLE! He really deserves a cocktail award…



Amazing isn’t it?

He may have been training for tons of hours to be skilful as he is now. Hard to pretend we are capable to do the same in the blink of an eye. So let’s start with simple movements to make delicious cocktails.
To be back to our wine cocktails, here is a very interesting one with Cognac! As you may know, Cognac is a spirit, more precisely an eau-de-vie which is made with grape juice. The strong alcohol degree is produced thanks to the distillation which takes off water from the juice. The more you distil, the less you have water so you obtain a higher level of alcohol.





To drink Cognac you don’t need to be a fifty year old man smoking a big Montecristo near the chimney!
 A friend of mine coming from the Cognac area uses to mix Cognac with a bit of Schweppes Agrum… sounds weird? But actually it’s nice! Just to change from the boring Coke-Vodka or the too sweet Mojito.





But there is even a better way to drink Cognac! Easy-to-prepare and above all: easy-to-drink! You just have to make a cocktail with your Cognac: it is easy, trendy, chic, tasty… WHAT ELSE?

Here is the video of a young bartender who’s making a very good looking cocktail with Hennessy Fine de Cognac. “it is simple & elegant…” This is quite original because he is mixing Cognac with tea…



What to do you think about the idea? Personally I think this is tremendous, and that it can definitelly change your vision of afternoon tea! 


Sunday 12 January 2014

The flair bartending ... What is this crazy thing ??

We have spoken about recipes , bartenders, hangovers cocktails… but some bartenders have an other passion in relation with cocktails… THE FLAIR …


Flair bartending is the practice of bartenders entertaining guests, clientele or audiences with the manipulation of bar tools and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways. 


Used occasionally in cocktail bars, the action requires skills associated with jugglers. It has become a sought-after talent among venue owners and marketers to help advertise a liquor product or the opening of a bar establishment.


Competitions have been sponsored by liquor brands to attract flair bartenders, and some hospitality training companies hold courses to teach flair techniques.



Flair is a way of working that has existed for over 150 years. The legendary bartender Jerry "The Professor" Thomas used it every time he was preparing his Blue Blazer, pouring flaming scotch and water from a pot to another, creating a fiery cascade. All bartenders have taken two bottles in one hand have the flair. 




Flair is accessible for everybody i let you a video 
with some tips to begin.





Sunday 5 January 2014

Firenze cocktails!


Ciao tutti !


I have the incredible chance to be on holidays in Italy, more precisely in Florence, the capital of the Toscan region and the city is considered as the birthplace of Renaissance…



Of course we tasted la pasta, as well as pizzas, visited the Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo, ate some fabulous ice creams : as (french) tourists in a foreign city of Italy.


And what about alcohol ? How not to taste some wines, typical alcohol or … cocktails ?

Hence this article for you : you will be in immersion in Firenze, by reading the following text or by tasting the drinks…

Enjoy !

With the participation of my friends, we tasted some drinks :
The first one : The americano at the Volume Bar, next to the Piazza Santo Spirito






A classic and famous one. Invented by Gaspare Campari in Italy in 1860, this cocktail is made of Vermouth (the soft one, it is made with white wine), Campari and gaz water , you can add some orange or lemon, as your convenience. Nice color isn’t it ??

If you don’t like the bitter taste, you will mostly prefer the next cocktails ! I’ve particularly enjoyed this cocktail, especially that the bartender let me taste the Vermouth before drinking the cocktail.

The Prosecco at Le Volpi e L’Uva, next to the piazza Santo Rossi

Another famous italian cocktail . After a wonderful evening spent in a wine bar, tasting some amazing italian wines, we wanted to finish the night with a soft, tasty and refreshing drink . The Prosecco wine was the perfect choice ! Guided by the owner of the bar, my friends decided to taste a Prosecco with a strawberry liqueur, I choose another sparkling wine a Franciacorta Saten from Camossi, without adding something in it...



Both wines were great and refreshing, for sure perfect choices to end a night...
 

Sunday 29 December 2013

The Hangover thing..



Our dear cocktailsting readers, we sincerely hope that you have enjoyed Christmas !
It is time for gifts, family, dinners, love, friendship .. STOP.
A serious event is coming : you 've spent enough time with your family, let's talk about the New Year's Eve .
We trust you for making crazy parties with your friends, boyfriends, colleagues (or family)..
As cocktail experts and party lovers we give you OUR special gift : hangover cocktails !
Indeed, every member of our team will give you its own cocktail, tasted and approved after many “studious” nights .. enjoy and let us know on 1th january !



Kiss cocktail :

This is Sunday morning, 11 o’clock, the sun is shining, birds are singing and joggers are running ! Me?... I’m violently getting awaken after a short night. I stretch out my arm with difficulty to grab my phone in order to check out the latest pictures. 

Then… I realise I’m starving and that I need to DRINK!... I have to quickly prepare my thirst-quenching and refreshing beverage: a HUGE glass of hand squeezed lemon juice with water! 
After a long sip I start to live again; the acidity of lemon destroys little by little the traces of the previous drinks and I rehydrate myself. The taste is natural and fresh, all what I need. I strongly encourage the KISS attitude: KEEP IT SIMPLE & … SOFT!


The Axel's Cocktail : 

For 1 person:
- 4 cl white wine- 1 lemon- 4 cl of sparkling water (Perrier, salvetat)

• Squeeze the lemon and pour the juice into the glass. Pour the fresh sparkling water and fill with fresh white wine. Drink quickly.

• Serve in a glass of "wine glass" type.
• Traditional and sovereign to hangover recipe: to combat the effects of the aftermath of a drunken evening too. For better efficiency, some Parisian bars put an aspirin in it.
• Make the recipe "Rinse pig" directly into the glass... and enjoy it like i did ...





Hair of the dog :

My solution : Drink a Bloody Mary ! While the popular phrase “hair of the dog that bit you” may sound logical with the whiskey (or ricard for me) left in the bottle next to your bed, it will only provide temporary relief. 
Try a Bloody Mary instead, while your blood is dealing with the new alcohol it is ignoring the old and in the mean time, the tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins!

You might be sceptical, let me say that it is efficient (of course you should drink just one glass) .. taste it , and you will know what “hair of the dog that bit you” sounds like ..




Sunday 22 December 2013

Red, white and rosé wine cocktails at the Grand Hotel Bar!



If there is one place you need to go in Bordeaux if you really fancy cocktails, it is at the Grand Hotel bar, the only 5* palace hotel in Bordeaux. On Thursday we went there to discover more about wine cocktail and who better than the Bar manager, Sebastien Grosse, to talk to us about it.
Our very friendly host took us through the extensive cocktail list, the largest in Bordeaux, and explained us how wine was playing its part in this list. Like in most cocktail bars, Champagne and brandy were by far the most represented grape based alcohol. Apart from large champagne cocktail list there was also a 240€ cocktail with Louis XIII cognac and a Margarita Sauternes (tequila aged in Sauternes barrel). As there were no still wine cocktails on the list, Sebastien invited us to taste 3 cocktails he personally created, 3 cocktails for white, rosé and red wine. And here they are:






White wine cocktail, dry Sauternes Martini:
Vodka Pyla, Sauternes, twist




Not for the faint hearted! Dry martini are amongst the strongest cocktails, using the traditional recipe, Sebastien replaced the vermouth by a Sauternes and served it with a lemon twist.
For those who like martinis it is an excellent alternative, the Sauternes adds body and honey aromas while the lemon gives a touch of acidity.




Rosé cocktail:
Rosé cotes de Provence, pear liqueur, gin, lemon



This is the perfect summer drink: Fresh, fruity and zesty! Perfect balance with sugar (pear liqueur), acidity (lemon) and bitterness (gin) complemented by a fruity rosé. Definitely one of our favourite and could be a big summer hit.




Red wine cocktail:
Pessac Léognan, cranberry juice, raspberry pure, amaretto liqueur (almond)



This was the hardest tasks, the red wine cocktail. And the result is most pleasantly surprising!
The tannins and austerity of red wine is cut by the cranberry juice and raspberry purée, the red fruit character in the wine is enhanced and the almonds notes are revealed at the end.
This is the first red wine cocktail we have seen so it rightfully deserves the prize of innovation and creativity!






The next cocktail hotspot opens in June on the Grand Hotel terrace !
A new open air bar on top of the Grand Hotel will open in June, Sebastien took us there. There is a breathtaking view overlooking all of Bordeaux, there will be weekly concerts and it's very likely to be the next hotspot for cocktails and night entertainment. Entirely renovated with comfy sofas, creative decoration, a music stage and a bar, the atmosphere will be trendy, young and exciting! so keep in touch with the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ghbordeaux.spa to receive updates on the upcoming opening.