Pretty Drinks by Big Wallaby the Bartender

[Big Wallaby]

I have begun my study to be a mixologist. Unlike many bartenders, I do not take this title lightly, and so it will be a year or more, and a lot of testing before I call myself one. I have done this before, studying to be able to call myself an insurance salesman, financial planner, REALTOR, bus driver... the list seems endless these days. But mixologist is really up my alley, because it combines a fairly technical craft with showmanship and customer service... and the other day I was thinking how my view of customer service all started with a man talking to my school, and then getting a couple moments one on one with him, and learning how I should "Give 'em the pickle!" Looking back, this may be one of the most formative moments of my life.

But I get lost on a rabbit trail.

I am working to be recognized by one or two years down the road as a USBG Master Mixologist. Sheesh, I am tired. All that to lead up to ONE sentence.

Anyway, as I create drinks, I would enjoy posting them here if you would be interested. Many of them look really cool, but they don't look nearly as good as they taste. Also, if you would like to have a Big Wallaby Booze Party just let me know. You bring the ingredients, I'll bring the mixers, and we'll have a great time. That's right, I am Big Wallaby, Mobile Bartender. Sort of like a DJ, but...

There we go again, off on another rabbit trail. Or maybe it's a wallaby trail. FOCUS BIG WALLABY! FOCUS! It doesn't help that I have been up all night.

So anyway, here we go with the first, an oldie but a goodie, with a couple changes to make it mine. The classic Dirty Gin Martini with my special twist. First, get your shaker tin, fill it with ice and chill your glass. Add half an ounce of vermouth to the tin, shake it and strain the vermouth into another glass. Add two ounces of gin to the tin, and stir it for dilution and to chill it. When you finish that, pour the vermouth into the martini glass, swirl it a few times and dump it out. Add the gin and a touch of olive juice if you like it dirty, and garnish with the olive. You have a martini made my way, and I've been told by long-time martini drinkers that it's the best they've ever had.

Again the recipe calls for:
0.50 oz dry vermouth, poured into ice, then into martini glass, then dumped out
2.00 oz gin, stirred and strained into martini glass after the vermouth is gone
Splash of olive juice
Olive

This is one I made up this morning after work. I call it the Piña Hurricane in Florida. It consists of
0.75 oz Light Rum
0.75 oz Dark Rum
0.75 oz Bacardi 151 Rum
1.00 oz Orange Juice
1.00 oz Pineapple Juice
1.00 oz Cream of Coconut
0.50 oz Key Lime Juice
Stir the above and strain,
Float Grenadine
Pineapple Garnish


The Hawaiian Cosmopolitan is a play on the popular drink, the Cosmopolitan, but it only resembles it in style.
1.50 oz Rum
0.50 oz Triple Sec (I prefer Gran Marnier)
0.50 oz Lime Juice
Splash of Pineapple Juice
Shake and Strain the above ingredients
Lemon Twist Garnish (not pictured)


Stay tuned next time for The Creature from The Black Lagoon and The Heart of the TARDIS...

Also, I will be building a nice back bar soon. Anyone want to help?

[hobie16]

Forget bartender school. If you really wan to learn how to mix travel to Maui and sit at the Hali’imaile General Store bar. If you're lucky, Wendy will be on duty.


Wendy continually experiments and comes up with drinks that she uses in contests.



She does okay. Here's a description of how she won the above.

She served her winning entry in a Maui Gold Pineapple, with a “sea shell of macadamia nuts.” She said she drew inspiration from the early days of the Mai Tai and wanted a drink that would take the judges back in time. Her Mai Tai featured fresh lilikoi puree, scratch sweet and sour, orgeat, orange curacao, locally made light and dark rum, fresh lime juice, kaffir lime syrup, fresh lime zest, flash blend and a garnish of lime, pineapple spear and one old style cherry. The drink featured a crushed ice effect, which Augustine said she achieved by building the drinks in a blender.

She served her winning entry in a Maui Gold Pineapple, with a “sea shell of macadamia nuts.” She said she drew inspiration from the early days of the Mai Tai and wanted a drink that would take the judges back in time. Her Mai Tai featured fresh lilikoi puree, scratch sweet and sour, orgeat, orange curacao, locally made light and dark rum, fresh lime juice, kaffir lime syrup, fresh lime zest, flash blend and a garnish of lime, pineapple spear and one old style cherry. The drink featured a crushed ice effect, which Augustine said she achieved by building the drinks in a blender.

Wendy also teaches so you can't go wrong. Plus, it's Maui.

[drcorey]

I try that.
I was a student of the professional online bartending school.
still have my ebooks and stuff too.
it drove me nuts. just trying to learn the drinks they had in the manual.
even got the computer lessons too.

[YANXWIN]

Forget bartender school. If you really wan to learn how to mix travel to Maui and sit at the Hali’imaile General Store bar. If you're lucky, Wendy will be on duty.


Wendy continually experiments and comes up with drinks that she uses in contests.



She does okay. Here's a description of how she won the above.

She served her winning entry in a Maui Gold Pineapple, with a “sea shell of macadamia nuts.” She said she drew inspiration from the early days of the Mai Tai and wanted a drink that would take the judges back in time. Her Mai Tai featured fresh lilikoi puree, scratch sweet and sour, orgeat, orange curacao, locally made light and dark rum, fresh lime juice, kaffir lime syrup, fresh lime zest, flash blend and a garnish of lime, pineapple spear and one old style cherry. The drink featured a crushed ice effect, which Augustine said she achieved by building the drinks in a blender.

She served her winning entry in a Maui Gold Pineapple, with a “sea shell of macadamia nuts.” She said she drew inspiration from the early days of the Mai Tai and wanted a drink that would take the judges back in time. Her Mai Tai featured fresh lilikoi puree, scratch sweet and sour, orgeat, orange curacao, locally made light and dark rum, fresh lime juice, kaffir lime syrup, fresh lime zest, flash blend and a garnish of lime, pineapple spear and one old style cherry. The drink featured a crushed ice effect, which Augustine said she achieved by building the drinks in a blender.

Wendy also teaches so you can't go wrong. Plus, it's Maui.

Hobie,

With it quoted twice, I was wondering if you had been "sampling" before you posted this.

[Big Wallaby]

It sounds like a Maui trip is in order.

[hobie16]

Hobie,

With it quoted twice, I was wondering if you had been "sampling" before you posted this.

Totally busted. Try this.

She served her winning entry in a Maui Gold Pineapple, with a “sea shell of macadamia nuts.” She said she drew inspiration from the early days of the Mai Tai and wanted a drink that would take the judges back in time. Her Mai Tai featured fresh lilikoi puree, scratch sweet and sour, orgeat, orange curacao, locally made light and dark rum, fresh lime juice, kaffir lime syrup, fresh lime zest, flash blend and a garnish of lime, pineapple spear and one old style cherry. The drink featured a crushed ice effect, which Augustine said she achieved by building the drinks in a blender.

“Think about the ‘40s and ‘50s, when tropical drinks were served in coconut shells and fresh pineapples,” she said. “I tried to recreate that era. I added fresh tropical flowers and with the visual of a retro postcard. Then there was the drink. I used all fresh and local ingredients; this Mai Tai has no artificial or pre-made juice. The balance of sweet and tart to the light and dark rums and the texture of the fresh citrus–it’s all a balance, to keep you craving that next sip.”

[DisneyMom]

I would love to be a studen.....er, taste-tester!!

Very Beautiful Drinks, BW

[PatchOBlack]

Can you make a Roy Rogers? That's my drink of choice in bar-type settings.

[kcberlin]

One of my biggest pet peeves, and a travesty (in my opinion) when it comes to adult beverages, is the inclusion of ice cream in a mudslide. Where do professional mixologists stand on this?

[Big Wallaby]

Can I make a Roy Rogers? Best you ever had.

As far as ice cream, I have no opinion. I think it should be equally made both ways, but it should have a different name with ice cream, because it is a different drink. The mudslide should be the mudslide. So I guess I do have an opinion.

And DMom, next time I am able to make it to California, we'll have to have a big party, where people bring the ingredients and I'll get to work mixing :)