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The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes

Nov 302010

The Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master Bartender, with 500 Recipes

ISBN13: 9780609608753
Condition: New
Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Cocktails are bigger than ever, and this is the first real cookbook for them, covering the entire breadth of this rich subject. The Craft of the Cocktail provides much more than merely the same old recipes: it delves into history, personalities, and anecdotes; it shows you how to set up a bar, master important techniques, and use tools correctly; and it delivers unique concoctions, many featuring Dale DeGroff’s signature use of fresh juices, as well as all the classics.

Debonair, a grea

List Price: $ 35.00

Price:

Prodyne MP-9 Stainless Steel and Pewter Martini Picks, Set of 6

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Nov 302010

Prodyne MP-9 Stainless Steel and Pewter Martini Picks, Set of 6

Stainless steel shafts with pewter decorative heads
Upscale design lets you entertain in style
Holds any cocktail garnish in place
A perfect accessory for any party
Makes a great gift

Serve the perfect martini with these exquisite high quality Martini Picks. This fun set features stainless steel shafts with decorative -inch happy hour-inch heads crafted of fine pewter.

List Price: $ 21.25

Price:

The Shaker Dilemma

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Oct 022010

Shaker Two here. I am about to share with you a little known fact; until recently I did not own a shaker. I know, I know… how is that possible? Well, until we started this blog, I rarely drank martinis at home, opting rather for wine or (most of the time) non-alcoholic options. Upon starting our little endeavor, I realized that this had to change. It was time to put on my bartending pants and shaker up.

Then I realized that it was not as simple as going out to just buy any old shaker. I mean, after all these years without one, this was special. It had to be perfect. Did I want a small one? An insulated one? Boston? Traditional? So. Many. Choices!

Let the research begin.

I have always dug Boston shakers, they froth it up and you get a lot of extra room for all the ice and liquid to move around but require a hawthorne strainer or a quick strain tin for pouring the drink. The Boston shaker’s thick mixing glass is also conducive to muddling and stirring. A traditional shaker has the strainer built into the lid.

So upon further investigation, there are Boston Shakers that are more expensive and then those that are less so. Same with the traditional models. What is the difference? Don’t they all produce the same end result? Yes and no.

In the case of the Boston shakers, usually the higher quality ones have a thicker tin which helps prevent it from getting as cold on the outside (freezing hands is not always fun whilst mixing drinks.) They are also fit together better for a tighter seal. Sure, you can get tins with no-slip grips, but that can only take you so far when your beverage leaks all over you while mixing.

In the traditional shaker styles, the key with these is not only the seal between the lid and the tin, but also the strainer part. Are the holes small enough to effectively strain out ice cubes but not clog easily when there are muddled berries in the drink. Is there a lip around the strainer to prevent spills when you take the cap off? And finally, and I speak from experience here, does the tin contract so much that you can’t get the strainer lid off?

Then you move into other features like measurements printed on the side, twisting outer tins with drink recipes on them, shapes that make it more of an art piece, or those that add a touch of whimsy to your bar area.

So after looking at a LOT of different options, what was my consensus? Easy.. I waited for my birthday and let Shaker One pick one out for me 😀

Ok, so I took the easy way out. I admit it. Had the timing (read: my procrastination) not been right around my birthday, I would probably still be shaker-less.. I seem to have commitment issues.

Shaker One opted for the traditional style with insulated walls, roomy for generous pours, easy to remove cap and a nice lip around the strainer.. all in all a fabulous addition to the Patio Bar.

A little bit of chaos

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Sep 132010

Please pardon the chaos here at The Red Shaker as we migrate to a new web host…. it is Shaker Two’s first time migrating hosts and things don’t always go as smoothly as one might like when you are learning on the fly.

I think I have everything moved over and all the photos are now visible again (cuz, THAT didn’t cause a bit of frowning and grumbling with a whole collection of dead image links.)

Still have to get all the formatting back – or I might even change it, we will see which way the wind blows.

In the meantime, please forgive our silence, both Shakers have been bizzy little bees with work, other work, finishing a half marathon (yes, I will still bask in the afterglow thankyouverymuch.)

More to come soon, friends…. neither Shaker can do too long without a martini in some form or fashion.

The Spice Market-Saffron Dreams

martini 1 Response »

Aug 112010

The summer of infusions continues with a trip to exotic locales…….in our martini glasses at least. Searching through my pantry the other day resulted in the discovery of not one, but three, containers of saffron. My first question was how on earth did I end up with three containers of saffron? My second question- what to do with all that golden glory. As someone who has no interest in either cooking or eating paella, I was stumped. A lovely risotto will take care of some of it, but I had somehow acquired the motherload and hated the thought of it going to waste. So how does Shaker One dispose of most things in her kitchen?

Why, they become martinis! I did a bit of googling and came up with a long list of martinis using saffron infused vodka and gin. Wow, I had no idea it even existed! I infused some vodka and brought it down to test drive with Shaker Two.

First we tried a Classic Saffron Martini

The saffron vodka has a gorgeous almost glowing color and the smell is really unusual. A few shakes later and into the glass it goes……..

Well, Shaker Two doesn’t hate saffron vodka as much as she does Campari, but it is close! This was aggressively unpleasant. Scary even. No olives.

Undaunted, we plowed ahead with The Saffron Ginger Martini

Um, better but still not really something we would choose to drink. Being generous- 2 1/2 olives.

Shaker One has not given up on saffron martinis……..I shall need to search out some better recipes and get back to you. Now where is that rissotto recipe?

Infusion Profusion

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Aug 042010

This summer Shaker One has been experimenting with vodka infusions at home. Every summer I make a ginger infused vodka for my ginger lemonade martinis, but this year I decided to branch out and try other ingredients. I started with some familiar friends from my kitchen:

-cinnamon, blueberries, roasted cherries, pineapple and of course ginger.

But I wanted to try something different. Our experiments with both the chai tea and Earl Grey tea infused vodkas were such a success, I looked towards other flavors like spices. Right now I have pink peppercorns marinating, and saffron……..I have plans to go get some cardamon as well. A trip to Penzys should keep me very busy for the rest of the summer.

Of course this means I shall have to find/create recipes to showcase all these fine new friends. But I think I am up to the challenge.

Just a note on infusions: Some ingredients, like fruits, can infuse just about indefinitely without over-flavoring the vodka. however, beware of leaving things like cinnamon in for too long. A few weeks and you have the perfect cinnamon vodka…..any longer and it becomes overpowering. Tea infusions only need to steep a few hours….any more than that and you get a marked bitterness. I recommend that you gently shake the infusion every few days and taste about once a week. Once you reach the desired level of flavor go ahead and remove the solids. Even better, strain the liquid through coffee filters to remove any cloudiness. You can now keep the resulting infused vodka indefinitely. Which generally equates to a few weeks at the Balcony Bar.

Now go infuse something!

An Apple (martini) a day.

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Jul 282010

Shaker Two here.

One of the things I have discovered about myself as I add more years to my age and add more drinks to my “been there and tried that” roster is that I am somewhat jaded when I head out to eat. More often then not, I will stick with wine or a dirty martini – sometimes a Parisian if the bar has the holy trinity of ingredients – and not venture too far out of that realm. Shocking since I am one of the two Shakers who extol the virtues and wonders of martinis? Perhaps. Though over the years, I have discovered that many of the martinis in restaurants fall into a few main categories: boring, classic, overly sweet, dessert and way over the top.

I steer clear of massively fruity blends since they tend to leave the palate feeling like you just painted it with fruit puree. I also usually stay clear of apple martinis since many bars do not use apple infused vodka, but rather rely on the artificial tasting flavored vodkas or the Jolly Rancher exuding Pucker for the “apple.”

Close minded? You bet. Especially when many martinis in the El Lay area can run $12-$15 a pop. While I am not hesitant to send back a foul drink, I just find I haven’t the patience to go through the hassle.

There is a reason for the tangent I just went on, I swear.

So, that all being said, I was having a birthday dinner with some dear friends at a scrumptious Polish restaurant in Santa Monica called Warsawa. As we perused the menu, I noticed tray after tray of martinis going by and they looked all to be the same. Interesting. They were also all going to different tables. Even more interesting.

I asked our server what it was and he said it was their apple martini. Hrm.

He then went on to recommend it and mentioned it was made with Zubrowka, a bison grass vodka from Poland. This piqued my interest since my brother had just recommended the same vodka out of the blue (he is not normally a vodka drinker.)

Ok, I’ll bite. “How about a round of apple martinis?” our server smiled knowingly and went off to place the order.

Bison Grass vodka. Interesting. I had my fingers crossed it did not taste like one of those “freshly mowed lawn” wheat grass shots.

The drinks arrived and I took my first sip. YUM! It was subtle, slightly sweet with some deeper notes of some other flavors that were hard to pin down. Our waiter let us in on the ingredients: bison grass vodka, sparkling apple cider and a bit of lemon juice, garnished with an apple slice.

Needless to say, we consumed a few rounds of this lovely concoction and I was sold.

Later, I took the bottle up to the Balcony Bar and let Shaker Two have a taste, this time chilled and straight up. It is lovely even standing along. Smooth with subtle hints of a few different flavors, but nothing cloying and certainly no freshly cut lawn elements. It is also the most popular flavored vodka in Poland

I recommend checking this stuff out if you can find it. Decent price point and a tasty beverage with or without the sparkling apple cider.

Tinis Al Fresco!

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Jul 232010

The (belated) arrival of true summer weather is met with varying degrees of enthusiasm from the two Shakers. One thing we can agree on is that dinner tastes better outdoors. Last night Shaker Two put together a lovely spread to officially open the Patio Bar for the season.

We dined on grilled rib eye steaks in a coffee rub (Shaker One was in heaven over this rub), herbed potatoes, grilled corn on the cob and a fabulous salad with candied pecans, goat cheese, mango and a poppy seed dressing…..yum.

We finished up our relaxing meal with a sabayon meyer lemon tart with fresh strawberries from Shaker One.

hope you all enjoy your weekend……oh, what?? You want to know if we had drinks? Why yes, as a matter of fact we did! how did you guess?

Shaker One as been gorging on fresh strawberries this season, so when I came across a couple of martini recipes involving strawberries and balsamic vinegar how could I resist??

First up was the Balsamic Vinegar Martini:

Simple and very pretty, but basically a vodka martini up with a lovely garnish. As written 2 1/2 olives.

The Shakers decided to muddle this up with some extra balsamic and it was tasty! 3 1/2 olives muddled.

Next is the Balsamic Martini by Jacopo Falleni:

4 1/2 olives. This is a must try.

I must admit this sounded like a rather odd combination to me, but I was curious enough to mix it up. Shaker Two and I each took a sip and our eyes grew big and round. Mr. Falleni- you are a genius. This is beyond delicious. The vanilla and lime (I used vanilla vodka instead of the vanilla rum he recommends) marry perfectly with the strawberries and balsamic and the balsamic glaze adds the perfect touch. This is a fabulous martini, really creative and well worth the bit of effort in assembling/muddling. Oh, we skipped making the cute sword garnish from the rind of a spaghetti squash like he did.

The Shakers are off to discover more recipes that embrace the flavors of the season……check back soon for more summer mixing and muddling~

An Unharried Host(ess)

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Jul 212010

So you’re having a party and want to serve a signature cocktail, but you can’t bear the idea of being locked at the bar all night mixing and pouring. What to do……Hire a bartender? Why yes, that’s a fantastic idea (especially if he’s hot and wearing a bow tie), but perhaps not so practical in these budget conscious times. The more clever and frugal alternative?

Why, make your ‘tini base up ahead of time! Simply select a signature drink (or two), and pre-mix all the alcohol and juice ingredients in large pitchers the night before. At party time, pop them out of the fridge, pour them over ice in a shaker, give them a quick shake and strain and into the glasses they go. Of course, be sure to save any carbonated ingredients to add at the last minute. Does this take a bit more time than pouring glasses of wine? Certainly. But a signature drink can really make your party special.

What about the hostesses who aren’t such a whiz at math? *Shaker One raises her hand here*

I actually sit down with a pencil and paper and convert the ounces in each ingredient to cup measurements on my pyrex measuring cup. First, pick a drink recipe. Next, multiply each ingredients’ ounce volume by the number of martini servings you want to have available for your guests. Convert the total ounces of each ingredient to the corresponding cup volume (my measuring cups have them all printed on the sides). I suggest you do a taste test and make any adjustments necessary……..it might need a little extra lemon juice or simple syrup for example. And I wouldn’t make them up too far ahead of time-the day before at the earliest. You don’t want your ingredients to taste stale or flat from sitting.

As for glassware- I do not recommend those plastic martini glasses you see at party supply stores. They are flimsy and cheap and tend to tip over from the weight of the liquid. You can purchase simple glass martini glasses cheaply at Target or Bed Bath and Beyond type places. A restaurant supply even has heavy duty acrylic martini glasses which would be perfect for an outdoor or poolside party. If you don’t want to invest in reusable glassware, go for basic clear plastic disposable cups. And don’t forget to garnish (make these up ahead of time,too).

With just a little planning and preparation, you can be a relaxed host(ess) while still making your guests feel special. Now go send those evites!

Happy Bastille Day!

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Jul 142010

So since Les Shakers Deux are a bit too busy with work stuff to do an official Bastille Day shake, we would like to remind you of two French themed martinis you may enjoy on this day:

Pour La Coquette:

The French Martini

A bit sweet, a bit girly perhaps….but a lovely drink.

Pour Le Sophisticate:

The Parisian Martini

A favorite of both Shaker One and Shaker Two, including two of our best used players- St. Germain and Lillet Blanc. This is a must try if you have never had one.

Whichever you choose, enjoy your celebrations.

Vive Le Martini!

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