I had a meeting with all of my bartenders at work today and I got another opportunity to yap about my bar hyperfixation.
I think theres a lot of mysticism around bartending and mixing drinks that is really enjoyable, but just like stage magic can be dissected to find all the tricks and secrets that make it special.
I've always really enjoyed decoding this mysticism and fashioned myself into a big nerd about spirits and mixed drinks.
Today we talked about the right and wrong ways to try a new liquor or spirit for the first time which I'm passionate about.
Note that I do not have any formal trianing, these are just things I have picked up from other industry bartenders and reading lots of books like a nerd.
Realistically there are 4 big things you have to consider when trying a new spirit.
Not all of them are mandatory, but keeping all 4 in mind makes the experience more valuable.
The first thing to keep in mind is that you should always try a new spirit with water. Sipping it straight is fine, but water is good for diluting it and making the ethanol bite less so you can focus on the core flavors of the spirit. Keeping a glass of water handy when youre sipping is good for cleansing the palate between sips too which is important for our next tenent.
The second pillar is that you should always try a new spirit against another similar, familiar spirit. For example today we tried a unique tequila style called tequila rosa. This one is aged in cabernet casks to impart a wine note to its flavor and gives it a pinkish hue. When we tried this we also poured a shot of a mid-range silver tequila. Having a baseline and sipping water inbetween tastings helps tremendously with picking out flavor notes.
The third item is smell. You should always try to get a nose for the spirit because its aromatica qualities contribute to its flavor. When youre smelling a spirit, diluted or not, you should do it with your mouth open. This will take the ethanol bite in your nostrils down a notch.
The fourth and final important thing to keep in mind when tasting spirits is to try and do it with a friend. The authors of Death & Co.: Modern Classic Cocktails said it nicely when they wrote "a dialogue is more productive than a monologue".
Everybody's tastes differ, but approaching a spirit witha group of equaly interested like minded individuals may unearth something you would've missed on your own!
I hope that those who read my posts learn something new. I think a lot of times dumping all this knowledge in public makes me pretentious but maybe the difference between being pretentious and not is wether or not the person you're gushing to asked for it.
In that case, this is an excellent outlet for me! Thank you kindly, dear readers!