Mixology 101
by Paolo L. Kalagayan on August 2, 2009
>At work, Eben Freeman is surrounded by shelves of glass containers of various sizes and shapes. He pulls on a pair of gloves and dons protective glass eyewear. Taking green and white globules of flash-frozen liquids, he drops them into a container, and tops it off with a mixture of xanthan gum, carbon dioxide, and ethanol.
Despite what you may think, Eben Freeman isn’t a scientist–not in the traditional sense of the word, at least. Working out of Tailor restaurant, Eben is known as New York’s premier bartender and mixologist.
He’s known amongst his customers for his imaginative combinations. From bacon-infused bourbon, to cherrywood-smoked coke mixed with rum, there’s no combination he won’t try, in the pursuit of the perfect drink.
How happy hour happens
In the science of mixology, precise pouring and attention to detail are musts. Almost every variable–from using syrup instead of sugar for a smoother feel, or from chilling the glass and using larger ice chunks that don’t melt as quickly to prevent dilution–affects the outcome.
This sort of expertise is a product of exhaustive research and ceaseless experimentation. “One must have an understanding of tastes, aromas and textures of the various ingredients. What will mix well and what will fail. This comes from experience and a bit of experimenting too,” says Kaiz Patel, owner of Happyhours Inc., a mixology consulting company.
“We came up with our drinks through consultation with experts,” says Aina Abesamis (AB MEco ’09), one of the owners of Elation Chocolate and Shooters Buffet. Elation is a mobile service that provides fondue and drinks for parties.
“We have a cousin who’s the head of food and beverages at the Marriot Hotel in Chicago. We ask him continuously what ingredients are best to combine, what tastes good with what, etc. Also, we do our own research from books and the internet,” Aina adds.
Coming up with the best drinks is not all work and no play, however. Aina says, “We had experimentation nights during product development and improvement, which produced both flops and our own tasty concoctions and of course, nights with loads of tipsiness and fun!”
A palette on your palate
But perfecting the formula is only the first step. “A key aspect in mixology is something which is often neglected: presentation. To make a cocktail requires more than merely putting the ingredients together. The final drink must look both appealing and appetizing,” says Kaiz.
Techniques such as layering or the pouring of each liquid over the back of a spoon to ensure that it trickles down gently, instead of splashing into the glass ensures that the colorful layers of liquid are distinct. Flaming, lighting a drink on fire, also adds to a drink’s visual appeal.
Creativity also comes into play when brainstorming new ideas for drinks. “It’s an art too, in terms of how creative you can get,” says Maica La’O from PartyFuel, a mobile bartending service.
Aside from the usual margaritas and martinis, various bartenders have come up with interesting mixes of their own.
There’s PartyFuel’s sweet but deceptively strong Skittles-infused vodka. There’s also Tine’s Lunchbox, one of Elation’s signature drinks, which was inspired by the flavors of bananas and peanut butter.
Finally, Cocktales, a dessert bar, serves up both virgin and spiked versions of their signature drinks such as their vanilla lychee margarita, which paints the exotic lychee on a mild, sweet canvas of vanilla, and their watermelon mojito, whose refreshing tropical flavor is contrasted with a hint of ginger.
Raising the bar
In the end though, there’s more to bartending than the booze. It’s about the people, too.
PartyFuel actually started out just selling premixed cocktails to people, but this didn’t click at first. “From there it changed into a more interactive thing, with the bartending. We brought a rapport with them,” says Maica.
This rapport carries over to the things they do to keep people in the mood to party.
“We make up games on the spot. And we usually have a beer pong, flaming shots, and shot marathons. Sometimes people are shy, so we encourage them,” says Maica. “It’s not necessarily games or gimmicks, sometimes it’s just going, ‘Cheers’, or going, ‘Hey, you haven’t tried this one.’ Sometimes they’re shy.”
It’s all part of the job, though. “A good bartender should also be friendly and witty and have good sense of socialization and public relations skills,” says Aina. “He is not only there to mix drinks, but also to give some form of entertainment to the guests.”
Cheers to that.
