How to Make a Great Shooter

As popular as shooters are, they aren't for everybody.  In fact, many people think you have to be brave or looking for a blackout to start drinking shooters.  But the truth is there is very little difference between a shooter and a regular cocktail except that shooters are usually sweeter and richer and easier to "shoot" down!  They have many of the same ingredients and exactly the same amount of alcohol as a regular drink.  The only big difference is that you "shoot" it down rather than sip it.  This gets people drunk faster, especially if they drink several in a row.

The trick to making great shooters is to pay attention to the details.  They should be served in a "tooter", a shot glass or small glassware like snifters.  They are easier to shoot down in a tooter but the presentation isn't as seductive as a shot glass, where you can top it with whipped cream or show off layers of color.  You can create your own shooters or you can use popular recipes like sex on the beach or kamikaze.  Any popular sweet drink can be made into a shooter by reducing the measurements accordingly and adding something extra like the whipped cream or by layering the alcohol in the shot glass.  Lemon Drops are popular when you layer the alcohol into a shot glass, floating the Vodka on top and setting it on fire.  But any sweet creamy or sweet colorful drink can be translated into a shooter very easily.

Remember that the secrets to a great shooter are first the presentation, second the glassware and third the ingredients.  Silk Panties, for instance, is a creamy white drink that reminds you of white silk panties.  It is mixed into a shooter or tooter where it has a sexual implication and then the ingredients are peach scnapps and sambuca which give it a provacative smell and taste.  Watch people just shoot these down!

So do you have ideas of popular drinks that you like or that your customers like that you would like to convert to a shooter?  If you come up with a good one, email me at the link on the sidebar and I promise to add it to this blog with a credit and link to your own site or page if you like.

Making The Perfect Punch

There is no better way to serve a big crowd of people for less money than with punch. Most people love it and it makes a party really swing, especially if you are generous with the ingredients. And with the money it saves you over mixing individual drinks, you can afford to be generous. It is one mix where you can actually use cheaper versions of some alcohol products without ruining the taste. The secret to making a perfect punch has to do with ingredients that both complement and set each other off.

Punch has a history dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, when Rum was all the rage. However, since then the methods of making punch have evolved to include almost any liquor that your guests will like. Punches are often made and served during the holidays when large crowds congregate or at events like weddings or reunions. Rum is still a popular choice for most punches because it mixes so well with various juices and soda pops. Many die hard punch fans won't even serve a punch that doesn't include Rum and Rum Punch is the most famous of all. However, in recent years it also become popular to load a punch with something like 100 proof Vodkas in order to get the guests drunk quickly. It is up to you what kind of punch you serve to your guests just be sure to remember the flavors you use as you go along or you will end up with a mess.

If you wish to make a traditional punch, stay with Rum. In choosing the Rum it is safe to cut corners and buy a cheaper brand because if the punch is well made no one will know the difference. A well thought out mix of juices, sugars, fruits and sodas will mask the nuances of cheaper liquor and the punch will be fine. Still, there is no substitute for finer quality and if your guests are well heeled or drinkers of finer liquor, you may not be able to please them otherwise. Again, this will depend upon your wallet. Another consideration when making punches is not only the event but the time of year or season. A punch that would go over big at a winter gathering may be a flop at the poolside this summer. So consider seasonal ingredients and whether a punch will be hot or cold in relation to the weather or season before making.

In cold weather, both in fall and winter, substantial punches are a hit. Milk based punches and punches that are served hot will go over well. The traditional Cold Weather Punch, Fish House Punch, Hot Rum and Cider Punch and, of course, Eggnog are beloved favorites in the cold season. If the event is a wedding or a New Years Eve celebration, consider making Champagne Punches instead of Rum. Something like the Bellini Punch, which is a Peach and Champagne blend, is great for black tie events. And, then, during the summer around the pool, a summer mix like Florida Punch, Tropical Fruit Punch or Rainbow Sherbet Punch will go over with a bang. They are the ultimate hot weather treats.

On the whole, punches are not appropriate for cocktail parties, small gatherings or birthday parties. However, they make great beverage solutions for office parties, business promotions, vendor presentations, anniversary parties and private performances. The greatest advantage of making punch is that once it is served, you can just relax and enjoy our party or business meeting while your guests help themselves. The one disadvantage to serving punch is that it encourages constant service in contrast to one having to wait to be served the next drink and this, in turn, encourages drunkenness. I have been to many a celebration where people are staggering and swaying around the punch bowl, spilling it and still drinking. Because people tend to overimbibe when you allow them to serve themselves punch, be sure to have reserve stashed in a cold place somewhere to refill the bowl when it drains, as it most often does, before the party ends. But do not be surprised to find people sleeping on couches or sitting in the front seat of their cars, dazed and not able to leave. The clever business person would arrange for their transportation to the hotel or to home after such an event while the family member might want to make up spare beds for friends to sleep it off.

While alcoholic punches make for ribald partying and are great for most events where people expect to raise hell, such as at weddings and office parties, non alcoholic punches are a good idea for smaller family gatherings where there are non drinkers and children. For the kids, the Rainbow Sherbet Punch can be lots of fun. But on any occasion where alcohol is not called for but the idea of serving large numbers is, then make up any punch on the list but just leave out the alcohol. It will taste fine and serve the same purpose as the alcoholic punch on the same sort of occasion.

In warmer weather, Sangrias and wine based punches, as well as punches loaded with fruit and exotic juices, are popular coolers for the spring and summer party. A Strawberry Bowl or a Polynesian Punch Bowl can turn your summer pool party into a ribald swimsuit contest. Traditional drinks, on the other hand, like Mint Juleps and Wine Coolers can be made up into larger and larger quantities and served as a punch. Consider this during traditional events such as sports parties where people watch horse races or ball games. And milk based punches, as long as they are served cold, can also be hits in the summer, especially with younger adults.

Ice cubes are not recommended for use in most punches. You cool the punch by dropping in a big bock of ice into the punch bowl because this melts very slowly and doesn't water everything down so fast. You can reduce the need for even this if you cool every ingredient thoroughly before mixing; putting the liquors into the freezer overnight often helps. Generally speaking, however, for cold punches, a 2 qt block of ice is recommended for every gallon of punch. And here's another tip for making a great punch: do not add club soda, cola or other carbonated beverages until just before serving. This helps preserve their sparkle and gives the punch a fresh pop when served.

If you are new to making punch or nervous about it at all, then take your time experimenting by making up some of the single serving punches I have posted on the blog. Once you get these prepared and enjoy the results, you will be ready to jump into the deep end. Serving a crowd can be harrowing on every level, from the food to the music to the punch so try making up some smaller punches for testing so that you will feel more secure when you get ready to make up punch for family and friends.

Technorati Tags: punch, how to, bartending, tips, diy, method, bar, nighclub, party, entertaining

Making Low Calorie Cocktails

First of all, the secret to making low calorie cocktails is in knowing the calorie content of liquors and mixers. Without this, you are dependant upon others to provide you with the recipes and you are limited in your ability to create your own. As a good bartender, you should be eager to create drinks, both those that have been designed by others as well as new ones you make up yourself. So the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the calorie contents on this list:

Liquors: (1 1/2 oz serving sizes):

80 proof liquors 97 calories
86 proof liquors 105 calories
90 proof liquors 110 calories
94 proof liquors 116 calories
100 proof liquors 124 calories

Other liquors and serving sizes:



Aromatic Bitters (1 tsp) 13 calories
Beer (lager - 12 oz) 151 calories
Beer (light - 12 oz) 98 calories
Sweet Liqueurs 1 oz 106 calories
Creme de Menthe 1 oz 100 calories
Sloe Gin 1 oz 68 calories
Amaretto 1 oz 82 calories
Vermouth, Dry 1 oz 33 calories
Vermouth, Sweet 1 oz 44 calories
Wine, Sherry 2 oz 80 calories
Wine, Dry 3 1/2 oz 87 calories

Wine, Sweet (dessert 2 oz) 80 calories
Champagne (25 proof; 3 1/2 oz) 91 calories


Mixers (average serving sizes):



Club Soda (any size) 0 calories
Cola (12 oz can) 144 calories
Cranberry Juice (2 oz) 37 calories
Diet Cola (any size) 0 calories
Lemon Juice (1 tbsp) 4 calories
Lime Juice ( tbsp) 4 calories
Orange Juice (2 oz) 28 calories
Ginger Ale (12 oz can) 113 calories
Heavy Cream (1 tbsp) 53 calories
Pineapple Juice (2 oz) 34 calories
Tomato Juice (2 oz) 12 calories
Tonic Water (12 oz can) 113 calories

Many of the drinks presented on this blog are relatively low in calories. The exception might be cream drinks, blender drinks or drinks with cola. Overall, you can lower the overall calorie count in any drink by using liquors with lower alcohol percentages. 80 proof liquor is substantially lower in calories than 100 proof liquor especially if someone is to drink more than a couple drinks. You can also lower the calorie count of any drink by mixing it with basics like club soda, lemon juice (without sugar) or tomato juice. Another method that you might employ would be to simply cut the overall amount of alcohol by serving, say, 1 ounce of Rum in a recipe rather than 1 1/2 ounces. Simply by doing this you have lowered the alcohol count by an average of 32. I would not recommend this in a bar serving situation where someone employs you or you serve the public, paid or not. Under these circumstances, bar protocol will dictate how much liquor goes into every drink.

First and foremost, be imaginative. There are many ways to mix and match ingredients to make excellent cocktails that are inherently lower in calories. Here are examples of some of the most popular low calorie drinks. You can find their recipes on this blog by entering the name into the search field on the sidebar or you can locate recipes containing certain ingredients by choosing from the label cloud also on the sidebar. Here's to getting you started:



Abbey
Addington
Americana
Andalusia
B&B
Bloody Mary
Bull Shot
Campari and Soda
Champagne Cocktail
Cranberry Splash
Dubonnet Cocktail
Dubonnet Manhatten
The French Summer
Gimlet
Gin Rickey
Good and Plenty
Harbor Light
Java Cooler
Jelly Bean
Kir
Lion Tamer
Manhatten
Martini
Mint Julep
Picon Orange
Port Sangaree
Presbyterian
Rickey
Scotch and Soda
Shandy
Tequila Popper
TNT
Turkey Shooter
Virgin Mary
Whiskey and Water
Wine Cooler
Xeres Cocktail

These are just a few examples. There are many more presented on this blog and elsewhere on the web. Use the web search by google presented on the sidebar of this blog.

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Making Frozen Blender Drinks

As a general rule, drinks containing ingredients that don't readily mix, such as cream, sour mix, eggs, ice cream, grenadine or heavy liqueurs, need to be shaken firmly for a long time or, better yet, blended. Only blending supplies the superior smoothness that thick or frozen drinks require. The blender can be a miracle worker for the good bartender and can create miraculous results and yet is easy to learn to use properly. If you think of your blender as your co host at the party or your sidekick behind the bar it will never let you mess up those fancy drinks.

I want to share with you a few tricks and tips to make sure that you make the best use of the blender in making blended drinks. Of course, choosing the blender is very important and there are many top of the line, really expensive blenders out there. But you can do just fine with something really inexpensive. Check out one of my favorites, here.

Tips for blending creamy drinks:

*Always fill the blending cup 1/4 full of ice, no more, no less.
*Measure out the liqueurs before adding and add liqueurs before the cream
*After adding the cream, blend at medium speed (too fast makes the liquid too thin) and for no more than 5-10 seconds.
*Check for smoothness. If it's still lumpy or too thick, blend another 5 secs

Tips for blending sour drinks:

*Always fill the blender cup 1/4 full of ice, no more than that
*Measure the liqueurs first and add; then measure out the other alcohols and add
*Add sour mix after adding the liqueurs and liquors
*Add other ingredients at the very last
*Never blend any faster than at medium speed.
*Watch the process for smoothness; when smooth, it is ready

Tips for blending tropical drinks:

*Always fill the blending up 1/4 full of ice and no more
*Add the fresh fruit first
*Measure and add liqueurs after the fruit
*Measure and add other liquors next
*Add sour mix after the liquors
*Add other ingredients at the last
*Blend at medium speed only for up to 15 seconds or as long as it takes to create smoothness

Tips of care of your blender:

*Before you use a brand new blender, fill it with warm water and with the lid on, turn it on for about 25 seconds. This will clean it up perfectly.
*Always be sure the machine is "off" before plugging it in. Always leave it unplugged when not in use. And be sure the switch is "off", too, before shutting down for the night.
*Always check the blender for spoons or swizzle sticks or other bar accessories before turning it on. Many a blender has been busted by someone dipping spoons into the mix an leaving them.
*Never dip spoons, sticks or strainers into the blender while blending.
*Before using, check to be sure the blade assembly is attached securely at the bottom. After cleaning, these are sometimes replaced too loosely and this can cause your blender to leak.. sometimes badly!
*Never pour boiling hot water into the blender cup, even during use. This will crack the cup.
*Be careful not to fill the blender beyond capacity. This is why you should only fill it about 1/4 full with ice. Filling the cup too much reduces the effiency of the blender and makes it work too hard. This shortens it's life.
*Make sure the lid is on tight before turning it on. This seems like a "duh", but it's why you see bartenders holding the caps down with their hands! After use, the lids begin to lose their tightness and the force of the blades can cause the ingredients to jump upwards.. and out!
*And, of course, do not remove the lid every while blending. Some folk have been known to open the lid to get a gander of the mix but they end up with the mix on the floor instead of in the blender.
*And, never, not ever, put your hand in the blender while in use. I know this seems like another "duh" but people put their hands in garbage disposals. So this needs to be monitored.
*Here's a big one that seems like a no brainer: never remove the blender cup before the blades stop spinning. People do this all the time, in a hurry to pour the drink! But this destroys the blades quickly and you end up with a useless machine.
*To clean the machine after a long night of use, do as I said in tip #1. Fill the mixing container with warm water (not hot or boiling!) and put the lid down tight. Run the blades for about 25 seconds to get all the leftover ingredients out of the equipment. You may also wash the blender cup separately by filling it with warm water and washing it out with sponges or the like. NEVER put it in the dishwasher! The water is too hot and can crack or melt the plastic conatiner. Never put the base in the dishwasher, either, unless you want to throw the blender out afterwards.
*Wash the container as often as possible, preferably after every use. This gets the left over fruit, sugars, liquors and other residue out so that it doesn't taint the next mix. Even if you are not using it again, you should wash it immediately. Once the remains of fruits and sugars get dried on, they are hard to get off and you don't want to end up scratching up the cup with scouring pads.

INTERESTING BLENDERS TO CONSIDER:



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