the Bently Reserve
Hot Off the Press
Cocktail Trends for 2009
We’d like to commemorate our partnership with Best Beverage Catering by bringing you the latest trends in mixology. These are a few of the newest ways to give your guests a remarkable experience.
Brilliant Bartending
Delicious cocktails don’t just come from the best ingredients, they’re created by gifted mixologists. ‘Bar Chefs’ are elite bartenders who do much more than pour pints and mix martinis – they’re imaginative artisans who use anything tasty at hand to bring the elements of the cocktail into perfect harmony.
Bar Chefs work jointly with culinary teams, using ingredients such as fresh mint sprigs, lemongrass, raw sugar cane, fresh herbs, and fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, and other seasonal fare. Even fresh citrus rinds can be put to use when laced with powdered egg whites or sugar, frozen, and used as the pièce de résistance atop your custom made cocktail.
A new trend for a new year: clever mixologists use what the Earth gives us. Fresh fruit and vegetables can be muddled for the perfect drink, and natural sparkling waters, organic teas, and rose water have been making appearances in many divine drinks. Topping off a cocktail with a splash of sparkling water instead of tonic or soda water is also the perfect way to avoid that added sodium.
Reaching “far back” into the bar for those lost-but-not-forgotten liqueurs is the way to go for ‘09. These are some of the best ingredients to enhance specialty cocktails: Drambuie, Benedictine, Galliano, Pernod, Sambuca, Absinthe, Licor 43, Chartreuse, Grand Marnier and Amaretto — to highlight a few.
Shining Stars for the New Year
The Laureate, or The New Hot Toddy
Look for dried hibiscus flowers (also called jamaica) at specialty foods stores and Latin markets. Agave nectar, a low-glycemic sweetener, is available at some supermarket in the aisle where other syrups are sold.
The hot toddy is timeless. It comes in all types of styles, and does the trick to keep the cold at bay. One way to concoct the earthy Laureate is to swap aged tequila for the more common whiskey or rum, and use agave nectar instead of honey. Hibiscus tea can add a bit of tartness and color that pops alongside a clove-studded orange slice, while a bay leaf gives the drink its distinct woody flavor.
Pisco Sour
This South American cocktail is made with Pisco, a potent brandy distilled from Muscat grapes. Tasted on its own, Pisco has an almost grappa-like intensity. Bitters and tart lemon and lime juices, along with a sweet spoonful of sugar, makes for a delightfully smooth taste. The drink gets its distinctive foamy head from egg white, a classic ingredient in many old-fashioned cocktails.
About the Author
Arielle Vaughan
Arielle Vaughan is a writing contributor and administrator for the Bently Reserve. She incorporates her love of writing and singing into the public relations world.