Editorial Welcome to Edition 2!
We know we only do this every two months, but my, my, how time seems to fly! Edition two gives us the opportunity to welcome John Collingwood from the United Kingdom to our growing list of contributors. He’s put together an article which I’m sure will spark a bit of debate here and there... With the bartender’s growing desire for “unknown” products, we ask if unknown isn’t indeed what we do know or think we know. Grappa, once a popular tipple seems to have faded into the shadows of other main stream products, leaving a wake of stereotypes and false impressions. Is this not the time to give it another chance? Bearing in mind the Barchaeology magazine is for everyone interested in drinking culture and not just bartenders, we decided to include a few delicious, yet simple drinks to feature in this editions Network Bevies. Bartenders will surely know them, but to the average home imbiber, there should be at least one new addition to the cabinet of great drinking me-
Andrew Nicholls/ Editor
mories. This will be our last edition of winter 2012 (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere that is) and in our own little way, we’re seeing it out with something we had great pleasure learning about. We explored the Dutch tradition of “Koek en Zopie” and discovered a delicious winter drink which I guarantee will be consumed with much cheer by the Barchaeology crew in winter 2013. Of course, you are all welcome to join the fun... Once again, if you have any comments or feedback regarding anything you read in Barchaeolgy or simply have suggestions as to how you think we can make it better, please do give us a shout. Happy Drinking!•
Publisher & Editor Andrew Nicholls Art Direction Federico Fusco. Contributing Writers Federico Fusco, Misja Vorstermans, Fjalar Goud, John Collingwood. Photography Andrew Nicholls Advertising & Editorial Inquiries Misja Vorstermans Cel Phone: +31 (0)6 3440 4344 Mail: m.vorstermans@barchaeology.com ŠBarchaeology Magazine Amsterdam, The Netherlands Keizersgracht 125-127 2011 All Rigths Reserved.
BARCHAELOGY MAGAZINE EDITION 2 - FEBRUARY 23RD, 2012
Content 01. Industry Anecdotes: The future’s bright, the future’s...?: John Collingwood addresses why it is London seems to be such a hub for great cocktails and developing yourself as a bartender. (Page 6)
02. Competition feature: Bols around the World: We take a look at one of the upcoming International Cocktail Competitions, Bols Around the World. What will it take to be crowned their World Champ? (Page 9)
03. Product Review Grappa - Anyone seen it Recently?: Why is it that bartenders seem to have forgotten Grappa? We reveal some basic information on the spirit of Italy and ask questions as to where it all went wrong. (Page 10)
06. Tasting Notes Read through a small selection of some of the tasting notes which have appeared on the network in the last two months. (Page 16)
04. Seasonal Cheer
07. Network Bevies
Koek en Zopie - A True Winter Experience: With the winter of 2012 drawing to an end, it gives us the opportunity to share one our finest findings of the season. We share a Dutch tradition called “Koek en Zopie” as it was served in the 1600’s. You’ll be hoping there’s a few more cold days in store after you try this one! (Page 12)
A small selection of some of the drinks posted on the Barchaeology Network by its members. Certainly worth a try... (Page 19)
05. Make your own... Lemon Sherbet: Punch is hot on demand and this recipe for a basic lemon sherbet will help you provide guests and friends with a drinking experience they wont forget in a hurry. (Page 14)
About the Cover: The cover to Barchaeology Magazine Edition 2 is a painting from 1849 by Andreas Schelfhout. The painting is entitled “Winterlandschap met “Koek en Zopie” bij Nacht”, which is Dutch for “Winter landscape with Koek en Zopie at Night.” You can see a “Koek en Zopie” tent in the bottom left hand corner of the painting and to find out what it means or the relevance to our Edition 2, you’ll have to read the article.•
Industry Anecdotes
The future’s bright, the future’s...? The Barchaelogy team gave me quite a task to under take. I was asked to research the following: "London is regarded by many to be the world’s hot spot for cocktail culture, but if you look at the bartenders making waves right now, the vast majority seem to be from other countries and cultures. Is this perhaps one of the factors driving the UK industry or do you think its cities like London which inspire foreign bartenders to reach for excellence?"
The second key factor, is the explosion of the internet. This has single handedly erased all cultural boundaries, made information more readily available and allow us to share experiences and best practise with one another. Knowledge is power, but the knowledge we are now getting is unlike anything we have seen before. Passion
Here are my findings, The world is shrinking... With the onset of the technological revolution, never has their been a more exciting time to be a bartender. It is really hard sometimes to get your head around, how fast things are evolving and I am only 32! When I begun my bartending career back in 1999, information was very hard to come by. You either had to buy copious amounts of cocktail books, wading through them to unearth nuggets of glorious information or you had to pick the brains of your more experienced colleagues. Back then spirit brand training sessions and cocktail competitions were few and far between and pretty much non existent. Working in a bar was a job not a career. Fast forward to 2012 and there is a plethora of global cocktail competitions, with the drinks industry galvanising together as a whole, to showcase what a truly masterful place it is. The big trend that I think is transcending the industry, is that the Pandora’s Box of brand secrets, has now been unlocked. Spirit companies now realise that if you are transparent, this then enables bartenders to showcase their products, which are the best sales people in the world. Gone are the days of ‘hand me down’ information, we can now meet first hand the pioneers that make the liquids we enjoy so much, we can ask them questions and if we are lucky enough, go and visit the places it is made.
In any walk of life, there is something that can not be bought, passion. Passion is what makes me tick and is who I am. I have quickly discovered that this is the underlying dominator of any person that has risen to the top of their chosen profession. Steve Jobs sums it up perfectly in this video, “Sometimes life is going to hit your head with a brick, don’t lose faith, I am convinced that the only thing that kept me going, was that I loved what I did, you have got to find what you love and that is true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied, is to do what you believe and the only way to do great work, is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you know when you have found it” If you couple this passion with the information that is now available to any budding career bartender, in my eyes you have the perfect recipe for success. Full Circle This brings me back to the task I was asked to investigate. I have thought long and hard about why the bartenders that
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are currently making waves in the drinks industry are not from the UK and in fact from other countries and cultures. Obviously I not trying to generalise and that there are an abundance of UK born bartenders, who are epic at what they do. However, there are several factors that do need to looked at; 1. Have bartenders from the UK lost the passion to rise to the top and become complacent? 2. Is it that we take the UK for granted and that we really don’t appreciate the opportunities that this country has to offer to us? 3. Do other countries offer better drinks related education at a grass routes level compared to the UK? Meaning they learn best practise from an early age. 4. Do we take our jobs seriously enough? Why is it accepted that many bartenders will be late to a training s e s sion? 10.00 means 10.00 and not 11.00. Up for debate I know the remarks above will ruffle some feathers, but I just want to start a dialogue to see if any are true? These are questions to really ask yourself? As if you have passion burning inside yourself, then you are half way there to getting to the top. Thanks; John Collingwood •
Image by: AndrĂŠ Zehetbauer
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Competition Feature: Bols Around the World Cocktail competitions are a solid feature in the modern minds of 21st century bartenders. The progression of cocktail competitions over the course of the last five years has been rapid to say the least. In the past, a cocktail competition was exactly that. A bartender would stand behind a bar with a panel of judges in front of him or her, make a drink, present it to the judges, watch his or her peers do the same and simply wait for the result. Members of the public were not likely to stick around for very long because lets face it, they would have more fun kicking their toes against a wall. Everything revolved around a drink and encompassed very little of what it means to be a bartender. Fast forward to 2012 and these dreary door mat presentations seem as though they are soon to be a thing of the past. Brands have started to highlight more than the drink and placed emphasis on the lifestyle, skill and personality that comes with it. To win at the top now days, you have to do so much more than make a good drink. Bols Around the World is the global competition we’ll focus on for this edition and looking through the rounds you can see exactly what type of competitor it ill take to be crowned their World Champion. Heat one runs from the first of January until the 15th of March and is called the Master of Flavor. Only ten bartenders from each region will make it through this round and in order to so, they be tested not only on their ability to mix a great drink, but their ability to tell the story surrounding that drink. Bartenders have long been regarded story tellers and Bols are obviously keen to make sure their winner can do exactly that. If your ability to tell a story makes it past the judges table, you will progress to heat two. This is known as the fundamentals heat and runs from the 15th of March to the 30th of March. Survivors of heat one will be tested not only on their product knowledge but on their basic theory of bartending. This is done
through an online test and you better do well because only three entrants from each region will make it past this round to the third and final heat. Heat three runs from the 30th of March to the 15th of April and is designed to allow the entrants to show off their artistic side. The challenge laid out by Bols is to upload a video, which should ultimately convince the powers that be within the walls of Lucas Bols in Amsterdam to give you the order to pack your bags and make for the next flight to the city of canals, art and of course the House of Bols. The task is clear and to lay hands on a boarding card, the entrants will have to inspire, entertain, educate and convince. At the end of all this, only one entrant from each region will make it through to the Grand Final. This is where the going gets tough. Not only will the bartenders have to compete on a global stage but they will be judged in front of a tough Amsterdam crowed and by a panel of judges held at exceptionally high regard within the industry. Hidetsugu Ueno is a Japanese Bartending Legend, Jeff Berry is a Tiki God in the body of man and Helmut Adam is the editor of the revolutionary Mixology Magazine and responsible for what is quite possibly Europe’s best Bar Show; Bar Convent Berlin. Last but by no means least, Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller are world renowned drinks historians who’s combined knowledge seems to know no end. This is the first global cocktail competition Barchaeology is reporting on in 2012 and it’s fair to say, they’ve set the bar high. To make it, you have to master flavor, the fundamentals, artistry and one tough panel of judges. The Grand Final will take place in Amsterdam from the 12th to the 15th of May and as you can see, making a good drink simply isn’t good enough to win this one. •
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Product Review
Grappa - Anyone seen it Recently? Grappa has for many years been the pride and joy of Italian Spirits and is still to this day enjoyed by our larger than life friends in the land of passion and very fast cars. Whats puzzling is the fact that you rarely see it being poured in bars anywhere outside of the Italian border. Is this because we’re simply ignorant to the category? Have the massive marketing budgets of more main stream products squeezed Grappa out of contention or has it simply been unable to keep up with the ever changing trends in drinking habits by the masses all over the developed world? Lets face it, finding a shop outside of Italy with a good variety of Grappa is tricky to say the least (unless you live in a city like London or New York), up until fairly recently, the same was true for the likes of Tequila. Bartenders are constantly searching for that “new” spirit they can use to surprise the patron at the other end of the mahogany. The likes of Mezcal and Pisco are rightfully earning their place in bars around the world, and bartenders are starting to give them the attention they deserve, pouring themselves into books and attending seminars on the categories in an effort to absorb more knowledge and guidance.
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This is where I start to question things again. “New categories” get plenty of attention and send bartenders on a quest for more, but Grappa is a category we’ve known about for a very long time and still, we (be honest with yourself) know little about it. The 1960’s saw Grappa spread far and wide and for quite some time it was very fashionable to sip the mosto (pomace) based spirit before or after a meal. As with all trends, it came and went and along the way failed to cement it’s place in the hearts of general consumers around the world. Perhaps the movement towards sweet, fruit flavored, ready to drink products, accompanied by advertisements with what appears to be a breading program between the Colgate family and Twiggy had something to do with it? Grappa does not conform to the trends of modern society, but instead screams tradition. It’s not the frat boy in the corner, telling young ladies about his Daddy’s new yacht, but instead you’ll find him unshaven, in a tieless suit, seated comfortably on a big leather armchair. Thats where he’ll be, waiting for the frat boy’s Mum to walk past and make a beeline for a man offering a bit of adventure.
Image by: Luca Violetto
Botique Grappas
Strong in alcohol
Rich aroma and taste Made in traditional (small distilleries)
Grappa Discontinuo
Distilling method
Continuo
Mass Produced Grappas
More neutral in aroma and taste
Majority of Grappa on the market
Young/White Grappa
Aged in glass or steel containers for at least 6 months
Grappa Giovane/Grappa Bianca
Crystal clear
Aroma solely from the grape and fermentation
Aged in wooden barrels for at 6-12 months Gains color and additional flavor from aging process
Grappa Affinata in Legno Age and Grape
Aged in wooden vats for at least 12 months
Grappa Vechia/Invecchiata
Grappa
Classification and Grappa Varieties
Heavily affected by aging process
Aged in wooden vats for at least 18 months
Riserva/Straecchia
Aromatic grape varieties
Made from Pomace from
Grappa Aromatica
Half Aromatic Varieties
Spices
Addition of
Müller-Thurgau Prosecco
Sauvignon Blanc
Aged Grappa Aromatica
Aromatizzata
Muscat
Gerwürtztraminer
Signals that original character is still noticeable
Herbs
Roots
Other Natural Additives
Grappa di Vitigno
At least 85% of content is distilled from Pomace of a single grape variety
Grappa Monovitigno
Grappa produced from Pomace of a single renowned winery.
Geographic Origin
Grappa di Barolo Grappa Piemontese / del Pimonte
Grappa Lombarda / della Lombardia Grappa Trentina / del Trentino
Grappa dell'Alto Adige / Südtiroler Grappa Grappa Veneta / del Veneto Grappa Friulana / del Friuli
On the opposite page is a basic mind map, which should help you with coming to grips with the basics on Grappa classification and Grappa varieties. Perhaps looking over some of the technicalities might make you think twice about a spirit which
some have described as aggressive and always the same. As with everything, Grappa has variety and it’s certainly worth a try...• Barchaeology Magazine 11
Seasonal Cheer
Koek en Zopie - A True Winter Experience The word Zopie derives from the Dutch word Zoopje, meaning “little drink” and while the Mulled wine and Hot Chocolate of today is very nice, lets face it, anything consumed in an era of illegal gambling and sex (on ice!) must have been better. The Zopie inspired great artists to produce masterpieces such as “Winterlandschap met Koek en Zopie bij Nacht” on the cover of this magazine by Andreas Schelfhout. What was the original Zopie?
Many of us know and have tried magical winter drinks such as the Tom and Jerry. If your looking for a reason to welcome the cold season, this would surely be it! Us curious folk at Barchaeology started thinking about whether or not there were great winter drinks which had somehow slipped out of main stream drinking habits and if so, would they rival the exciting character of drinks we are familiar with today. The cold snap of continental Europe’s last winter was quick to provide us with an answer. The canals within the center of Amsterdam had frozen over and the city was alive with people skating to work, ice parties and for those who worked up an appetite there were stands of Koek en Zopie. Ask the average Dutch person about Koek en Zopie and they’ll quite rightly tell you of a tradition where ice skaters would slide over to small stands located somewhere on the canal, river or lake they were skating on and for a small sum of money, receive something small to eat (Koek) and something warm to drink (Zopie). where the average modern citizen goes wrong, is what they drank. Nowadays, you’ll find Mulled Wine or Hot Chocolate available, but in the 16th century things were slightly different... As much as I would like to romanticize about small stands ready to nourish the weary skater, the truth is, these tents supplying food and drink on ice were originally set up to escape taxes and the law. In the 15th and 16th century, Dutch laws stood true to all things on land and water, but made no mention of anything being illegal on ice. Gambling, illegal prostitution and consuming alcohol on ice was rife! 12 Barchaeology magazine
A quick bit of research revealed the following recipe: 1 liter Bok Beer 2 Cinnamon Sticks 2 Cloves 2 Slices of Lemon 125 grams Brown Bastard Sugar 2 Eggs 100 ml Rum Place the spices and lemon in a pan with the beer and heat slowly (at least 20 minutes but preferably longer) until near boiling point. While the beer is mulling, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and then slowly pour the hot beer mixture into the eggs, whisking all the time so as not to scramble the eggs. Once fully mixed, add the rum and return to a very low heat to keep warm. We found that increasing the cinnamon to four stick and the cloves to six, yielded a better result. Also, Bok Beer was sold out in most part of the city, with beer shop owners describing this winter as the greatest demand for Bok Beer they’ve ever know. Instead, we went for a delicious Dubbel Beer produced in Amsterdam by Brewery “Het Ij”. The aroma of the finished Zopie is thick with maltiness and spices while sipping it is not only warming, but once again, malty and spicy with notes of citrus and rum and of course, the rich creamy character of the eggs is quite simply delicious! It’s a real shame nobody seems to make this drink anymore, but hopefully its one of those gems set to make yet another appearance and is guaranteed to leave us thinking “why oh why have we not met before?”•
Make your own...
Lemon Sherbet Its no secret, but Punch is back and back it should be! I think its fair to say we’ve all been to a student party or two where a large bin containing everything in house is proudly displayed and when peering over the rim of shame, there’s always a plastic cup shamefully bobbing up and down, almost uttering “I swear I was dragged into this...” Great punch is without a doubt one of life’s best experiences and more often than not, the secret to providing that experience is a well made sherbet. If you’ve spent your time reading bar books from the 19th century, you’ve inevitably come across recipes telling you rub the outer skins of lemons against loaf sugar to extract the oils. 14 Barchaeology Magazine
What you may not have realized in that in these recipes, they are giving you instructions for a sherbet. In our more modern times, loaf sugar is pretty hard to get your hands on, so a little creative thinking is in order. You can get around this by removing the very outer layer of the lemon with a potato peeler and rubbing it against the sugar with your hands. You’ll see the recipe asks you to leave the sugar and zests in together for one hour after having rubbed them together. This is important to the whole flavor of the sherbet because sugar, like salt draws out liquid and in this case, will help intensify the whole sherbet.
By the end you will be left with a beautiful syrup, with a slightly gelatinous texture, fit for the finest of punch.
• Rub the sugar and the zest together to extract the oils from the zest and leave to stand for one our.
If you’re stuck for drinks to try with this lovely concoction, trust me and make a Punch a la Romain, but replace the regular lemon juice and sugar with your new lemon sherbet!
• Add the juice of all the lemons to the sugar and zests
The recipe is as follows:
• Remove from the stove.
7 Lemons
• Allow to cool.
1 kg White Sugar
Strain the zests from the syrup.
• Add the zest of 4 lemons to a bowl containing the sugar.
Cheers!•
• Place on a stove and bring to the boil, dissolving the sugar.
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Tasting Notes
Tasting Notes Ron de Jeremy Category: Rum Origin: Panama Appearance: Light amber color Nose: Medium open, fruity, peach with a touch of vanilla and hints of banana. Palate: Round with medium intensity, sweetness, butterscoth, peach, melon and spicy notes. Medium length with a medium complexity.•
Cynar Category: Bitters Origin: Italy Appearance: Deep mahogany Nose: Mint, citrus notes of bitter orange and grapefruit and earthy/bitter notes of angelica. Palate: Syrupy and sweet on entry with citrus notes of bitter grapefruit followed by mint. Moves into earthy and increasingly bitter gentian root and cinchona. Finish is long with continued bitter notes, returning grapefruit/orange notes and a touch of residual sweetness.•
Apollo 11 Category: Liqueur Origin: Italy Appearance: Light pink Nose: Medium open, fresh citrus aroma with hints of roses and flowers. Palate: Medium bodied and medium sweet. Mild citrus and flowers. Medium long finish with a touch of acidity. •
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Tabu Classic Strong Category: Absinth Origin: Germany Appearance: Green Nose: Understated anise notes, gentle spice, traces of nougat, chocolate and bitter grapefruit, gentle sweetness with a pleasant freshness. Palate: Crisp to fresh anise and herb tones with a gentle bite of chili. Delicate but strong notes of nutmeg, cumin and grapefruit. Slightly sedative with a gentle floral tease.•
Viejo Tonel Acholado Category: Pisco Origin: Peru Appearance: Clear Nose: Open. Flowery, violet, mandarin and sweetness. Palate: Medium bodied but full intensity and dry. Soft leather and tabacco, darjeeling tea, dried cherry and camomile.•
Calle 23 blanco Category: Tequila Origin: Mexico Appearance: Crystal clear. Nose: Open. Cooked agave, citrus and herbal notes. Palate: Medium bodied, Fresh green appels and pears, big agave flavor. Medium length.•
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Tasting Notes & Network Bevies
Tasting Notes Corzo Reposado Category: Tequila Origin: Mexico Appearance: Musty yellow Nose: Agave, lemon zest, watercress, vanilla, oak and toasted almonds. Palate: Medium sweetness and intensity. Butterscotch, oak, agave and toasted almonds. Medium length finish with agave syrup and oak.•
Yamazaki 12 Category: Whiskey Origin: Japan Appearance: Gold. Nose: Pineapple, honeysuckle and dried apricot. Palate: Sweet, thick, smooth and medium intensity. Heaps of dried apricot with honey and vanilla. Medium length finish. •
Tomatin 12 Category: Whiskey Origin: Scotland Appearance: Barley Gold. Nose: Honey, malt, heather, stewed apples and a hint of peat. Palate: Soft, smooth, medium intensity. Elegant barley sweet notes with stewed apples and pears, heather, finishing with walnuts.•
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Network Bevies Mint Julep Glass: Julep cup Garnish: Large Mint Sprig Method: Place all ingredients in the cup and bruise the mint. Leave the mint to infuse into the Bourbon and sugar and churn with crushed ice until the julep cup frosts. Top with more ice and serve with a straw. Make sure the sprg of mint is place next to the straw.
Ingredients: 60ml Bourbon Whisky 10ml Sugar Syrup or 1 teaspoon fine white sugar. 6-8 Mint Leaves
Espresso Martini Glass: Cocktail glass Garnish: Three Coffee Beans Method: Shake and fine strain
Ingredients: 50ml Vodka 1 espresso 15ml Coffee liqueur 10ml Sugar Syrup
Note: Created by legendary London based bartender Dick Bradsell.•
Aviation Glass: Cocktail glass Garnish: Lemon Zest Method: Shake and strain.
Ingredients: 30ml Gin 15ml Lemon juice 10 ml Maraschino Liqueur 5 ml Creme de Violette
Note: A pre-Prohibition drink made popular by Harry Craddock at the Savoy Hotel in the 1930’s. The proportions to this one is how the Barchaeology crew like to sip it. •
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