Martini is not supposed to be shaken, but some bartenders may shake it just to show their customers, says Mick. He first pours Dry Vermouth with count of 1. Then the Gin, counting 6. After he stirs the ingredients in a mixing glass, he pours the drink into a chilled Martini glass and garnished with cocktail olives. The way ABC Bartending School teaches measuring ingredients is by counting. One count is supposed to be 1/4 ounce (i.e., 1 ounce would be 4 counts). Counting must not be too slow or too fast. Best way to get it right is to practice the counting with water in a bottle of liquor couple times and check your counting with a jigger until you get it right. Not all bartenders however use this method. After taking this class, I visited three bars to observe how they measure the ingredients. Surprisingly all the bartenders used a jigger. The only time I saw a bartender counting was when he poured non-alcoholic beverage. One of the bartenders told me that some customers want to make sure a bartender is not cheating.
It seems so easy to mix a Martini or Cosmopolitan as I look at instructor's handy performance. But as soon as I come behind the bar, all the recipes and procedures that I just had in my mind suddenly slipped away. "When you first go into a bar, you're always worried about something else, but most customers would order simple drinks. You'll remember the recipes as you get the orders." It's almost like the feeling that you get on the first day at a new job right after you get out of college. Your professors or advisors would give you advice to do well, but the 'real' experience will come along with your hands on experience.
So I practiced over and over until I felt comfortable with the counting and pouring. After all, it took me only half an hour to master Martini Drinks, including Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Rob Roy and so forth. Choosing the right bottles and pouring the right amount of ingredients to mix and serve in a chilled cocktail glass with the right garnish couldn't be so hard. But as we learn more cocktails in this program, it will get confusing. Addition to that, there are so many other things a bartender needs to know, which we'll cover in next 5 days. > Photo Gallery
> Coming up in Day 2 coverage: From Day 2, we will be joining five other students who are taking 2-weeks program. This is their second week and we all will graduate together on Friday, the last day of the program.
- ABC Bartending School
- The First Day
- Bar is where they make money
- Hands on Experience
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