Category: Wine and Spirits

An Introduction To Bartending

Setting up your own bar is actually quite easy to do. There are however, a few things that good bartenders need to know to run a bar efficiently. In order for a bar to succeed, youll need to have the basic wines, liquors, and spirits – along with the right equipment. Although these things are essential, bartenders also need the proper technique for mixing drinks and cocktails as well.

With bartending, the location of the bar is very important. The bar should be placed in an area that is easy to reach and provides plenty of space behind it. There should be plenty of room for glasses and drinks, along with a chair or two as well. The bartender has to learn the area behind the bar, and know everything about it. Bartenders need to know their area well – and how to perform their mixing duties when business heats up.

Another job bartenders have is knowing their drinks. Bartenders are responsible for serving and mixing drinks, which is a wide variety to say the least. It can be nearly impossible to know every possible drink mixture, why is why most bartenders use mixing lists hidden under the bar to help them know what goes in each drink.

Bartenders dont have a lot of time to mix drinks, which makes it nearly impossible to read each and every label. To help with this dilemma, you can always arrange your alcohol and drinks a certain way, to ensure that you know where everything is. This way, when business picks up and you find yourself short on time – youll know where everything is.

To become a successful bartender, or mixologist, it takes years of practice. There are several styles of bartending as well, including the well known and very impressive flair style. Flair bartending involves very impressive techniques and tricks, which will leave customers truly amazed. Flair is the hardest style of bartending to perfect, taking years and years of practice. Flair bartenders all around the world will tell you that flair brings the most crowds – although it can also cost a lot of money in broken bottles along the way!

Each and every bar should also have the basic spirits, such as Tequila, Vodka, Rum, and Gin. There should be also be fruit juices on hand as well, such as lemon juice, orange juice, and even pineapple juice. Almost all mixed drinks require juice, such as screwdrivers – which require both Vodka and orange juice. Mixed drinks are very popular, making it essential for the bartender to be a good mixologist – and have the right materials on hand at all times.

A lot of drinks that bartenders mix will require special gadgets such as shakers, measuring cups, rinsing bowls, and straws. Shakers are the most commonly used gadget, as they are essential for mixing alcohol. Bartenders will also need to keep cloth on hand as well, to quickly clean up spills and wipe down the mixing area from time to time.

As a career, bartending can provide you with a lot of money. If you go to college and learn the techniques required for bartending, you can make more money than you ever thought possible. The job is high paying, a lot of fun, and a great way to meet new people. There are a lot of colleges and universities that offer bartending, or you can study online. No matter which way you go – bartending will be a lot of fun and will take you far in life as an exciting career.

A Look At Ice Wine

Although there are several types of wine that you buy, one of the most unheard of is ice wine. Ice wine is a very rare form of wine, a wine that is produced under certain types of weather conditions. Ice wine is mainly produced in the Pacific Northwest region, where the weather conditions are right for the wine.

As ironic as it is, ice wine is produced in very small quantities. With the wine requiring only the fines of quality and a lack of availability, the product is extremely rare indeed. Truth be told, there are only a lucky few who are actually able to purchase the wine. Ice wine, due to the scarce amount, can be extremely expensive and out of the price range for a majority of us.

Much like the beauty of owning a diamond, ice wine is something that many of us hope and dream to experience at some point in our lives. Although the materials are rare, the weather conditions are even more crucial to producing this wine. Once the right weather conditions arrive, the wine maker prepares to produce this extremely rare and priceless wine.

The basic requirements needed to produce ice wine are fully ripened grapes and a temperature of around 5 degrees C. The temperature needs to stay that way for several days, so that the wine maker can complete the process of making the wine. Grapes that are frozen during these extremely cold temperatures are hand plucked at night by the wine maker and his assistants.

To produce a bottle of ice wine, full vine grapes may be required. Once the grapes have been collected, they are gently pressed, in order to collect the running juice only. The temperature creates the frozen water crystals, which are fermented along with sugars and the particles that are found in the free running juices. Through this process, the wonderful and rare ice wine is created.

If you have been looking to try ice wine, finding it may be very difficult. As you probably already know, most alcohol and wine stores dont sell this rare wine. Finding it online is very hard to do as well, unless you catch it at the right time. Even then, if you are able to find it, it can easily cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single bottle.

The best way to experience ice wine is to find the right wine maker in the Pacific Northwest region. Even though bottles go extremely fast once they have been made, you may be able to catch a wine maker with some on hand. Be prepared to spend a hefty amount though. Although it can cost a lot and be extremely hard to find – the taste of ice wine makes it well worth the effort.

A Look At Champagne Racks

In the process of manufacturing Champagne, riddling racks are a must have. Once the sparkling wine has began to age on the less, it will be time for the concluding stages. Riddling is essential to the life of Champagne as it collects the sediment in bottles and deposits it near the bottles mouth. This sediment is what helps to bring the bubbles bursting out when you pop the cork.

Champagne bottles are put on riddling racks at a 45 degree angle, comprising the two rectangular boards that have been hinged at the top of the rack. On each side of the rack, there are ten rows that contain six holes for the necks of the bottles. Due to their structure and shape, each riddling rack is capable of holding 120 bottles, although there are special models that are made to hold more.

The riddler, who places the bottles, will place a bottle neck into each one of the holes on the riddling racks. There are painted lines at the bottom of each bottle, which acts as a marker for placing the bottles. All markers point in the same direction, which makes it easy for the riddler to put the bottles on the racks.

Over the course of several weeks, the riddler will twist each bottle a few degrees. By doing this every day, the riddler will prevent the sediment from settling in one place. Once a few weeks have gone by, the riddler will slant the bottles to a 60 degree angle and ensure that each and every bottle on the riddling rack is neck down in the proper hole.

Once the riddling process is complete, the Champagne bottles will be placed in a freezer for a brief period of time. After an ice plug has formed along the necks of the bottles, they will be placed on a conveyer belt and taken down the line to a disgorging machine that will remove the crown caps from each one of the bottles. Once the crown caps are removed, the pressure is in place. The pressure that is well known with Champagne bottles is from the bottle shooting out the ice plug, or the frozen sediment that is trapped in the bottle.

For the home collector, Champagne racks are also important. There are other factors involved with riddling racks, such as temperature and location of the racks. With manufacturers however; everything simply must be perfect. Champagne is a very popular wine throughout the world, ideal for celebrations and special events. Riddling racks are essential to the process, including the infamous bursting bubbles. Champagne that doesnt feature the infamous bursting bubbles isnt really a tradition – and certainly wouldnt be worth the investment.

A Look At Champagne

Traditionally, Champagne has always a way to celebrate milestones or toast the bride and groom on their marriage. Considered to be a flexible beverage, Champagne can be served with a meal or with dessert. For many years, this truly refreshing and exotic drink has been used as a way of celebration and just enjoying the times that lie ahead.

Champagne comes from the vineyards of the French region. If you get a bottle and notice Champagne imprinted on the label, you can rest assured that the bottle was produced in the vineyards of France. If you dont get Champagne that was produced in the infamous French regions, you are pretty much just buying the standard sparkling wine. You should also make sure that the bottle is spelled Champagne, with a capital C. French manufacturers are very protective of this very name, and therefore are the only ones that are authorized to use it.

Champagne is made using three different types of grape – Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Noir and Meunier are types of black grapes, while the well known Chardonnay is a type of white grape. The label on the bottle will signify what type of Champagne you are buying, so youll know what flavor to expect. There are also types of this wine that are a blend of different grapes, providing quite an exquisite taste to say the least.

Much like sparkling wine, Champagne is very common with celebrations and such. Although it is actually considered to be a type of sparkling wine, Champagne is much better. You have to be careful where you buy it though, as a lot of manufacturers like to use cheaper grapes, which dont taste the same. If you have ever tasted this wine before – youll know first hand what quality tastes like.

A lot of people prefer Champagne because of the bubbles that are known to spew forth once a bottle has been uncorked. The bubbles that spew from this wine are the result of tiny drops of liquid that are disturbed by the carbonic acid gas. Once the liquid is disturbed, the bubbles form and short out of the bottle. This is a natural reaction of the double fermentation process that can only be found with a bottle of Champagne.

The next time you have a celebration and need something to make the celebration a bit more interesting, you should grab a bottle of Champagne. Few things compliment a celebration like the bursting bubbles of a fine bottle. You can find quality Champagne at ABC stores or other stores that sell alcoholic beverages. Even though it may cost you a bit of money – when you pop the top youll be glad you bought it.

All You Need To Know About Whiskey

In meaning, whiskey translates to water of life. Whiskey originated from Scotland during the early 1400’s, and is very popular around the world today. Even today, whiskey tastes much like it did when it first began. Manufacturers of whiskey are strong on heritage, and therefore do all they can to capture the flavor that whiskey has always been known for.

For any occasion, whiskey is truly great. Whiskey is commonly used during weddings and ceremonies, and both the bride and groom will drink it to signify a relationship that will stand the test of time. The drink isnt only served with weddings, as it is also popular in bars and restaurants as well. Those wishing to signify friendship can also serve whisky as a gesture of wanting to be friends.

Whiskey also makes a great gift for friends, employees, and even executives. Around the office, whiskey is very popular. When someone has had a tough day at work, few things bring out the best like whiskey. It can help someone relax, and make them feel at ease. Drink enough of it however – and you will feel as if you are king of the world!

Although it has many uses, one of the best is ice cubes. If you combine whiskey with ice cubes, the combination is truly inspiring. People often refer to it as whiskey on the rocks, as it is very commonly served in bars and restaurants. Whiskey on the rocks is also refreshing, as the ice cubes help to take some of the bite away from the otherwise strong and potent drink.

There are several variations of whiskey as well. Scottish whiskey, Jack Daniels, and Wild Turkey are among the most popular. Scottish whiskey is very popular in different parts of the world, while Jack Daniels is the preferred brand of whiskey in the United States. Jack is served at many bars and restaurants, and provides a great mixed drink if you pair it with Coke.

If youre looking to buy some whiskey for your home, youll never have to worry about having trouble finding it. ABC stores are the best source, although if you live in a state such as California you can find it at your local grocery or department store. Whiskey is one of the best selling forms of hard liquor, with thousands of people around the world drinking it quite frequently.

Easy to find and easy to use, whiskey is easily one of the best types of alcohol that you can buy. You can use it at parties or socials, or just keep it for yourself. Whiskey is also great the body, if you drink a shot of it a day. With various ways to be used and a bold crisp flavor – whiskey is something that you can never go wrong with.