Not So Simple Cocktail Syrups - a podcast by Brian Weber is a Professional Bartender and Cocktail & Spirit Enthusiast.

·     
This week we talk to Joe Raya, owner of the Gin
Joint in Charleston, South Carolina. 
He & his wife also make delicious syrups for bartenders called Tippleman’s.  There are 6 varieties and they are all awesome:

o   Burnt
Sugar

o   Island
Orxata

o   Falernum

o   Ginger
Honey

o   Lemon
Oleo Saccharum

o   Barrel
Smoked Maple

·     
Its Bartender Journey Podcast # 129 !

·     
First lets do a cocktail of the week!  Its a Bourbon/Maple Old Fashioned using
the Tippleman’s Barrel Smoked Maple syrup.  The syrup is made using barrels from Willett Distillery. I
used about ½ oz.  I happened to
have a lovely bottle of Willet Pot Still Reserve Bourbon, so I figured lets use
that in our Old Fashioned!  It’s a
pretty incredible Bourbon and it’s tempting to just drink it neat or with one
ice cube, but I used it anyway -- 2 oz of Willet Bourbon in my quite decedent
Old Fashioned.  I used Basement
Bitters from Tuttletown distillery. 
These are the guys that make the great Hudson Whiskey among other things
and their bitters are great!

·     
If you don’t have any Tippleman’s syrups yet, consider
ordering some at tipplemans.com.  But meanwhile, try experimenting with a
good quality maple syrup in your old fashioned.  Grade B is what is recommended for using in cocktails.  You might consider mixing it with a
little hot water to make it easier to mix into your cocktail.  And if you don’t have the Basement
Bitters, try substituting other aromatic bitters – Angostura is of course an
awesome choice and widely available, but perhaps try experimenting with a few
other brands too!

·     
To make an Old Fashioned – mix the sugar (or
syrup in this case) with the bitters in the bottom of your Old Fashioned or rocks
glass.  Add the whiskey and some
ice – ideally one big hand-cut ice cube and a twist.  Usually it would be an orange twist in an Old Fashioned,
especially if it were a Rye Old Fashioned, but I used lemon in this case.  A little extra citrus “zing” from the
limon goes better with the Bourbon and maple flavors.

·     
Book of the week is Its All About The Guest by Steve Difillippo. 

·     
The subtitle of this book is Exceeding
Expectations in Busines and in Life The Davio’s Way.

·     
Steve is a great businessman.  In his book he has lots of great
lessons for us, including: “every decision you make: is this going to make
things better for the guest?”

·     
There will always be demanding guests who are
ready to get upset about nothing. 
They will require a lot of attention, but you can’t let that distract
you from the other guests.

·     
Figure out how much it costs to make what you
are selling, otherwise you may be loosing money without even knowing it.

·     
Its not just WHAT you do, its how people
PERCEIVE what you do.

·     
Our Toast this week: ‘tis better to spend money
like there's no tomorrow? than to spend tonight like there's no money!

 

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