Hidden Rooms

What's next?

183:736355944 (Marcus Deaves-Small) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 09:07:12 GMT

Can rum do what gin's done?

Can rum possibly become the next big thing on the block? It's a question that's being asked by influencers, bloggers, bartenders and punters in the wake of the phenomenal Gin renaissance; all eager to be the ONE who said, 'I told you so. I predicted { insert spirit type here } would be the next big thing.'

Well. It's down to you. Rum IS out there. There are multitudes of brands, producing endless expressions of all types of spirits. So if you think Rum or Vodka or Tequila deserves a shot at the title; go and investigate what interests you.

Personally, the only thing I'd like to see happen on the high street, as well as in the country pub, is an increase in quality of serve. I mean glassware, ice, ratio, ingredients, knowledge, pairing, presentation, the whole 9 yards. Because in the midst of this 'Ginaissance', I'm still getting served horrific Gin & Tonics, especially in the very places that were the first to jump on the bandwagon. Goodness gracious, please don't let them ruin the humble, but perfect Rum & Coke as well.

Learn how to make drinks with the professionals at Hidden Rooms:

Head to our website and take a Cocktail Claas for entertainment and knowledge...

...or take it to the next level and click on www.cocktailcoaching.co.uk for personnel coaching and menu consultation.

Shaken or Stirred?

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 17:02:23 GMT

How not to mix them up...

Shaken, not stirred! Let's face it, neither Ian Fleming nor his author surrogate, James Bond were renowned bartenders; and in this age of mis-information and fakes news, the least we can do is get our drinks right, right?

Yes, I know, some potato-based vodkas are more advisedly shaken, but is there a 'rule of thumb' that will rarely let you down as badly as your

Sean Connery impression?

Well happily, yesh mish moneypenny!

' Cloudy ingredients, shake! Clear ingredients, stir!'

Shaken

Why

1. To mix ingredients.

2. To impart dilution from ice

3. To chill

4. To aerate and give drink required ‘body’, texture and character

Get ready

Prepare / Check Garnish, leaving any living garnishes to ‘happen’ as SOON as the drink is poured

Chill Glass, with ice if it’s not been in freezer or refrigerator.

Build

Pour spirit into short cup (Spirit ingredient first, so that it remains uncontaminated if you are interrupted – nicer to do a cheeky shot of bourbon than a cheeky shot of lemon juice or simple syrup, if you have to walk away from the drink for a while)

Pour remaining ingredients into short cup

Ice into tall cup to half* fill. *A rule of thumb for most shaken drinks

Lock

Tall cup onto short cup and tap to form a seal at a jaunty angle Turn the whole lot upside down (which is the way things will stay now)

Hold

Find the join of the two tins with the centre of left thumb Wrap remaining left fingers around the waist of the shakers. Two fingers above the waist, two fingers below.

Right hand joins in.

Shake

Shake vigorously ‘through a horizontal plane, so that ice hits both ends of shaker. 8 – 10 seconds, no point in doing it any longer

Take right hand off, leave left hand on, bring the shaker into your chest, so that your left elbow forms a tight triangle

You’ll get to know how long to shake (vs) volume of ice (vs) state, shape, wetness of ice (vs) hardness of shake (vs) style of shake = your unique result.

Break

Use right hand to wiggle short cup upwards or tap the rim of the bottom cup, which will change its shape enough to free short cup.

Strain

Place Hawthorn strainer, spring downward into tall cup, having kept your left hand in position, your left index finger will come over the top of the strainer and keep it in place Hawthorn holds back large chunks of ice.

A fine strainer will deal with ice shards and fruit pulp

Pour

Discard cooling ice or trickles of water from awaiting, chilled glassware.

If fine straining i.e. using Hawthorn and mesh, your pouring hand NEEDS to lift way above your fine strainer, which should be held steady and close to, but never inside glassware.

This height creates enough pressure for the stream of liquid to blast through any debris collecting in the bottom of the mesh.

A delicate, low pour will lead to debris in the mesh and a messy, slow, over-filling of the mesh and you’ll have to start again.

Pour drinks into the CORRECT, CHILLED glassware as per required drink, garnish, drink, repeat.

Examples

Usually for drinks with fruit juice, cream, egg white, like sours and tiki style.

Try a Last Word, a Daiquiri or Cosmopolitan.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Stirred

Why

1. To mix ingredients.

2. To impart controlled, visible, dilution from ice

3. To chill

Get ready

Prepare / Check Garnish, leaving any living garnishes to ‘happen’ as SOON as the drink is poured

Use chilled or frozen ingredients if possible

Keep spirits in freezer and modifiers in fridge

Chill Glass, with ice if it’s not been in freezer or refrigerator.

Chill all utensils if possible

Build

Add ingredients to mixing glass if drink is to be presented over ice

Add ingredients to chilled / frozen mixing tin if drink is to be presented 'straight up'

Add Ice

Stir

Introduce long bar spoon The ‘penny-end’ of a bar spoon being rotated around the inside of the glass before making contact with the ice, is a nice way to introduce spoon to ice for the smoothest stirring technique - the spoon won't rotate in your hand and wear your finger away!

Stir ingredients until desired temp and dilution is achieved 20 revolutions should be more than enough for most drinks (as a guide only)

Place Hawthorn strainer, spring downward into mixing vessel Hawthorn holds back large chunks of ice

A fine strainer will deal with ice shards and sugar crystals, but does WARM the liquid back up, so use only if necessary

Pour drinks into the CORRECT, CHILLED glassware as per required drink, garnish, drink, repeat.

Examples

Usually for drinks with fewer ingredients and without fruit juice, such as Martinis, Old Fashioned and the like.

Try a Hanky Panky, a Martinez or Martini.

Join our team

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 09:29:40 GMT

Are you passionate about drinks?

We're not looking for bar staff, bar maids, barmen, drink-slingers, bar heroes or wannabes .

We're looking for YOU . Because you're still reading!

It takes integrity to admit that you have a lot to learn. Happily, the best have integrity in their veins.

Join us, find out what we've learned about the world of drinks service in the last 32 years and accompany us as we learn even more together.

You'll be a better bartender for it and guests will get better drinks.

Apply today. Ask for Marcus. Good luck.

Table Service

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 22:54:31 GMT

What's the catch?

There isn't a catch. It's just lovely to have a drink brought to your table for the same price that you'd pay if you had queued at the bar and got it yourself. We like to offer table service wherever and whenever we can, but for reserving groups of 12 or less, it's guaranteed.

Cocktail Show

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 22:00:37 GMT

...a bit too generous...

What started off as an office discussion about showing our guests HOW we make the wonderful creations on our cocktail list has finally come to fruition.

An evening session, that the public can attend, albeit with a pre-purchased ticket, has become an instant success. Ironic when you consider that our cocktails require much LESS than instant planning and preparation. We held a Gin 'Show'' in June and a Rum show in July. We'll have August off and return in September with our Vodka show.

We can't wait but WILL take on board the only criticism; 'You're too generous with the booze'. We know. We're working on that, reluctantly.

See you in September, on the 11th, at 7pm. Ticket details on our website's 'What's On page.

Pesky Cocktails

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 21:39:06 GMT

Just when you think you've nailed it...

Take the 'Cheeky Tarte'. Please, take the cheeky tarte! A bespoke, unique, in-house, original, one-off that I haven't stopped tinkering with in the last 15 years. It used to be called 'Spring Quencher', had only one type of vodka and contained apple juice. Fast forward to today, it's a lemony, melony, homage to two Swedish vodkas. Even cheekier, still tarte.

2019 Cheeky Tarte:

Muddle one lemon wedge, three lime wedge and 5ml caster sugar

20ml Cariel vanilla vodka

20ml Absolut raspberri

Crushed ice, churn

Lemonade (leave room)

Crown with fresh crushed ice

Drizzle 15ml #midori

One lemon wedge. On, not in!

Drink very responsibly before making another.