Letter from Dubai: Tales from the Sand - by Ulric Nijs

Tales from the Sand…

So… Here I am; Ulric (Brand Ambassador for Tigre Blanc vodka, Jose Cuervo and a couple of other brands) in the United Arab Emirates and Asian sub-continent. I am blessed with working in one of the most rapidly growing metropolis of our age: Dubai. My line of work is pretty eclectic; as our nightlife universe is on a constant growth, it can sometimes be hard to keep up with the various prestigious establishments that are opening on a weekly basis, and, sometimes, closing even faster! What it means, however, is that I am constantly exposed to an influx of drink creativity and ‘wannabe-ism’ that is prevalent in an all-rapidly evolving megalopolis, I therefore have a certain amount of skepticism when exposed to a new drink menu, and my retorts can be as bitter as a shot of room temperature Cynar (a remarkably complex & wildly bitter, artichoke-based Italian aperitif!).

Ulric Nijs

However, after about 20 years traveling the world as a bartender and cocktail designer, I also think that I have the right to be! Not quite a given-right, but certainly starting to be a well earned one!
So, as I stroll around “my” city, I cannot help forming some sort of opinions about the various “wins & fails” of these outlets popping up in my work environment. I also feel –and it is perhaps slightly arrogant of me- that these opinions can be beneficial to my fellow epicurean, and thus lead to a better drinking experience in the long run; not because “I” know better, but simply, because my job has been a catalytic environment to these potential pitfalls that plagues the quests for good drinks!
What will follow on these pages is not “moan-fest”, but rather a primer of drinking etiquette in an ever-changing nightlife environment. I do have to be honest though; these words are very much aimed at people looking for a real drinking experience, rather than a quick alcohol-infused buzz… Always consider your environment!

The first word of the primer is “Creativity”. Creativity is the feeding ideal behind any ambitious chef and/or bartender (I do not dare using the oft-abused “mixologist” term), yet it is a certainly a double-edged sword! In the hands of a connoisseur, it will leads to many delights; in the hand of an amateur, it will be more likely be a disaster.  Let me expand and draw from my recent experience…
As I grow older, my palate has changed considerably; the “Negroni” which I once thought undrinkable, has become a staple daily drink. I love the way the botanicals and dryness of the gin marries with the vermouth and bitter-sweet Campari… It is not a difficult drink to realize; equal measures of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth; stirred harmoniously, and served as you desire. Furthermore, there are not too many variations possible on the drink: 1) The gin, 2) the vermouth 3) the drinking vessel (straight up, on the rocks or lengthened!).

Yet, this simple drink seems to stump many of the new establishments I visit on a regular basis! Worst of all, with the recent “classic cocktail” revival AND the gin explosion that we are witnessing, this drink has been well documented and supported by starred bartenders all over the world!  Yet, in spite of the above, this simple drink is often dismissed towards more exotic drinks. I understand it doesn’t have to appear on the menu, but it certainly should be common knowledge, yet it isn’t! The ingredients may be, but the rest is forgotten.

How does this tie up with my “drinking primer”? Simple… When you walk into a new establishment, and as you glance over the creative cocktail selection that may be highlighted on the menu… Don’t rush into them!
Wait…
Consider the environment. You wouldn’t expect a Vesper to be properly made in an Irish pub would you?

If the environment is conclusive, order a “classic” cocktail before any others… The Negroni is my acid test… For other, it is the Mai-Tai or the Mojito. Order your “go-to” cocktail, NOT the signature.
If –and ONLY if- your first drink is well prepared and up to YOUR standards, then move along to one of the signature drinks on offer and be prepared to be delighted!

Why should you be using this methodology? Simple… Would you trust a 10-years old child at the wheel of a super-car?

Certainly not!

The age-old saying “walk before you run” is definitely applicable in the drinking world; these classics not only teach the basic methodologies, but also prepare your host (I much prefer this term to that of “mixologist”) towards more colorful concoctions through the basic rule of substitution.

The basic message of these words are pretty simple really… the relationship between a bartender and his guests is akin to that of the provider and his dependents; i.e. there must be a foundation of trust between the two parties involved; and if this trust is established, then feel free to wander in a weird, wacky and wonderful world of mixology… If you bartender knows his/her classic, you are automatically in good hands! However, if you get a blank look upon ordering an old-fashioned; then one should not expect a positive drinking experience.

On this happy note, I would love to leave you with a great quote from Troy Patterson (free lance writer for Slate.com):

“There's nothing you can do to gin that's worse than what it can do to you.”

Cheers – sipping a Negroni!

Negroni

Lift off: Russian Spirit and Kruto, 2 new vodka brands launch. Tulleeho's Sweta Mohanty was there, to taste and compete.

I was invited to this launch a couple of days back at this quiet little joint at Bandra by the name of Nom Nom. A new vodka launch had got me excited, so I was at the doors of Nom Nom bang on time.
 

I was greeted by Neha Kapadia, Director MIRSpirits and Mahesh Chauhan, Founder Member, Salt Brand Solutions

               

Neha Kapadia

                                

Mahesh Chauhan

                                                                   

We were all seated at a long table for the tasting, and to kick things off were given a beautifully designed handout.

               

Mahesh was at his wittiest best and started for off the conversation by saying “do you want me to take off my shirt??” While we looked on and were trying to figure out what he meant, he immediately explained – Isn’t that what you see in all Vodka promotions. Foreign ladies, skimpily clad girls ……… we do not want that for our vodka. We want it to stand out because of its taste”. Point taken Mahesh!

Neha and Mahesh were of the opinion that their vodka is all about taste. And they don’t need to have skimpily clad girls to promote it.

Mumbai is the 2^nd city after Goa in India where they have launched. Russian Spirit as we were told uses golden wheat from the ecologically pure soil of Ukraine. It is 15 times distilled and undergoes a pure gold filtration to get the smooth finish. This is supposed to be drunk “Neat” as a sipping vodka. Here we did a comparative tasting with Grey Goose, Belvedere and Absolut. How it went, we leave it for you to taste and decide!!! Russian Spirit is competitively priced at INR 3200 in Mumbai.

Russian Spirit

Very interestingly the Russian Spirit tagline says “Introduce Yourself”, which to some might sound arrogant because it means the person drinking has to introduce himself/herself, as the vodka needs no introduction.

Nom Nom’s food was yummy…… My favorite out of the lot was Wasabi Prawns & Mushrooms and Crab Meat Sushi. A must visit to Nom Nom for everyone.

Kruto, the other vodka is priced at INR 1800/- in Mumbai and is 9 times distilled. The tag line for Kruto says “Chase Me”. This one is being promoted as a cocktails base. And they had some interesting cocktails like Guava Island (Kruto + Tabasco & Worcestershire + Lemon Juice + Green Chilli) and Bitter Sweet (Kruto + Orange Juice + Lime Juice + Lemonade + Angostura Bitters)

Kruto and Russian Spirits

When MIR Spirits had sent the invite, the first sentence said there would be a surprise element to the event. We had nearly come to the end of the evening and I was wondering where the surprise was and as if reading my mind, Neha announced an impromptu Cocktail competition, in which you had to make your own cocktail and name it too.

I volunteered to go first!! Something that I don’t do often….. Can you guess why I did it this time??

Swetalicious

Ingredients

·      Kruto – 60ml

·      Kiwi – Muddled 

·      Lime Juice – 10ml 

·      Sugar Syrup – 10ml 

·      Tabasco – 4 to 5 dashes

Method: Shake and Strain into a salt rimmed rocks glass filled with Ice. Garnish with a Kiwi Slice.

                                          

Have you still not guessed why I volunteered to go first? :p

Indian Bartenders - Raising the Bar with Varun Sudhakar, World Class Finalist 2013

Tulleeho Salutes India’s upcoming bar talent. First up is Varun Sudhakar – World Class Finalist 2013

Food and Beverage Supervisor @ Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai

I am from Kerala, did my Hotel management from IHM Trivandrum. I have been working for the last 5 years as a flair bartender, mixologist and now as a bar supervisor. I originally wanted to be a chef!

World Class Finalist!

World class was a dream come true for me, to experience the ultimate bartending competition and to stand next to the best in the world and also to meet people whom I have only read about in books, moreover to know the world and its bar culture and to make more friends.

What inspired you to make a career in Bartending and Mixology?

Inspiration came through a bet with my best friend, which was to learn flair. I got in to the bar through flair bartending and eventually learned the tricks of the trade through Youtube videos and books and long hours of practice. Nicolas St Jean from France a freestyle flair bartender inspired me.   Mixology was put in to my head by people I met on the way who shared their knowledge and skills. 

 With Shawn D'Souza & Tulleeho's Rohan Jelkie

Guests Rock!

A guest bought me a bottle of Aperol from Italy when I said I have not seen it but know about it through books.

Great Cocktail Service

I listen to guests, ask them what their taste is, try to mix their favorite ingredients with some flair, so they are kept entertained, listen to the ice (!) and serve the drinks with a good garnish and a smile.  I feel completely locked into that drink till the time that it’s served.

I have never felt guests expect any thing else rather than a drink with a smile and happiness surrounding it.

Role Model?

I believe in sharing knowledge and experience. When I went for the competition (World Class) I was helped by a lot of people around me, some whom I knew, and some I didn’t.  Will be giving support to anyone who loves to be a bartender and wants to compete.

20 Questions with Gegam Kazarian - Molinari Brand Ambassador

20 Questions with Gegam Kazarian

In conversation with famed mixologist, Gegam Kazarian from Armenia who started his career studying biochemistry in Yerevan, and had a passion for bartending.

1.    How did you get into the field?

The very first drink I made was when I was 5 years old, at my grandfather’s house, made with fresh cherries, sugar and water in a lemonade bottle with a cherry stick. Back then I obviously didn’t add alcohol to it, but that was a sign.

2.    Where did you start your career?

I started in Armenia at a bar, working under a bar manager, an Indian guy, Biju Varghese. At the age of 20, I said goodbye to Armenia and headed to Alicante, Spain. I soon started my own bars Kazaris Lounge Bar, Kazaris Cocktail club, and Zulu Cocktail bar, among others – an amazing experience for 6 years.  

3.    What exactly do you do now?

In 2009, I closed down my last bar and decided to explore the world, study, travel, see other cultures, and hence began Project Kazaris. It’s a gastronomic project around food and cocktails, applying knowledge, science and art. I share my experiences with the world; I have also learnt many new things from bartenders around the world. I consult at different bars and restaurants, working with brands like Molinari, G’Vine Gin. 

4.    Is this your first time in India? How has your experience been so far?

Yes, this is my first time, and I love India! I have tasted Indian food before but it is so different here, here you can actually smell all the spices in the food.

5.    Why India?

India is growing, and in the next 5 to 10 years, India will probably be the cultural centre of the world! In India, you have the most important ingredients – hospitality and love.

6.    What do you think is the next big thing for India in terms of beverages?

I think Gin will see a big market in India soon. Tequila at the moment seems to be doing really well around the world, and that could also reach the Indian market.

7.    What do you think about the bartenders you’ve seen so far in India?

I’ve seen some really nice bars, a very good level, not just bartending, but in the concept, the music. The bartenders I’ve seen so far have pretty good knowledge about beverages and have the passion to learn!

8.     Around the world, what is lacking in bartenders today?

Well, not in Asia, but many parts of the world have some highly skilled bartenders but most times the hospitality aspect bit is missing. In India, it is so different.

9.    What is the one thing bartenders should keep in mind while participating in a competition?

Enjoy the experience, have fun. Because you are in that moment, and you will never get it back. So be cool and give it your best.

10.If you weren’t in this industry, where would you be?

I would be working as a chemist

11.Your most memorable moment in the bar?

This was in Spain, when I opened my first Kazaris Lounge bar – the first day. It was big, a dream come true.

12.What were you doing before you joined the industry?

I was studying biochemistry. Learning things like floral design, jewelry design. I also played the Spanish guitar, I still do. I want to learn how to play the sitar now that I’m here.

13.Why did you choose this industry?

When I was a student, I used to see a lot of people going to bars and restaurants. I wanted to be with these people, and I also wanted to earn some money, so I thought why not be a bartender. 

14.Which is your favorite beverage ad campaign?

I’m not a big fan of big international brands and ad campaigns. But one company that has made it big, according to me, is Molinarihttp://www.molinari.it/. They started off really small, and now are spread over 85 countries, maintaining consistency throughout in terms quality of their products. Also, I work with these brands because I believe in them.

15.Have you served any celebrities while working behind the bar?

Yes – Naomi Campbell, Penelope Cruz, Alejandro Fernández and Luis Miguel (famous Mexican singers)

16.Which is your favorite ingredient while making a cocktail?

Just one? That’s tough! If I had to choose I’d go for Ginger because it’s spicy, has citrus notes and is a great ingredient to make a drink.

17.And your favorite spirit for a cocktail?

Has to be G’Vine Gin

18.Do you like Indian food?

I love Indian food! But I can’t really handle the spiciness.

19.If you were stranded on a desert island. What is that one drink you would like to have?

I will have to choose water. While I’m on that island, I could experiment with the water by mixing and infusing some ingredients from the island. Because without water I would be nothing.

Tulleeho Trainer Diaries - Cointreau Cocktail Adventures in Nashik and Aurangabad, with Priyanka Kandalkar

Cointreauversy in Wine Country and City of Heritage

This monsoon my work gave me an opportunity to visit two wonderful cities of Maharashtra - Aurangabad, a city of heritage and Nashik - India’s temple and wine city. Unwinding through the ghats of Kasara and feasting on nature makes me love my job all the more.  

The hospitality I received from the hotels and outlets I visited overwhelmed me. I was representing Remy Cointreau and conducting Cointreau and Mount Gay Rum trainings in Express Inn (Nashik), Speciality Restaurants Pvt. Ltd (Nashik), Vivanta by TAJ (Aurangabad) and LemonTree (Aurangabad)

The participants' enthusiasm was infectious, and their curiosity to know more about Cointreau knew no bounds. It took them by surprise to see the versatility Cointreau displayed in the form of the Cointreau Fizz, where it combined with simple ingredients like tea, mint, cucumber and basil.

 Speciality Restaurants, Nashik - Cointreau Basil Fizz

It was quite disheartening however to discover that the bars in most of the outlets did not have the right equipment and ingredients, too. Compared to bars in metros, the bar set up and equipment was very minimal. Using the right equipment and ingredients to make a cocktail decides whether the drink will be of good quality or not.  The one exception was Express Inn, Nashik, which had a good selection of alcohol as well as a proper bar set up. The bartenders here, too, also took extra efforts in creating some wonderful fruit garnishes for their cocktails. So along with Cointreau and Mount Gay product knowledge, I also stressed  on the importance of having the right equipment and ingredients in a bar.  

As a trainer, I felt that cities like Nashik and Aurangabad need to be focused on for conducting more beverage related training programs, and being situated in the wine region, a major influence of wine in the beverage menu and décor of the outlets was observed.
 

After 2 exhaustive days of fruitful training I am back in Mumbai, looking forward for some more exciting and Cointreauversial experiences.

Tulleeho!

Priyanka Kandalkar

 

THE GREEN MUSE WITH LOVE FROM JAPAN

The cocktail world today is in the midst of a renaissance. The change from guzzling at big volume led bars to drinking at a chique and sophisticated bar that offers a more individualised menu has evidently set in. While this might not be the case in our own country, none the less there are bars that are leading this reawakening of sorts by offering classier drinking experiences to guests who look forward to more than just an average joe behind the bar dispensing two margaritas at the price of one  And for people like me (and many others I know), this presents the perfect bread & butter opportunity! All pun intended!

And amidst this rapidly progressing cocktail renaissance, there are very few things as revered as the style of bartending practised in Japan. The country surely has more to offer than mega electronics brands, best selling cars, famed cuisine and impacting world economy? There is no doubt that we love our cups of Sakes, pints of Asahi’s and generous measures of the award winning Yamazaki Malt whisky. Heck, we even have a nation full of diabetics who swear by their cups of Japanese sencha with the ever faithful samosa! But how many of us realise that the country only took to distilling in the 1920’s? Shinjiro Torii set up Suntory, Japan’s best known and the world’s largest distillery, in 1924. In less than a 100 years, Japan today is recognised as one of the finest whisky producing nations in the world and is the spiritual home to one of the world’s most unique liqueurs coloured in a enviously lovely green hue – Midori.

Most of us might remember Midori as a sickly sweet melon flavoured liqueur, encased in a beautiful crusted bottle that sat plump on the back bar display being occasionally used to mix a melon sour or a Japanese slipper. But let me assure you that all that has changed since 2007. What’s new, you may ask? Well the bottle doesn’t look any different. The colour is still emerald green, probably a shade lighter. But what has changed is the sweetness in the recipe. And boy, does that change things!

The story of this cantaloupe and Yubari flavoured melon liqueur started of quite by chance. The year was 1971. The place – Japan. A visiting delegation of bartenders from the US (yes, the American’s again!) to the International Bartenders Association’s (IBA) Annual Cocktail Championship made a visit to Suntory’s distillery and were quite excited by a melon liqueur prototype that they tried at there. And that was all it took. Literally. The team at Suntory set about developing a melon liqueur on the lines of what the American’s had tasted and it took them seven years of research and development to come up with the perfect recipe. It was around this time that on another island, nearly half a world away, a whisky and cream liqueur (that shall not be named here!) was being experimented with…but only took half the time to hit the market. You might be tempted to think that there was a brand war at play here. But no. The Japanese are known perfectionists at whatever they do. Midori, Japanese for ‘Green’, was yet another example when it launched in 1978. It launched in the Big Apple at Studio 54, arguably the greatest nightclub of the day, where the new toast of Hollywood, John Travolta, was in attendance. Midori took NYC by storm.

Over the years Midori got mixed, thrown, shaken and stirred throughout bars across the US and then slowly over the world. And the fact that Yubari melons can cost you a small fortune, Midori was seen as a unique addition to the bar. But there was an inherent problem. Not one of biblical proportions. But one that probably saw the brand loosing out on popularity over the end of the last century. Midori’s colour and sweetness were two factors that were often very difficult to tackle in drinks that it went into. This prompted Suntory to go back to the drawing board and the brand eventually went through a mini rebirth in 2007. The sweetness has been tackled. It is far less sweet than what it used to be. I was quite surprised to taste the new Midori sans its cloying sweetness at a tasting held in Delhi recently that was hosted by Manuel Terron, the global brand ambassador for Midori. It was light (less viscous) with an initial sweetness that was washed away by an inherent acidity that left the palate feeling clean and fresh with a lingering floral note. Very amusing. And likeable.

Manuel Terron, Global Ambassador Midori

It is sad to note that majority of bartenders in our country would not think of mixing Midori in anything apart form a melon sour or melon ball and the occasional melon margarita. I wish these chaps would get a bit more creative with the brand. And for that matter with many other such spirits that lie gathering dust on the back bars of many such establishments. Midori and sencha maybe? Or an old fashioned styled drink with Yamazaki and sweetened with Midori. Hello? Anyone?

To get you thinking, here are a couple of brilliant cocktails that Manuel shook up behind the bar at the tasting while I appreciatively sipped on shots of the green muse!

Midori Mumbai Chai

30ml Midori

30ml Old Monk Rum

60ml Chilled Chai (unsweetened, no milk)

15ml Honeywater

15ml Coconut Milk

Shake with ice and strain into a chai glass then sprinkle with nutmeg

Maharaja Martini

7 fresh Curry Leaves

3 fresh Coriander stems

½ small Chili

10cm piece Cucumber

40ml Midori

30ml Gin

20ml Apple juice

10ml Lemon juice

Smash the curry leaves and coriander together then the cucumber.  Add remaining ingredients and shake well with ice.  Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass then garnish with a sprinkle of turmeric and a rubbed curry leaf.

Midori Shrarati Lassi

6 Mint leaves

1 tsp roasted Cumin seeds

45ml Midori

30ml Cognac/Brandy

50ml Pineapple Juice

15ml Coconut Milk

3 heaped tsp Natural Yogurt

10ml Honeywater

Muddle the mint and cumin well; add remaining ingredients then shake well with ice and strain into a chai glass or similar over 2-3 ice cubes.  Garnish with a mint sprig

Tulleeho!

~ Rohan Jelkie

Tales of the Cocktail - Day 4

So Day 4 was finally upon me! This was it! Four months of preparation, endless mails, heartaches, thankful gestures to outright neglect and to a very annoying and highly painful logistics company (you might want to avoid) called FedEx, my seminar on native Indian spirits was about an hour away!  I joined Keebler and Julia Bell, my seminar coordinators to prepare the batch of the feni cocktail for tasting and it turned out very well, thankfully! So we were tasting a grand total of three spirits – A Feni from Madame Rosa and Kazkar (available in the US) for the Cocktails and two herbs & spice liqueurs from Royal Heritage Liqueurs (Rajasthan) – Kesar Kasturi & Royal Mawalin.

Set up for the seminar

I had about 60 people for my spiel on our native brews and surprisingly they had more than just a  few questions. While everybody ‘said’ that the feni was ‘interesting’ & ‘different’ (I know what that one meant!) the cocktail with feni – The Goan Antidote – was actually very well received. But I guess every one was looking forward to the Royal Heritage Liqueurs and the Royal Mawalin was by far the hands down winner and the response to both the liqueurs was superb! Now I wish that I had smaller versions of these to hand out as gifts because people were filling up hip flasks with left overs from unused glasses as they wanted some to carry back for an after dinner digestif! Now any one who has tried these liqueurs would know that they are actually quite dry and the addition of sugar is just to offset the bitterness from the herbs, I feel. End of it all I was humbled by the response for the session and the products. Later I got Steven Olson, partner at Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) one of the USA’s most exclusive and premier beverage training program providers and one of the experts on the panel of Bar Smarts USA , try the Royal Mawalin and in his opinion this is what might have NYC bartenders excited as they are always looking for new stuff! The same thought was echoed by Drink historians and authorities Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller who felt the flavours were brilliant with excellent mixing potential. And infact a few enterprising folks from my session had already tried a couple of recipes with exciting results! All of this obviously had me excited – My only hope was that the guys behind these brands would do something to address this potential. Sigh!

Saturday evening saw the entire fraternity come together for the Spirited Awards Ceremony at the Hyatt for this years awards in various categories ranging from best new bar to the best cocktail list to the best cocktail book. And these awards have become some the most sought after in the beverage world because for a change brand affinity doesn’t get you the returns here. Rather it’s your peer set that votes for you. If you’ve been good J

Took out time to hop across to MOTAC, Museum of the American Cocktail.

Pre 1900 exhibits on display. I wonder if any Indian bars would even have the essential modern day equivalent of these…

So this was my last evening in New Orleans before I headed off to Bourbon Country for an adventure to America’s distilling heartland. And tales is not surprisingly damn addictive. And all the mind wants is a re run! I am sure there are many who feel the same way and have kept coming back for the past 10 years.

With Ann Tuennerman, Founder of the Tales of the Cocktail

Untill next time then!

Tulleeho!

Tales of the Cocktail - Day 3

The liver, truly is, man’s best friend! And if you don’t agree, well what can I say, you obviously are a bartenders nightmare!

Day three continued with the brilliant selection of seminars like the two previous days and the tasting rooms across all the days ran full. Any one who held a ticket to any one of the seminars at tales was given a tasting room pass to try the plethora of products that were available for tasting. These were the only places that had a bit of brand spiel doing the rounds, else Tales, as I pointed out earlier is saved of any hard selling of brands. But the good thing about the tasting rooms was that you were at a place where you had the best of the cocktail world trying your products and you wouldn’t want to be caught with crap stuff here! In short, a massive platform!

King Cocktail, Dale De Groff, doing what he does best!

I had the opportunity to catch up Tony Conigliaro who runs the famed 69 Colebrooke Row and is considered a pioneer for his ground breaking work in molecular mixology and understanding of flavours. And that was exactly what Tony C was presenting on. How could I miss this one?

People lining up for a seminar and this case , Tony C’s!    

One of the many back end offices with team working round the clock to ensure the success of every seminar, tasting room and the works!

And to end the day, Bar Smarts USA presented the Battle of the Bar Smarters that pitted the skills of bartenders from the East Coast Vs. the West Coast while Bacardi Rums and the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) presented the Bacardi 150^th Anniversary Hand Shaken Daiquiri competition.

David Wondrich and Gary Regan get ready to host the Battle of the Bar Smarters.

House of Blues, A popular New Orleans Bar and venue for the Battle of the Bar Smarters.

And with my presentation round the corner, I needed all the booze I could find! The days just keep getting better…and P.S. I in no way promote responsible drinking ;)

Tulleeho!