4y ago
Be The Bartender Of Your Gang With These Cool Tips (Feat. Hemant Mundkur)
Take notes so that you can be the bartender of your gang at the next party.
What’s the best trick to make the perfect drink? We asked mixologist par excellence and Brand Ambassador at Diageo India, Hemant Mundkur for some tips and he opened up a treasure trove of cool tips and tricks.
1. Citrus or Sour flavours are key
Most cocktails made at bars across the world contain sugar in varying quantities. To balance out the sweetness you need citrus or sour ingredients. “This can be in different forms like fresh fruits such as lime, lemon, grapefruit, passion fruit or green apple. You can also go desi by using tamarind, star fruit or raw mango. Another alternative is vinegar – white, apple cider or balsamic. The options for citrus are many,” says Hemant Mundkur.
2. Sustainable tools for home bartending
You don't need fancy bartending tools to dazzle your friends! Just work with what you have lying around at home. According to Hemant, "Instead of buying equipment, use some of the things, that are usually thrown away - Jam or Pickle jars can make great cocktail shakers, rolling pins can be good muddlers and large spoons or tea strainers can be used to strain drinks."
3. Maintain consistency
According to Hemant, measuring the ingredients is extremely important. “Measure every ingredient as it leads to consistency in taste. Another thing is to smile often, when mixing drinks as it helps calm the nerves,” he quips.
4. A mixing trick Hemant swears by
“I’d say adding plenty of ice to drinks makes a big difference which most people don’t realise,” adds Hemant. More ice means slower dilution which leads to the drink staying cold for longer.
5. A mixing experience that makes for a great story
Every mixologist has a number of funny stories that make for great conversation starters. So we asked Hemant about his experience and the reply had us in splits. He went onto narrate that, “While hosting a training session, I was shaking up a cocktail and suddenly it broke open and spilt all over my clean white shirt. The crowd broke into a laugh and it was quite embarrassing since I was the trainer!”
6. Hemant’s favourite cocktail
Hemant loves the Boulevardier. “Not too many bars make it but it’s made with Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, sweet vermouth and Italian bitters. Adding a dash of a smoky/peaty single malt like Lagavulin 16 YO, makes for an amazing drink,” says Hemant.
He continues, “But if I had to impress someone I would make the Espresso Martini. My version has a twist that consists of Smirnoff Espresso, caramel syrup and a shot of espresso, shaken up and served in a martini glass, garnished with coffee beans or a chocolate stick. It creates a frothy layer on top of the glass that would impress anyone!”
7. Up the game, go pro!
For people who want to dive into the professional world of bartending Hemant suggest doing a lot of research. He says, “Read, research, experiment and network. Try and keep up with everything happening around the world and also experiment with new things.”
As a final word of caution, he adds, “It is a tough industry, and can get stressful so be prepared. It can lead to bartenders taking to the bottle which may not be the best option. Drink responsibly and have fun!”
*Drink Responsibly
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