Camillo in Xela Cocktail on “The Negroni: a Gaz Regan Notion”

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Here I am with my brand new Zacapa Recipe that is coming out in the new book from Gary Regan “The Negroni: a Gaz Regan Notion”

The Negroni, an elegant classic that has brilliantly survived the test of time, has always been the great companion of all my journeys.

The drink I made for this precious little book is called “Camillo in Xela” where  Xela is the indigenous name for Quetzaltenango which is the place in Guatemala where the House of Zacapa is located and where this Rum is aged  at 23 .000 metres; of course you all know who Camillo is…

30 ml Zacapa 23

17,5 ml Campari

25 ml Carpano Antica Formula

5 Coffee Beans plus 2 for the garnish

- Glass: Rocks

- Method: flame the coffee beans with a blow torch, add it to the mixing glass and crush them with the flat end of a barspoon.

Add ingredients and stir without ice for half a minute, then stir with ice and double strain over fresh crystal clear ice.

- Garnish: Long Orange peel attached to the rim of the glass, with two coffe beans inserted and flamed with a small blow torch in front of the guest; this to emphasize the coffee aroma mixed with the caramelized essential oils of the orange.

‘Being from Italy where coffee is a very important element of the culture, I was curious to play with the toasted flavour of  this amazing ingredient, matched with the bitterness of the Campari, the complexity of the Carpano Antica Formula and the beautiful hints of vanilla, almond and chocolate of the Rum Zacapa 23 coming from Guatemala, one of the world’s leading coffee producer countries’

You can buy the book here

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The “Pic Nic in Jalisco” Cocktail

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Reviewed from one of my recipes dated 2008 let’s bring it to life again through the delicate dark chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon hints found in Don Julio Reposado:

1 1/2 Oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila
3/4 Oz Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 Oz Cointreau
2 Teaspoons Bitter Orange marmalade with peels
Juice of one Passion Fruit

Dissolve marmalade with lime juice in a mixing glass.
Add the other ingredients, shake and double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Serve with a brown-sugar-caramelised passion fruit half.

..I love marmalade drinks, such a nice and velvety consistency on the palate as you drink them!

Or even better..why don’t we serve it on the rocks in a marmalade jar, shaken and opened at the customer’s table?

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ROME IN A BUBBLE

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To celebrate my recent staying in Rome, let me tempt you with a refreshing drink with a romantic name..Romantic just like Rome

INGREDIENTS:
50 ml Home infused Bubble Gum Ketel One Vodka
15 ml Lemon Juice
10 ml Lime Juice
25 ml Agave Nectar
10 ml of fresh pomegranate juice
15 ml Egg White

METHOD:
- Add the ingredients to shaker, vigorously dry shake first, then shake with ice
- Strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with a Bubble Gum cut with a nice little biscuit mould

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The “Giant’s Gate” – St Patrick’s Day Cocktail

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Here I am with a great recipe for you all to celebrate together (responsibly) St Patrick’s Day:

THE GIANTS’ GATE COCKTAIL
40 ml Bushmills 16yr
10 ml Lime Juice
20 ml Sugar Syrup (1 to 1)
20 ml Guinness Stout
15 ml Egg White
5/6 Cardamom Pods
Raisins for garnish

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

- In a shaker muddle the cardamom pods
- add the other ingredients and dry shake or use a cappuccino frother to emulsify the mixture with the egg white
- add ice, shake and double strain into pre-chilled cocktail glass rinsed with Guinness Beer
- garnish with skewed raisins (that have been soaked into the Irish Whiskey overnight) to match the raisin flavour of Bushmills Malt 16yr.

ISPIRATION BEHIND THE DRINK: I took the insipiration for the drink’s name from:

-The GIANT’s Causeway, situated about 3 km north of the town of Bushmills in Northern Ireland, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the natural wonders of the world resulting from an ancient volcanic eruption.

-St. James’s GATE, the western entrance to the city of Dublin during the Middle Ages that has become the site of the Guiness brewery.

The main idea was to marry the two “oldest giants” of Diageo’s portfolio and to celebrate the 250 years of Guinness Brewery and the 400 years of Bushmills Distillery (since the drink was created in 2010).

FLAVOUR PROFILE:
The drink combines the warm raisin and caramel hints of Bushmills 16yr with the gentle bitterness of Guinness Stout both enhanced by the freshness of the cardamom.
It is recommended to eat the skewed raisins while sipping the drink in order to experience the amazing burst of flavours provided by this drink.

I used a little combination of citrus juice and egg white in order to achieve a beautiful silky froth on top that will remind the drinker of the nice beer head one gets from a refreshing pint of Guinness.

Sláinte

Max La Rocca

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Women behind the Bar – Taking over the World one pink drink at a time…

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What a better day to celebrate Women behind the Bar than the 8th March?

It’s a real pleasure to host on my Blog a great friend and professional Bartender Rina Fermin from Venezuela.

I met Rina in Athens during the Diageo World Class Competition Global Final 2010, where we were both competing.

She’s one of the most genuine person I’ve seen working behind the stick.

You can see she has a great fun while attending guests, taking the job seriously but without taking herself too seriously, which I believe is a great awareness to have in order to perform this craft properly.

I’m proud to share with you all, her thoughts along with some researches she did on the subject “Women behind the Bar” as follows:

 

Before attempting to discuss the position currently held by women in bars worldwide we traced the struggles that women went through and the origins of how they have forged history.

In the 17th and 18th centuries the kind of woman you’d expect to see in a bar was either someone damaged in reputation, or lower-class women, not to mention it was not conceived a woman behind the bar.

Later on, in the era of prohibition, speakeasies became the most pleasant and glamorous places, allowing the ladies socialize with men without being frowned upon, allowing a more gentle treatment and interaction, leading to a change of the operational characteristics of a bar and opening the possibilities of the ladies behind a bar.

Before World War II, women rarely tended bar. When the men left for battle, women took their places…for a few years.

Female Bartenders were described as an affront to the male-dominated bar atmosphere.

In addition to that, Bartenders’ unions pressured bar owners to refuse to hire female Bartenders and were submitting proposals to state laws prohibiting the employment of women behind bars.

Bartenders argued that the presence of barmaids, would give wives reasons to keep their husbands from going to bars, endangering the category.

Temperance activists joined Bartenders in their efforts to prevent women from working behind bars.

One law was passed in Michigan in 1945, that made it illegal for a woman (except for the wife or daughter of a saloon owner) to make drinks and in 26 states was prohibited to work as barmaids by 1960.

In the 70′s all that changed, but took a while for women to be accepted.

While America was abolishing these laws, in India exclusion laws were still quite similar, until recent years.

 

Talking about great women in the industry…

 

ELIZABETH “BETSY” FLANAGAN

In colonial times (1779) Elizabeth “Betsy” Flanagan, opened an inn near Yorktown frequented by British and French officials, which include a dinner where they served chicken, accompanied the meal with drinks decorated with feathers to which an English soldier replied “Let’s have another cocktail” … in 1821 James Fennimore Cooper’s novel “The Spy” talks about how Betsy was well qualified by his education having been raised among spirits.

 

ADA “COLEY” COLEMAN

Known to her friends and customers as “Coley,” is perhaps the most famous and the best-known female Bartender of all time. In the pre-prohibition age, it was a man’s world behind the bar. Well, evidently someone failed to let her know that, or she just didn’t care.

Ada was 24 when she began tending bar at Claridge’s in 1899. She moved on to another of Carte’s properties in 1903. The bar was none other than The Savoy’s American Bar where she was named head Bartender. Ada served in that position until 1926, when she was 51 years old. Her time at the Savoy overlapped with Harry Craddock, who some say she mentored.

Years later when Craddock produced his Savoy Cocktail Book, he listed Ada’s most famous cocktail creation, The Hanky Panky.

 

HELEN DAVID

Helen David opened the Brass Rail in Port Huron, Michigan in 1937 (between the tough times of the Great Depression and the Prohibition) and ran it until her death in 2006, representing a true pillar of her local community.

She loved her bar and ran it for 69 passion-filled years.

Helen was born in the flat just above the bar and lived there her whole life; even at the age of 91, she would came downstairs every single night to welcome and serve her guests.

She also was the first person to put a cocktail shaker into Tony Abou-Ganim‘s hand, being her cousin!

 

Just to mention some of them…

I wrote this lines in appreciation of all those pioneers who opened the door for us to work today without major difficulty, knowing that it is a profession with great dedication that was initially developed for men only, then conquered by women …

“As a Bartender and a woman, I have only words of thanks!

In my being, there is no doubt that I was born Bartender and if it wasn’t for the women who changed the way we see this profession, today I couldn’t do the job I love!

It has been proven through time and the work of fabulous Bartenders and Barladies, how performing this profession is just part of our being and that both men and women are born with that passion”

 RINA FERMIN  -  Bartender  -  VENEZUELA

Thanks so much RINA!

 

Now…continuing with the post, amongst the great women who contributed to get our Industry at the level we see it today I would like to also add:

MARIA DOLORES BOADAS

She was the very first spanish female bartender and learnt the craft from her father Miguel Boadas founder of Boadas Cocktail Bar in Barcelona who worked at the Floridita, in Havana in the 1920’s, from where he brought with him what we know today as the “THROWING” technique still performed by Maria until few years ago and today by the staff of the Boadas Cocktail Bar.

The technique (by using 2 boston glasses and a strainer) delivers both the aeration benefits of shaking and the little dilution of stirring, perfect for spirit-based drinks such as Martinis and Manhattans.

Here a little video of Maria in her Bar

 

I would love to also mention some amazing professional that nowadays keep bringing to life the MAGIC started by the above mentioned Bartenders, with their special touch, sensitivity, attention to details and hard work:

(in no particular order)

- Audrey Saunders

- Charlotte Voisey

- Julie Reiner

- Patricia Richards

- Victoria D’Amato

- Misty Kalkofen

- Aisha Sharpe

- Christy Pope

- Bridget Albert

- Kathy Casey

and so many more, they won’t fit on one page…

 

Hope one day to have the honour of sitting at your Bar, best wishes of happiness and success !

Max La Rocca

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The “Doctor’s Nightcap” Cocktail

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As we know in the 15th century, the European practice of distilling ‘Aqua Vitae’ (Water of Life) was primarily for medicinal purposes; then Aqua Vitae sees its translation in the Gaelic “Uisge Beatha” term, until it became the word “Whisky” as we know it today.

There is an old Gaelic proverb that says: “What whiskey does not cure..cannot be cured“…do you agree?
So don’t you think that every doctor has it’s potion, an elixir that he drinks everyday as a nightcap, before going to bed? I really think so..

LET ME PRESENT YOU…

A very tasty version of an after-dinner-kind-of Sour, with a smooth smoky aftertaste from the Talisker, a nice thick mouthfeel from the use of a home made bitter orange jam and all the flavours are enhanced by gentle coffee hints.

And a nice aroma from the grated tonka beans, gives fantastic vanilla notes to our drink.

Since our doctor here has a specific time at night to drink it, I provided him with a classy pocket watch (personalized with the Talisker logo) and in case he forgets how to make his potion, I also attached a tiny recipe as a garnish, with a little message at the back of it reminding him that “taken every night, will heal body and mind”

(in a responsible way…of course!)

and what about playing “Amélie” Movie Theme as a nightcap song from an old Carillon…really Magic!!

Finish the drink flaming 1 coffee bean and adding it in the middle of the drink, floating over a silky foam created by the egg white.

ENJOY and share only with the people you love and care!

Max La Rocca

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THE “ART OF THE CRAFT” AUSTRIAN/GERMAN 5 DAYS ROAD TRIP

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Photos by Nils Krüger (Berlin), William Dodoo (Frankfurt) and Max La Rocca

11/12/13 – 25/26 February 2013

Here we are with new World Class Training stories for the 2nd Burst of the Competition, this time we have been in the following Cities:

Kufstein (Austria) , Stuggart, Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg

In every sessions, we started with an exciting visits to the different Craftsmen, a great source of inspiration for all the participants to get ideas that could be adapted to their day-by-day job behind the Bar.

 

(Riedel Glass Manufactory in Kufstein )

(Presentation of the craftsmanship behind the creation of a Martini Trolley in Stuggart and Frankfurt)

(Presentation of the craftsmanship behind custom shoe-making in Berlin)

(Presentation of the craftsmanship behind Design in Hamburg)

Then, followed by a great opening by Patrick Tessendorf from Haeberlein & Mauerer Agency (who supported us brilliantly throughout the Road Trip!!) introducing the agenda of the event, and myself as the speaker/Mixologist/Judge of the whole Road trip.

I started going through the reasons why we choose “The Art of the Craft” topic explaining the relation between the incredible work of the Craftsman and our profession, the things we share and have in common, that as you can immagine are endlesss.

Then an introduction to RETRO CHIC and the different features why this is the main Trend behind World Class 2013

followed by a reminder of the past 3 challenges of the 1st Burst:

-Hollywood Cocktails

- Bartender/Barchef

- Where Flavour is King

 

After that, I started with the next 3 challenges for the 2nd Burst:

1)Vintage with a Contemporary Twist

After talking about the “Queen” of this Challlenge being Ketel One Vodka, the perfect example of Modern Craft (that’s where the name of our Road Trip came from), I went through the importance of a drinking Ritual and how to apply to our Bar and to the Competition, followed by a Fantastic “Dali’s Moustache Punch” using the beautiful new “Copper Kettles” it’s matching glasses and to bring some emotions, elements and ingredients from my latest experience as a Bartender in Spanish Land.

now let’s rub the magic lamp and…make three wishes

2)City Glamour

Now the objective has been to inspire the Bartenders through the glamour and sophisitcation of their own City/Country and combine them to the modern luxury by using Don Julio Tequila and Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge.

To put this into practice I prepared for our Bartenders a drink called “Where is the Turkey??“ to showacse the citrusy, peppery notes of Don Julio Blanco that with its grassy finish combined perfectly with an herb like rosemary and a little funny story behind it, to explain the importance of always having a story for our customers and our judges in the competition.

Then I showed some visual examples on how to use Grand Marnier to get resonance to the related challenge.

3)Whisky is

I love this challenge and I could see how the Bartenders were also excited about using Single Malts into Mixology, no more just “Neat or over Ice,Sir?” but an intriguing product that is becoming more and more used in cocktails by contemporary Bartenders due to it’s amazing characteristics.

We went back to the practice of distillation, formerly used for medicinal purposes and so I created a “Doctor’s Nightcap” using the unique flavours of Talisker 10 yo, mentioning the “Ritual of a Nightcap”, the distilling of Aqua Vitae, saying Gaelic proverbs and playing “Amélie” Movie Theme as nightcap song from an old Carillon…really Magic!!

After Patrick went through the Terms Regulations and Deadlines to apply for World Class in Austria/Germany, I started my “World Class Experience Presentation” where I took the partecipants through a fantastic journey “behind the scenes” of my personal experience  as a Bartender in the Competition and talking about the stages I went through, to get to the Global Final.

Then we had a genuine interaction with the attendants to spot who already was making their own liquor infusion, Barrel Aged Libations, Home-made Bitters, tinctures and liqueurs…it was the right time for a big surprise for our beloved Bartenders!!

“SHOW YOUR SPIRIT” a fantastic program never organized by a liquor company, that would give them a once-in-a-lifetime chance to co-create a Spirit or Liqueur that could be listed in the Best Bars in Western Europe, people was so excited and I could see their eyes already rolling searching for ideas/inspiration, this is the right approach!!

Following last year approach suggested to me by the German Team, we decided to interact with the Bartenders organizing a Market challenge “with a  friendly approach” and no pressure, just to see how they would react to the information they gathered thrughout  the day, how creative and inspired they were, and judging them in order to provide an important feedback on their performances that could further enrich their learning experience and go back to work with a new attitude and approach towards the craft.

Challenge in Kufstein

Stuggart

Frankfurt

Our guys in Berlin putting into practice the little Tips and Tricks in my presentation on “Dealing with the Judges”

..and in Hamburg for the first time ever, I saw muddling French Fries and come up with a very unexpected Ketel One drink…to take away..

It was an intense Road Trip as you could see from the schedule, but I’m 100% sure that the interest we generated about all this amazing activities and the motivation was huge, listening to the feedback of all the attendants in the different cities.

But the most important motivation was the FUN we had together while doing serious things and the fact that at the end of every event we asked every contestant the ”1 KEY THING” they would take away from the Workshop and REALLY apply to every day-to-day behind the bar.

THIS WERE SOME OF THE ANSWERS:

- INTERPRETATION

- HOSTING

- IMPROVISE

- ELEGANCE

- FRESH INGREDIENTS

- PASSION

- PERSONALITY

- SMOKE

- FLAMING

- PEPPER

- STIRRING

- INSPIRATION

-  DETAILS

- SIMPLICITY

- DECORATIONS

- EXTRAVAGANT

- STIMULATING

- RITUAL

- TORCH

- FEEDBACK

 

Thanks for giving me this amazing chance!

 

Celebrate life every day, everywhere

Max La Rocca

WORLD CLASS AMBASSADOR – WESTERN EUROPE

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BOLOGNA TRAINING: HEY BARTENDER, SHOW YOUR SPIRIT!

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18/02/2013

Here we are with a new amazing World Class Training of 2nd Burst in Bologna a fantastic City with a lot of History, Art and Style, also a bit “Retro Chic” I would say!

After Alessio Dantino opened the day by explaining terms, conditions and deadlines of the competition, our great Franco Gasparri started the session with a fantastic journey inside the 3 Challenges of this 2nd Burst:

Vintage with a Contemporary Twist where the undisputed Queen is our 100% wheat Ketel One Vodka

City Glamour that sees the uniqueness of Brands like Don Julio Tequila and Grand Marnier

Whisky is.. an intriguing way to bring to life the fantastic universe of Single Malts into Mixology

After this first part, I followed with a practice session, helping the Bartenders to better understand the concepts behind the challenges.

Then, it was the right time to pick our Bartenders’ brain talking about our brand new Program Called “SHOW YOUR SPIRIT” having been given the opportunity and the pleasure to come up with this intriguing name, taking inspiration from my Blog

..and when we asked:

“How about a once in a lifetime chance to co-create a Spirit or Liqueur that could be listed in the Best Bars in Western Europe?”

Everybody was speechless at the beginning..

..but after a while we started a fantastic Q&A session, having had the pleasure to present with Ravi Jakhodia from the Diageo Innovation Team, the “behind the scene” of this amazing program.

The entry form has gone live from the 18th February and it will close on the 18th March so WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

You can get an idea on how to enter your infos, by checking the example form that with a bit of imagination I invented for you, showcasing a brand new liquid called “THE WHITE TIGER” and explaining the inspiration behind it, the perfect serve, a food pairing (that is NOT essential, I just put it as a reference) and other inspiring ideas  that will help you to understand the sort of content we are expecting in your submission.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

Celebrate life every day, everywhere

Max La Rocca

WORLD CLASS AMBASSADOR – WESTERN EUROPE

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Italian first Semifinal: Vespas, Scottish Moss & Carillons!

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Photos by Marco Curatolo

When Italian creativity meets the World Class’ amazing sense of Community , that’s what happens, PURE…MAGIC!

Just like in the magic atmosphere of the 50′ and the 60′, we experienced the sense of drinking great Classic Cocktails  made with contemporary techniques, attention to details, great charisma and showmanship by our beloved Bartenders.

Daniele Gentili is the first finalist of the Italian World Class Competition that took place at the MICCA CLUB in Rome  (where Daniele also works as the Bar Manager)  gaining his ticket to the European Final in Madrid!

One of Daniele’s winning recipes:

 ”Frankie loves Rome” (in the picture below)

50 ml Tanqueray No. TEN

20 ml pepper and tonka beans syrup

30 ml lime juice

1 spoon meringue

Frangelico and grated tonka beans “Velvet Foam”

Preparation

Pour all ingredients into shaker, except foam, and shake vigorously.

Strain in a large cappuccino mug. Complete the drink with the “velvet foam”. On the side, serve two mini croissants, a sweet one  (cream with chamomile and juniper) and a salty one (with foam Gin Tonic).

“Garnish” with a miniature Vespa and a newspaper featuring Frank Sinatra having a drink at the Harry’s Bar in Rome during the 50′.

RUNNERS UP

- Antonio Parlapiano  (in the middle) from The Jerry Thomas Project – 2nd Place (below, one of  his amazing drinks)

- Francesco Spenuso (on the right) from The Flair Project – 3rd Place (below, one of his great creations)

And in no particular order:

- Enzo Chichierchia

- Alessandro Ismaele Avilla

- Patrizia Bevilacqua

- Paolo Sanna

- Mattia Cilia

- Elìa Calvieri

- George Jackson Cerrone

- Salvatore Mosca

- Francesco Tota

I’m so excited to see that the level of the Competition is getting higher and higher every time I visit a new country, that’s something we all should be proud of in the industry, and today I was REALLY impressed! 

W E L L    D O N E   E V E R Y O N E !!

The Judgin Panel for the day (from left to right) consisted of Dennis Zoppi (WORLD CLASS 2012 Global Finalist),  Stefano Nincevich (BarGiornale Journalist), myself and Giorgio Fadda (President of the Education Development Committee of IBA).

Thank you for making our day, a real RETRO CHIC DAY!!

Max La Rocca
WORLD CLASS AMBASSADOR – WESTERN EUROPE

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PARIS & POITIERS TRAININGS: RETROCHIC À LA FRANCAISE

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04/02/2013

Here we are with new exciting World Class Training of 2nd Burst, this time we have been in the stunning Bristol Hotel in Paris, folllowed by “Le Bis” Restaurant in Poitiers a cute little city full of history, amazing food and kind people who welcomed and supported us with great care just like we’re used to support each other in the World Class Community, thank you!

In both sessions, after a great opening by Grégory Messaoudi who introduced the agenda of the event, the relation between Diageo / World Class Platform and the speakers of the day, I started my “World Class Experience Presentation” where I took the partecipants through a fantastic journey “behind the scenes” of my personal experience  as a Bartender in the Competition and talking about the stages I went through, to get to the Global Final.

Then Yoan Bonneau (Reserve Brand Ambassador for France) exposed brilliantly the Challenges within the “Retro Chic” Trend following with the great world of Ketel One, explaining the importance of the Ritual in the Bartending world and showing how to apply it through a great “Ketel One Martini Ritual”.

We continued with a Grand Marnier Masterclass, followed by a great drink to inspire the Bartenders on how to mix it enhancing it’s fantastic orange notes and smoothness, in a perfect “City Glamour” style

After Yoan, the amazing Mr Julian Hutchings, a real Whisky “walking encyclopedia” kept everyone speechless with it’s great explanation on Single Malts, focusing on Cardhu, Singleton of Dufftown and Talisker, our protagonists fot the challenge “Whisky is”, making everyone fall in love with the category, a great performance followed by Yoan’s tasty Whisky Cocktails.

Santé Bonheur!!

And the next morning…voilà on the French Newspaper with style!

Celebrate life every day, everywhere

Max La Rocca

WORLD CLASS AMBASSADOR – WESTERN EUROPE

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World’s Best Cocktails: 500 Signature Drinks from the World’s Best Bars and Bartenders

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World’s Best Cocktails is an exciting global journey, providing the secrets to successful cocktail making, their history and provenance, and where to seek out the world’s best bars and bartenders, from London to Long Island and beyond.

Cocktail and liquor connoisseur Tom Sandham provides a comprehensive appraisal of global cocktail culture, highlighting the trends and techniques that make the finest drinks popular in their native climes and across the world.

Cocktail lovers will appreciate personal tips from key bartenders such as Jim Meehan and Dale de Groff in New York and Tony Conigliaro and Salvatore Calabrese in London, while cutting-edge recent award winners point to the future with their new daring flavor combinations.

At last, discerning drinkers can learn more about what to drink and where, then bring back their coolest cocktail experiences to enjoy at home.

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The Elements of Creativity

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As the first post of 2013 I would like you to join me in the amazing world of CREATIVITY through the brilliant work of Kirby Ferguson and his project called ”Everything is a Remix“.

Kirby has spoken at TED, Google, Netflix, the GEL Conference, Creative Mornings NYC, The Cusp Conference, Media Evolution, The Creators Project, Campus Party Mexico City, Columbia University, NYU and more.

(From 7.00” to 7.40” of the following video, there will be some credits, then it continues, make sure you follow through)

So, is it really true that nobody starts out original and that we need copying to build a foundation of knowledge and understanding?

SOURCE: Everything Is a Remix Website

Thanks Kirby!

So my wish for 2013 is:

MAY YOU ALL BE CREATIVE!!

Max La Rocca

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THE PANETTONE COCKTAIL

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A nice signature drink I created few years ago, for you to enjoy

INGREDIENTS:

Raisins infused Italian Brandy
Fresh lemon juice
Bitter orange marmalade
Galliano foam
Candied oranges
Vanilla sugar for the rim

ITALIAN VERSION (scroll down for the english one)

INGREDIENTI:
Brandy Italiano infuso con uva sultanina
Succo di limone fresco
Marmellata di arance amare
Spuma di Galliano
Arance candite
Zucchero vanigliato per la bordatura

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World Class Belgium 1st Semifinal, Impressions,Tips & Tricks

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Reserve Brands, the luxury spirits portfolio from Diageo, has named Jeroen Van Hecke of L’Apereau in Blankenberge as the winner of  World Class 1st Belgian Semifinal, gaining his place to the European Final in Madrid!

Jeroen (pictured above) won his place, in the stunning “Event Lounge” at Felixpakhuis, Antwerp on 10th December 2012 amongst 7 other World Class Bartenders that may try their luck again in April 2013 in the last Belgian Semifinal when the second ticket to Spain will be given out.

- The winning recipe -

The PT cocktail (inspired by Jim Meehan of PDT bar in New York)

Ingredients:

60 ml coconut oil infused Zacapa 23
12.5 ml orange blossom honey
2.5 ml Lagavulin Distillers Edition
2 Dash Angostura bitters
2 Dash chocolate bitters

Preparation:

Stir  with ice in an old-fashioned glass on a large block of ice. Spray a zest of orange over the drink and use it as a garnish. Add a wooden honey stirrer.

The Judgin Panel for the day consisted of Frank Van der Auwera (wine and food writer), Gerty Christoffels (leading television presenter in Belgium and Communication Coach), Ben Belmans (teacher at Nine-X Cocktail Academy) and myself.

The bartenders were judged on technique, presentation, creativity and taste.

It was a great pleasure to work, laugh and dream with all the competitors in this amazing event organized brilliantly by Ben Belmans and his Nine-X staff and our incredible Antoine Ghyselen who hosted the event and brought the Master of Ceremonies role to the next level!

 

THE CHALLENGES:

Written Challenge:

- Questionnaire focused on the history and technical characteristics of Zacapa, Tanqueray N° Ten and Johnnie Walker SDLX range.

Signature Cocktail:

- Zacapa 23 was the featured product in the “Bartender / Barchef” theme

- Tanqueray N.10 was the protagonist within the “Hollywood Cocktails” concept

Shop of secrets and Diageo Classic Cocktails:

- Bartenders had to show their mastery of flavours from “mistery” ingredients and create an amazing Johnnie Walker cocktail as part of the “Flavour is King” theme.

- Besides they were tested on classic cocktail knowledge and technique from a list of 18 Classics

The other Bartenders we were honoured to judge are:

RUNNERS UP

- Dries Botty - L’apereau (Blankenberge) – 2nd Place

- Dieter Van Roy - Josephine’s (Antwerp) – 3rd Place

And in alphabetical order:

- Ben Bruyneel - Jigger’s The Noble Drugstore – Ghent

- Jan Van Ongevalle - CASINO KNOKKE

- Kevin Ligot - Elixir of LIFE – Brussels

- Steve Okhuysen - Old Fashioned – Ghent

- Tom Neijens - Old Fashioned – Ghent

 

FROM A BARTENDER TO A BARTENDER (A few words out of personal experience)

Please understand that the following has to be intended only as a constructive discussion on this competition and that can be helpful for future reference.

 

1) I can’t hide there was a quite lot of tension within some of the contestants. Of course this is understandable to a certain extent, provided that we don’t allow it to overpower us.

As the competition continued though, they started to be more focused and relaxed, impressing the jury and their peers.

A bit of tension can be used at our advantage as the adrenalin rush wil help to focus the mind and ready ourself for the competition; it acts as a positive motivator too!

It’s wierd to see that what we do every day with hard work, passion and love for the craft and for our guests gets a bit mixed up in our heads when we are in a competition, making us go “out of focus” sometimes.

The fact we always have to be aware of, is treating the competition as an (extra)ordinary day behind our Bar, visualizing our regular customers, friends and situations that force us into a peaceful state of mind, where we feel in the comfort zone…even if we’re not.

Our mind doesn’t actually know the difference between reality and imagination, I experienced it personally and…guess what? IT WORKS!

To make you understand my point, another similar experience I had lately, was when judging some recipes by mail and found that ingredients really gave me that mouth watering sensation you only get when really tasting a drink, so…it wasn’t real.

2) In the Diageo Classic Cocktails Challenge, generally some homework to do is handed out to the contestants beforehand, this to give the chance to be prepared on the history, method of preparation and to try our routines in our Bar environment, so there would be no reasons for forgetting ingredients, stir a drink instead of shaking or not knowing where a drink’s name comes from.

Since “a Classic s a Classic” and it’s because of its nature that it has survived the test of time, another issue is that variations on this challenge are NOT requested, otherwise it would have been called “Twist on Classics” or else.

3) The Shop Challenge or also called Market Challenge in other events, is the time for us as Bartenders to shine and show our mastery of flavours; so by playing safe on this particular challenge we take away the chance to our guests or judges to be really impressed by us.

- If performing in English is requested in our Country even though is not our primary language, this is done for a number of reasons, the most important of which is to push us to do our homework directly in the language used in the European Final so we would have part of the job ready for the next step that is the Global Event.

This really worked for me, going from my national Final to the Global Final in Athens back in 2010, where by going through this steps, I became so much more confident and in control of what to expect!

I hope you’ll find this useful as I did.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD FEEDBACK

Even though I understand that often for timing reasons this is not possible, I wanted to stress that the need for performance feedback from our contestants is crucial to add elements to their learning experience at a deeper level.

This will be “THE” thing that would enrich them and change their approach and attitude towards the craft…at least it did to me!

But please Bartenders, let me remind you it will be also your commitment to help us understand what you would love to find in the future events and trainings (product/support/facility-wise) in order to always improve World Class performances towards our beloved community and getting closer and closer to your needs.

Thank you for making our day, an oustanding day

Max La Rocca
WORLD CLASS AMBASSADOR – WESTERN EUROPE

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The Blazing “Irish Coffee-less”

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Here I have a nice a simple Blazer for your Holidays!

Just a little blazing experiment with Bushmills after fast-infusion chattin’ with former Ireland’s Diageo Brand Ambassador Martin Duffy in Rome to try and re-create an Irish Coffee aroma without actually using…liquid coffee.

Bushmills Irish Whiskey
Coffee beans
Raisins
Star Anise
Powdered Cinnamon
Simple syrup

I made this drink back in 2009 and then modified last year in Barcelona using Bushmills 10 yrs, Blazing “pots” from Istanbul and garnishing with the same raisins used for Blazing

and sticking with the “Don’t take yourself too seriously” concept, I created this video for you to enjoy:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2053599013180&set=vb.1040697686&type=3&theater


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Repeal Day – The End of American Prohibition – 5th December

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The Prohibition period, with its ban on production, trade and consume of alcoholic beverages imposed in the United States of America by the government between 1920 and 1933 (believing that the abuse constituted a serious danger to society), ends 5th DECEMBER 1933 with the approval of the 21st Amendment of the Constitution that repealed the 18th (called “Volstead Act”)

Here some very useful and interesting infos for you to enjoy:

PROHIBITION MOVIES

POST PROHIBITION DRINKS

So now that alcohol is free again, please enjoy responsibly!

visit DRINKiQ website

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ListenTotheIce Restyle & Mobile Version

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Finally moved to a new webspace!

I hope you will like the restyling of ListenToTheIce, also available with the new Mobile Version!

Please take few minutes to update your bookmark and renew your subscription, great new content is coming your way!

Always stir…with a dash of love
Max La Rocca

 

Mobile Version Screenshots:

  

  

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“Where is the Turkey?” ThanksGiving Day Cocktail

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Happy ThanksGiving day to everyone with my signature recipe:
30 ml. Don Julio Blanco
10 ml. Ramazzotti
15 ml. Lime Juice
15 ml.Cinnamon Syrup
20 ml. Yellow Chartreuse cooked with 2 Sprigs of Rosemary
Swizzle with crushed ice
Garnish with caramelized Kumkuats and sprig of Rosemary
(Foto by George Restrepo)
In a cooking vessel add the Chartreuse and a spring of rosemary. Using a blow torch cook the ingredients until you get an infusion. Strain into a Russian Imperial Mug with Crushed ice. Add all the other ingredients helping yourself with a swizzle stick. Add more crushed ice.
Garnish: with a Flamed Rosemary Sprig and Caramelized Kumquats. ”Na Zdorovie”
Inspiration: I made this drink during his visit as Guest Bartending at City Space Bar in Moscow on Thanksgiving Day.
I was inspired by the way people cook their turkeys to celebrate.
When I gave it to try to my first guest in Moscow, after explaining this story he said, so….”Where is the Turkey?“

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SICILY, DIAGEO training with…Secret Ingredients

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Here we are again with new amazing content for you to get inspired from and exciting with: 

Photos and impressions on our  World Class Training Session in one of the most attractive Italian regions: SICILY!  

It  took place at the Quattro Venti Wine Bar and Club  in Catania. 
Elena Riccardino during her explanation of the Competition rules
Franco Gasparri focusing on Trends and our Super Premium Products
“Where Flavour is King” presentation is beginning..
Setting up with elegance
Let’s start…WALKING
Vapourizing dreams and promises..
Going interactive…
…and making our audience experience something UNIQUE:
JOHNNIE WALKER GOLD LABEL RESERVE !!
“Hollywood Cocktails” are Swinging by and some Secret Ingredients are…in the AIR

First, a different way to use a Whisky “pipette”, filling it with home-made Pimento Dram, to give the chance to our guest to interact with its drink
Then shake to wake it up, not to send it to sleep, right?
Here you have “Sammy’s Tie” my twist on a Mai Tai, where the protagonist isTanqueray Ten. Drink inspired by Sammy Davis Junior, one of the celebrities behind the famous “Rat Pack“

And the final Secret Ingredient inspired by the name of the location of the training, the Quattro Venti (Four Winds) and from the beauty of its city: some “real” Luxury Air from Catania (shaken according to the mood) a pretty detail that puts a nice smile on our guest’s face.

..and a nice Tie created especially for this drink, in perfect Gentleman’s style 
to celebrate the famous dancers / actors / singers that formed the amazing Rat Pack.
All these incredible sensations where translated into an amazing “visual journey” through  the photos taken by Marco Merli of Mcm Comunicazione

Hope you enjoyed it
Stay tuned for the next posts!
Celebrate life every day, everywhere
Max La Rocca
WORLD CLASS AMBASSADOR – WESTERN EUROPE
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“Stop that Limousine!” Barrel Aged Cocktail by Max La Rocca

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After 6 months of sleeping with my Barrel I’m eventually ready to share with you all

The “STOP THAT LIMOUSINE” Barrel Aged Cocktail

The drink is a variation on a Claridgeʼs Cocktail swapping Apricot Brandy for Benedictine and served with orange Bitter and the fragrant essential oils of the lemon peel garnish.

The name comes from the Limousine wood of the casks that have been ageing with Plantation Rum for a perdiod of 6 months.

Is very interesting to age a gin Cocktail into a Rum Barrel with the botanicals of the Gin blending with the exotic fruits of the Rum.

The drink has a fantastic colour, is very balanced, warm and has an intriguing oily texture because of the long interaction with the Barrel.

Hope you enjoy it!

The base formula will be:

25 ml Citadelle Gin
25 ml Noilly Prat
10 ml Benedictine
10 ml Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

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Bartender = Person = NOD (Not only Drinks)

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Over the last years I’ve exchanged lots of mails with some Gurus like Gary Regan, Hidetsugu Ueno, Stanislav Vadrna, Dom Costa during my Bartender crisis (who has never had one?) and had amazing inputs on subjects like:

– The perfect workplace
As a Bartender you need to be able to shape yourself and adapt to the different challenges and work surroundings (without loosing your identity, of course), it’s not an easy task but with tolerance, patience, respect and time, you’ll be fine!

All living species are born with a sense of adaptation.

– Devil wears Ego
Just do your things bro!!

And well too, since doing them well or bad takes the exact same time (actually doing them bad you need the time to fix it, no?)

Why do you need to show off? You’re already on stage behind the Bar, so what’s the need to push it further?

Why if someone orders a Vodka & Cranberry you look at him as if he was idiot…and think you’re not there for this sh….??

Why when visiting a colleague in a Bar you give him an hard time?

Wouldn’t it be nice to take a deep breath, pause and think: “would I be happy if someone will act the same way back at me?”

– The pressure of Worldwide Bartending
Once I was talking to the great Mauro Lotti, unforgettable Bartender of the Grand Hotel in Rome during “La Dolce Vita” and he told me: “Has a Barmanager it is your duty to have an agenda and write the likes and dislikes of your customers as well as their telephone numbers to contact them everytime there is a Party/Event you would like them to join!!”

I was speechless…but today we do it with files, Facebook, Iphone reminders, no? So the principle is (nearly) the same.

Blogs, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, they’re all fine, just imagine how this profession was in the Old Times without this powerful tools that in a matter of seconds enable us to get an incredible amount of information.

Sometime all this information can put us in a state of mind of always wanting to know more, have
more spirits/tools/books, wanting to always get a better job position, leaving us with a feeling of never being good enough..

On top spending a life doing long shifts, web researching and extra work on your days off, not having a social life, do we really need to feel that way?

I don’t think so!! As long as you’re the best for you guest, here and know, all the rest will come to you, you’ll be amazed!

– Complaining about what happens in life
Instead of complaining about how things turn out, use this energy to do the work that will determine how they turn out.

Only from the moment you start ACTING on the problems you’ll see a completely new scenario in front of you.

– The power to say NO
As Bartenders, even outside work ,we are most of the times inclined to say YES to things that happens around us and to people’s requests

Apart from making us feel good, this takes SO MUCH energy out of us, day after day.

So what about start setting priorities and freeing ourselves from this big weight??

This video will keep you thinking..

– Your IDENTITY after work
You are a person and THEN you are a Bartender, that’s all!!
I’ve seen a lot of colleagues that don’t go out with certain people because they’re not part of “the business” or they’re not considered worth enough hanging out with..

Or they only go to places where they’re well know in order to be seen and (once again) fullfill their EGO’s thirst.

What’s with this crap?

Once you take off your uniform our SOUL needs to detach and be back, carrying out our normal life with walks, movies, friends, family, hobbies, so please start reconsidering the whole scenario.

SOME of this represent my mistakes at the beginning of this wonderful career, and thinking back on them, they made me feel lonely and miserable and I wanted to share them with you all, begging you not to do the same, in order to lead a peaceful life and really ENJOY your profession at the fullest, as I’m doing NOW !!

And please don’t take yourself..TOO SERIOUSLY

Max La Rocca

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Boutique Bar Presentation @ Cocktails and Spirits Paris

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Amazing experience presenting the building, the philosophy and the drinks behind Ohla Hotel’s BOUTIQUE BAR in Paris amongst amazing colleagues and great people!

Thanks to Thierry Daniel, Xavier Padovani, Eric Fossard, Gianfranco Spada, Søren Krogh Sørensen and all the people behind COCKTAIL SPIRITS, we came back with our biplane full of jewels, emotions, friends and knowledge!!
Thanks so much my dear friends!
Photos by me, other colleagues and ….the most beautiful are from Philippe Levy

Le Bar Rouge Programme

Checking the set up and the sound
Introducing ourselves and our worldwide experiences
The “Dali’s Moustache Punch” in the middle of the stage
An overview on our drinks
Yes, my dream to present @ Cocktails Spirits came true!
Giuseppe mixing my signature drink “The Untouchable” Cocktail with style!
Proud of the boys!
An amazing picture of the Untouchable by Philippe
The “Dealing with Bartenders” Session
Questions and answers time!
Our amazing Flamenco Guys entering the scene!!
The art of not taking yourself too seriously…
…while making incredible things and giving powerful emotions!
Our precious crowd from all over the world.
The audience tasting our “Dali’s Moustache Punch”
Ohla Hotel’s BOUTIQUE BAR awarded between the TOP 10 BARS IN EUROPE
COCKTAILS SPIRITS…IN BARTENDERS WE TRUST


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Max La Rocca nominated at Tales of The Cocktail 2012!

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I’m honoured for being nominated as International Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktails!!

I would like to congratulate the Top 10 Finalists in each category for the 2012 Spirited Awards, excellent job ladies & gentlemen!!

Good luck to all for when the top 3 will be announced in June!!

Thanks to all the blog’s readers, colleagues, guests and family for the amazing support!!

It’s the journey, not the destination.
Above I created a little map of the precious work done over many years with respect and humbleness.

Max La Rocca

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Diageo World Class Princess Cruises Training Program

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Don Julio Training @ Princess Cruise “Crown” by Javier Reynoso (Brand Ambassador for Diageo Reserve Brands for Spain) and Max La Rocca.

On the 9th of May Javier Reynoso and Max La Rocca conducted a training on Tequila Don Julio and the World Class Competition, for the bartenders of the Princess Cruises “Crown” that will soon join the Diageo World Class Competition.

They started the Master Class of Tequila Don Julio by Javier Reynoso, analyzing the key points of its production and to find those points of excellence in the tasting of Don Julio Blanco & Don Julio Reposado.

Then Max La Rocca Ireland’s WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year 2010 and Bar Supervisor in Ohla Hotel’s Boutique Bar in Barcelona, made a presentation on World Class Competition, its global dimension, the paths to be a World Class Bartender and how Diageo supports the bartenders and their way of training.

The practical part was developed in the largest of the 13 bars of the Ship.

Max talked about the key aspects of bartending, what and how to use elegantly the bar tools, how to create a balanced cocktail and tips and tricks on how to impress the World Class Juging Panel …

He started developing cocktails from basics of mixology to the latest trends.

The practical part was also enthusiastically followed by the bartenders, who asked Max doubts and tricks.

Next, the bartenders wanted to apply what they learned by training on Luxury Margaritas with Don Julio Blanco and Don Julio Reposado.


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How about turning the “Irish Mermaid” into a new Classic Cocktail?

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Dear colleagues, friends and guests how about turning the IRISH MERMAID Cocktail into a NEW CLASSIC, making the drink in your Bar and spreading the word about it?

I’ve been thinking about this after 2 years of amazing feedbacks from my guests and decided it would be nice to share it with you all, because sharing is caring right?

This drink got a Certificate of Excellence from Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller and appears in the World’s Best Bars “Ramping up the Classics” Series.
www.worldsbestbars.com

  • It has also been included onto the Gaz regan’s 101 Best New Cocktails 2013
  • Gaz comment: Superb! The Aperol and orgeat dance together all night in your mouth after drinking just one of these babies. Max: It’s almost like you know what you’re doing! 

“Irish Mermaid”
35 ml Quality Irish Whiskey
10 ml Cherry Heering
10 ml Aperol
5 ml Orgeat
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Orange twist

Garnish with Brandied Black Cherries cooked and reduced into Cherry Heering
(if you find nice brandied cherries or Luxardo Maraschino black cherries is fine too, as long as they’re not the cheap red plastic ones)

The name “Mermaid” pays homage to the statue of the little Mermaid in Copenhagen which is where Cherry Heering liqueur comes from.

When I created this drink, the bar I was working at, was very famous for
afternoon tea, so I wanted to start selling cocktail during those hours too and decided to throw this drink right at the customer’s table with a crystal teapot so that people would get curious about cocktails.

After a few months, that’s what happened!

Today you can enjoy this beautiful drink at Ohla Hotel’s “Boutique Bar” in Barcelona and in Bars all over the world and soon will be listed on the upcoming Gary Regan’s Book.

If you can’t use a teapot a simple throwing will do the trick!

I started  serving this drink also in Barcelona since the throwing technique has its origin in this city (below, a picture of Maria Dolores Boadas, the first spanish female bartender using this technique, learnt from his father Miguel Boadas), so I was also linking the cocktail with the local tradition while pushing the sales.

 

By playing on the amount of Orgeat, you can easily transform this nice aperitif into a tasty after dinner drink making it suitable for any time of the day.

The drink showcases the warmth of the beautiful and flexible Irish Whiskey with the slight bitterness from the oranges and rhubarb of the Aperol, perfectly balanced by the combination of cherry and almond flavours.

Angostura Bitters gives it a nice depth, while the orange twist provides nice and fresh citrus notes to the cocktail.

Irish Mermaid Web Links:

Worlds Best Bars
World Class Final IRISH MERMAID Video
Barcelona Catalan TV Video


Please share it only with the people you love, with humbleness and respect
If you can spare few minutes please like it and share it on Facebook too.
Thanks a lot for your precious time
Max

Where it all started…
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Boutique Bar Barcelona on Catalan TV!

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Enjoy this new video interview taken at Ohla Hotel’s “Boutique Bar”


www.btvnoticies.cat

“My name is Max La Rocca and work as a mixologist at Hotel Ohla’s “Boutique Bar” in Barcelona with Giuseppe Santamaria. Being mixologist is like cooking with liquids. a liquid cuisine. Choosing the right ingredients and creating great drinks for a unique experience for the customer. The difference with making a dish is that we can create a cocktail tailor-made to the customer, something that for example in the kitchen can not be done.

My specialty is called Irish Mermaid, based on Irish Whiskey, a very smooth cherry liqueur from Copenhagen, that’s why the Mermaid in the name and (as a good Italian) Aperol an Italian aperitif with rhubarb and orange notes .

A sommelier sell things that other people have made, the chefs prepare things but they have no interaction with the customer. Bartenders have both. This means that a person has to be charismatic, creative and be a good host. “

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World’s Best Bars presents..BOUTIQUE BAR @ Ohla Hotel Barcelona

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Max La Rocca & Giuseppe Santamaria are proud to share with you all the wonderful news of Boutique Bar Barcelona being added to the WORLD’S BEST BARS Website!!
Tnx to all the people behind WBB, our precious guests, colleagues and friends that have supported us whilst running Ohla Hotel’s “BOUTIQUE BAR”.

Enjoy this great gift, achieved with hard work, humbleness , belief in what we’re doing, discipline and constancy…

…It’s our journey to YOU all…hoping to have soon the pleasure of guiding you through this wonderful experience.

Max & Giuseppe

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Max & Giuseppe present…The Boutique Bar’s Guestbook 2011 PDF

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Max La Rocca & Giuseppe Santamaria are proud to share with you all, comments, experiences and dreams of our precious guests during the course of the first year running Ohla Hotel’s “BOUTIQUE BAR”.
Enjoy this little gift, achieved with hard work, humbleness , belief in what we’re doing, discipline and constancy…
…It’s our journey to YOU all…hoping to have soon the pleasure of guiding you through this wonderful experience.
Max & Giuseppe
There is strenght in numbers

Click here to download it now!!

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