|
Dale DeGroff wanted to be an actor, and it shows. The man who
could talk the zest out of a lemon instead utilised his charisma to
become a bartender. But not just any bartender. Indeed, Dale could
be called the ‘big chief bartender’, the ‘cocktail king’ or the
‘Yoda of mixology’ – and he has.
Dale is, after all, probably
the world authority on cocktail creation, having recently written a
definitive guide and being the former bartender at some of the most
famous old-fashioned bars in the world, among them New York’s
Rainbow Room. Unsurprisingly, he has plenty to say about how to make
the best cocktails. “I’m passionate about ice,” says Dale, an
adopted New Yorker. “The small, warm cubes you get from machines
screw the customer because they melt rapidly and make the drink look
bigger, and then also screw the drink. I like big, dense, sticky ice
cubes. And I’ve even known people – who know their cocktails – who
have wanted to keep their ‘seasoned’ ice from drink to drink.”
Naturally, he also has what you might call an unequivocal
opinion as to the big question all would-be bartenders want
answered: whether to shake or stir. Dale’s rule of thumb? Any
cocktail made with juicy ingredients, such as a whiskey sour, is
shaken so as to be effervescent, while a drink comprising all spirit
ingredients, such as a Manhattan or martini, is stirred. “But,” he
adds, “if someone asks for their vodka martini shaken, not stirred,
I’ll make it, because pleasing the customer with the ceremony is
what it’s all about.”
Caipirinha de
uva
Makes 1
‘Muddle’ this for a backyard
barbie.
˝ lime, quartered
4 seedless red or green
grapes
1 tsp brown sugar
50ml 3-year-old Havana Club
rum
Chill a rock/old-fashioned glass with cracked ice.
Place the lime quarters and grapes in a mixing glass with the
sugar, and muddle or mash together until the sugar is well
dissolved. (Use a big wooden spoon if you don’t have a bar muddler.)
Add the rum and the ice to the mixing glass and shake well, then
pour the entire contents back into the chilled rock glass and
serve.
Note: During the cherry season, use pitted cherries
instead of grapes for a great-tasting take-off of the original
Caipirinha.
Let Dale regale you with more stories and
pour you three other great cocktails in this month’s
delicious. |
