This was so good. Very simple but thorough, and I love how you break through the pretentious stuff and say “here’s what you really need for a home bar” versus what’s a bit extra.
I have some of my late father's bar tools, Hawthorne strainer, glass and tin, and a glass measured jigger. The fact they were my Dad's and I remember him using them for family parties is everything to me.
Started with a cobbler shaker, but now much prefer the "tin on glass". Lot of cobblers I've seen leak. Basically, build the drink in a pint glass, cover and shake. Once you get used to it, it's pretty easy. And I'm just an amateur (make my own drinks at home). But slowly getting better at it. Videos like you produce, as well as some tips I get from local bartenders really help. Now I just need to up my garnish game. Been getting a bit lazy at it as lately I just stir up a Manhattan, drop in a Luxardo cherry and call it good.
I seem to accumulate lots of bar equipment. Have some Japanese jiggers, but for a long time just used measuring spoons. Been using the o o steel jigger lately which I really find easy and precise. Have always been confused by std sizes 25ml vs 30ml. Also have switched recently from a cobbler to glass/metal Boston, but I’m not sure I won’t go back. Also using a mixing glass, but honestly aside from the aesthetics, don’t know why. I think using the cobbler tin was better. Looking forward to the end of dry July to try some of the gin based cocktails.
I hear alot of different thoughts on the cobbler shaker. Craft bars like them because it requires you to pay more attention to one cocktail at a time to make them perfect each time, while the boston shaker is better for volume and speed. neither is wrong just different for different uses.
I agree. Aesthetics play into it as well. If this is a swanky cocktail bar, then the quality, complexity and presentation are top priorities, so making it one at a time is the etiquette. Plus, if you’re charging $20 for a drink, the patrons should feel special. In a more busy, dive, sports, whisky or pub bar, the bartender is expected to put out more drinks per hour, and they’re less fancy. Speed counts here.
Man, this is really making me miss my tools, I left my bar roll, my spirits, glasses, and tins at my partners house before we went into lockdown, I'm going to make so many drinks when this is all over.
An explanation/listing of the various types of cocktail glasses would be highly appreciated. Also my first watch of your videos so I am looking forward to going back over your previous stuff. Looking forward to going back??? I've confused myself.
The fine strainer must also be mentioned as useful when using fresh citrus juice when the pulp is desired to not end up in the drink. For this it is essential.
Thank you, Cara! I'm just getting started making my own cocktails and I found this video to be very useful, informative but not to lengthy. It was a bit of a challenge for me to stay focused on your knowledge, since I absolutely adore your accent. I don't know what my favorite bar utensil is, but I'm eager to find out!
Nice, informative and useful, no fuss, clear. Love the presentation, and finally I found out about the spoon size. The coffee pot both had me laughing and going 'hmmm, now that's interesting'. Oh, love the channel, only found it recently. I really like your point of view that each should make a drink how they like it, not how an 'expert' says it must be done , and no other way ! Best of luck for the channel. Oh, bar kit: cobbler. Scared I'd make a bigger mess with a glass on tin, or tin on tin. But agree with comment below, a lot of cobblers leak (and then splash everywhere but in the glass - personal experience)
Thank you so much, I’m glad you like it! Absolutely, there’s so many ways of doing things- learning the rules and then breaking them is the best way to have fun making drinks I reckon!
The most common cocktail shaker in the world is called a Boston shaker, the most common cocktail strainer is the Hawthorne strainer named for a long-gone Boston bar, and for over 80 years the most popular cocktail reference book in the United States has been the "Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide." All of which amazes me because they roll up the sidewalks in Boston shortly after 9 p.m. Great video, by the way. So, I really don't need a muddler?
That's so funny you mentioned using a French Press carafe as a mixing glass, because after watching several of these videos, I came to the conclusion that I needed a mixing glass (even added a few options to my Amazon shopping list, to narrow down later). I was looking around my kitchen to see if I had anything already that I could use as a mixing glass, and the only potential candidate I saw was a big mason jar (but that obviously doesn't have straight sides). I didn't even think about the two French Presses I have leftover from that coffee brewing phase (before I evolved to pour-over). So thanks you for that tip. I don't need to buy a mixing glass - I already have two of them.
I'm really glad to have just found your channel, thank you for your videos. Even though the quarantine is lifted quite a bit here now, I still try to avoid going out as much as possible, which makes home bartending an excellent new hobby to pick up. I'm currently using a shot glass with markings as a jigger - I do have a double jigger, but I tend to make a mess when switching sides. Do you have any tips on how to prevent that?
It’s definitely an issue, I just usually try and hold it over the tin so it drips in and do anything particularly messy (cream etc) last, but that’s why bartenders have drip trays/are constantly wiping haha
@@little_billy Yeah, sharing it is definitely the best part (: I just recently moved into a shared flat, and there's no better way to make new friends than a gin gimlet, a good margeritha or an Aperol Sour.
Very cool & useful, thank you Cara...It gave me an idea to create a playlist about Cocktails on my (modest, compared to yours) channel so that my audience can now discover some of your tips & recipes (you might be my main source for this as I enjoy your approach of it & videos), Cheers !
My go to for tins etc is Koriko- their basic stuff is cheap enough to stock a bar with (although they do have some nice gold/matt black stuff if you prefer something jazzy for home), they’re good quality and have a nice weight to them. Honestly, for mixing glasses in the bar, they get smashed often enough that I can’t bear buying fancy ones haha so I just get standard ones from my local hospitality supplier (Chef’s Hat here in Melbourne). But have a look on cocktailkingdom.com, their stuff is always good quality and they have some really beautiful barware as well. Otherwise, eBay is a black hole for beautiful vintage pieces if you don’t have to be overly practical!
@@BehindtheBar I was in Melbourne in 2002... PJ O'Brien's... they had Kilkenny, so I was livin' the dream. Irish lass tending bar there said she liked Caffrey's better and bought me one to try it. Good, for sure, but I still like Kilkenny better.
Oh my goodness... I've been working with Americans (I'm Australian) lately and yes.. When I get up in the middle of the night and I'm super tired I feel like I have to speak another language to them and it's stressful. Please... never be afraid to ask a 2 second question in order to save hours of time later on! Even at the bar when you're ordering a drink
Can you use any glass for the second shaker piece to the metal 1 or is there like a standard. I have a small cobbler I use now at home. But i am just curious.
The piece of equipment that I cannot live without is your accent. Where do you call home in Scotland? I’ve spent five years in Scotland in the U S Navy, and have been back twice on holiday.
@@BehindtheBar I was more of an ale drinker when I was stationed at Holy Loch, but a pub that I frequented in Dunoon served a drink that I have been searching high and low for the recipe and cannot find. It was called a "red Lion", came in a pint glass, and had 9 different shots in it. I was hoping that on your way to becoming the expert in your field that you are, you would have run across this smooth drink. I expect that it was a local mix, and since the pub is no longer there, the drink may be lost forever.
Cobbler shakers leak! ICE CUBE? I now pour about an ounce or 2 of water into a quality drinking glass and freeze it overnight. Instant large cube that melts slowly and keeps my cocktail cold.
Did you mention a citrus press? What tool would you recommend to extract juices for cocktails? Thank you, by the way, for your quick reactions to my comments!
Haha I’m not going to lie, it’s not honestly my favourite either (I don’t love anise) but it has an awesome story and as with everything, good quality versions make such a difference. There will be an episode for sure!
Oh the knife brings back traumatic memories... setting up shop in Bristol one night and slicing my thumb whilst chopping the limes. The horror. Anyway, great video!
This might be a stupid question, but do jiggers come in different sizes depends on where you purchase them? For example, my jiggers are bought in the U.S, and I am wondering if they are sized differently in countries where the metric system is used.
Jiggers here (Australia) usually have both ml and ounces because our standard shot is 30ml (1oz). In the UK the standard is 25ml so that gets way more confusing! Lots of my recipes are actually 50/25 but I’ve started scaling up slightly because it was getting too complicated haha
@@BehindtheBar Ah gotcha. Thank you for your detailed answer! I just moved from U.S. to Korea, so my home bar now operates on the metric system. I have double-edge(?) jiggers that have both 1 oz. and 2 oz. scale, so I wasn't sure how that translates to the metric system.
Honestly I don’t use a muddler too much BUT the other day we got amazing golden kiwi fruit so I muddled them in to essentially a London calling and it was so delicious 😋
Who knew that all you needed to make a talk on bar equipment INTERESTING was to have someone like Ms. Devine narrate it in her usual MELLIFLUOUS voice! 😍😍😍 Why, if I’d had someone with Cara’s voice as my MATHEMATICS teacher all throughout my high school years, I’d be a world class ENGINEER by now! 🤓😄
As with all shakers, the physics will do the work of holding them together for you, you just need to place the cap on (a lot of people do it a bit too forcefully!). Give it a gentle shake to get started and that will chill the shaker and make everything contract. Then shake away and it will stay put, but not be jammed on 😊
That was definitely on my list, we’re not sure when we’ll get to film next in all this craziness but there should be a website going live soon so I may well put up a list of recommendations!
I've recently got a tin on tin (honestly wicked cheap) and is there a technique to having the small tin seated in the large? If not, I may have gotten a bad set 😂😅
They don’t really feel that secure until you start shaking- the cold makes the tins expand and they stay together. Make sure you line them up straight on one side (have a look at the Margarita Masterclass, I show you there) and you can give them a firm whack if you like but really just holding them together until science takes over is the main tip!
@@BehindtheBar cold makes the pressure of the air inside go down and this vacuum holds the tins together ;) also like Jeremy pointed out - metals contract from cold, not expand, but this is not what keeps the two tins together - all is from the air that gets cold from shaking. The formula is pV = nRT: pressure times volume equals nR(constants) times temperature. When the temperature goes down, to make the equation true either volume or pressure has to drop. The volume won't change because we have fairly rigid tins, so pressure drops and we have this vacuum which helps to keep the whole thing together and makes it sometimes tricky to separate the tins when we're done shaking.
@@BehindtheBar The cold actually makes the tins contract, not expand. The trick here is that the one originally with the ice in it is cold and contracted. When you add a warmer one to it, the warmer one passes the heat to the colder one. The warmer one contracts and the colder one expands, to create a seal. This is why you should start off with the ice in the smaller one and cover it with the larger one, then shake. As another poster said well though, it is the cold air and reduced air pressure that really seals the two.
Not that I’ve ever really noticed to be honest. Stirring and shaking will definitely give you textures but I’ve never quite got to the bottom of what people mean by ‘bruised’ alcohol and don’t think it makes any discernible difference to the flavour 😊
Are they referring to over-dilution? That's definitely easier to do by accident when shaking, but just make sure to fill the tin all the way with ice and it's pretty easy to get the hang of.
Try making an old-fashioned at home. Actually, try making two. Identical. NEAT. Shake one and stir one. Then look at them and taste them. Leaving out the ice takes the dilution issue out of the equation. Shaking provides fast cooling and dilution, but it also aerates the drink, creating froth. Aerating a spirits-only cocktail evaporates alcohol (which evaporates at a much lower temperature than water) and muddles the colour.
I am new to your show. In this time of COVID, I have taken the opportunity to expand my bar knowledge. Thank you for your series and your un-pretentious approach. I don't know if it's your smile, or the way you talk, but you are infinitely watchable and entrancing. :)
Wait, WAIT!! There's a Golden Age of Bartending? What was it like? What caused it? Why did it decline? I never knew how badly I needed a bartending history lesson until now.
Hey pal! It’s generally thought to be around the 1860s until 1920. ‘Cocktail’ as a word first appeared in 1806 but it obviously took a while for it to become properly lodged in the public consciousness, and the invention of the commercial ice machine in the mid 1800s allowed it to really flourish. This is where we see a lot of properly classic cocktails (the Old Fashioned, Cobblers, Daisies etc) come to be. Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide was first printed in 1862 and basically codified this phenomenon for the first time. Prohibition ended it- as much as we like to glorify it, it really killed a lot of drinks as the spirits were so sub standard that most cocktails from this era were designed to mask them. Although you could argue Europe had their Golden Age at this point as lots of American bartenders took refuge there. I could go on and on, I should probably stop before I write a whole video script here...hahaha
Okay I have a double sided jigger one side has one and one and a half the other side has 3/4 and 1/2 where would .75 be at I just cannot get a straight answer at all this
@@rsvihla Probably because they’re horrible tools that aren’t good at any one thing. A twist is easy to make with a paring knife or peeler and zest is rarely used in cocktail making.
Haha and I’m sure some of their bartenders actually on the stick might agree with me 😜. Joking aside, it’s totally personal preference and muscle memory as to what is easiest for you to use. I learned using Parisian shakers which most people I know hate but I loved cause they fit my hands better haha.
When the Devil receives my soul in Hell, may he find the gift tag that states "Compliments of Cara Devine" For never has a lassie so fine led my soul astray so easily.
Let us know what your favourite bit of bar kit is in the comments!
Hey... With lots of love.... Happpy 2 see u.... From god's own country.... With a heart full of u...
Ice cube bucket and tongs are my favourite tools
The double jigger, I tent to take shots while making my drinks
What brand julep strainer is that? I got a Barfly, but it doesn't fit the mixing glass I got.
Jiggers are my favorite bar tools
I could listen to her reading a phone book. That accent is so lovely.
It isn’t
@@TheJsp426 thanks, everyone was dying to know what thejsp426 thought about someones accent.
This was so good. Very simple but thorough, and I love how you break through the pretentious stuff and say “here’s what you really need for a home bar” versus what’s a bit extra.
So glad you liked it!
I have some of my late father's bar tools, Hawthorne strainer, glass and tin, and a glass measured jigger. The fact they were my Dad's and I remember him using them for family parties is everything to me.
That’s lovely! What did he make?
Now that is so cool, you will think of him whenever you use them
Started with a cobbler shaker, but now much prefer the "tin on glass". Lot of cobblers I've seen leak. Basically, build the drink in a pint glass, cover and shake. Once you get used to it, it's pretty easy. And I'm just an amateur (make my own drinks at home). But slowly getting better at it. Videos like you produce, as well as some tips I get from local bartenders really help.
Now I just need to up my garnish game. Been getting a bit lazy at it as lately I just stir up a Manhattan, drop in a Luxardo cherry and call it good.
Science does all the work for you!
Shake the cobbler slow at first to create the seal when the ice causes the metal to contract then hard shake, no more leaks.
Glass will let them see it being mixed, home alone, use my cobbler, group of people tin on tin, add all 3 to your home bar, favorite first
I love my glass on tin, double walled shaker. It doesn’t sweat and get too cold in your hands.
I seem to accumulate lots of bar equipment. Have some Japanese jiggers, but for a long time just used measuring spoons. Been using the o o steel jigger lately which I really find easy and precise. Have always been confused by std sizes 25ml vs 30ml. Also have switched recently from a cobbler to glass/metal Boston, but I’m not sure I won’t go back. Also using a mixing glass, but honestly aside from the aesthetics, don’t know why. I think using the cobbler tin was better. Looking forward to the end of dry July to try some of the gin based cocktails.
I hear alot of different thoughts on the cobbler shaker. Craft bars like them because it requires you to pay more attention to one cocktail at a time to make them perfect each time, while the boston shaker is better for volume and speed. neither is wrong just different for different uses.
Home bar, get all 3, start with favorite
I agree. Aesthetics play into it as well. If this is a swanky cocktail bar, then the quality, complexity and presentation are top priorities, so making it one at a time is the etiquette. Plus, if you’re charging $20 for a drink, the patrons should feel special. In a more busy, dive, sports, whisky or pub bar, the bartender is expected to put out more drinks per hour, and they’re less fancy. Speed counts here.
@@afcgeo882 Exactly. I think its more about goals.
Man, this is really making me miss my tools, I left my bar roll, my spirits, glasses, and tins at my partners house before we went into lockdown, I'm going to make so many drinks when this is all over.
Oh no! It will definitely be time for a cocktail by then...
An explanation/listing of the various types of cocktail glasses would be highly appreciated. Also my first watch of your videos so I am looking forward to going back over your previous stuff. Looking forward to going back??? I've confused myself.
Ooh good idea! Haha hope you’re the right way round again now 😊
Behind the Bar I’ve never been backward in coming forward.
Such a great series. I’ve really enjoyed all of the videos.
The fine strainer must also be mentioned as useful when using fresh citrus juice when the pulp is desired to not end up in the drink. For this it is essential.
Yup, and the little ice chips- I say this in all my videos 😊
Thanks for this helpful video! Great job!
Thank you, Cara! I'm just getting started making my own cocktails and I found this video to be very useful, informative but not to lengthy. It was a bit of a challenge for me to stay focused on your knowledge, since I absolutely adore your accent. I don't know what my favorite bar utensil is, but I'm eager to find out!
Also lot of cobblers are really hard to open once they're ice cold
Actually, when you get the feel of it and how to open it while it's cold, it's very easy.
Love her accent!!
Does she have Scottish accent??
Nice, informative and useful, no fuss, clear. Love the presentation, and finally I found out about the spoon size. The coffee pot both had me laughing and going 'hmmm, now that's interesting'. Oh, love the channel, only found it recently. I really like your point of view that each should make a drink how they like it, not how an 'expert' says it must be done , and no other way ! Best of luck for the channel. Oh, bar kit: cobbler. Scared I'd make a bigger mess with a glass on tin, or tin on tin. But agree with comment below, a lot of cobblers leak (and then splash everywhere but in the glass - personal experience)
Thank you so much, I’m glad you like it! Absolutely, there’s so many ways of doing things- learning the rules and then breaking them is the best way to have fun making drinks I reckon!
OMG! French press as a mixing glass! Brilliant, I had never even considered that. These kind of tidbits are why I love this channel :)
Thank you! Received a cocktail set for my birthday and had no idea what most of it did. Very helpful
So glad it was useful for you!
Somehow I missed this video. Thanks for sharing this. Very informative!
I really thought I was going to watch a video on what a jigger was for 7:00. These videos are so good I was ok with it.
😂 hope you got a little more out of it!
Great. Started building my bar wear today looking for vintage things for home use.
Thanks for the info!!
Best way to spend a day off, trawling through vintage shops!
The most common cocktail shaker in the world is called a Boston shaker, the most common cocktail strainer is the Hawthorne strainer named for a long-gone Boston bar, and for over 80 years the most popular cocktail reference book in the United States has been the "Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide." All of which amazes me because they roll up the sidewalks in Boston shortly after 9 p.m. Great video, by the way. So, I really don't need a muddler?
I had a great night out in Boston! Although that was about 10 years ago now haha. I reckon muddlers aren’t that necessary 😉
@@BehindtheBar I'm sure you did and I love your channel!
Thank you for your very thorough descriptions of bar eq. I just purchased some thoughtful pieces from Amazon. Thanks again
Awesome! Let me know how you get on 😊
Thank you for the lightness entertainment and knowledge.
If you could go through the types of glassware with an eye towards what a person really needs it would be appreciated
That’s definitely in the plans!
That's so funny you mentioned using a French Press carafe as a mixing glass, because after watching several of these videos, I came to the conclusion that I needed a mixing glass (even added a few options to my Amazon shopping list, to narrow down later). I was looking around my kitchen to see if I had anything already that I could use as a mixing glass, and the only potential candidate I saw was a big mason jar (but that obviously doesn't have straight sides). I didn't even think about the two French Presses I have leftover from that coffee brewing phase (before I evolved to pour-over). So thanks you for that tip. I don't need to buy a mixing glass - I already have two of them.
Love a quick fix 😉
Always helpful! Thank you.
What is a dram? I love your clear explanations. Thanks
A dram is a Scottish term for a measure of whisky 😊
I like the cobler mainly because with one hand you can be confident knowing that your holding the thing together, Tins sort of make me a bit paranoid!
That’s fair, and they are really cute!
@@BehindtheBar What do you call the wee cans in Scotland? Wee cans? :-)
Haha I can’t even think now! I’m sure wee vans would work, or just mixers. I have no idea where ‘splits’ comes from still!
@@BehindtheBar Aussies have the oddest nicknames for everything, especially the diminutive ones.
A jigger is a real unit of measure here in the USA it is equal to 1 1/2 oz commonly used here in Boston
It is, jigger, pony etc are often used in older cocktail recipes- I assume that’s where it got its name 😊
I'm really glad to have just found your channel, thank you for your videos. Even though the quarantine is lifted quite a bit here now, I still try to avoid going out as much as possible, which makes home bartending an excellent new hobby to pick up.
I'm currently using a shot glass with markings as a jigger - I do have a double jigger, but I tend to make a mess when switching sides. Do you have any tips on how to prevent that?
It’s definitely an issue, I just usually try and hold it over the tin so it drips in and do anything particularly messy (cream etc) last, but that’s why bartenders have drip trays/are constantly wiping haha
Just practice, enjoy your home bar, keep it fun when sharing with others
@@little_billy Yeah, sharing it is definitely the best part (:
I just recently moved into a shared flat, and there's no better way to make new friends than a gin gimlet, a good margeritha or an Aperol Sour.
Could you perhaps define the different types of “floozies” One might come across in a drinking establishment
Very cool & useful, thank you Cara...It gave me an idea to create a playlist about Cocktails on my (modest, compared to yours) channel so that my audience can now discover some of your tips & recipes (you might be my main source for this as I enjoy your approach of it & videos), Cheers !
Thanks Greg, that so nice you hear!
This was really informative, thank you! Was wondering: are there any bar tool brands or manufacturers that bartenders swear by?
My go to for tins etc is Koriko- their basic stuff is cheap enough to stock a bar with (although they do have some nice gold/matt black stuff if you prefer something jazzy for home), they’re good quality and have a nice weight to them. Honestly, for mixing glasses in the bar, they get smashed often enough that I can’t bear buying fancy ones haha so I just get standard ones from my local hospitality supplier (Chef’s Hat here in Melbourne). But have a look on cocktailkingdom.com, their stuff is always good quality and they have some really beautiful barware as well. Otherwise, eBay is a black hole for beautiful vintage pieces if you don’t have to be overly practical!
@@BehindtheBar I was in Melbourne in 2002... PJ O'Brien's... they had Kilkenny, so I was livin' the dream. Irish lass tending bar there said she liked Caffrey's better and bought me one to try it. Good, for sure, but I still like Kilkenny better.
Valuable info and a lovely delivery! ❤️
Oh my goodness... I've been working with Americans (I'm Australian) lately and yes.. When I get up in the middle of the night and I'm super tired I feel like I have to speak another language to them and it's stressful. Please... never be afraid to ask a 2 second question in order to save hours of time later on! Even at the bar when you're ordering a drink
Can you use any glass for the second shaker piece to the metal 1 or is there like a standard. I have a small cobbler I use now at home. But i am just curious.
love the explanations, clears many questions
very nice channel to follow
moreover hearing that accent is a plus point
Thanks pal!
The piece of equipment that I cannot live without is your accent. Where do you call home in Scotland? I’ve spent five years in Scotland in the U S Navy, and have been back twice on holiday.
Glasgow!
@@BehindtheBar I was more of an ale drinker when I was stationed at Holy Loch, but a pub that I frequented in Dunoon served a drink that I have been searching high and low for the recipe and cannot find. It was called a "red Lion", came in a pint glass, and had 9 different shots in it. I was hoping that on your way to becoming the expert in your field that you are, you would have run across this smooth drink. I expect that it was a local mix, and since the pub is no longer there, the drink may be lost forever.
I absolutely enjoy watching your videos 😊
Thanks for letting me know 😀
Cobbler shakers leak! ICE CUBE? I now pour about an ounce or 2 of water into a quality drinking glass and freeze it overnight. Instant large cube that melts slowly and keeps my cocktail cold.
Doesn’t that just freeze on the bottom, creating a drink that’s much colder on the bottom than the top?
Did you mention a citrus press? What tool would you recommend to extract juices for cocktails? Thank you, by the way, for your quick reactions to my comments!
Yes, definitely a citrus press! It doesn’t matter too much what kind unless you’re doing high volume 😊
Can you make a video on Absynthe please? I find neat it tastes like dirt. What gives? What is its story?
Haha I’m not going to lie, it’s not honestly my favourite either (I don’t love anise) but it has an awesome story and as with everything, good quality versions make such a difference. There will be an episode for sure!
Oh the knife brings back traumatic memories... setting up shop in Bristol one night and slicing my thumb whilst chopping the limes. The horror.
Anyway, great video!
Happens to everyone!
Anyone else watch her whole video just to her her say, “So now you know”. ?
Love your videos and lovely Celtic/Scottish accent.
I'm having trouble getting the exact song title and artist from your video.
R,
Patrick
This might be a stupid question, but do jiggers come in different sizes depends on where you purchase them? For example, my jiggers are bought in the U.S, and I am wondering if they are sized differently in countries where the metric system is used.
Jiggers here (Australia) usually have both ml and ounces because our standard shot is 30ml (1oz). In the UK the standard is 25ml so that gets way more confusing! Lots of my recipes are actually 50/25 but I’ve started scaling up slightly because it was getting too complicated haha
@@BehindtheBar Ah gotcha. Thank you for your detailed answer! I just moved from U.S. to Korea, so my home bar now operates on the metric system. I have double-edge(?) jiggers that have both 1 oz. and 2 oz. scale, so I wasn't sure how that translates to the metric system.
@@BehindtheBar, By the way, I absolutely enjoy your recipes and your Scottish accent!
I'm not a bartender, but I have a whole lotta shot glasses and a cobbler shaker. My son is the bartender...
Really good informativ video, loved it. You did miss the muddler.
Honestly I don’t use a muddler too much BUT the other day we got amazing golden kiwi fruit so I muddled them in to essentially a London calling and it was so delicious 😋
Thanks, missed it too, the bar spoon I use has a muddler tip, 2 in 1 tool, love it
Yeah, can you tell me what the straw is that you use on several of your drinks to taste them?
Hmm are you referring to a specific one? At Bomba we just have metal straws so I use those to taste 😊
Who knew that all you needed to make a talk on bar equipment INTERESTING was to have someone like Ms. Devine narrate it in her usual MELLIFLUOUS voice! 😍😍😍
Why, if I’d had someone with Cara’s voice as my MATHEMATICS teacher all throughout my high school years, I’d be a world class ENGINEER by now! 🤓😄
😂
My cobbler cap and body sometimes stick together and are hard to take apart. Is there some trick?
As with all shakers, the physics will do the work of holding them together for you, you just need to place the cap on (a lot of people do it a bit too forcefully!). Give it a gentle shake to get started and that will chill the shaker and make everything contract. Then shake away and it will stay put, but not be jammed on 😊
@@BehindtheBar Thank you!
Cara you are mesmerizing, I am saying that coz I hate alcohol but still watched and liked this video :)
Ha you live and learn..................as a (now) 60 year old. I always had it down as something else.
hi clara, looking lovely as usual.. now i know its called a tin and tin not a double cup.. bless you!
Haha you’re welcome! Double cup is cute though 😊
Stocking basic home bar recommendations.
That was definitely on my list, we’re not sure when we’ll get to film next in all this craziness but there should be a website going live soon so I may well put up a list of recommendations!
Do you notice any difference between using a stirring glass vice a pint glass?
Stiring glass has straight walls, easier, pint glass is fluted, harder
Maybe it called flared, not fluted, sorry, not sure, the straight walled mixing glass is easier
Amen
I've recently got a tin on tin (honestly wicked cheap) and is there a technique to having the small tin seated in the large? If not, I may have gotten a bad set 😂😅
They don’t really feel that secure until you start shaking- the cold makes the tins expand and they stay together. Make sure you line them up straight on one side (have a look at the Margarita Masterclass, I show you there) and you can give them a firm whack if you like but really just holding them together until science takes over is the main tip!
@@BehindtheBar cold makes the pressure of the air inside go down and this vacuum holds the tins together ;)
also like Jeremy pointed out - metals contract from cold, not expand, but this is not what keeps the two tins together - all is from the air that gets cold from shaking.
The formula is pV = nRT: pressure times volume equals nR(constants) times temperature. When the temperature goes down, to make the equation true either volume or pressure has to drop. The volume won't change because we have fairly rigid tins, so pressure drops and we have this vacuum which helps to keep the whole thing together and makes it sometimes tricky to separate the tins when we're done shaking.
@@BehindtheBar thank you! I'll check the video out right now!
@@zbigniew1 Thank you for the quick, comprehensive explanation! Legitimately appeals to my nerdiness and helps me understand it a lot.
@@BehindtheBar The cold actually makes the tins contract, not expand. The trick here is that the one originally with the ice in it is cold and contracted. When you add a warmer one to it, the warmer one passes the heat to the colder one. The warmer one contracts and the colder one expands, to create a seal. This is why you should start off with the ice in the smaller one and cover it with the larger one, then shake. As another poster said well though, it is the cold air and reduced air pressure that really seals the two.
Is bruising the alcohol a real thing when a cocktail is shaken?
Not that I’ve ever really noticed to be honest. Stirring and shaking will definitely give you textures but I’ve never quite got to the bottom of what people mean by ‘bruised’ alcohol and don’t think it makes any discernible difference to the flavour 😊
Are they referring to over-dilution? That's definitely easier to do by accident when shaking, but just make sure to fill the tin all the way with ice and it's pretty easy to get the hang of.
Try making an old-fashioned at home. Actually, try making two. Identical. NEAT. Shake one and stir one. Then look at them and taste them. Leaving out the ice takes the dilution issue out of the equation.
Shaking provides fast cooling and dilution, but it also aerates the drink, creating froth. Aerating a spirits-only cocktail evaporates alcohol (which evaporates at a much lower temperature than water) and muddles the colour.
I am new to your show. In this time of COVID, I have taken the opportunity to expand my bar knowledge. Thank you for your series and your un-pretentious approach. I don't know if it's your smile, or the way you talk, but you are infinitely watchable and entrancing. :)
So glad to hear you’re enjoying it pal! It’s easy to smile when you get to make cocktails all day haha.
It's both
perfect
So now I know
Wait, WAIT!! There's a Golden Age of Bartending? What was it like? What caused it? Why did it decline? I never knew how badly I needed a bartending history lesson until now.
Hey pal! It’s generally thought to be around the 1860s until 1920. ‘Cocktail’ as a word first appeared in 1806 but it obviously took a while for it to become properly lodged in the public consciousness, and the invention of the commercial ice machine in the mid 1800s allowed it to really flourish. This is where we see a lot of properly classic cocktails (the Old Fashioned, Cobblers, Daisies etc) come to be. Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide was first printed in 1862 and basically codified this phenomenon for the first time. Prohibition ended it- as much as we like to glorify it, it really killed a lot of drinks as the spirits were so sub standard that most cocktails from this era were designed to mask them. Although you could argue Europe had their Golden Age at this point as lots of American bartenders took refuge there. I could go on and on, I should probably stop before I write a whole video script here...hahaha
the golden age was the days of 1 brand of whiskey and 1 brand of draft beer and you tied your horse up outside.
Where can I find the julep strainer?
They should be pretty easy to come by pal- try your local hospitality supply shop or a website like cocktailkingdom.com
Amazon’s always a good source.
Okay I have a double sided jigger one side has one and one and a half the other side has 3/4 and 1/2 where would .75 be at I just cannot get a straight answer at all this
Sorry if I’m not understanding your question properly but 0.75 would just be the 3/4 measure, no?
Can you make a whiskey sour with rum ?
You can make a rum sour!
@@BehindtheBar thank you so much
I want to set up a home bar. I don't even drink anymore.
I like her mix of scotish and aussie accent))
Mix? She’s straight Glaswegian!
I love your accent and when you say …So Now You Know!😊
Is she Scottish?? Thats Scottish accent right?
Like fine wine
I am literally falling in love. With bartending ^_^
😍
A standard shot here in Finland is 40 mls. Maybe that's why we have a reputation of being a drunken people.
😂
Please
Except in New Zealand where a single shot is 15 ml... (with the most beautiful Scottish accent): So now you know.
Oh really?! I’ve never heard that before!
Channel knife?
?
I meant one bar tool you didn’t mention is a channel knife.
@@rsvihla Probably because they’re horrible tools that aren’t good at any one thing. A twist is easy to make with a paring knife or peeler and zest is rarely used in cocktail making.
God, I love that scotish accent. There should be more scots in this world.
Love to know where that giant jigger came from.
Just the local hospitality supplier- Chef’s Hat, but I think cocktail kingdom has them too
It doesn’t take hours to learn how to free pour. If you can count, you’re fine.
You don’t have a bar blade
The cobblers I have are hard to open after shaking
Agree, not a great choice for a working bar, but they look very cute on a shelf at home.
I prefer my small cobbler at home as it requires less ice. ICE is what I'm always short on (and Rum, and Mezcal,....)
I think Parisian shakers have the looks of the cobblers and the utility of Bostons. I wonder why you didn’t introduce that one to us...
I think this is the only vid with 0 dislikes
Oh they’ll come eventually haha
She is so pretty
She could explain anything to me.. even how paint dries.
😂
can't belive you said it with an hard r
Canon bar owner will disagree with your cobbler shaker comment :)
Haha and I’m sure some of their bartenders actually on the stick might agree with me 😜. Joking aside, it’s totally personal preference and muscle memory as to what is easiest for you to use. I learned using Parisian shakers which most people I know hate but I loved cause they fit my hands better haha.
I'm a Jaggers.
😂
i wouldn't mind just listening to you, reading a dictionary. The Accent is just as beautiful as you are
Well said
She knows 10 million English words
Love the videos. Have to say as much as I enjoy the demos, I wish I had a tape of that delightful Irish accent. Absolutely a joy to my ears.
Haha so I always like reading the market updates from our fruit and veg supplier out loud, I find them really soothing. Maybe this is a podcast idea!
@@BehindtheBar Also... apparently you’re Irish now. 😂
I love that woman
Don't we all!? Once you wake up from your dazed confusion, give Empires and Cocktails a shot!
Cutest bar tender... Love a woman who knows all about it.... My dream is to have recommended drink by you.
When the Devil receives my soul in Hell, may he find the gift tag that states "Compliments of Cara Devine" For never has a lassie so fine led my soul astray so easily.
Bahaha what a compliment!
I believe in angels now...
Splits and babies. God, I’m old.
A very dangerous word when typed blindly.
Yup. Even RUclips's auto captions chooses to just write ( _____ ) instead! 😂
I would get so sloshed every night if she worked at my local pub.