The Tasting Panel magazine

38 / the tasting panel / september 2009 drinks regardless of where a bartender works or how long they've been in the business. "Flipping a hamburger at T.G.I.Friday's is the same as fl ipping a hamburger at Chili's," says Raimondo. "There's only one right way to fl ip a hamburger. The same thing goes for drinks—there's really only one right way to make a Margarita. The recipes might be a little different, the portions of the spirits might be a little different, but the technique that goes into properly crafting and serving that drink is going to be the same, no matter what. Stirring a drink is stirring a drink. Those are the standards that we bring to the table to get everyone on the same playing fi eld, whether they've been bartending for three months or 23 years." "The MIXXIT! program gives these guys a solid base to build from," adds Gleason. "It's like a house—if you don't build a good base, your house isn't going to be stable. We give them a great base and show them the things that they can do, and they really appreciate it." One of the most important topics covered in the online courses is what Gleason refers to as "the anatomy of a cock- tail": identifying the fundamental elements—such as base spirits, sweeteners, and juices—that make up any drink. "When you teach them that, and how you can use those different components in that formula, they can go out and create their own cocktails. And that's how bartenders become famous." "While MIXXIT! can't make a boring bartender into one that brings customers back time and again, it can defi nitely give a leg up to the bartender with charm and ambition," says Raimondo. "Hire the smile, hire the great personality, hire the person who has a lot of passion and provide them with the tools and resources they need to be successful, and you'll have a lifelong bartender who will go on to do amazing things." "There's passion within everybody," adds Gleason. "We take that spark of passion and fan it into a fi re, then let them take it the rest of the way." For more information on Beam Global's MIXXIT! education pro- gram, visit www.virtualspirit.org/allaccess. Class Class Master MasterClass MasterClass Class MasterClass Master Bartending Advice from Bobby G: A Do and A Don't Do start with the least expensive ingredients, such as juice, when you're adding ingredients to a mixing glass for a cocktail that you're going to shake. That way, if you mess up, you're not wasting expensive spirits. Don't use a drink glass instead of a mixing glass just because it's handy and it fi ts inside the mixing tin. And defi - nitely don't use it instead of a strainer to pour the drink out. Hornitos Plata Margatini (Philip Raimondo) 1 part Hornitos Plata Tequila ½ part DeKuyper Triple Sec ½ part Courvoisier Exclusif Cognac 1 part fresh lime juice 1 part agave nectar Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Effen Pomegranate Mar- tini (Philip Raimondo) 1 part Effen Vodka 1 part fresh lemon juice 1 part simple syrup 1 part DeKuyper Pomegranate Liqueur Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Red Hot Stag (Bobby "G" Gleason) 1 part Red Stag by Jim Beam ½ part fresh lemon juice ½ part simple syrup 1 part Funkin Mango Purée 2 dashes Tabasco Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Original Cocktails from Beam Global's Master Mixologists Bobby "G" Gleason's Red Hot Stag.

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