It was either the day before or the day after my birthday that I heard the news (don’t hold not remembering against me- it was either the day before or the day after my birthday). I had won a scholarship to the BAR program in New York. Developed and taught by 6 of the top beverage professionals in the industry, this 5 day intensive course had been on my wish list for years. Along with the Master Accreditation being launched by the USBG, this is the ultimate training for bartenders- the closest thing we have to a sommelier certification. As I prepare for the 2nd level certification with the Bartender’s Guild, this amazing opportunity has come with impeccable timing. Never before has there been so many educational outlets for our craft- I hope more bartenders reach and take advantage.

I’ve linked to their site above, so I won’t get too in depth about the curriculum. The numbers look like this; 5 days in a New York classroom, spend 9-11 hours each day in an interactive lecture/practicum, blind taste through 160 spirits representing nearly every category on the planet- less than 250 bartenders have had the opportunity in the last 7 seven years. Yeah, it’s cool like that.

As hand crafted cocktails, classics and drinks with soul are becoming more accepted by the general populous- now is a more important time then ever to hone our craft. We need to gently bring our guests into the fold and raise awareness, so amazing cocktails with culinary elements (yes, we have fallen so far that even fresh citrus is a culinary element) become the expectation not a luxury. This is an invaluable opportunity and tool to spread the good word and continue to help the movement in whatever small way I can…not to mention spend 5 days with 40 of the best bartenders in the country (and one gent working in China).

Now I don’t want anyone to read the long days and think I’m complaining….oh wait, let me complain for a minute. We started the day by blind tasting Tanqueray 10, a rare Bar Sol pisco, an even more rare highland Cachaca, Don Julio 1942, Glen Morangie Nectar d’Or and Michter’s 25yr Single Barrel Rye- have I told you I love this job lately?

What followed were intensive breakdowns, blind tastings, historical delving and analytical insight of the gin and vodka categories along with a core of cocktail history and early mixology (hosted by Dave Wondrich, Dale DeGroff, Steve Olson, Doug Frost, F. Paul Pacult & Andy Semour….not bad company to keep). It was literally half of my library standing at the front of the room….have I told you I love this job lately?

I’ll be jumping on each day recaping. For now, I have 4 days of in depth study culminating in a written and practical exam. I’ll be sure to take some photos and answer any questions you may have. I’ll also not bother talking about the “Sazerac” complete with muddled lemon and shaken I had at my late night dinner. At least there was a bottle of Black Maple Hill to wash it down after…Cheers.

For the September “At the Bar” event, Chef Lacasse & I decided to test drive some flavors for the upcoming Brazilian Independence Day dinner. Focusing our inspiration on the diverse flavors of Brazil, this 8 person food and cocktail pairing proved and exciting exercise. With a nation whose culture and customs have been influenced by countries as distant as Africa, Lebanon and Germany, we would have to dust off some cookbooks and visit the local Brazilian market for inspiration. While the flavors we create would be authentic to Brazil, the end result be our modern interpretation.

While Nick was busy stewing, braising and searing every cut of meat imaginable, Tim & I fired up the “Smoking Gun” (bartender’s have all the fun) to infuse some Cabana with hickory and applewood flavors.

Our unsuspecting guests arrived to a bar set with a few atypical utensils, bowls of sugar and a bottle of Benedictine for good measure. We talked about the history of Brazil & cachaca, muddled caipirinhas together and made one too many Cheech & Chong references….if that can be done.

I’ve heard cachaca pronounced a lot of ways since I’ve been behind the stick. Honestly, I don’t care how many syllables you leave out or add, just as long as you grab a bottle and start mixing it up with this great spirit! There’s no time like present- with Brazilian Independence Day right around the corner (Sept. 7th) the Caipirinhas should be flowing and those muddlers aught to be working overtime.

Tim and I took the initiative on this one with our friends at Cabana Cachaca. We’ve been hard at work (stop laughing) this past week with a couple prequel events. These will culminate on Tuesday with a ticketed event to be held at the Drawing Room featuring the culinary stylings of Chef Lacasse, drinks by the Angel’s Share gang and a highly anticipated performance by the local Brazilian ju-jitsu/dance team, Capoeira Gingarte.

We started things on Wednesday with mixological jam session hosted by Angel’s Share and Cabana at Salud Tequila Lounge. While agave is usually the star of the show at this venue, some double distilled sugar cane took center stage for the afternoon. The idea is to get a bunch of spirit geeks together, talk booze, trends and cocktails and mix it up for a few hours. We laid out a spread of every fruit, vegetable, herb and spirit we could fit in the Jeep and let the bartenders follow their inspiration. These types of exercises are particularly useful in honing your craft. You are not only challenged to work outside of your comfort zone with no expectation of what will be available, but there are also no rules. This will inevitably result in some flavor combos that don’t quite hit the mark and some unexpected surprises that may have never ended up in the same mixing glass otherwise. Most importantly, it’s fun- you get to spend an afternoon with a crew that shares your passion and bounce ideas off one another. Did I mention I love this job?

After a couple hours of talking cachaca and mixing it up we put our collective palates together to choose the drink that stood out among the crowd. It was Jeff Donahue, of Province, that created a blend of Cabana, Noilly Pratt Sweet, Domaine de Canton & Fernet Branca that fell into place. There were several great drinks prepared, but this one shone through with subtle layers and balance. We’re looking forward to sharing it with our guests at the upcoming Brazilian dinner on the 8th!