Alcohol Awareness

Alcohol awareness is a growing concern within the hospitality industry nationwide. By recognizing the “early” signs of intoxication, monitoring your guests’ consumption, and treating your guests as you would treat them in your own home, you fulfill your responsibility and protect all guests.

Alcohol is a mood-altering drug. It may appear to be a stimulant, but it is actually a depressant, limiting bodily functions. Only the passage of time rids the body of the effects of alcohol.

Responsible servers and bartenders are aware of the progressive effects of alcohol and alert to the signs of over-indulgence. Although any one particular behavior may not indicate intoxication, a combination of several behaviors is a definite warning sign.

 Intoxication vs. Impairment

Impairment and intoxication are not the same thing. Impairment starts at the first drink. Intoxication is the point where a person’s intake of alcohol affects his or her ability to perform appropriately.

Checking Identification

 Serving alcohol to a minor can have very serious consequences. In fact, it is advisable to check the ID of any patron who appears to be under the age of 30, unless you are certain of a guest’s age. In some cases, you could even be held accountable for serving someone with a fake ID, so be careful.

• Look for state seals or holograms.

• Look for any alterations, such as a cut around the year of birth or typesets that don’t match.

• Make sure the ID is not someone else’s.

• Carefully examine the picture/description to make sure it matches the person using it.

• Look for groups that “pool” cash to an older person in the party.

In most states, an acceptable ID is:

• A valid state driver’s license or a valid state identification for non-drivers.

• A valid passport.

• A valid United States Uniformed Service Identification Card (your employer should provide you with an example).

• All IDs should have a picture, signature, birth date, and description. Expired IDs are not acceptable.

Signs of Intoxication

• Before serving a guest, determine his or her condition. If you think a guest is already intoxicated, offer snacks and get a menu quickly.

• Keep track of the number of drinks served. The service order is a ready reference of how many drinks each person consumes.

• Watch for changes in a guest’s behavior. Don’t hesitate to decline further service if you think the guest is becoming intoxicated. If you have any doubts about a guest’s condition, refuse service.

Intoxication Indicators

• Ordering more than one drink at a time

• Buying drinks for others

• Concentration problems, such as losing train of thought (especially when ordering)

• Drinking very fast

• Careless with money on the bar or can’t pick up change

• Complaining about drink strength, preparation, or prices

• Overly friendly with guests or employees

• Loud behavior (talking or laughing and annoying other patrons or making too many comments about others in the establishment)

• Remaining very quiet, detached from others, continually drinking

• Mood swings (happy to sad or vice versa)

• Use of foul language

How to Handle Intoxicated Guests

If you notice someone who appears to be intoxicated:

• Do not offer alcohol.

• Refill water, non-alcoholic beverages, and bread.

• Offer food.

• Alert your supervisor immediately. He or she may arrange for a safe ride home for the guest or refuse service.

Liquor Laws

Always remember that we are responsible for taking care of those guests to whom we serve alcoholic beverages.

It is against the law to:

• Serve alcoholic beverages to an intoxicated person.

• Serve alcoholic beverages to an underage person. If you are in doubt, it is your responsibility, as a server of alcoholic beverages, to ask the individual for proper identification.

• Permit any intoxicated person to remain on the premises. Do not try to handle this type of situation yourself. GET A MANAGER.

• Allow anyone to bring alcohol in any form into the restaurant.

• Have an employee under the legal drinking age handle, dispense, or serve liquor.

• Pour from one bottle to another.

• Serve liquor from any bottle not purchased by the restaurant.

• Allow anyone under the legal drinking age to sit at the bar. Underage patrons are allowed to sit in the bar area, but not at the bar.

Bartender Mechanics

Drink Making Techniques

All of our drinks are made using one of the following techniques. The correct procedure will be specified in the recipe.

• Build

• Layer

• Stir & Strain

• Float

• Shake & Strain

• Top

• Mix

• Muddle

• Blend

Measuring Jiggers

The most important thing about jiggers is reaching the meniscus. There is no reason to use jiggers if you don’t use them correctly. Pouring slowly will help your accuracy and it will improve your pouring speed as you get the feel for it.

Make sure the jigger is completely level. Rest your jigger hand against the tin or the mixing glass to assist your balance and leveling. Having the jigger close to the mixing vessel will also limit the amount of waste that spills over the side from moving the jigger to the vessel.

Measuring/Dashing

Dashes can be inconsistent but are a necessary measurement for recipes. It is key for us to maintain a consistent “dashing” movement.

Tip the dasher until it is upside down, give a nice flick of the wrist pushing it down and immediately flip it back up.

Build

When building a drink, the ingredients are poured directly into the glass in which it is served (with or without ice). Building is the easiest drink-making technique (used for highballs, juice drinks, nails, and hot drinks).

Stir & Strain

This technique is used to chill a clear liquor/liqueur or combination of liquors/liqueurs when they are served straight up.

Stirring mixed ingredients, assures proper dilution, and chills liquor to the proper serving temperature. Clear liquors are stirred and strained, instead of shaken and strained, to maintain the crystal clarity of the liquid. If a clear liquid is shaken or mixed, it becomes mixed with air and looks cloudy.

To stir and strain a drink:

1.  Fill a mixing glass with ice.

2.  Pour ingredients into the mixing glass.

3.  Stir quickly 8 to 10 times with a bar spoon until condensation forms on the outside of the glass. DO NOT CHURN.

4.  Fit a bar strainer over the mouth of the mixing glass and strain the liquid into the proper glass. Never use your fingers to strain a cocktail.

5.  Wash the mixing glass, strainer, and bar spoon.

Shake & Strain

This technique is used with opaque ingredients (juices, sweet & sour mix, cream).

Shaking and straining accomplishes the same result as stirring and straining, but also produces a froth from the mixture and provides a good show for the guest.

We only use metal on metal. Glass on metal only has one benefit and that is the ability to see into the vessel as you pour into it. Metal tins are lighter, won’t break glass in your well, and are way easier to open.

We measure our ingredients into the small tin, and add ice after all ingredients are in. The big tin can be a little top heavy and is easier to knock over and spill everything. The beauty of tin on tin is that most of the time you can just gently squeeze the big tin and softly twist and pull the small tin out.

The Hawthorne Strainer/Cocktail Strainer

Looks like a paddle with a spring wound around it. Its main purpose is to strain all of the big chunks out of the cocktail (mostly just the spent ice)

To shake and strain a drink:

1.   Fill a mixing glass with ice.

2.   Pour ingredients into the mixing glass.

3.   Fit the mouth of a mixing tin over the mouth of the mixing glass at an angle.

4.   Rap mixing tin firmly downward onto the mixing glass to create a seal.

5.   Hold the base of the mixing glass in one hand and the base of the mixing tin in the other hand. Vigorously shake until a frost appears on the mixing tin.

6.   While holding the mixing tin and glass, as in Step #5, gently tap the protruding edge of the mixing tin against the shot rail to break the seal between the tin and the glass. Lift the tin off.

7.   Fit a bar strainer over the mouth of the mixing glass and strain the mixture into the proper glass.

8.   Wash the mixing glass, tin, and strainer.

Blend

A blending technique is used to liquefy solids. Frozen and ice cream drinks are blended to a slushy or creamy consistency. There should be fluid enough to pour, yet thick enough to hold a straw upright.

To blend a drink, follow these instructions:

1.   Place ingredients into the blender cup, and then add ice.

2.   Firmly set blender cup on base/motor. Place the top on the blender.

3.   Set speed to "low" (draws ingredients down into blades and extends the life of the blades, clutch and motor). Turn motor "on."

4.   To produce a fully blended drink, after ingredients are incorporated, switch speed to "high" until the blending is smooth.

5.   Switch speed back to "low", turn off motor, allow blender to slow, and remove blender cup (this extends the life of the blades, clutch and motor).

6.   Pour the mixture into the proper glassware.

7.   Wash the blender.

Layer

Layering is used to produce distinct "layers" of ingredients with clear and sharp separation of one layer from another. Each ingredient is poured so that it "sits" atop the preceding ingredient, with no mixing of the two.

To achieve this effect, follow the ingredient order listed in the recipe.

1.  Pour first ingredient into the glass.

2.  Place bar spoon atop first "layer" so that the bowl of the spoon rests on the surface of first "layer."

3.  Slowly and carefully pour the desired amount of the next ingredient "layer" into the bowl of the spoon (technically, the downward force becomes an outward force, moving the second ingredient across instead of through the first.)

4.  Carefully angle the spoon out of the layer.

Float/Top

This technique produces an effect similar to layering. When floating or topping, however, the "bleeding" of one ingredient into another is desired vs. the sharp distinction between ingredients achieved by layering.

To float an ingredient, pour it slowly from closely above the rim of the glass while moving the bottle or pitcher in a circle over the top of the drink.

Muddling

Muddling accomplishes:

• Extraction of juices or flavors from solids (example: cherry and orange for an Old Fashioned), or

• Dissolving of solids into liquid (example: sugar cubes for Irish Coffee).

A muddler is a non-porous wooden tool used to press the ingredients, not beat them. To muddle an ingredient, hold muddler firmly and press it into the ingredient while turning it a quarter of a turn. Continue this action until the solid is dissolved or the juice is released.

Whiskey

Whiskey

 Whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (barley, corn, rye, wheat) are used for different varieties. Whiskey is typically aged in wooden casks, Generally made of charred white oak.

The five primary steps to make whiskey are:

• Malting

• Mashing

• Fermenting

• Distilling

• Aging

Each distiller uses grain combinations chosen by distillers to produce a specific type of whiskey.

What is Bourbon?

Bourbon is a type of primarily corn-based whiskey that is made in the U.S. and aged in new charred-oak barrels. Although it legally must contain 51% corn in the mash (or total makeup of grains), most bourbons are often made with anywhere from 60-86% corn. The other grains in a bourbon can vary, but may include rye, wheat or barley. There are no regulations as to how long bourbon must age, but to be labeled straight bourbon it must age for at least two years.

Official Bourbon Requirements:

• Made with at least 51% corn in the mash bill

• Aged in charred new oak barrel

• Must be made in United States

• Distilled to a minimum of 160 proof (80% ABV)

• Barreled at a maximum of 125 proof (62.5% ABV)

• Bottled at a minimum of 80 proof (40% ABV) and a maximum of 150 proof (75% ABV)

• No flavorings or colorings may be added

Scotch Whiskey

Several whiskeys can be produced in Scotland, but the most important ones are single malt and blended Scotch whiskey.

Single malt (100 malted barley) – this type of whiskey can only be made using malted barley and must be distilled using a pot still. In common with all Scotch whiskey, they must mature for a minimum of three years in an oak barrel. Furthermore, a single malt must be a product of just one distillery.

Blended Scotch – this style of whiskey is a blend of malt whiskey and grain whiskey from different distilleries. Grain whiskey are made from blend of grains and they are rarely sold on their own, the vast majority are used to make up brands of Blended Scotch Whiskey.

Distilled Spirit

A liquor, or distilled spirit, is an alcoholic beverage distilled from grains, fruits, or other fermentable ingredients. Much stronger than beer and wine, distilled spirits include brandy, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, vodka, and various flavored liqueurs. These are the primary ingredients used in cocktails, and the majority of mixed drink recipes require at least one liquor. Whether you call it a liquor, a spirit, or simply booze, these bottles are essentials in the bar.

How Distilled Spirits Are Made

While a liquor's definition differentiates it as "distilled rather than fermented," every distilled spirit begins with a base ingredient's fermentation. This initial process is similar to making beer and wine: yeast is added to wort (a mixture of water and a mash containing a fermentable organic substance). As the yeast works its magic, the base ingredient's sugars are converted into alcohol.

The primary ingredient defines the type of liquor that is produced:

• A single grain or combination of grains, such as corn, wheat, or rye, are used for spirits like whiskey, vodka, and gin. They are also used for "neutral grain spirits" that form the base of many liqueurs.

• Molasses is fermented for rum, while pure sugar cane juice is the base for cachaça. 

• Tequila and mezcal begin with the extracted juices of the agave plant.

• Starting like wine, brandy is made from fermented fruit juices. It is most often grapes, though apples, apricots, cherries, and other fruits can be used.

• Some vodkas are distilled from fermented potatoes.

Tip

Whiskey distillers often use the term "mashbill" when referring to their recipe's particular mixture of grains. They may disclose the specific percentage of each grain or the dominance of a single grain. For instance, "high-rye" refers to a whiskey with a larger than normal portion of rye. Some whiskey styles require a particular dominant grain. The law regarding bourbon, for example, law states that the mashbill must include at least 51 percent corn.

Once fermented, the liquid is distilled through either a column still or a pot still. Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so the still's heat forces the alcohol in the fermented liquid to evaporate. The water is left behind, and the alcohol vapor is forced into the next stage of the still. Depending on the setup, this may be a series of coils or another pot. When the vapor is cooled, it condenses and creates a concentrated alcohol liquid. Called the "distillate," alcohol straight from the still is so strong that it is undrinkable.

After distillation, the distillate may be filtered, aged, or flavored (or a combination of any or all three). It is also diluted with water to the bottling strength—the alcohol by volume (ABV), or proof, on the label. The exact process depends on the type of liquor being made—for instance, gin is flavored with botanicals inside the still—and each distiller's preferred method for any of the distillation steps.

Why is Alcohol Called Spirits?

You might hear the word “spirits” in relation to alcohol and wonder where that correlation comes from.

A quick dictionary search offers our first clue. While there are several definitions of the word, the definition we most associate with the word “spirits” is that ethereal part of ourselves that can’t be seen—our essence, the part of us that is uniquely ours. Some might call this part of us, the “soul.”

Consider the idea of being “spirited away” by something, which implies something both playful and out of your control. This also seems to hint at liquor, a libation which some find freeing with its lowering of one’s inhibitions.

To get to the science of the term, however, it is important to differentiate which alcohols are categorized as “spirits” and which are not. Beer and wine, for example, are two quick eliminations from the category, as are bitters, amaretto, and other liqueurs. This division between what constitutes a spirit and what does not will take us all the way back to the ancient and elusive art of alchemy.

What is Distillation?

The earliest known evidence of distillation comes from a terracotta distillation device as old as 3000 BC in the Indus Valley of Pakistan. Distillation’s use was also evident among the Babylonians.

Distillation is any method used to separate mixtures based on differences in the conditions required to change the phase of components of the mixture.

Vodka

Many vodkas are made from traditional raw materials, but other producers are keen to experimenting with other raw materials. Grapes, apples & quinoa have been a notable addition in recent years.

Grains – distillers use barley, wheat and rye to make their own vodka. In order to obtain enzymes needed for conversion, distillers can use malted barley or buy enzymes that had been commercially prepared.

Potatoes – In Poland, potatoes are the traditional raw material for vodka. A two-stage process is required in order to convert the starch into sugar.

Distillation

The distillation strength required for vodka is 95% ABV (U.S.A.) AND 96% ABV (EU). This strength can only be achieved using column still. However, some distillers use the pot still to create low wines and complete the second distillation in a column still. This method has no impact on the final flavor of a vodka.

Producers can also buy a neutral spirit and dilute it with water, a vodka made this way can have a slightly rough texture. Therefore, some vodka producers dilute some or all of the spirit with water and runs this mixture through a hybrid still (a pot still that can be linked to a rectifying column). This improves the texture of the vodka, giving it the smoother, silkier desired texture.

Finishing & Dilution

After distillation, some vodka producers will pass their spirit through activated charcoal in order to remove any remaining undesirable congeners. Some other producers will prefer using additives to create the required texture. These additives can be exactly tailored for individual brands.

The final stage in production is dilution. Most vodka is sold 40% ABV, so nearly 60 percent of the liquid in most bottles of vodka is water that has been added after dilution. Distillers cannot afford to use sub-standard water when making this spirit. Even small amounts of impurities in the water could be enough to compromise the neutral aromas and delicate textures of a vodka.

Regions that produces the premium vodka in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia are Russia, Poland, Finland & Sweden. They produce a significant volume of vodka and many of the most highly regarded brands are made in these countries!

Beer

Beer is produced by extracting raw materials with water, boiling (usually with hops), and fermenting. In some countries beer is defined by law—as in Germany, where the standard ingredients, besides water, are malt (kiln-dried germinated barley), hops and yeast.  

Fermentation is a chemical process by which molecules such as glucose are broken down anaerobically. More broadly, fermentation is the foaming that occurs during the manufacture of wine and beer a process at least 10,000 years old.

Before 6000 BCE, beer was made from barley in Sumer and Babylonia. Reliefs on Egyptian tombs dating from 2400 BCE show that barley or partly germinated barley was crushed, mixed with water, and dried into cakes. When broken up and mixed with water, the cakes gave an extract that was fermented by microorganisms accumulated on the surfaces of fermenting vessels.

The basic techniques of brewing came to Europe from the Middle East.

What is in Beer?

• Malt – gives flavor, strength and aroma

• Hops – imparts bitterness to balance the maltiness

• Sugar – gives strength and sweetness

• Adjuncts – other cereal sometimes used for economy and flavor

• Yeast – converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas

• Water – even the stronger beers contain 90% water

The production of good beer begins with the choice of quality ingredients. While homebrewers often experiment with different additives, the famous beer recipes are a closely guarded secret that breweries follow precisely.

However, each beer contains four main ingredients that are added at different stages of beer production. They all affect final product features like its color, aroma, and alcohol content.

Grain

Beer production begins with malting grains. Barley is the most common grain in beer, but some recipes include wheat, corn, and rice.

Hops

The amount of hops you use will determine the beer bitterness. The more flowers you add, the higher is IBU (International Bitterness Unit) value.  The rule is to use only the flowers of female plants during beer production.

There are many varieties of hops, and breweries choose those plants that have high levels of alpha acids. Keep in mind that the flowers also contain undesirable beta acids.

The percentage of acids depends on the region and weather conditions in the year of production. Therefore, keep track of hops quality over time to determine the best option for your beer.

Yeast

There is a phrase among beer connoisseurs that brewers make wort and yeast make a beer. That means the yeast has a vital role in making this beverage.

These single-cell fungi determine the beer type. You should use the ale (top yeast) to ferment the beer at a warmer temperature and the lager (bottom yeast) for cold fermentation.

Water

The largest percentage of beer is water. Many homebrewers use tap water when making small amounts of beer. Since the water should be odorless, mass-production breweries chemically adapt the water’s properties to a particular recipe’s needs. It is also essential to calculate its alkalinity and hardiness before the brewing process begins.

Rum

Rum is a liquor distilled from sugar. The sugar may be either pure cane sugar, a syrup, or molasses. No matter the base, the underlying flavor profile of rum is a sweet, toasted sugar.

Facts:

• Ingredients: sugar cane molasses or sugar cane juice

• Proof: 80 – 150

• ABV: 40 – 80%

• Calories in a shot: 97

• Origin: The Caribbean

• Taste: Sweet, toasted sugar

• Aged: 3 – 10 years

• Serve: Shots, straight – up, on the rocks, cocktails

Rum is one of the oldest distilled spirits and it has one of the most colorful histories of any alcoholic beverage. By the mid-1700s, rum was being made throughout the Caribbean and South America. It soon became popular in New England and was produced there as well. Today, rum is produced throughout the world.

The use of sugar cane distinguishes rum from all other liquors. Many of the early Caribbean rums were produced with molasses and "skimmings" from the production of sugar.  The skimmings were obtained from the boiling of the sugar cane and were mixed with molasses and "dunder" (leftover sediment in the still). The molasses-cane juice mixture is then fermented and distilled. Pot stills are used in many of the traditional rums, though most now use continuous column stills.

Many rums are then aged in wood casks. The type of wood used is often the determining factor in the color of rum produced in the end. It is important to note that climate plays a significant role in how long any distilled spirit is aged for and rum is no exception. The rums produced in tropical climates will generally be aged for a shorter period of time than those in cooler climates. That is why you may see a dark Caribbean rum aged for just three to five years while a North American rum of similar color and oaky flavor may be aged for around 10 years.

Many rum distillers will also use old bourbon barrels for aging because they cannot be reused in that whiskey's production. This can add some underlying whiskey-like flavors to the rum, something you'll also find in many tequilas.

The majority of rum is bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof). There are some exceptions, including over proof rums which can reach 160 proof. The higher alcohol content makes these a popular choice for lighting drinks on fire. 

Gin

Gin is a distilled spirit that is made from grain and flavored with botanicals. It is most noted for its pine flavor due to its main ingredient, juniper berries. There are a variety of styles, from the famous London dry gins to modern gins that are less piney and more approachable. Gin is a Dutch creation and the English made it popular worldwide. Today, it's made and enjoyed throughout the world; Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the U.K. consume the most gin. It's the main ingredient in a classic martini and vital to the iconic gin and tonic, but there are many great cocktail recipes that show off the botanical spirit.

Fast Facts

• Ingredients: Juniper berries and other botanicals

• Proof: 80-100

• ABV: 40–50%

• Calories in a shot: 64

• Origin: Netherlands, England

• Taste: Herbal, piney

Gin is a light-bodied distilled spirit that is made of a mash of cereal grains, usually corn, rye, barley, and wheat. Producers cannot qualify their gin by age and, generally, only genever is barrel aged. For that reason, most gin is clear. Some get a slight golden color due to certain methods used to incorporate the flavors into the gin.

The use of botanicals during distillation sets gin apart from the other liquors, particularly vodka. It is not a simple infusion. Instead, the botanicals are introduced in the still while the liquor is being made to create a very concentrated and well-rounded flavor.

Gin's dominant flavor and aroma come from juniper berries. These must be included in order for a liquor to be classified as gin. The juniper is responsible for that "pine" flavor that makes gin unique. Beyond that, every distiller of gin uses its own botanical recipe, comprised of various herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits. Among the most common botanicals used are almond, angelica, anise, cassia, coriander, fennel, and citrus peels. Some gin recipes use just a handful of different botanicals while others use 30 or more. You will find brands that divulge their full list and others that keep it a well-guarded secret. This lends to each gin's unique flavor profile and, unlike other spirits, every gin you pour can be an entirely new experience.

The strength of gin ranges between 40 to 47 % (ABV, 80 to 94 proof); the majority is bottled at 80 proof. Navy-strength gin is the strongest at around 114 proof.