Consulting

There is “The Martini” and then there are martinis and, quite often the latter has little or no resemblance to the original. The classic Gin Martini, made of gin and dry vermouth, will always remain a classic and a favorite for many. There is much debate among connoisseurs as to the ratio, style of gin (or vodka), and garnish that is the best, but most will agree that the gin-vermouth combination is one of the best cocktails ever created.

This will be the last post till Friday when I return from a mini vacation in Springfield, Mass. If you have an opportunity to get your hands on the wonderful elixir, Cachaca, give it a kick - perfect for summer and in honor of FIFA World Cup Soccer - GO USA!!!

This is the final post of the week, therefore, it is dedicated to all those wonderful fathers and grandfathers out there, including my grandfather, John Edward Nagy, who was like a father figure to me growing up while still being a grandfather. He continues to fill both roles today. Also, to my father-in-laws, Dennis Speicher and Richard Beitz who gave me a wonderful life partner and mother of my son. Happy Father's Day and Cheers! to them, a little early!

With summer arriving and the increase in outdoor grilling parties, the need to make good summer cocktails quickly and efficiently becomes paramount. Most hosts and hostesses have a lot to do when it comes to setup and entertaining their guests and it becomes cumbersome to make individual cocktails and play bartender. So I am here to help make it easier by explaining the use of batched cocktails. The best option though is to hire me to take out the worry of planning and executing a game plan.

This is the final post on the basics of mixology. I hope you enjoyed all the other ones. For today, I will focus on some bar tidbits and miscellaneous info related to bar setup. Also, for all my cocktail aficionados (thanks for being patient), I will provide a seasonal summer cocktail here as well.

Bottles that should always be stored in fridge -

Citrus Vodka (primarily because it's used for Lemon Drops)

Rumplemintz or peppermint schnapps

In continuing our series on the foundations of Mixology, we will now discuss drink classifications, shaking versus stirring rules, and other miscellaneous stuff related to drink prep and drink making. Note: this blog discussion does not replace the Mixology class that I perform. That class goes into much more detail and involves live demos, interaction, and guests actually making the drinks. Ok, here we go:

Shaking vs. Stirring

(Pictured above is a Blue Cosmo being made as a part of Friday's Mixology class with a twist of lemon).

Who doesn't like a top ten list? Most of these cocktails have been around since prohibotion and the beginning of the modern drinking age. Along with the list, I am offering up my rating of the cocktail on a scale from 1 to 10 -  aptly named Michael's rating - and tasting notes/occasion. Of course, everyone's taste profile is different so take that in account. If you haven't tried some or most of these, then I feel bad for you. One of my favorite sayings is "I feel bad for people who don't drink because that's the best they're going to feel all day".

I recently received excellent ideas from my blog followers as to what topics they most like to read about. To follow up on that I am dedicating this post to dear cousin, Laura Nagy, who is a big fan of seasonal cocktails. I love ya, Laura...Without further adieu, I give you three outstanding, refreshing summer cocktails from my secret personal stash...The common theme to these cocktails is that they all contain grapefruit juice and are best drank outside at a pool or on a deck...Let me know your thoughts.

This post goes out to Kathy Pioli Lubbers, one of my Facebook friends from 'Raise your Spirits', who had a keen interest in the significance of glassware and the reasoning behind using it. Take the Martini. You merely mention it and it conjures up a distinct image in eveyone's mind - its glass, a shape that is timeless, classic, elegant, and indicative of drink culture from the beginning of time. What would the Martini become without its iconic vessel? It's safe to say that the entire drinking experience would be changed if it was served in a can.