Tom Collins and his Brother

Chances are you’ve already met the Collins boys. These tall summer soldiers returned from the First World War as popular summer slings to be ordered at any reputable watering hole.
The oldest sibling – the Tom Collins- is made with 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar, and topped with soda water. It’s the overshadowing patriarch of Collins family, which makes us sympathetic to the other brother, the forgotten John Collins. We never seem to get around to calling on this drink, once made with Holland gin, but now mixed with bourbon.

We’ve heard that the Tom Collins was named after its creator, who in turn named the John Collins after his brother. We can’t argue with the common-sense appeal of this notion, though we’re not quite sold on it. As far as the Tom Collins goes, we suspect the name has more to do with original sweet gin used, known as Old Tom gin. Collins? Well, maybe that was the bartender’s surname.

Nearly all bars pour English dry gin as a base for both the Tom and the John Collins (this accounts for the widespread confusion over the difference between the two siblings, as David A. Embury points out in The Art of Mixing Drinks of 1958). The Holland gin is often hard to come by, English dry gin is a common substitute. Unfortunately, this gives rise to a drink with two names.

To complicate matters, the John Collins – as we previously mentioned – is now most commonly made with whiskey, though you’ll still come across bartenders who insist a Tom Collins and a John Collins are identical twins. That’s why we always say the drink’s name and call out the ingredients – just to make certain that we and the bartenders are friends with the same Tom.
By the ‘50s, the Collins boys had – as some others would say – married down, shedding much of the drink’s original post-war seriousness and mixing with the likes of vodka. Soon the family expanded to include numerous cousins, like Pedro, Sandy, Mike, Brandy and Jack, with the Singapore Sling not far behind.

The Tom Collins even has a glass names in its honor: the Collins, which holds 12, 14 or even 16 ounces If we’re served a Collins in anything but its namesake glass, we send it back – certain that any other vessel won’ suit the effervescence of this drink.
On those warm late nights when we’re tempted to call an old friend or Mom and Pop for obvious advice and comforting, we order a Tom Collins, knowing it’s far too late. As we sip a drink or two, we piece together the sensible thing to do.

FAMOUS DRINKERS - W.C. FIELDS

W.C. Fields was an American comedian and actor who created one of the great American comic personas of the first half of the 20th century: a cynical and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathetic character despite his snarling contempt for dogs, children and women.

In the 100-plus year history of motion pictures, no performer has been more associated with strong drink than W.C. Fields. His preeminent position as Hollywood’s supreme drinker is richly deserved: During the 1930s and 1940s, the celebrated comedian produced a string of hilarious feature films and short subjects overflowing with booze-spiked humor. On screen, his characters would go to any length to get booze into their bloodstreams, whether it meant sneaking sips behind the back of a nagging wife, chasing an off-duty bartender down a city street, distilling homemade hooch, or jumping out of an airplane to retrieve a falling bottle. Off screen, Fields was just as fond of stimulating beverages, and indulgent directors allowed W.C. to arrive late to the set, drink on the job, and leave early when his glow became too rosy, because they knew that their star was always at his most creative with a healthy snoot-full.

The character that he portrayed in films and radio became so strong, Fields identified with it himself and with the aid of the publicity departments of the studies, Fields eventually morphed into his onscreen persona. Robert Lewis Taylor’s 1949 biography W.C. Fields, His Follies and Fortunes further established Field’s passion for drinking and his misanthropic personality.

In his younger days as a juggler, Fields himself never drank, because he didn’t want to impair his functions while performing. The loneliness of his constant touring and traveling, however, compelled Fields to keep liquor on hand for fellow performers, so he could invite them to his dressing room for companionship and cocktails. Only then did Fields cultivate a fondness for alcohol.
A notable quote regarding alcohol is attributed to Fields: "I can't stand water because of the things fish do in it." Fields expressed his feelings in Never Give a Sucker an Even Break: "I was in love with a beautiful blonde once, dear. She drove me to drink. It's the one thing I am indebted to her for."
On movie sets, Fields kept a vacuum flask of martinis handy; he referred to it as his "lemonade". One day a prankster switched the contents of the flask, filling it with actual lemonade. Upon discovering the prank, Fields was heard to yell, "Who put lemonade in my lemonade?" (A variation on the story is "pineapple juice".)

Much of the secret as to why Fields’ mean-spirited humor connected with audiences was that his characters usually absorbed more abuse than they dispersed. Whether portraying an unscrupulous con artist or a henpecked family man, W.C. was eternally the underdog, and his wrath was only unleashed after patiently enduring abuse or public embarrassment from shrill relatives, bill-collectors, dullards, policemen, small children, or dogs. Consequently, his anger was understandable, as was his heavy drinking.

In 1936 Fields became gravely ill, his health worsened by his heavy drinking. Fields’ film series came to a halt while he recovered; he made one last film for Paramount, The Big Broadcast of 1938. The comedian's all-around stubborn and mean-spirited character kept other producers away, and Fields was professionally idle until he made his debut on radio. By then Fields was very sick and suffering from delirium tremens.

In Honor of the great drinker, I have included the classic Martini Recipe below. So escape sobriety and enjoy a drink to a man who’s character was politically incorrect way before the term existed!

Classic Martini Ingredients
75ml (or approx 2+ 1/2 oz) Gin

15ml (or approx 1/4 oz) Dry Vermouth

1 green olive OR a twist of lemon peel 6 ice cubes

Classic Martini Directions

Into a mixing glass, toss a handful of ice cubes (about half a dozen), then pour in the Vermouth. Stir well to coat the mixing glass with the Vermouth.

Strain out almost all of the Vermouth and pour in the Gin.

Stir well to let the Vermouth come in contact with the Gin and to chill the ingredients.
Strain and pour into a martini glass.

To finish, either drop a green olive into the bottom of the martini glass OR arrange a twist of lemon peel on the edge of the martini glass.

Afternoon Tea?

As a bartender, I found out early on the reason this cocktail is so popular- customers reckon it gets them drunk quicker and is good value for money. As a bartender I also experienced early on the challenge of then persuading them to leave a few hours down the line.

Like many drinks which have been around for a while, the exact origins of this drink are slightly cloudy. One story you find a lot, and seems plausible – the origins of this drink relate back to Long Island, sometime during The Prohibition. Bartenders would mix any number of ‘bootleg’ spirits together and top them up with cola thus making it look like an innocent iced tea!

It seems likely then that the person who is often credited with the invention of the drink during the 1970’s, at the Oak Beach Inn in Hampton Bays, one Mr. Rosebud “Butt” was just refining an old recipe. Whatever he did, it stuck, as this drink is still hugely popular all over the world.

As with most drinks with a history, newer versions of this cocktail abound. You could always try a Long Beach Ice Tea (substitute cranberry juice for cola) or a Tokyo Iced Tea (substitute Midori for Triple Sec and lemonade for cola).

If you really want to treat yourself to a slightly higher level of drink, how about trying a Beverly Hills Ice Tea (substitute Champagne for cola), which will offer you a drink for one of the reasons we mentioned at the start!

The most popular Long Island Ice Tea recipe is:

1.5 cl (three parts) Vodka
1.5 cl (three parts) Tequila
1.5 cl (three parts) White Rum
1.5 cl (three parts) Triple Sec
1.5 cl (three parts) Gin
2.5 cl (five parts) Lemon juice
3.0 cl (six parts) Sugar Syrup
Topped up with a Dash of Cola

Mix ingredients in glass over ice, stir, garnish with a lemon wedge and serve.

www.londonbartender.com

KEEP THE CHANGE - HOW TO EARN MORE TIPS

In such a cosmopolitan city as London, with inhabitants from around the globe, the protocol on tipping is very blurred as tipping is not a universally accepted act. So if you are working in the service industry and you are relying on tips to make ends meet, here are a couple of pearls of wisdom for you to increase your chance of receiving a tip and help you earn bigger tips in the future.

A tip or a gratuity is a small amount of money given voluntarily to servers as appreciation for good service. You may leave a very small amount of money, or no tip at all as a sign that the service was substandard.

The word “tip” is thought to have originated in the 17th century and was believed to be used as a verb to “hand over” or “to give”. This theory aligns with many stories from Feudal times where lords would “tip” or throw gold coins to peasants, to ensure their own safe passage.

The main reason for tipping is more down to guilt than to gratitude. Often we will tip someone as we don’t want to offend someone or act out of protocol. We also have the belief that if we don’t tip, the server may remember us for our next visit to that bar or restaurant.

Although good service will invariably earn more tips than poor service, excellent service does not necessarily result in that much more of a tip. Researchers have found that excellent service only results in a marginally higher tip than normal, however the following specific actions end in much greater tips.

Touching - Waiters experienced a tip increase from 11.8 percent to 14.8 percent of the check total when they briefly touched the shoulder of the customer. Both men and women left higher tips when touched, and although younger customers increased their tip amount more, all ages increased the tip by some amount


Squatting - Two studies showed that waiters who squatted next to the table when taking orders and talking with customers increased their tips from 14.9 percent of the bill to 17.5 percent of the bill in one study, and from 12 percent to 15 percent in another study. Apparently, the eye contact and closer interaction creates a more intimate connection and makes us want to give the server more money


Giving sweets - A study that involved giving customers mints or sweets with their bill showed an increase in tip percentage from 15.1 percent to 17.8 percent. Another study in which servers gave each customer two sweets with the bill increased the tip from 19 percent to 21.6 percent of the bill. Still another study showed that the way the server gave the customer the sweets had the largest impact on the increase of the tip: This study had the server initially give each member of the customer's party one mint or sweet and then "spontaneously" offer a second one. This method increased the tip to 23 percent of the bill.


Being helpful - A study of hotel bellhops revealed that just taking a few extra minutes explaining to guests how to operate the television and thermostat, opening the drapes for guests, and offering to fill the ice bucket increased tips from $2.40 to $4.77

Introduction – In another study, servers who introduced themselves by name at the beginning of the dining experience, went on to earn a tip of 23% of the bill as opposed to servers who did not introduce themselves by name, who only earned an average tip of 15%.

Plastic - Research has shown that tips are significantly higher when the customer pays with their credit card as opposed to paying with cash.

The bill – Servers who took longer to bring a customer their bill, once requested, ended up with smaller tips on average. Servers who wrote thank you, or a small message on the bill, received slightly larger tips on average.

While the above will all help servers receive greater gratuities, there is no substitute for friendly, efficient service. You may increase your tips by a small percentage due to the actions above, but you will need to earn the tip in the first place with decent service.
www.londonbartender.com


For more information, check out: Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell .

MARGARITA

The Margarita has suffered in modern times. In an effort to make it hip, quick, trendy, and cheap it has been bastardized far worse than any cocktail before it. Whether it is the use of inferior (or just plain wrong) ingredients, or commercially made mixes, the common Margarita these days tastes more like a Limeade with a splash of orange juice than it does the delectable cocktail that once was.

A true Margarita is made from three ingredients. Tequila, Cointreau (a Triple Sec), and fresh squeezed Lime Juice. Just looking at the ingredients it clearly falls into the same category of cocktail as the Sidecar, Whiskey Sour, Aviation, and Cosmopolitan. These cocktails are knows as "Sours", and consist of a Spirit, Cordial and a Juice.

Like any cocktail, the true art comes in arriving at the proper ratio of the ingredients in order to present a balance of the flavours being used. And like most cocktail recipes, the more recipe books you look in, the more confused you will get as to the proper way to make a Margarita. While many recipe books will indicate that "equal parts" of three ingredients should be used, to me this does not result in a well-balanced drink. What I’ve discovered through many long nights of experimentation, is that the best ratio for Margarita is 3:2:1. Three parts Tequila, 2 parts Cointreau, and 1 part fresh squeezed lime juice.

As in all cocktails, I always recommend the use of quality ingredients. For the Tequila I recommend a decent quality silver (or blanco) tequila. This unaged Tequila will have a crisp and lively flavour that works well in mixed drinks. Any Tequila with "gold" in its name simply means it has been artificially flavoured and colour to make it look and taste like an aged (or Anejo) tequila. My choice for Triple Sec is always Cointreau or Grand Marnier, and the juice should always be fresh squeezed.

Histories Shadow
Nobody truly knows when or by whom, the first Margarita was made. There are many stories, many of them quite convincing, but no one story has been able to stand out as depicting the true origin of this classic drink.

Here are a few stories that claim to recount how this drink was first created:

• 
  In the early 1930’s, it was created at the Caliente Race Track in Tijuana.


• 
  In 1936, Danny Negrete invented this drink for his girlfriend, Margarita, while working at the Garci Crespo Hotel.


• 
  In 1938 or 1939, Carlos Hererra invented this drink for Marjorie King, who apparently couldn’t drink any hard liquor except Tequila without getting sick (Some stories will call him "Danny Hererra", apparently confusing him with Danny Negrete).



• 
  On the 4th of July, 1942, a customer asked Francisco "Pancho" Morales for a "Magnolia", but he couldn’t remember exactly how to make it, so he made something up, and he named it the "Daisy" instead (which in Mexican is Margarita).


• 
  Sometime in the 1940’s, Enrique Bastante Gutierez created this drink for Rita Hayward, whose real name was Margarita.


• 
  In 1948 Margaret Sames created this drink for a party she was holding in Acapulco.


• 
  In 1948 it was created in Galveston, Texas by Santo Cruz. Who mixed it up for singer Peggy Lee.


• 
  In the early 1950’s it was created at the "Tail o’ the Cock" restaurant in Los Angeles in order to find a way to introduce Jose Cuervo tequila into the market.

… and there are of course countless others as well.

www.londonbartender.com

MAI TAI

Just as we never say no to watching The African Queen, we never turn down a Mai Tai. While we can count the number of times we’ve made this drink at home on to fingers, we can hardly recount the times this potent concoction has gotten the best of us while we were out on the town.
We’d entertain more prejudices about the Mai Tai if only we hadn’t had such fun drinking it. The irresistible irreverence of this drink always takes us from the doldrums to the tropics, and we salute Victor Bergeron, known to the world as Trader Vic, for creating this drink before he’d even visited the tropics.

By most accounts, Vic whipped up the first Mai Tai in 1944 at his Hinky Dink’s restaurant in Emeryville, just over the bridge from San Francisco. Trader Vic himself tried to set the record straight for doubters in his bartender’s guide of 1947:"There has been a lot of conversation over the beginning of the Mai Tai… I originated the Mai Tai. Many others have claimed credit… The drink was never introduced by me into Tahiti except informally through our good friends, Eastham and Carrie Guild… Anybody who says I didn’t create this drink is a dirty stinker." Trader Vic goes on to write that his two friends who had been visiting Tahiti requested something special from the bar, so he grabbed the Jamaican rum, a lime,, curacao, Orgeat and rock candy syrup, and concocted the Mai Tai prototype.

Just as Trader Vic tempered Polynesian cuisine to the tastes of North Americans, we’ve taken the liberty of altering his drink recipe slightly. In a shaker, we combine 2 ounce dark Jamaican rum – either Appleton or Myers - ½ ounce curacao, ¾ ounce fresh lime juice, and a splash of Orgeat, followed by another splash of either simple syrup or grenadine, depending on the colour we’re after. When strained and served in a tall, frosted glass filled with shaved ice, this drink, this drink always brings warm tropical thoughts to mind, even when we’re in the midst of a blizzard. Some bartenders say that using a fine orange liqueur in a Mai Tai is a little like slathering Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup on a crepe. To us, that view is only a telltale sign that the mixer is using some modern-day recipe with far too many ingredients. The Mai Tai, after all, is nothing more than a dressed-up Daiquiri. Fortunately, nearly all recipes for the Mai Tai are sweet enough that if a bartender screws up, we’re unlikely to notice. By second or third round, the bartender may even have us shouting Tahitian phrases such as "Mai Tai – Roa Ae!" – which means "Out of this world – the best!" – just as Carrie Guild did years ago.

THE COSMOPOLITAN

Only a few years back, this drink was called the "Stealth Martini", first by Barnaby Conrad III, the author of The Martini , and then by its imbibers. Whether the name came about because of the Cosmo’s covert kick or because of its tendency to be ordered by those unimpressed with the classic Martini is of little consequence now. We’re just glad the cocktail crowd hasn’t deemed it passé.

Some bartenders snub the Cosmopolitan, comparing it to those drinks on the short list of classic cocktails. We admit it lacks complexity, but few can deny this drink's popularity and reliability, especially in establishments with slipshod mixers. In fact, whenever we’re unsure of a bar’s integrity, we start the evening with a request for the Cosmopolitan, a descendant of the Cold War’s Cape Codder and the respectable sibling of the Kamikaze shooter. Made with 2 ounces of Vodka, 1 ounce Cointreau, ½ ounce lime juice and 1 splash cranberry juice, the only way a mixer can foil this is to substitute Rose’s lime juice for fresh fruit.

No one seems to have bothered recording who mixed the first Cosmo, though many drink historians and bartenders agree that the gay community in Provincetown, Massachusetts, should be credited with the accomplishment. Occasionally, the name Cheryl Cook will surface, but it leads only to San Francisco, never to an actual person. Many bartenders – including John Caine, owner of San Francisco’s Café Mars and undisputed West Coast champion of this drink – partly credit the Cosmopolitan with the resurgence of the cocktail during the ‘70s, when fern bars, with their overly sweet, so called "girl-drinks", nearly destroyed the respectability of the bar.

The popularity of the Cosmopolitan traveled from New England to New York and then across he country. Imbibers like MacGyver drink it, and Hunter S. Thompson – the self-proclaimed "mad doctor of gonzo journalism" – managed to get it cited in an affidavit used in The People of the State of Colorado v. Hunter Stockton Thompson. Whenever we’re desperate for a cocktail at some endearing dive bar or you're after a reliable drink to console a friend in need, we're thankfull of the Cosmo.

www.londonbartender.com