Rant: If you don't know how to make the drink, just tell me...

[gvas12]

This is a bit of an old post, but I just happened to stumble upon it today. When food is modified or changed to appeal to the locals that's OK, totally understandable, but doing that to drinks is completely different. Some drinks are universal and they just shouldnt be modified. People who know their drinks and can appreciate a good cocktail will agree with this.

I actually have a story that's kind of related to this. First off I have to mention I have dual nationality (Mexico/US) and I sometimes identify more as Mexican than American, although my brain functions in English with spanish randomly thrown into it. I remember I growing up watching my male relatives drink tequila a certain way (straight up, no lemon or salt) so now that i'm an adult that's how I do it. I actually don't believe there's a right way to drink tequila and people should drink it however they want, but one night (at a certain place I wont specifically name located on Av Cordoba) something happened that caught me off guard.

Me and my 3 friends decided to take some shots to start off the night, but just when I was about to take mine the bartender runs over to us as if the world was about to end screaming "no! no! NO! asi no che! no se toma asi" I laughed a little and told him "Soy Mexicano, yo lo tomo asi" but the guy got a bit in my face about it.
He even said something about how he went to bartending school and how he learned which was the right way to do it. After a while I just wanted him to go away and leave us alone so I said to him "Vos me vas a decir como tomar un tequila? bueno, despues yo te digo como preparar un fernet"
He didn't take this very well, but it got him to leave.

Needless to say, I haven't gone back to that place. The drinks are ok, but it's a shame the bartenders are a bit rude

 

[sesamosinsal]

I've never been to a place with good drinks here. You're better off just ordering a bottle of wine.

 

[PhilipDT]

Heh, I forgot about this thread. I have accumulated several more mad martini misadventure stories from over the years.

My favorite may have been when I ordered a "dry vodka martini" at the Hotel Panamericana on 9 de julio. After ordering, the bartender came out to the table with a cocktail glass and a bottle of vermouth, he then promptly poured the vermouth into the glass and walked off. After a minute of just staring at the glass, completely flabbergasted, I call him back and clarify, "No. Quería un vodka martini, el trago, no la marca de vermouth". After a bit of confusion the bartender seems to understand and heads back to the bar. He then returns with a shot of vodka on a platter and places it next to the glass of vermouth and makes to leave. I quickly stop him and tell him that I wanted "UN vodka martini, es un coctal conocido", he smiles in understanding and says, "aaah, un vodka martini!", and, before I have the chance to react, grabs the the shot of vodka and pours it into the glass of vermouth. At this point, had I been anywhere but Argentina, I would have assumed that I was on Candid Camera; but since I was in the great culinary vacuum of BA, I ended up, half laughing half crying, bemoaning my misfortune with a drawn out "nooooooooo" descending into tears. Unfortunately for the poor bartender I was not alone in the bar, and upon witnessing my reaction, the elderly Argentine man at the next table over, who had been mirthfully watching the whole process started choking on his wine, while his laughing wife hit him on the back, when he stopped coughing he looked at the bartender who had turned towards him and shook his pinched thumb and forefingers while saying "hijo, es un vodka martini!"

 

[sleslie23]

Bar 6 which has a tiny bar and is mostly a restaurant, has excellent drinks. Extensive cocktail menu and usually always fresh juices and ingredients. fresh mint, ginger etc.
then again, i drink cuba libres lol.

I just noticed this because someone resurrected the thread, but Bar 6 is no longer with us. It's been closed since late last year, after an apparently slow painful death.

 

[Napoleon]

I remember I growing up watching my male relatives drink tequila a certain way (straight up, no lemon or salt) so now that i'm an adult that's how I do it.

Any tequila that can't be consumed "neat" isn't really "Tequila". (ie: Jose Cuevro Gold, "Tequila Nacional"...) It is a combination of raw agave liquor mixed with rot gut grain alcohol in it's most UN-pure form.

I will pay double for a shot of 100% Agave Tequila and drink it straight or sip it neat (even though I prefer a bit of ice and a squeeze of lime) before I would consider even accepting a free shot of Jose Cuevro Gold (though Jose Cuevro does actually make some exceptional tequilas).

PS- REAL Tequila rarely gives you a hangover when only moderating going over your standard level of consumption.

I said to him "Vos me vas a decir como tomar un tequila? bueno, despues yo te digo como preparar un fernet"
He didn't take this very well, but it got him to leave.

Can't tell you how much I love that line. Brilliant! Especially considering it takes absolutely ZERO bartender training to put ice in a glass and pour Liquor to the level of the bar's specifications before topping off with Mixer.

PS- The "T" is silent in "Merlot", "Cabernet", and "Gourmet". They're ALL French words and thus the "T" is silent.

My favorite may have been when I ordered a "dry vodka martini"

PhilipDT- I'm not a "martini" person, but wouldn't a "Dry Vodka Martini" be the following:
-Dry Vermouth
-Vodka
-Ice

Directions:
-Pour small amount of Dry Vermouth into a martini glass. Move the glass around so that the Vermouth touches all sides of the glass and then pour all of the Vermouth out that doesn't cling to the glass.
-Pour 2oz+ into a shaker with crushed ice.
-Shake (or Stir... depending on the request) long enough to (1) Chill the vodka & (2) Slightly water down the vodka.
-Strain vodka into Martini Glass and garnish according to customer's request (twisted lemon peel/olives... no juice)

A "Giblet" would be the same, but with small onion balls.

Am I close?

 

[PhilipDT]

PhilipDT- I'm not a "martini" person, but wouldn't a "Dry Vodka Martini" be the following:
-Dry Vermouth
-Vodka
-Ice

Directions:
-Pour small amount of Dry Vermouth into a martini glass. Move the glass around so that the Vermouth touches all sides of the glass and then pour all of the Vermouth out that doesn't cling to the glass.
-Pour 2oz+ into a shaker with crushed ice.
-Shake (or Stir... depending on the request) long enough to (1) Chill the vodka & (2) Slightly water down the vodka.
-Strain vodka into Martini Glass and garnish according to customer's request (twisted lemon peel/olives... no juice)

A "Giblet" would be the same, but with small onion balls.

Am I close?

See! It isnt that hard, now why cant barrenders figure that out.

 

[Napoleon]

...

A "Giblet"* would be the same, but with small onion balls.

*That should have read "Gibson"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_(cocktail) (but apparently this is a Vodka/Gin combo drink)

I almost corrected it to a "Gimlet", but that would have been wrong as well. (I now see.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimlet_(cocktail)

 

[DontMindMe]

My favorite may have been when I ordered a "dry vodka martini" at the Hotel Panamericana on 9 de julio. After ordering, the bartender came out to the table with a cocktail glass and a bottle of vermouth, he then promptly poured the vermouth into the glass and walked off. After a minute of just staring at the glass, completely flabbergasted, I call him back and clarify, "No. Quería un vodka martini, el trago, no la marca de vermouth". After a bit of confusion the bartender seems to understand and heads back to the bar. He then returns with a shot of vodka on a platter and places it next to the glass of vermouth and makes to leave. I quickly stop him and tell him that I wanted "UN vodka martini, es un coctal conocido", he smiles in understanding and says, "aaah, un vodka martini!", and, before I have the chance to react, grabs the the shot of vodka and pours it into the glass of vermouth.

Eww, a shot of vodka with a sweet vermouth chaser! I am cracking up! This happened to a friend's visiting husband in Madrid. We're out eating sushi and the poor guy orders a vodka martini. The waiter comes over and grandly presents him with the Martini brand white vermouth. I'm a big fan of house-made vermut del grifo and will drink the Martini brand if there's nothing else and I'm really craving it, but that's sweet vermouth, not what you put in a martini. He tried to clarify but the waiter just stood there, confused. I said to him, "That's not what you want. The fact that this guy didn't even understand your order means he doesn't know how to make it, so if I were you I'd join in on the sake." So he did.

 

[Lamb]

While this may be true with food, this is not true with drinks. There IS a "right" & "wrong" way to prepare drinks. Altering it to appeal to the local palate is completely understandable, but then it is no longer a "dry martini" for example. It's still a martini as much as an "apple martini" is a martini or a "watermelon martini" is a martini, but they are not "dry martinis".

But then again, a bartender anywhere in the world should know that. But sometimes things are lost on people here.

PS- I think that Congo Bar probably has bartenders who know how to make a proper drink as well.

Wiki says:

"The traditional method of preparation is to pour gin and dry vermouth into a mixing glass with ice cubes, stir, strain into chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a green olive or a twist of lemon peel.
The ratio of gin to vermouth has been steadily increasing since the cocktail was created. A ratio of 1:1 was common at the turn of the 20th century, and 3:1 or 4:1 martinis were typical during the 1930s and 1940s. During the latter part of the 20th century, 6:1, 8:1, 12:1, or even 50:1 or 100:1 martinis became considered the norm.'"

Maybe there is a right way to do it. Its just not always the same right way, depending on time or place...

 

[argsteve]

a dry dirty vodka martini with the olive juice and three olives....mmmmmm I am getting thirsty!!!

yes I have had about 2 good martinis here and 20 bad ones it is always the vermouth they pour way tooooo much- that is not dry...... just have to go with bad beer.. or wine.....