They're definitely never made up... Remembering cocktail ingredients can be difficult, cant it? All the liqueurs, spirits, bitters, juices, measurements and garnishes... so many different and precise ingredients necessary for a little 100ml drink in a fancy glass that costs £9.50. Whatever happened to those precious customers who only asked for a beer or two, a gin and tonic at a stretch, maybe? Nonetheless, the modern bartender is expected to be able to rhyme off the specifications and merits of each and every cocktail on the menu. Keeping cheat sheets - quick specs and methods to build each cocktail, hidden out of sight of the customer - is a useful method. Every now and again, though, youll get that customer who ruins your life by going AWOL, ordering off the cocktail menu, and asking for something that he clearly just plucks out of thin air. "Hi, give me a black forest gateau martini. Pronto, garçon!" Cheers mate. If you have a working environment where your hands could legally be amputated for using your phone, orders like this can be a real pain. Youre faced with little choice, especially if the customer is quite insistent. So, just make it up! Keep the key tastes and presentation in mind. A bit of vodka, dash of Chambord and a touch of creme de fraise and youre all good! What cocktail customers essentially want is something pretty and vaguely tasty. Stick to the key principles of presentation and taste, with a rough expectation as to what the customer desires.
