The first example of molecular mixology would go back many, many years and would be the layering of drinks (density and viscosity), so the pousse cafe was probably the first example of the principal. Currently, it looks like molecular mixology is mostly working with physical properties of drink. This is done by making foams, gels and mists, looking at vapour concentrations and using an appropriate glass, determining cooling properties with ice and also applying heat to caramelize sugars. Some of these creations border between food and drink, which is a unique state of matter. Is a foam a food or drink?

The true area where molecular gastronomy and mixology will shine is in applied techniques and methods. Using science to perfect cooking and preparing drinks is a sound idea. For the most part, the principal of science in food & cocktails makes a lot of sense.

If you would like to surprise everyone with Molecular Cocktails on your next event or party, please Contact Us!

The ProgressBarEvents Team

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

- 1860 to 1920: The Birthplace of Cocktails  One of the first modern cocktails to be named and recognized is the martini. “Professor ” Jerry Thomas got famous for inventing the drink in California, USA. The recepie consisted of gin, sweet vermouth, a dash of maraschino and bitters, a slice of lemon and two dashes of gum syrup. This is said by some to be the beginning of the golden age of cocktails.

- 1920 to 1933: Prohibition in the USA  During the prohibition it was illegal to manufacture and sell any “intoxicating liquors. ” Still, the public had ways to gain access to the illegal substance. The popularity of cocktails at that time was partly due to the need to cover up the bad taste of the homemade alcohol. Some of the cocktail recipes invented in these days are still used today in bars around the world!

- 1934 to 1959 The Margarita is Born  Legend says the drink originated in 1938, when Marjorie King, a showgirl  asked for a tequila cocktail at a bar in Rosarita Beach, Mexico. The bartender, poured tequila over shaved ice then added lemon and triple sec. The drink was then named after Marjorie (or at least, the Spanish translation of her name).

- 1960 to Present Commercialization & Innovation  In the second half of the 20th century, the cocktail popularity has flourished. Both literature and film have contributed to the images of wealth and class associated with the cocktail hour.

Enjoy your cocktails and always remember about the history behind them!

The ProgressBarEvents Team

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

Finest Call – Premium Cocktail Mixes, Bulldog Gin, Myr licors and Bacardi sponsored the competition. The best bartenders from around Algarve and Alentejo competed for over 300€ in cash and other prizes from the sponsors.

Here are the Final Standings:

1. Andre Guerreiro – 259 pts.
2. Miguel Duarte – 249,5 pts.
3. Joao Pacheco – 217,5 pts.
4. Frederick Reizinho – 188 pts.
5. Jorge Coelho – 172,5 pts.
6. Jumbles St Pierre – 170 pts

Best Rookie – Frederick Reizinho

Congratulations to all the participating bartenders and a Huge Thank You to the Sponsors!

Next year Sports Flair Challenge will be back, probably in a League format!

Until then… keep practicing!

The ProgressBarEvents Team

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

As an alternative, people are trying new creations of the bartenders, like Caviar Martini which can be made with a cube of pressed caviar with vodka and cucumber. “Men first order it and when the women taste it, they order one too.”

At the Hemingway Bar at the Paris Ritz, longtime bartender Colin Field says white wine was often the answer when few staff had cocktail-making skills. Now, with the growing excellence of barstaff “it would be a shame not to take advantage of the growing talent of bartenders around the world.” The most popular drink at the Hemingway Bar these days is the Raspberry Martini, made with a maceration of fresh raspberries left in vodka over 3 months, then filtered, frozen and served in a chilled Martini glass.

The word “aperitif,” dating in English to 1894 (“cocktail” appears a century earlier) is from French, meaning to “open up,” specifically to awaken the palate for the meal to come. Wine, white or red, can do that but “cocktails are taking it to the next level.”

We encourage you to explore the whole new world of flavours with a cocktail as an aperitif next time you dine out!

The ProgressBarEvents Team

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

Creating a cocktail pairing is no different than deciding on what wine to serve with a dish and the best bartenders in the business have no problem with it.

The reason that wine goes so well with dinner is because it has so many different flavors. When pairing wine with food you take into account the flavor profiles and varietals.

When pairing cocktails with food, the easiest to begin with is thinking about what wine you would serve with the dish. You can then deconstruct those flavor profiles and build them back into a cocktail.

In many ways, matching cocktails with food is easier than choosing a beer or wine pairing since the mixologist can create a drink to specifically pair with a certain food.

“Unlike wine, you can change or tweak the flavor of a cocktail to suit a dish. With a wine, you’re stuck,” says John Kinder, mixologist and american brand ambassador for Mystique Brands.

We encourage you to try different combinations at home and just have fun with it, you might discover a completly new passion…

The ProgressBarEvents Team

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

Spirit forward cocktails
Spirit forward means a resurgence of cocktails like the Manhattan, Gin Martini or the Negroni, that are based solely on spirits, liqueurs or aperitifs, without the addition of juices and sodas. This means that you taste the quality of the spirit without adding a fruity mixer that masks the taste of the spirit.

Cocktail glassware shrinks
In the ‘90s glassware got much bigger. Now it’s getting smaller. Cocktail glasses have shrunk to their original proportions; 5 oz. instead of the staggering 12 oz. martini glasses that we were using. It’s time to archive those fishbowls and start serving cocktails in appropriately sized glassware.

Bitters are the new sweet
We have long enjoyed commercial bitters, but the ones I’m talking about are added by the drop, and are often compared to seasoning food with salt and pepper. We’ll be seeing more of bitters, from the iconic Angostura bitters, to newcomers to the Canadian marketplace like Fee Brothers, Bittermans, and the Bitter Truth.

With that in mind go ahead, explore and enjoy the world of cocktails in 2012!

The ProgressBarEvents Team

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal

Bar Events & Bar Catering Algarve, Cocktail Workshops, Flair Bartenders, Flair Shows, Empresa Catering Eventos Casamentos, Serviços Catering Portugal