2023 Iowa's Best Mixologist

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:00:18 Unknown right? 00:00:00:18 - 00:00:01:12 Unknown On today's 00:00:01:12 - 00:00:02:21 Unknown bonus episode, 00:00:02:21 - 00:00:22:09 Unknown Riley and I agreed to discuss Iowa MIXOLOGY contest 2023. Yes. And why I will never help you again. Because I'm an asshole. I that's the reason. I mean, it's not that you're an asshole. It's that you are a social butterfly who has poor time management skills. 00:00:22:09 - 00:00:26:03 Unknown And only it can only work when you're under the gun. 00:00:27:06 - 00:00:31:06 Unknown Smells like an asshole. Did you fight 00:00:31:06 - 00:00:34:21 Unknown that yet? Okay, so now. 00:00:34:21 - 00:00:41:14 Unknown So for anyone who's listening, who doesn't know that I've been bartending now for 12 years and 00:00:41:14 - 00:00:51:17 Unknown before last Thursday I had won. I was best mixologist twice in the past nine years. And this past Thursday was the this 2020 threes. I was best mixologist and 00:00:51:17 - 00:00:55:14 Unknown I was fortunate enough to take first place again. 00:00:55:17 - 00:01:15:20 Unknown And yeah, so we're all so fortunate enough to win enough times that they're going to not allow winners to give me the second. You know, I have so many mixed feelings about that. I, I understand the reason why, but the competitor, he's like, who gives a fuck bring up your A-game if you want to come beat me. Yeah, 00:01:15:20 - 00:01:19:02 Unknown I understand in theory both ways, But 00:01:19:02 - 00:01:20:23 Unknown from where I stand, I'm. 00:01:20:23 - 00:01:22:05 Unknown I'm of the mind where 00:01:22:05 - 00:01:24:10 Unknown if you've been asked to be a judge, 00:01:24:10 - 00:01:25:22 Unknown you should not then 00:01:25:22 - 00:01:27:19 Unknown be allowed to go back and compete. 00:01:27:19 - 00:01:28:10 Unknown Why? 00:01:28:10 - 00:01:32:13 Unknown Because if you have been deemed good enough to judge 00:01:32:13 - 00:01:35:22 Unknown and you have already won, I was best mixologist. Which is 00:01:35:22 - 00:01:38:04 Unknown how you're asked to be a judge. Mm hmm. 00:01:38:04 - 00:01:39:01 Unknown Then 00:01:39:01 - 00:01:45:21 Unknown I just feel it's counterintuitive to allow somebody to compete in a contest that they have been a judge for. 00:01:45:23 - 00:01:50:13 Unknown Like if you if you were to say, no, I don't want to judge next year, I want to compete instead. 00:01:50:13 - 00:01:51:13 Unknown That's different, 00:01:51:13 - 00:01:52:04 Unknown right? 00:01:52:04 - 00:01:59:19 Unknown I mean, it is what it is. And I will technically only be I was ever a three time top mixologist winner. I thought Jake is one twice. 00:01:59:19 - 00:02:02:03 Unknown I was the first two time. He was the second two time. 00:02:02:03 - 00:02:06:00 Unknown I'm the first three timer and technically will now only be the only one. 00:02:06:00 - 00:02:07:18 Unknown Yeah, well, real strange. 00:02:08:12 - 00:02:24:09 Unknown And you're the reason they created the rule. I love that. Because other than being allowed to compete, I think so. When people change rules because of you, right? Like basketball stars, right? Like Shaquille O'Neal had like three or five major rules change because of him. 00:02:24:11 - 00:02:30:21 Unknown Right? There's other basketball players that just had rules changed because of them. That's kind of cool. There's like that that pitcher that 00:02:30:21 - 00:02:32:00 Unknown was a switch 00:02:32:00 - 00:02:39:12 Unknown pitcher and he would just he would switch his glove. And then the guy went back and forth right back and forth. Yeah, in the boxes. Yeah, 00:02:39:12 - 00:02:50:17 Unknown yeah. Like the finally said, you're the pitcher is only allowed to change like three times or something once you've committed to once the batters in the batting order, once you've committed to 00:02:50:17 - 00:02:51:17 Unknown a 00:02:51:17 - 00:02:54:20 Unknown a hand that you're throwing with once a batters in the box you have to stick 00:02:54:20 - 00:02:55:00 Unknown one. 00:02:55:01 - 00:02:55:14 Unknown And so. 00:02:55:14 - 00:02:57:14 Unknown All right. So let's talk about 00:02:57:14 - 00:03:01:14 Unknown just in general with the Iowa State mixology contest is all about 00:03:01:14 - 00:03:10:20 Unknown for the generalization. It's pretty much the same. Sometimes there's a little small tweak, but it doesn't really affect anything because sometimes it's three judges, sometimes it's four judges. That's really 00:03:10:20 - 00:03:14:08 Unknown you know what two of my winnings are during four judges? 00:03:14:08 - 00:03:14:20 Unknown Mm hmm. 00:03:14:20 - 00:03:23:11 Unknown Jake, I think only had three judges two time. So I'm not, you know, saying it doesn't matter, so it doesn't really do anything except for you had to make three extra. Okay, So how it works is 00:03:23:11 - 00:03:28:16 Unknown there are three categories. Each category is provided by a different distributor in the state of Iowa, 00:03:28:16 - 00:03:33:01 Unknown and that distributor picks 2 to 3 different spirits for you to choose from. 00:03:33:04 - 00:03:39:22 Unknown And you pick one spirit from each category. Make a cartel. You have two weeks to make three unique cartels. Submit the recipes, 00:03:39:22 - 00:03:43:16 Unknown and then a week later, you create those cocktails in front of the judges. Right? 00:03:43:16 - 00:03:44:10 Unknown So 00:03:44:10 - 00:03:46:19 Unknown this year I picked Tinker Men's 00:03:46:19 - 00:03:55:23 Unknown curiously bright and complex, complex gin. So that was a gin that's already infused with jasmine tea, lemongrass. 00:03:56:02 - 00:04:04:04 Unknown I wouldn't it's not infused, right? It's distilled with the silver rises, those flames. So you're right. It's not an infused gin 00:04:04:04 - 00:04:06:07 Unknown that's important to distinct. That's an important 00:04:06:07 - 00:04:13:12 Unknown Yeah. I mean, I guess. I guess I think that's the same thing, right? I mean, so. But I mean, technically, tobacco infused with those flavors, 00:04:13:12 - 00:04:18:01 Unknown depending on the process of how they do it in multiple ways. 00:04:18:03 - 00:04:23:00 Unknown Sure. But the gin has those flavor profiles inside. This is it. That's that we can grill right. 00:04:23:00 - 00:04:31:00 Unknown And those other ones, There's another one. There was a vodka and there was a tequila. I'm never going to do vodka because it's what I cook. 00:04:31:00 - 00:04:37:11 Unknown And that offered drunkenness. Right. If you if you like vodka, you like what it's served with. 00:04:37:11 - 00:04:39:15 Unknown And if you don't like the taste of alcohol. Right. 00:04:39:15 - 00:04:46:09 Unknown Magic cure. We're not a fan of the tequila and so I saw that gin and I really liked those flavors. Asian food, 00:04:46:09 - 00:04:51:05 Unknown Asian flavored things I really, like, enjoy. And I thought it can make a really cool cocktail with that. 00:04:51:05 - 00:04:52:17 Unknown The second category was 00:04:52:17 - 00:04:55:20 Unknown either Templeton four or Templeton six year. 00:04:55:22 - 00:04:59:14 Unknown And then the third category was unshackled 00:04:59:14 - 00:05:05:11 Unknown wine or unshackled rosé. Yep. And those are both sparkling wine made by 00:05:05:11 - 00:05:18:05 Unknown prisoner. Prisoner like this winery or winery? Yeah. So they do like sell though. Prisoner And they have a bunch of good wine, which I do enjoy their wine and their sparkling wine was surprisingly good. It was pretty damn good 00:05:18:05 - 00:05:20:10 Unknown and fresh grape. 00:05:20:12 - 00:05:24:17 Unknown It did have a very creepy. Yeah. Like way, which I was kind of that, 00:05:24:17 - 00:05:26:02 Unknown that helped me 00:05:26:02 - 00:05:27:20 Unknown the drink choice that I wanted to make. 00:05:27:20 - 00:05:29:14 Unknown And so we got those. 00:05:29:14 - 00:05:36:19 Unknown And then, you know, he's got two weeks now to make cocktails and it's like I'm working a 45 plus our job 00:05:36:19 - 00:05:40:01 Unknown trying to create content, which I start busy doing for 00:05:40:01 - 00:05:42:22 Unknown YouTube, everything except for the podcast 00:05:42:22 - 00:05:45:04 Unknown because I'm focused on this, you know, two weeks 00:05:45:04 - 00:05:52:19 Unknown and you're and in addition to that, you're creating two menus for two separate bars with 10 to 12 cocktails on each one of those. 00:05:52:19 - 00:05:53:04 Unknown Right? 00:05:53:04 - 00:05:56:19 Unknown So it's a lot it's a lot on my plate and very stressful. I just 00:05:56:19 - 00:05:59:19 Unknown I don't think I created creative. 00:05:59:19 - 00:06:02:07 Unknown I've never been that pushed on my creative side 00:06:02:07 - 00:06:03:04 Unknown that hard 00:06:03:04 - 00:06:04:04 Unknown for four weeks 00:06:04:04 - 00:06:06:10 Unknown consistently. Right so 00:06:06:10 - 00:06:07:22 Unknown so I think 00:06:07:22 - 00:06:12:19 Unknown I created a drink last year called Ride or Chai 00:06:12:19 - 00:06:24:03 Unknown that was sort of a mr. Black Coffee cocktail challenge, and I basically kind of already knew I wanted to go with that because it was already drink I kind of already created, but they just wanted to make it more complex, I think 00:06:24:03 - 00:06:25:09 Unknown because it was already good drink. 00:06:25:09 - 00:06:28:15 Unknown I just like, how can I make this a little bit better, right? How can I just. 00:06:28:15 - 00:06:33:12 Unknown Templeton Rye. Rye whiskey was the primary ingredient. That's right. So, 00:06:33:12 - 00:06:36:09 Unknown I mean, every cocktails, a riff on something different, right? 00:06:36:09 - 00:06:40:15 Unknown Yeah. And so I was happy. I like, I like Templeton six, you know, like 00:06:40:15 - 00:06:42:21 Unknown it's a good product, and 00:06:42:21 - 00:06:43:23 Unknown I like that drink. 00:06:43:23 - 00:06:46:03 Unknown The right choice. I just knew that to be a good drink to 00:06:46:03 - 00:06:53:06 Unknown a good base to start off with. Right. Like a good inspiration. Right. And then loud. I can hear it through your microphone. Oh, yeah. 00:06:53:06 - 00:06:56:02 Unknown He's so hot. Oh, my God. Good. 00:06:56:02 - 00:06:57:20 Unknown And then 00:06:57:20 - 00:06:59:14 Unknown for the 00:06:59:14 - 00:07:01:02 Unknown the sparkling wine, 00:07:01:02 - 00:07:04:14 Unknown we were kind of thinking first, like something to do with, like, a prince 75. 00:07:05:01 - 00:07:22:02 Unknown I want to do something. I wanted to do something rum based because I wanted to get rum into one of my cocktails because they don't really we don't really do rum here in Iowa that much in this competition. Right. And that was probably the one that we spun our wheels on the most. Right. Because it first started with as a rum old fashioned 00:07:22:02 - 00:07:23:23 Unknown that we would turn into caviar 00:07:23:23 - 00:07:29:20 Unknown and then put it like it and then put into like a pool of sparkling wine and just kind of do as like as a shooter, 00:07:29:20 - 00:07:31:14 Unknown which would have been great. 00:07:31:15 - 00:07:49:04 Unknown But if we had had a month to figure out the recipe right, it was figured out the, the, the, the bubbles, the bubbles and figured out the science part of it and consistently right all the time. So and knowing that you need to do this in X amount of time. Mm hmm. 00:07:49:04 - 00:07:58:22 Unknown Yeah. And so then we scrapped that and then I had a drink last year called the app or the Tiki Spritz, which is just an aperol spritz, where I had a Tiki bitters, a pineapple juice. 00:07:59:00 - 00:07:59:16 Unknown And 00:07:59:16 - 00:08:09:16 Unknown you see that mango? It wasn't I wouldn't say you say that. Like it wasn't a phenomenal cocktail, like you said it was just now prospects with these ingredients. But it 00:08:09:16 - 00:08:17:16 Unknown it didn't even taste like an apple spritz. Right. But that's that I took the apple spritz and just added three things to make it more tropical more approachable for people. 00:08:17:16 - 00:08:33:00 Unknown Again, we're in the Midwest, we're in eastern Iowa. And a lot of people bitterness is not a huge thing or they're not used to it. So I try to make it more approachable. Right. In training wheels, it basically through the day. But it wasn't. You're right. You're right. I'm not trying to dismiss the drink, but I think that it was much more complex than right. 00:08:33:00 - 00:08:35:09 Unknown And it and it went over very well. 00:08:35:09 - 00:08:36:06 Unknown And so 00:08:36:06 - 00:08:37:15 Unknown we one of my favorite drinks 00:08:37:15 - 00:08:41:09 Unknown Cool. It might be number two. The s'mores old fashioned. Yeah. You know 00:08:41:09 - 00:08:51:13 Unknown so I was like, that's a good starting point. Again, I like to have starting points because it just helps. Excuse me, After have two weeks in the very limited time, it cuts out 40% of the time. 00:08:51:15 - 00:08:59:03 Unknown I mean, it it creates a road for you to travel down. Right. And you can choose to take side roads. Mhm. But if you 00:08:59:03 - 00:09:11:01 Unknown and I mean that's what the assigned spirit is supposed to do. Right. Exactly. It's supposed to provide you that vehicle and I don't think I mentioned this before, but you have to use at least half an ounce of the provided spirit and not basically hide it. 00:09:11:02 - 00:09:18:17 Unknown You can't just use half out and just stick 20 things on top of it to mask it out. You know, that still needs to be a flavor profile of the keto. 00:09:18:17 - 00:09:21:11 Unknown So a prominent flavor in the drink. 00:09:21:11 - 00:09:25:02 Unknown So again, I want to stick with rum. I want you to get rum this cocktail. 00:09:25:02 - 00:09:29:00 Unknown So what did you do? You decided to use three different rums. 00:09:29:02 - 00:09:34:11 Unknown We tried three, but we ended up with only two, right? We ended up with Plantation Pineapple and Smith across. 00:09:34:11 - 00:09:44:10 Unknown I made a banana. All your sacrum? Yeah, basically a banana sirup. If you don't know what that is, then we did lime juice, pineapple juice, sailing solution Tiki Bitters 00:09:44:10 - 00:09:51:16 Unknown and apple and shook that all up. And the reason and the reason feel like that was enough ingredients because there were nine 00:09:51:16 - 00:09:56:16 Unknown so you have apple plantation Smith and cross lime juice pineapple juice sailing 00:09:56:16 - 00:09:57:22 Unknown Tiki bitters 00:09:57:22 - 00:10:01:04 Unknown banana or sacro that's eight plus the sparkling wine. 00:10:01:06 - 00:10:07:19 Unknown All right. Right. I've said these enough to know. Oh, I know. Because you made for the people, right? So. 00:10:07:19 - 00:10:15:22 Unknown So I just thought this would all work very well together because a jungle bird works very well with Campari in Rome. And I put the apple would be 00:10:15:22 - 00:10:27:16 Unknown would work just as well. And it worked fucking phenomenal. So when you would step away from the table and I had to explain it, I'd be like, it's a rum punch meets an apple spritz and it's great. 00:10:27:16 - 00:10:29:18 Unknown You should drink 00:10:30:12 - 00:10:36:00 Unknown as I wrong. No. So then then we build that, 00:10:36:00 - 00:10:51:21 Unknown put it in Hurricane glass or over Pebble ice in the top row with an ounce out and a quarter of the sparkling wine. So the sparkling wine gave it bubbles, but also the great flavor of this specific sparkling white well, through the cocktail and you had this grape, you know, kind of like an end zone. 00:10:51:21 - 00:10:56:06 Unknown He does, Yeah. Because like the apple and then the grape. Definitely. 00:10:56:06 - 00:11:09:17 Unknown It did taste like an Enzo only on the finish, which is wild. It was wild and then unexpected, but it was so refreshing and like, Yeah. And then we had nutmeg, cinnamon and salmon stick and mint spring as garnish 00:11:09:17 - 00:11:10:17 Unknown and then 00:11:10:17 - 00:11:12:08 Unknown kind of go back to 00:11:12:08 - 00:11:15:06 Unknown the Templeton drink the Rye Chai. 00:11:15:06 - 00:11:16:17 Unknown My original rye chai was 00:11:16:17 - 00:11:19:20 Unknown rye whiskey. Mr. Black with Benedictine 00:11:19:20 - 00:11:23:11 Unknown demerara and a dash of bitters 00:11:23:11 - 00:11:24:23 Unknown stirred down. So basically 00:11:24:23 - 00:11:27:02 Unknown it was kind of like a play on 00:11:27:02 - 00:11:31:23 Unknown a book, kind of like in my mind, that's what I was thinking when I made this drink. 00:11:31:23 - 00:11:35:17 Unknown And because I like the Benedictine. But what's in it? Whatever you carry. 00:11:35:17 - 00:11:36:20 Unknown Brandy. 00:11:37:00 - 00:11:38:08 Unknown Sweet. Remove 00:11:38:08 - 00:11:44:23 Unknown or no cognac. Sweet remove with a spoonful of Benedictine and I think rye whiskey 00:11:44:23 - 00:11:45:20 Unknown stir down. 00:11:45:20 - 00:11:47:10 Unknown Okay. It's a very good cocktail. 00:11:47:10 - 00:11:55:10 Unknown And so, again, you use these things as blueprints and you just change the design. You have the structure, integrity, and then you just change it. Yeah. 00:11:55:10 - 00:11:56:07 Unknown And so 00:11:56:07 - 00:11:58:04 Unknown I started with all of that, 00:11:58:04 - 00:12:03:17 Unknown but then I wasn't thrilled about how the Benedictine was playing with the chai. 00:12:03:17 - 00:12:07:16 Unknown Mr. Black Because I took I took Mr. Black infused it with chai 00:12:07:16 - 00:12:18:22 Unknown and it was fine. And then I switched Benedictine out with Amaro Montenegro. And that helped a lot because there was nothing like a spice level to marry with the chai. I feel like it's. 00:12:18:22 - 00:12:23:01 Unknown I feel like it's more bitter. Mm hmm. Then Benedictine. 00:12:23:01 - 00:12:25:12 Unknown Yeah, absolutely. Benedictine uses honey, Right? 00:12:25:12 - 00:12:33:03 Unknown I know that you're thinking of gin, Louis. All right. Benedictine is still a sweet or spicy is just not as complex, I guess. Maybe. And 00:12:33:03 - 00:12:36:09 Unknown it's not as complex with the other greens that we're using. And 00:12:36:09 - 00:12:39:12 Unknown I think Amaro montenegro tastes like Grandma's perfume. 00:12:39:12 - 00:12:40:15 Unknown So 00:12:40:15 - 00:12:48:03 Unknown I was amazed that it worked on this cocktail. And then we used one of our buddies, Peter Patrician, his pictures for so Bitters to amplify the. 00:12:48:03 - 00:12:48:21 Unknown Mr. Black 00:12:48:21 - 00:12:55:00 Unknown Yes, but they're also give a little bit of nuttiness and sweetness. Yeah. You know, we used a little bit of demerara just those crowns 00:12:55:00 - 00:13:00:09 Unknown and then I was fine with the cocktail, but it just is. It's kind of flat. Like it just 00:13:00:09 - 00:13:03:19 Unknown would have been fine, like in any other sense. Like, I put this on the menu. 00:13:03:19 - 00:13:12:02 Unknown I think people would love that. But like, again, we're doing competitions, so we need we need to amplify things up and push what we're trying to do. Right. Because I mean, and also 00:13:12:02 - 00:13:15:02 Unknown you went into this competition saying, I want to advanced techniques, 00:13:15:02 - 00:13:19:08 Unknown right? I want to use a techniques that I don't have not used a lot and use a lot of them. 00:13:19:10 - 00:13:27:23 Unknown Right. And it's more of not just to show up, but to push my skill set in how fast and how often I can use something. And also I feel like 00:13:27:23 - 00:13:34:02 Unknown for you using advanced techniques in a competition you've won three times, feels like 00:13:34:02 - 00:13:41:22 Unknown you're practicing with you. Non-dominant hand? Yeah, a little bit, yeah. I mean, I could definitely had layups and probably still came close to winning. 00:13:41:22 - 00:13:45:02 Unknown Maybe, you know, like, been more like it could have been like, more average. 00:13:45:02 - 00:13:49:20 Unknown But what's funny for me that the point right at this point I'm pushing myself. Yeah. 00:13:49:20 - 00:13:52:01 Unknown You're trying to make yourself better. Mm hmm. 00:13:52:01 - 00:13:54:19 Unknown And so then I was like, it's just missing something. 00:13:54:19 - 00:13:57:10 Unknown And then we talked about doing a Campari foam, 00:13:57:10 - 00:14:00:13 Unknown and we tried a different technique so that we thought it was good but not great. 00:14:00:13 - 00:14:03:16 Unknown And I am still amazed that that foam turned out 00:14:03:16 - 00:14:10:07 Unknown as silky as it did. Yeah. Every trial you had with me here, it was just like 00:14:10:07 - 00:14:18:15 Unknown foamy egg whites. So we were doing xanthan gum and egg white. And sometimes it'd be too, and say, I'm going to get the gum minus. You could just you could just tell me Gummy. 00:14:18:15 - 00:14:20:10 Unknown It was like foam. Yeah, like 00:14:20:10 - 00:14:31:13 Unknown egg, white texture on top of a drink. And. But then I was like, it's just missing something. Also, like it was too bitter. It just needed some more depth. And then we decided to use Cookie 00:14:31:13 - 00:14:36:00 Unknown the Cookie Sweet Ruth. So we did, because it ended up being 00:14:36:00 - 00:14:39:07 Unknown You ended up wanting to make it more like a Boulevardier. 00:14:39:09 - 00:14:40:12 Unknown Mm hmm. Which is 00:14:40:12 - 00:14:41:15 Unknown whiskey 00:14:41:15 - 00:14:44:06 Unknown Campari, because basically it's basically a negroni. But with 00:14:44:06 - 00:14:45:09 Unknown whiskey. With rye, 00:14:45:09 - 00:14:48:12 Unknown Yeah. And or bourbon, I guess, you know. 00:14:48:12 - 00:14:54:21 Unknown But and so we did three parts, Campari, two parts cokey, and then some sample go and some egg white. 00:14:54:21 - 00:15:04:12 Unknown And then I got the flavor like, okay, this flavor's great because it says on top you get this big bitterness with little was sweet and then you get the complexity of of the rye in the coffee, the chai, everything else. 00:15:04:12 - 00:15:06:09 Unknown I'm like, okay, perfect. But like you were saying, 00:15:06:09 - 00:15:18:23 Unknown just the fucking consistency was just I mean, I'm measuring everything out. Like I'm not. I just guess I measure everything out. But he bought two new scales for this procedure, right? And so because it wouldn't get you to the 100th 00:15:18:23 - 00:15:20:08 Unknown of a gram 00:15:20:08 - 00:15:25:19 Unknown of the thin gum and no matter, I know it matters, but I'm just saying. 00:15:25:21 - 00:15:32:08 Unknown Right. And so the day of the competition, 40 minutes before is my time. I make the fucking phone 00:15:32:08 - 00:15:42:13 Unknown and I'm like, Well, I got two shots at this. I can make. I'm making it now and we'll go with it or I can destroy it and make it again and just go with that no matter which way. You know, like I got two shots. 00:15:42:14 - 00:15:43:17 Unknown I made it. What 00:15:43:17 - 00:15:44:17 Unknown Two opportunities. 00:15:44:17 - 00:15:48:23 Unknown I know, I know. And so 00:15:48:23 - 00:15:54:11 Unknown so I made it. And then the Templeton rep is there, and he's not judging you, but he's a friend of ours. 00:15:54:11 - 00:16:03:06 Unknown And he was like, That's another reason you shouldn't have been allowed to compete. You're friends with two of the judges. He was friends with. They're all friends with Thome. 00:16:03:08 - 00:16:20:20 Unknown So anyway, so I think they had the higher they held me at a higher standard, they're just going to give it to me. Probably true. They probably give me a harder time. So anyways, I he goes, Hey, let me know when that forms. I want to try. Okay? And so I pour out in the cup and the redness level is exactly how I wanted it. 00:16:20:20 - 00:16:31:19 Unknown So it's so red and the foam was breaking down how sometimes I So there's no symptom gum in there because that's the Zantac I was holding the structure of the foam of the egg. That's all the spacey to him. Right. 00:16:31:19 - 00:16:45:15 Unknown And I go, it didn't look too gummy. I try to like, Oh my God, this is amazing. Like, I still thought it tasted terrible, but you don't like Campari but like the texture, the it was perfect texture and I gave it to yeah, I gave it to him. 00:16:45:16 - 00:16:50:18 Unknown He's like, Oh my God. I told like, this is like my seventh time doing it. This is the best time. This is the best one ever. 00:16:50:18 - 00:16:51:18 Unknown And so anyways, 00:16:51:18 - 00:17:04:00 Unknown so basically I started out down the foam on top, so red and then we used squid ink in the demiraj to make a black. So the bottom half of cattails, black with a red form, very contrasty. 00:17:04:06 - 00:17:16:06 Unknown Okay, we totally forgot to mention any of this. Yeah, no, just continue your drinks and we'll go through because I know I've been thinking about it since you said mint leaves. Yeah. Okay. So then the third drink was with this Asian gin 00:17:16:06 - 00:17:17:03 Unknown and 00:17:17:03 - 00:17:18:06 Unknown I was like, 00:17:18:06 - 00:17:22:08 Unknown I want to do something a little bit different. Obviously, I want to do refreshing in life because it's summertime. 00:17:22:10 - 00:17:25:23 Unknown We already have a tropical drink. We already had kind of a semi-sweet drink. 00:17:25:23 - 00:17:30:20 Unknown So now we need to something with a little more body and a little bit more complexity, but still light and refreshing. 00:17:30:20 - 00:17:31:17 Unknown And so 00:17:31:17 - 00:17:39:08 Unknown lime juice goes with the gin, no matter, you know, whatever. And then for one of my cocktails at the menu of the bar I work at, 00:17:39:08 - 00:17:41:02 Unknown I made a coconut 00:17:41:02 - 00:17:43:20 Unknown almond or coconut orgeat. 00:17:43:23 - 00:17:45:11 Unknown And I thought that turned out really well. 00:17:45:11 - 00:17:46:23 Unknown And I was like, this would probably fit. 00:17:46:23 - 00:17:50:17 Unknown I think this would go really well because all the Asian flavors inside the gin, 00:17:50:17 - 00:17:53:05 Unknown coconut and almond go with that very easily, right? 00:17:53:05 - 00:17:56:08 Unknown But then we tried it and then was like, How do we make this more complex? 00:17:56:08 - 00:17:59:23 Unknown We basically Suva, this coconut almond sirup. 00:18:00:00 - 00:18:02:07 Unknown The question was how can we make this even 00:18:02:07 - 00:18:03:10 Unknown better? And 00:18:03:10 - 00:18:11:04 Unknown tea flavors in the gin lend well to Asian flavor, right? We looked at other flavor components that could be added 00:18:11:04 - 00:18:12:13 Unknown lemongrass, common 00:18:12:13 - 00:18:13:16 Unknown ginger, common 00:18:13:16 - 00:18:17:04 Unknown Thai chilies, Thai chilies, Thai basil, 00:18:17:04 - 00:18:22:10 Unknown you know. And so we are making dinner, are we making a cocktail? Making fun of both. 00:18:22:12 - 00:18:41:13 Unknown So we sweet the coconut almond sirup with lemongrass, fresh lemongrass, fresh ginger and fresh Thai chilies. We see we did for a couple hours and fucking turn out amazing. Yes, it was sweet, creamy and spicy until you had to make the batch for the competition. Right. And so. But before we go there, 00:18:41:13 - 00:18:48:04 Unknown I wanted a milk punches bucket thing because I thought that this drink, if it was crystal clear, would just set it up. 00:18:48:04 - 00:18:57:15 Unknown Because in your mind, you see clear. You think like Christmas refreshing or you think water or water. So you think low flavor. And for those who are not familiar with the milk punch, 00:18:57:15 - 00:19:01:12 Unknown talking to your microphone, please. Yeah. For those who are not familiar with the milk punch, 00:19:02:00 - 00:19:06:18 Unknown basically you mix a cocktail and then you add milk to it. 00:19:06:21 - 00:19:12:00 Unknown And when the milk curdles, it takes out all of the impurities and 00:19:12:00 - 00:19:14:15 Unknown basically everything that would add color 00:19:14:15 - 00:19:23:15 Unknown to this drink and it filters them out. Right. And then gives it also gives it a little bit of roundness of creamy. It doesn't part. It does impart a 00:19:23:15 - 00:19:25:08 Unknown creamy mouthfeel. 00:19:25:08 - 00:19:25:20 Unknown Right. 00:19:25:20 - 00:19:27:17 Unknown And 00:19:27:17 - 00:19:28:05 Unknown it 00:19:28:05 - 00:19:33:02 Unknown it kind of rounds everything out, all of the flavors, but without taking away 00:19:33:02 - 00:19:34:12 Unknown it just destroy the flavor. 00:19:34:12 - 00:19:42:05 Unknown It doesn't take away the impact, but it kind of rounds rounds out the flavors. And so it did exactly what I hope to God it was going to do. 00:19:42:05 - 00:19:46:02 Unknown The chili still was there. It still had it. Well, first you try it 00:19:46:02 - 00:19:49:14 Unknown and you get the botanicals and the creaminess from the coconut almond 00:19:49:14 - 00:19:52:23 Unknown and the botanicals from the gin, but then also adding 00:19:52:23 - 00:19:58:02 Unknown a few milliseconds later, you're you feel this heat in your throat, but not 00:19:58:02 - 00:19:58:19 Unknown excessive. 00:19:58:20 - 00:20:13:13 Unknown Not excessive. It's a little bit of a peppery right, but it tastes like spices, too. It's not a heat like just taste. It tastes like the green flavor of chilies, not just the heat from the capsaicin. Right. And so then we decided to stir it down 00:20:13:13 - 00:20:22:12 Unknown after his milk punch. We start down with Thai basil to get the fresh herbal ness into the cocktail, and that basil also enhances all the other flavors. 00:20:22:12 - 00:20:24:07 Unknown Yes. And so 00:20:24:07 - 00:20:27:19 Unknown I was super happy with this. And then I'm like, Whoa, how do I garnish it? 00:20:27:19 - 00:20:28:16 Unknown And then 00:20:28:16 - 00:20:29:07 Unknown kind of 00:20:29:07 - 00:20:39:09 Unknown then I decide to do Plum because plum goes well with all these flavors. It's an Asian fruit that just is paired very well. So I made a plum paste and paste it into the inside of the cocktail. 00:20:39:11 - 00:20:50:00 Unknown So when the cut or inside the cut to glass. And so when the drink sits there, the plum, what kind of Rossum I release and give it a little bit of fruity notes. As long as you take to drink it, it changes the dynamics of the cocktail. 00:20:50:00 - 00:20:55:03 Unknown So really it was this is a big and bold cocktail that looked like a glass of water, you know. 00:20:56:02 - 00:21:04:09 Unknown So now I feel like this is where we can go into after you were told that what the liquor options were. So the competition was on May 4th. Yes. 00:21:04:09 - 00:21:13:09 Unknown And if you don't understand what May 4th is, it's just a it's a little pun for may the force be with you. So may the force be with you. So it's a big Star Wars day. 00:21:13:11 - 00:21:17:00 Unknown And at first I was like, I don't want to do it. And Star Wars strength this to 00:21:17:00 - 00:21:24:09 Unknown it's too on the nose. But then the rules came out, so we had to do one cocktail that was Star Wars. And I get it right. The public likes that shit. 00:21:24:09 - 00:21:26:22 Unknown The public likes that thing because they think it's cute, it's fun. 00:21:26:22 - 00:21:29:20 Unknown I get all of that is fine. So 00:21:29:20 - 00:21:37:17 Unknown if you know who I am, I'm not going to do one Star Wars drink. I'm going to make all three. You are a very all or nothing person. No, 00:21:37:17 - 00:21:42:20 Unknown you are. There's there is no halfway. And so then what is 00:21:42:20 - 00:21:46:05 Unknown there is no try only do three much. 00:21:46:05 - 00:21:49:02 Unknown So I was like, okay, how can I tie Star Wars? 00:21:49:02 - 00:22:01:17 Unknown I like Star Wars. It's fine. I'm like, I don't all these little sub stories I watched one season The Mandalorian. I don't care what the rest of it, you know, I just I watch all the movies. They're fine. Rogue One, I think is the best Star Wars movies out there. 00:22:01:17 - 00:22:03:23 Unknown And you could give two shits less, right? 00:22:03:23 - 00:22:05:06 Unknown Yeah, I was. 00:22:05:06 - 00:22:09:14 Unknown I had never seen a Star Wars movie until I was in my early twenties. And 00:22:09:14 - 00:22:13:04 Unknown my first college or my first boyfriend out of college 00:22:13:04 - 00:22:14:07 Unknown made me watch 00:22:14:07 - 00:22:29:00 Unknown those. The first the original six. You know the first three, then the prequels. Yeah, yeah. So I Adora guy Brett, who had mentioned many times on this podcast is a big nerd which is great, you know, a great guy. 00:22:29:02 - 00:22:40:19 Unknown And I was like, Hey, what can we do for Star Wars drinks? He's like, Well, there's this blue drink, blah, blah, blah. But he's like, Everyone's going to do that again. When you do that, whatever, whatever. And so he kind of helped me off a couple of things, just kind of getting the ball rolling. 00:22:40:19 - 00:22:41:13 Unknown And then 00:22:41:13 - 00:22:46:01 Unknown I decided, well, what's popular and Star Wars, all the movies, everything. 00:22:46:01 - 00:22:49:13 Unknown What's the what's the biggest what's the merchandise? 00:22:49:13 - 00:22:52:10 Unknown Right. Or notable notable thing? Prop, 00:22:52:10 - 00:22:56:03 Unknown prop, light sabers, perfect light sabers that will 00:22:56:03 - 00:22:57:09 Unknown how okay. Now 00:22:57:09 - 00:23:06:21 Unknown moon's like how do I taillights ever since I'll just do a lightsaber color as the garnish for every drink. So you you took that you took an idea that 00:23:06:21 - 00:23:10:08 Unknown oh yeah, let's try this and do a lightsaber and then let's do this. 00:23:10:08 - 00:23:35:05 Unknown The easiest way possible. Absolutely. Abso fucking early to put less than no thought into this, all right? Like, Well, exactly. But you know what? And then so with the with the tiki, with the rum, sparkling wine we didn't mint. So that was green lightsaber where the gin, Asian and fusion drink. We did purple streaks of the purple lightsaber. 00:23:35:07 - 00:23:44:14 Unknown And then for the Templeton Rider we did the the Campari sweet remove. That's a red lightsaber, right? So we tied them all the other that way, and then we named them all something 00:23:44:14 - 00:23:49:23 Unknown relatively two Star Wars, two Star Wars and and also 00:23:49:23 - 00:23:55:08 Unknown to talking to your microphone and also to that color of lightsaber. Right. Had something to do. 00:23:55:08 - 00:23:56:17 Unknown So green 00:23:56:17 - 00:24:16:19 Unknown is usually, you know, Jedi and Yoda had the green lightsaber so we called it refreshing. I am. Yep. And then the Asian drink, gin drink had purple and the only person to yield a purple lightsaber is Windu. That's Samuel L Jackson is character in the prequels. So we called it Windu. 00:24:16:19 - 00:24:20:14 Unknown And then the last drink with Templeton Rye with a Campari foam. 00:24:20:16 - 00:24:38:01 Unknown Since the drink was black and the garnish was red, the phone was red. Um, we were thinking the Imperial Army. It's the Imperial Army, right? Yeah, the Army. And. Yeah, and the dark side wields the red lightsaber usually. Yeah, usually. 00:24:38:01 - 00:24:40:04 Unknown Obviously, there's no standard. Right. 00:24:40:04 - 00:24:43:10 Unknown So we called it the dark side. Mm hmm. 00:24:43:10 - 00:24:45:04 Unknown Since the drink had China so 00:24:45:04 - 00:24:46:22 Unknown happy with all three of those names 00:24:46:22 - 00:24:47:12 Unknown and. 00:24:47:16 - 00:24:51:01 Unknown Yeah. And so Riley kind of said at the very beginning 00:24:51:01 - 00:24:53:01 Unknown during the competition, 00:24:53:01 - 00:24:59:21 Unknown you have to draw numbers. They go over the rules. Everyone draws a random number. That's the contestant that you are. Or that's the number you are. 00:24:59:21 - 00:25:02:09 Unknown your. That's your 00:25:02:09 - 00:25:12:05 Unknown order competition. Order. Yeah. So I did not want to or get one too or really three would have been pushing it, but we had to redo some things because we weren't happy the night before. 00:25:12:11 - 00:25:26:18 Unknown How the prep went, it just the orgy didn't end up being spicy, you know. And that's Chili's, right. And that was that, that drink that it's the chili that says that drink. That's what makes it, that's what makes that drink. That drink. It would have been fine without 00:25:26:18 - 00:25:30:00 Unknown the added chilies, but I'm glad we were able to get them in there. 00:25:30:01 - 00:25:31:03 Unknown Absolutely. So 00:25:31:03 - 00:25:38:09 Unknown we're doing all this prep work. We are. I pulled number ten. I'm the second. The last. I know I have 4 hours 00:25:38:09 - 00:25:39:23 Unknown to sit there and do prep. 00:25:39:23 - 00:25:46:20 Unknown And like Riley said earlier, I'm kind a social butterfly. You know, I'm talking to other bartenders. I'm kind of doing prep work. 00:25:46:20 - 00:25:50:21 Unknown So I get there shortly. So he gets over there about 9:00. 00:25:50:21 - 00:25:56:14 Unknown Competition doesn't start till ten to start prep. I get over there about 915 because I got eyeliner in my eye 00:25:56:14 - 00:26:09:18 Unknown and then he he tells me that I have to go to Whole Foods to get Santhanam, which was not an item on the list of things that we remembered we needed to bring. It was the only thing we forgot, which is actually pretty good for us. 00:26:09:18 - 00:26:13:02 Unknown Yeah, as as a impressive. 00:26:13:02 - 00:26:14:05 Unknown So 00:26:14:17 - 00:26:26:16 Unknown also at the same time, Chilis were kind of on the back of our minds like, Hey, we should get these because it's going to change the drink. Mm. So I ran it and I go, I found Thai Chilis and Z and then got my Whole Foods 00:26:26:16 - 00:26:27:19 Unknown and got back. 00:26:27:19 - 00:26:32:19 Unknown So this is where we decided to remake not remake, but just 00:26:32:19 - 00:26:34:10 Unknown re infuse. 00:26:34:12 - 00:26:41:13 Unknown Right. We had bland ish because of Thai orgeat and we just re infused it with more Thai chilies and ginger. Right. 00:26:41:13 - 00:26:42:19 Unknown And at this point 00:26:42:19 - 00:26:47:07 Unknown Karl sets it and forgets it because an SUV is supposed to be in there for 2 hours 00:26:47:07 - 00:26:51:19 Unknown and the thing goes off and I'm like, Hey, are you going to take that out? He goes, No, I'm going to let it cool. 00:26:51:19 - 00:26:56:13 Unknown And then an hour later, it's still cooling in water in the SUV. 00:26:56:13 - 00:27:07:21 Unknown Yeah, well, like I said, I mean, yeah, I don't know what else you want to say. I looked stuff and like, you were there pushing everything like that. Because also we have there's a there's a public competition. So we have to make like fucking 00:27:07:21 - 00:27:10:08 Unknown 70, 80 ounces of the sirup too. 00:27:10:08 - 00:27:12:15 Unknown Because we have, we. Yeah. Because we made. 00:27:12:15 - 00:27:16:09 Unknown Well yeah, we had to make 70 or 80 ounces of the 00:27:16:09 - 00:27:19:06 Unknown sirup but then we also had two milk punch 00:27:19:06 - 00:27:26:17 Unknown a gallon and a half. Right. Of this cocktail. And then we had to make more super juice for lime juice. And then we also had to make the foam and the pump. 00:27:26:18 - 00:27:35:15 Unknown So there was a lot. But some of the stuff I don't want to make until I knew I was like 40 minutes away cause like the plum paste, you wanted to make sure that it set up but didn't get 00:27:35:15 - 00:27:52:00 Unknown didn't break you. Yeah, whatever. So there's a lot going on. You know, I, I think, you know, I think you a lot always thank you that you were there doing your thing because when you came I'm like trying to make I'm trying to make eye contact with him and you just need to come up to me. 00:27:52:00 - 00:28:02:17 Unknown Just be more, you know. I know that's that's the only times it worked. You can't. Yes. No, it didn't anyway, because the time that we went over to make and he was giving you the placebo, I was like, Hey, you need to get this out. 00:28:02:17 - 00:28:04:02 Unknown I said, I don't want to saying that 00:28:04:02 - 00:28:05:18 Unknown because you weren't listening to me. 00:28:05:19 - 00:28:07:23 Unknown I'm listening. I'm just hearing you. 00:28:07:23 - 00:28:09:14 Unknown Same thing. I don't know. 00:28:09:14 - 00:28:11:11 Unknown Anyways, it all got done. 00:28:11:11 - 00:28:23:14 Unknown Yeah, yeah. I again, I don't know what else you always say. I'm like, I'm dismissing any of this. I even put on fucking Facebook that you deserve 60% of the work. So you just. I just want to like, 00:28:23:14 - 00:28:25:11 Unknown bring attention to it 00:28:25:11 - 00:28:27:09 Unknown because there's been enough attention, bro. 00:28:27:14 - 00:28:32:01 Unknown No, because I was fucking annoyed the entire day. 00:28:32:01 - 00:28:44:19 Unknown So anyways, to go up there, do my thing, it works out. Then we do the public event where people pay $30 to come and try everyone's cocktails. You making samples from for like 90 straight minutes? You're just 00:28:44:19 - 00:28:51:04 Unknown pouring cocktails explaining the drink over. You're talking this kind of over, over and over again, which is why it far it's fun because 00:28:51:04 - 00:28:52:02 Unknown people really enjoyed it. 00:28:52:02 - 00:28:58:19 Unknown They really enjoyed the window. I think the window was our best drink. Yeah, I was surprised. I thought refreshing. I am would have been, uh. Yeah, 00:28:58:19 - 00:29:02:13 Unknown but. And then they did the announcements this and other prizes 00:29:02:13 - 00:29:05:13 Unknown and then they announced this place and 00:29:05:13 - 00:29:06:19 Unknown we were lucky enough to win it. 00:29:06:19 - 00:29:08:09 Unknown And then that's it. That's, 00:29:08:09 - 00:29:10:00 Unknown that is a very rambly 00:29:10:00 - 00:29:10:18 Unknown 2023. 00:29:10:18 - 00:29:13:00 Unknown I was best mixologist. Sorry, that is. 00:29:13:00 - 00:29:21:03 Unknown But that's how the date, that's how chaotic the day feels. And that's, that's kind of what it's like to be inside the mind of somebody who is a creative. Also, 00:29:21:03 - 00:29:29:15 Unknown nothing ever happens from point A to point B, You always have detours and stops along the way, right? And creating a cocktail isn't like, 00:29:29:15 - 00:29:30:22 Unknown Oh, hey, I like these ingredients. 00:29:30:22 - 00:29:32:09 Unknown We're going to throw it together. I mean, 00:29:32:09 - 00:29:34:21 Unknown it's it's, it's fun, it's unique. 00:29:34:21 - 00:29:39:09 Unknown And now they made a rule saying, repeat, winners can't get you again. 00:29:39:09 - 00:29:45:00 Unknown So but it's fine because like Jake and I, your head can't get any bigger. It's pretty fucking big. 00:29:45:00 - 00:29:47:03 Unknown My fucking shoulders hurt 00:29:47:03 - 00:29:49:17 Unknown your neck in neck brace. 00:29:49:17 - 00:29:51:17 Unknown So. But anyways, I've talked to Jake. 00:29:51:17 - 00:30:03:23 Unknown I told you this because I've barely seen you in the past fucking 72 hours. Right, Jake? Out talking about we want to do start offering, like get together like everyone who wants to once a month and do like zoom calls about, like just how 00:30:03:23 - 00:30:10:11 Unknown costs are getting better as bartenders here in the state of Iowa. Right? Because we want everyone to be better. 00:30:10:11 - 00:30:11:11 Unknown We want everything 00:30:11:11 - 00:30:15:05 Unknown to put out the best product that we humanly, all can can, but also grow 00:30:15:05 - 00:30:16:02 Unknown because 00:30:16:02 - 00:30:27:23 Unknown it's hard growing when the state is not known as a cocktail state, but also the mentorship, the leadership education is so lacking because really there is, like you and Jake are probably 00:30:27:23 - 00:30:30:05 Unknown the first generation of 00:30:30:05 - 00:30:31:23 Unknown cocktail makers in this state. 00:30:31:23 - 00:30:45:10 Unknown Yeah, I mean, there's other bartenders, other bars that we are not aware of, but we go to the bars until we go. But yes, publicly that we're aware of. But your generation. Our generation, yes. Is the first generation of bartenders who actually takes mixology seriously 00:30:45:10 - 00:30:46:13 Unknown and is 00:30:46:13 - 00:30:53:01 Unknown in cares about all of the flavors, not just providing palate friendly options, you know, And I think that's what we want. 00:30:53:02 - 00:30:55:04 Unknown Right. Had a light refreshing 00:30:55:04 - 00:31:09:19 Unknown you know whose a cocktail all the flavor notes the hit spicy with other complexes and that hit better with the other complexes that's around the rye drink was very round and it was very sweet but the bitter foam rounded it out 00:31:09:19 - 00:31:12:04 Unknown balance and multi dimensional too. 00:31:12:04 - 00:31:14:13 Unknown So, yeah, I mean it was it was a fight years. 00:31:14:14 - 00:31:18:15 Unknown But in time, you know I mean it's stressful as fuck It's 00:31:18:15 - 00:31:21:03 Unknown I'm never going to have to assist you again. 00:31:21:03 - 00:31:25:18 Unknown Yeah I realize I don't understand like there's no more system over there. 00:31:25:18 - 00:31:30:21 Unknown So yeah I actually I want you to I would love for us to 00:31:30:21 - 00:31:34:03 Unknown of course we represent Alcoholics bar or one year that one 00:31:34:03 - 00:31:36:21 Unknown of your whole areas that you wouldn't next year 00:31:36:21 - 00:31:42:21 Unknown can't because I'm judging next year you have to be a year I don't judge two years two years from now for our own bars open I, 00:31:42:21 - 00:31:45:03 Unknown I will not compete in that competition. 00:31:45:04 - 00:31:53:06 Unknown I'll just make all the drinks. So you got this to. No, that's the part that I can't do. I can make the drinks, I have the palate. I just can't be. 00:31:53:06 - 00:32:01:03 Unknown We'll get you there, okay? We'll get you. There is going to be shaking so bad that I'm not going to be able to fill. Jiggers is still in there. 00:32:01:05 - 00:32:15:23 Unknown And sorry. Well, we appreciate everyone taking a listen to this extra bonus episode. And this is episode of obviously was free to everyone. And if you want to hear more bonus content, go to our do you want to start a tab for three bucks a month? You get some more stuff. 00:32:15:23 - 00:32:18:00 Unknown Yeah that's it piece by.