I’ve always been fascinated by bartenders. Maybe it’s because the first time I saw mixology at work was at the International Bartender Championship Finals was held in Singapore, as opposed to a random drink in some dingy bar. Those guys were unbelievable — selecting ingredients, complementing tastes and smells based on themes, and dedicating a lot of effort to presentation. To these bartenders, mixology is an art, and there is more to drinking than just getting high.
World-famous mixologist Laurent Greco recently took us through a basic mixology class as part of this year’s Singapore Cocktail Week. Having spent his whole life behind the bar, Greco also has his own bar, Mojito Lab, which serves some of his creative cocktails through various techniques, and even manages a bar concept in Singapore.
As Perrier’s brand ambassador, Greco created drinks using the French mineral water. Most of us simply know Perrier as sparkling mineral water, and my interest was piqued as to how Greco’s cocktails would turn out. Laurent Greco then went on give a live demonstration of how he perfected his own cocktail creations by creating a spectacle (think fire, smoke and lights) that amazed us visually and gastronomically.
Here are some tips if you ever decide to install a bar table in your home, or even become professional and become a bartender.
1. Never show your guests the label or the packaging of your ingredients
Greco never told us the reason why, but I’m guessing it’s to give the impression that you aren’t giving your guests cheap things. This is why the bar is constructed in such a way where the mixologist can turn his back on his guests or mix under the bar ledge, and not let people see what he is doing.
2. Use a finger from your free hand to stabilise the bottle at the neck when you’re pouring
This is the chance to impress your guests – appear as if you have been pouring drinks your whole life by being as steady as possible.
Gelatin with Perrier turns into a delightful dessert.
3. Ice is your friend and your enemy
From what I witnessed, Greco was very meticulous in ensuring that his drinks are of top quality. This means using ice cubes only to chill the glass and straining the cocktail properly after shaking, as ice cubes would dilute the drink. Presentation-wise, Greco even insisted on using shaved ice instead of cubed ice in a cup with lights at the bottom because the light that reflected out resulted in a much nicer presentation. Also, don’t forget the existence of solid carbon dioxide, which creates voluminous smoke that everyone loves because it makes for a good photo opp.
Using lights and shaved ice to create a base to present the drink.
4. Don’t be afraid to let your creativity out
Think not just on how the drink is served, but also how the drink is created. One of Greco’s favorites is the smoke machine. His creation, the Perrier Smoky Mojito, uses smoke not only to wow audiences, but also to stimulate the senses. You can smell the smokiness, and even taste a little bit of smoky goodness in the drink. You might think that smoke is not such a big deal, but apparently people in Europe are willing to pay six more Euros for a little bit of excitement.
Anyone can just make the same old drink, but presenting it and enjoying the drink being served to you? That’s a whole other story. Simple things like removing a glass full of alcohol into another to let it mix by itself and drinking it from a funky cup might make all that difference. Using the example of the Tiki cocktails which always come in those replicas of Tiki statues, Greco instead uses a Russian nestling doll to house his drink, with a hole drilled though the top for the straw. He also added cotton candy to Perrier water to create a sweet drink for non-alchoholics.
A Russian nestling doll with a hole drilled into the back for the straw to come through.
5. Use local products
Why would you want to go to another country to drink something you can get back in your own country? To fully understand other cultures, using local ingredients can added another level of appreciation to the cuisine. For one of the final cocktails, Greco mixed some dry ice, edible soap and Chanel No. 5 perfume for a wonderful drink that also delighted the olfactory glands. It was as much of a gimmick as a delicious drink, and it certainly had the effect that he intended.
Perrier with cotton candy dissolved into it for the sweet tooth.
6. Never ever shake a bottle of Perrier when using it as a mixer
Perrier stands as the most carbonated of all sparkling mineral water, and I’m pretty sure that you wouldn’t want to see the results of that.
