Award-winning mixologist Ankit Negandhi has launched a custom bar tool set that helps you stir up a mean cocktail in minutes
Award-winning mixologist Ankit Negandhi has launched a custom bar tool set that helps you stir up a mean cocktail in minutes
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"You don't need to compromise quality for convenience while shaking up a cocktail on your own. All it takes is the right equipment, some simple techniques and quality ingredients to get results that are as good as the drinks served at top-notch lounges," says star mixologist Ankit Negandhi. He won the 2008 Smartest Bartender of the World award at the Bacardi Martini Grand Prix held in Rome last year.u00a0
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Mixologist Ankit Negandhi and his Bar kit (top)
Pics/ Rane Ashish |
"Mixology is an art of exactness. Professional bartenders use a series of instruments designed especially for the creation of consistently-good cocktails. The truth is that you'll only really need a few items to make the vast majority of drinks offered at any bar," says the man responsible for the sexy cocktails at South African lounge Marimba. He has launched a customisable bar tool set to bring out the domestic bartender in the city's drinker.
The sleek kit comprises the items essential to wow guests at house partiesu00a0- a Boston shaker, a muddler, a bar spoon, an entru00e9e strainer and a lime zest remover. The tools are primarily high quality stainless steel, glass and wood. If you're stuck for technique, Ankit can drop by at your place to conduct a personal bartending session.
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The tool guide to cocktailsBoston shaker: An easy-to-clean, durable tin. The Boston variety sometimes includes two tins, one larger than the other. Except for clear drinks like the Martini, the Boston shaker is the preferred tool for getting a homogenised beverage.
Simply build your cocktail in the mixing glass, or the large tin in the two-piece variety, and lodge the other piece into the mixing medium tightly enough to allow liquid to pass between them without leaking. Don't shake drinks that are meant to come out clear. The result will be a bubbly, cloudy mixture that won't have much difference in flavour. For instance, a Martini uses such subtle amounts of flavouring agents that it's unnecessary to vigorously mix them. Also avoid shaking soda-based drinks.
Bar spoon: Bar spoons have rubber tips that make sure none of the metallic flavours from the spoon itself get into the drink; especially important for stir-method cocktails that tend to use less powerful ingredients.
Pour spout: These come in metal, plastic and rubber varieties. The pour spout allows a bartender to get the exact amount of liquid necessary for a cocktail. This makes building a proportion-sensitive drink like anything served in a cocktail glass much easier than eye-measuring.
It's also nice to have some simple coffee stirrers or even swizzle sticks for simple mixed drinks like vodka and citrus, or rum and cola. These make sure that a nursed drink doesn't separate in the glass.
To order a custom bar tool kit from Ankit Negandhi, head to Marimba, near Fun Republic, Dalia Estate, Off Veera Desai Road, Andheri (W) or call on 9773133220.
