Surprise YouTube meet and greet! 🎉

I was relaxing on my couch mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when I saw that Cara from Behind the Bar had arrived into Adelaide to judge a spirit competition. A few messages back and forth and only a few hours later we were perched on high tables at the distillery talking shop and sipping gins!

If you've been watching cocktail videos on YouTube for a while then I'd be very surprised if you haven't heard of Cara's YouTube channel. She's incredibly passionate and her videos are extremely informative yet easy to understand.

My favourite video (and her most popular) is How to order whisky like a boss! which explains different styles of whiskey in a clear and concise manner. I also assisted Cara make a ramos gin fizz a few years ago. Ever wondered what Cara's favourite cocktail is? The Jaberwocky (I'm yet to try it!)...

p.s. if you're ever in Adelaide, hit me up for a drink!

📷 VIDEOS

Finally a new upload after 4 weeks!! 😬 I hope I made up for it with this one though... 7 easy bourbon whiskey cocktails (with only 1 bottle). The concept of using a single bottle for a handful of drinks seems to be well received so I'm considering turning it into a series, your thoughts?

OTHER VIDEOS:

• Best Bourbons under $30 USD | Liber & Co.

• Infinity Cocktails | Zack Zoschke

• 4 types of bartenders (funny) | Charlie Berens

• Pre-batched Old Fashioned | Cocktail Time with Kevin Kos

• 5 Summer Blended Cocktails | Bonneville Cocktail Collection

🔥 TIP OF THE WEEK

Get 8x more juice from your lemons and limes whilst simultaneously extending it's shelf life (up to 1 week) by making Super Juice. It may sound intimidating at first but it's really quite simple, I promise! You will need to buy both citric and malic acids which are readily available (and inexpensive) at brew shops.

Follow these steps to make Super Lemon Juice...

1. Peel your lemon(s), record the weight of the peel and place in a jar

2. Add the equivalent weight in citric acid

3. Rest for 1-2 hours until oils are extracted from the peels (like an oleo)

4. Add 16.66 times the weight of the peels in water

5. Juice the already peeled lemons and combine

6. Transfer to a blender and blend for 30 seconds

7. Strain through a cheesecloth into a sterilised bottle

For Super Lime Juice, use the same method listed above but use both citric acid (0.66 x weight of peel) and malic acid (0.33 x weight of peel). Kevin Kos has a Super Juice calculator on his website if you want to skip the math.

📚 RECOMMENDED READING

Sasha Petraske played an instrumental role in the cocktail renaissance after opening his seminal cocktail bar, Milk & Honey at the very beginning of 2000. He intended his book to be a "minimalist's guide to mixing Milk & Honey-quality drinks at home." He had barely started writing the book when he passed in 2015. It was his wife, Georgette Moger-Petraske, who completed the book. Featuring anecdotes from influential bartenders and friends alongside 75 simple, stunning and precise cocktails. My only gripe - another cocktail book without photos (but the content more than makes up for it).

Check it out here:

Booktopia (AUS) | Amazon (US) | Book Depository (worldwide)

🚀 PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

It's that time of year, advent calendars are back again! Every year the team at White Possum put together two epic calendars featuring Australian gin or whisky (sorry, only available in Australia). The spirits are delicious and the packaging is always impressive... and for those in the US, why not check out this bourbon advent calendar.

☕ LAST CHANCE

There's literally only hours left before the Coffee Cocktail Challenge closes so make sure you get your entry submitted by posting a photo or video on Instagram, Facebook or Tik Tok, tag @mrblackspirits and use the hashtag #coffeecocktailchallenge!

If you made it this far, let me know what you think of today's issue of The Stir Down!

Cheers,

Steve the Bartender

📚 Want a copy of my book? View stockists

🤔 Got a question? DM me on Instagram!