Inventory for November 19th, 2017
Welcome back friends! This week, Angus Winchester was named Director of Education for BCB Brooklyn, a new whisky subscription service is offering spirits in a pouch, Rory Lawton takes on the beer industry and it’s “woo woo” mysticism, and over at Liquor.com Elva Ramirez talks to bartenders about what it’s like to parent and simultaneously work in the industry. Cheers!
The motor city of Detroit is going through a revival of sorts. Sure, things are still tough but the bad economy makes for cheap rent and an entrepreneurial spirit that the gastronomy industry can only benefit from. Tasting Table has a list of all the best bars that Detroit has to offer right now. Start your night at Bad Luck Bar with some tiki cocktails, grab some snacks at Brix Wine & Charcuterie Bar, and end your evening at Grey Ghost where you can imbibe delicious, jewel-like creations.
Angus Winchester named Director of Education for BCB Brooklyn
Angus Winchester is one of the world’s leading bar consultants and an all-round good dude. He’s just been named the Director of Education for Bar Convent Brooklyn, a sister event to the Bar Convent Berlin. Bar Convent Brooklyn will take place at the Brooklyn Expo Center on June 12th and 13th, 2018. “Renowned for his expertise in beverage programming, Winchester will develop leading edge education in both the craft and business realms of the bar and beverage industry exclusively for BCB.”
Single Malt Whisky in a Pouch
Ever wanted to inconspicuously sip on your whisky while looking like a Kindergarten child? Wait no longer, the opportunity is upon you! A new whisky subscription service, called Whisky Me, offers to send a pouch of single-malt whisky to your door for only £7 a month. The service is only available in the UK for now, but here’s hoping. To be fair, the whisky is not meant to be consumed from the pouch but rather this service wants to open the world of whisky up to a novice who perhaps doesn’t want to invest in a whole bottle. Plus, pouches weigh less than glass, which keeps down the shipping cost. Tasting Table reports that samples hail from various upscale distilleries, including Aberfeldy, Macallan and Royal Lochnagar.
The Beer Industry and ‘Woo Woo’ Mysticism
Earlier this week, the renowned beer expert Rory Lawton, who sadly has left Berlin for the greener pastures of his native Ireland, wrote an article on the use of “energised water” and other mystical ingredients in brewing. He argues that when breweries abandon science and reason, it harms the beer industry as a whole. His concern is that breweries are making false, or unverifiable claims about their brewing water and their beer. And he refuses to drink even a single nip from them. Lawton strongly believes that brewers should be able to use any food-safe ingredient they want in their beer, but they should steer clear of pedalling nonsense, unscientific practices in a bid to promote their product. It’s an interesting take, one definitely worth reading over on our sister site Beer, Bars, and Brewer.
Parenting in the Bar Industry
Last week, Elva Ramirez wrote an article for Liquor.com on what it’s like being a parent and a bartender. What makes it an extra challenge is the “endless access to alcohol, regular interactions with flirty strangers, late-night shifts that end at 4 a.m. and a culture that expresses friendship in rounds of shots.” Bartender Christy Pope says that, while her husband’s now the face of their bar, Midnight Rambler, she might be doing as much work as him but she does it during the day. She says, “Sometimes, you miss that ability to be able to socialize and make those face-to-face connections.” Another fun fact? Kids don’t care if you worked until 5am last night. They’re up when they’re up. And they came to play. The upside though, is that many bartender children get to travel the world and become familiar with a whole host of characters. That’ll certainly set them up for life.
Credits
Foto: Photo via Shutterstock.