Meet a speedy drink mixologist
10:52 AM CDT on Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Bobby Gleason holds a Guinness World Record for making 253 different cocktails in an hour.
Novice mixologists, however, really only need to know how to make three things, he says: A margarita, a cosmopolitan or lemon drop, and an old-fashioned.
The 47-year-old Las Vegas resident – who's opened bars at the Bellagio and the Mirage – leads a free seminar on the basics of cocktailing tomorrow at Dallas' Sting Lounge.
Here are more tips from him on how to beef up your home bar. Lesley Téllez Q: What are three basics you
should have in your home bar?
A: The most important thing you need is a good cocktail book. You need recipes, and you need to follow those recipes. You need to have great spirits, and you need to have a well-balanced bar.
Q: What's one cocktail that's always
a hit at a party?
A: I like to talk about several cocktails that evolved out of one cocktail recipe. And it's very simple. It's called a sidecar. That recipe calls for two parts cognac, one part triple sec, and two parts fresh lemon sour. With that basic recipe – two parts base spirit, one part modifier, two parts juice – we can change those and make all different types of cocktails. If we take the cognac out and add gin, we have a cocktail called the White Lady. If we had vodka, we have a cocktail called the lemon drop.
Q: What's the secret to making a stellar drink?
A: You want to be able to taste all your ingredients, so you need to balance them properly. It's only going to come with experience. Trial and error. And the great thing about trial and error with cocktails is, sometimes you have to drink your mistakes.
Bobby Gleason leads a free "Cocktail-ology 101" seminar tomorrow from 7 to 9 p.m. at Sting Lounge. Topics include how to stock an at-home bar, how to mix traditional cocktails and how to incorporate the latest spirit trends into parties. 15240 Dallas Parkway. stingdallas.com.