Background information
I need to regain control of my fridge!
by Simon Balissat
No more beer and wine, now it has to be cocktails
21.12.2021
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Oliver Fischer
If I drink alcohol, then beer or wine. That was the case for years (decades). Not anymore. Ten days on a Greek beach have turned me into a cocktail drinker.
We sit in a cozy lounge and from the left the last warm sunbeams of the day fall on our faces. Feet in the sand, tiny waves break gently against the beach. In the background the off-beat of some reggae singer mixes with the clinking and jingling behind the beach bar and the conversations of other people. In my hand, a cool glass of a "Sparkling dittany lemonade," a slightly bitter-lemon gin cocktail.
It was on this last evening of our summer vacation that my wife and I decided that we would bring that little bit of summer feeling home to rainy Switzerland. We'd set up our own small but mighty home bar and immerse ourselves in cocktail culture.
Well, that was the beginning of August. And what can I say? Three weeks later, we threw our first cocktail party for the family. And I can humbly say, it was okay.
In the meantime, we really dug in. I've clicked through and read countless online articles about home bars and what it takes in terms of equipment. We took a masterclass on mixology and quickly bought a few hundred francs worth of basic spirits, bitters, aperitif drinks and mixing liquids.
Then, of course, we had to get shakers, stirring spoons, ice tongs, measuring cups, strainers and ice containers. And then the glasses for the different drinks ... I had no idea how diverse all that is and how precisely you can distinguish between glasses for different types of cocktails. Anyway, another two hundred francs went down the drain. And of course not to forget the one or other cocktail recipe book.
Now I'm sitting on this fully functional house bar - and ask myself: Did we overdo it just a little bit? Because since then, cocktails have almost replaced beer or wine on the weekend. But because we drink no more than two each weekend, we now stockpile cocktail glasses, mixing tools and bamboo straws in large quantities. Not to mention spirits, liqueurs and syrups....
This text is the start of a series of five articles in which I want to introduce you to the concept of a home bar: An overview of the most important utensils, a short history lesson in spirits, a conversation about cocktail culture and life as a bartender as well as an experience report from a bar course, including an update on how my home bar is doing shortly before New Year's Eve.
Oliver Fischer
Teamleader Editorial
Oliver.Fischer@digitecgalaxus.chGlobetrotter, hiker, wok world champion (not in the ice channel), word acrobat and photo enthusiast.
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