Mix the perfect drink

Bartending tips help correct some common mistakes
By Margaret Sheridan, Special to the Tribune

Home entertaining requires juggling three roles: host, chef and bartender. Of the three, the bartender is most crucial. It sets the mood. Proffering that first flute of bubbly or a pilsner in a sleek chilled glass has immediate impact. It spells welcome and whets the appetite.

Whether you're tossing a Super Bowl chili bash or potluck for neighbors, playing bartender lets you customize entertaining. What you pour can enhance a theme and menu.

To sharpen skills for winter entertaining, we asked three experts for tips on correcting common mistakes in bartending. "Having a party isn't the time to serve new cocktails," says Tony Abou-Ganim, a Las Vegas-based hospitality consultant and author. Limit the scope of what you pour, offer drinks you're familiar with and buy quality ingredients. "Don't guess. Use tested recipes. They're engineered to balance taste and flavor, sweet and sour."

Hosts create stress by leaving details to the last minute, Toby Maloney says. Put the bar close to a sink, have plenty of trash containers at strategic locations and double the amount of garnishes, advises the head mixologist and partner of The Violet Hour in Wicker Park. "When the guests arrive is not the time to be squeezing lemons."

Being a solo host/chef/bartender requires a reality check. "Simplify everything," says Carlyn Berghoff, CEO of Berghoff Catering & Restaurant Group. "The larger the gathering, the less complicated the food and drinks should be."

Tips

Ice: It's the most overlooked ingredient. Ice, like a sponge, absorbs flavors. Stale ice can ruin the taste of a drink. Make a fresh batch of cubes or a block with bottled or filtered water to avoid off flavors.

Numbers game: Figure 1 quart of liquor for every 10 to 12 drinkers. One bottle of wine for two to three drinkers. Three bottles of beer for every beer drinker. Enlist or hire one helper for every 20 guests.

Pitcher perfect: If a full bar is out of the budget or beyond your skills, offer beer, wine and one signature drink. Opt for a pitcher of white sangria, mugs of mulled wine or a seasonal punch.

Cold on cold: Serve all mixers (soda, tonic, cola, ginger ale) cold. A mixer, poured over ice at room temperature, will hasten the demise of a gin and tonic by diluting it.

Sweet correction: Overly tart drinks such as a margarita or daiquiri can be saved by an additional slash of orange liqueur or homemade simple syrup.

Legal ease: Big party? Over 20 guests? Be sure the bartender is of legal age. Check your insurance policy. Whatever happens is your responsibility.

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