I recall staring at a home bartender utilizing a gentle, some might even say sensual shake, but let them off the hook when they shook for a good 15 seconds.
Very informative video. The most common mistake I think I make is overshaking drinks. That results in too much dilution and a watery feeling and taste in the cocktail. I need to stop shaking earlier. On the other hand, I want the drink to be cold...
I can barely even shake for longer than ten seconds before the pain from the cold shaker in my hands becomes unbearable unless I use eg. a towel, even though I always add the ice in last thing before sealing the shaker. But maybe that just means my shaker is of low quality, I haven't got my hands on a boston shaker yet.
@@fdagpigjif you're new to making drinks, it might also just be that you're not used to it yet. I could barely shake for ten seconds when I first started but I can go much longer nowadays
If this isn't one of the best pitches i've heard in a while, I don't know what is! Right audience, "foot in the door", honesty - even if that may hurt the prospective customer and most importantly a product you definitely stand behind (which you juuust briefly mention as a "by the way, this happens to be the solution to your Problem!"). Throughout all of that, still to-the-point and presented oh-so-charmingly (; Would I not be currently limited in what I can allow to spend my money on, I would without a doubt have gone and looked up where I can find your Book! Keep up the great work in every aspect! It really shows that you put more than 1:53 of effort into this one.
Hi Steve, good video and I fully agree with all you say. My notable mistake was making an Across the Pacific and failing to dissolve an ice cube in a first shake. The cocktail, shaken only with a couple of rocks knocked me out for rest of that evening. Properly diluted it is a lovely drink loved by my family too. Nick from York
My main rivals against a well stocked bar are my visiting family taking my bottles whenever they want and my college student budget. But other than that, I'm also at fault of neglecting fresh ingredients hahahaha
Fresh out of college so I don't have all the money in the world atm, but i have enough stuff to make several really good drinks. And i just recently made the switch to fresh lime and lemon juice, and wow, what a difference!
Knowing your videos Steve, I bet you that you burst into laughter after you did the "poor cocktail shaking technique" part of the video 😂😂😂😂 it may have even taken a few takes!
My biggest mistake starting out was not knowing what needed refrigeration and what didn't. I cringe thinking of the times that'd I'd keep dry vermouth on the shelf and absinthe in the fridge. 😅
Steve!!! Why do some bartenders rim the glass with sugar on a whiskey sour? Is that just personal choice or is it overkill for the sweetness in your opinion?
biggest dumb mistake I made was not realizing a fizzy water I was adding to a cocktail had citrus and the cocktail in question involved cream... citrus and cream curdled which is less desirable :
I’ve found freshly squeezed citrus to be the biggest difference. If a recipe calls for 20ml of lime, that could be anything from 1/2 a lime to a whole one depending on the size and age of the limes you have. 20ml from a very juicy lime will typically come from 1/2 a lime and will be nowhere as strong as the same volume taken from older less juicy limes. The danger is you can end up with a drink with way too much citrus if you go purely by volume, as the juice from older limes is much more concentrated
not a beginner, and some of this I never made: I've always measured ingredients to the best of my ability (I still use one of the milk bottles from my babies, and the youngest are already over 19!) and I always use best quality fruit and herbs (between my own garden, and that of my dad's and of 2 sisters-in-law, I always have fresh, organic, best quality fruit and herbs at hand). as for mixing properly and garnishing properly, I have the perfect work-around! I prefer built cocktails to the exclusion of mixing, and I really, really! don't like garnishes. even at bars and restaurants, I always ask for my cocktails to come with as little garnishing as possible and with no added ice (restaurants especially use vast amounts of ice to overprice cocktails. the range of drinks in the bar is a point I would love for you to expand on. I have 3 types of rum, irish whiskey, scotch, brandy, apple brandy, tequila and all kinds of wine all the time. I often have beer and champagne (well, I only like cava, so that's the only one I buy). but I nearly never have vodka - because I just don't like vodka-based cocktails - and I never have gin - unfortunately, I can't drink it anymore ;-( I also have about 10 different types of liquors - all of them home made, most of them from your recipes: lemon, orange, qumquats, coffee, chocolate, white menthe, blue berries, cherries, raspberry and my own invention: rum-based masala. is this considered a good start?
Very fun video. When I 1st started, I would sometimes confuse the conversion from ml to oz. I quickly made sure it was no longer an issue after making a VARY out of wack Mai Tai for my wife. The face she made while drinking it told me I needed to try again. 😂
@StevetheBartenderAUS Starting out, I used books and websites for ideas that mainly addressed specs in ml. CZcams changed that big time. Between your channel, Anders Erickson's, Educated barfly, and Behind the bar, I have amassed so many recipes that present with both ml and oz that it has become less necessary. It's still an unexpected skill I have picked up along the way. My friend in Belgium is proud of my progress. Lol
Sounds like the time I mixed up F and C on a Bahraini oven. Waaay more dangerous of a mix up. Lucky I didn't start a fire. After that I taped a sticky on the above cabinet with conversions for common recipe temps. That's kinda what I do for drinks if they decide to list in ml. I do have a jigger that has both measurement types on it. That helps a lot.
Does shaking the metal mixer thing also help aerate the cocktail? So like if its not shaken enough it can taste definite than if it was mixed a lot more
Hey big fella, not sure if you’re reading off a teleprompter and you usually raw dog it - but while the shooting was more professional, the canter of your voice was definitely different, and pls remember to blink when reading! Not hating, I’ve been around for years and love the content - I’ve got your Mediterranean gin on my bar cart and get a new bottle of yours every time I’m in SA Changing styles always comes with a learning curve - much love brother x
Thanks for the feedback and yes, you called it.. first time using a teleprompter... I'll get better after using it a bit more. I normally freestyle but I want to get into longer and in-depth content which means I need to plan it more.. straight up recipes will always stay freestyle (or maybe only script the intro).
My biggest problem seems to be dilution when I strain seem to be getting half a glass maybe my shaking technique isn’t right Or my glassware is too big 🤷
What size is your cocktail and what recipe are you making? Shaking for 10-12 seconds should get you in the sweet spot. Most classics will fit perfectly into a Libbey Embassy coupe which is 165ml / 5.5oz.
@@StevetheBartender_ I was going to say anything I see served in a coupe or nick and Nora but measured the glasses I was using but they all seem way too big even the coupes I have that I thought were small were over 200ml. Shopping time. Next tip video how to explain to loved ones why I need all this stuff. Thanks Steve!
@@StevetheBartender_ I'm a negroni man, but this last weekend in a friends gathering there was a lot of extra champagne and I made French 75s for eveyone.
My biggest mistake is making a cocktail for someone who has zero interest in a cocktail. All that work for nothing. Lol. I ask the right questions now.
Man, I don't know if I like this trend of videos becoming not only less frequent, but also shorter in duration. There's only a handful of channels making quality bartending content between you, Leandro, Truffle on the Rocks, Cocktail Time, Behind the Bar, and How To Drink. Please don't turn this channel into just a platform for book advertisement.
I wrote a book. I'm incredibly proud of this achievement so I'm naturally going to mention it a few times but I can assure you that the channel is not going to become a "book advertisement". If you would prefer even less sponsored videos and more frequent videos then the best way is by supporting the channel on Patreon: bit.ly/stb-patreon
📚 Buy my cocktail book: bit.ly/STB-cocktail-guide
I did and it's fabulous!! Cheers Steve!! 🙂
Amazing book! I love the QR code links to videos.
@@robmichaels4728 Cheers Rob! 🙌🙌
1:15 now this is how Steve should shake. None of this smiling into the camera crap.
@@monotonehell I think you’ll find you’re in the minority 😂
My favorite is when people are "rocking the shaker to sleep" and not giving it a good hard shake.
I recall staring at a home bartender utilizing a gentle, some might even say sensual shake, but let them off the hook when they shook for a good 15 seconds.
The person who showed me cocktail tech said "your making a drink not putting a baby to sleep"
Kills me lol
Steves face when showing what not to do is priceless 😂
Maybe I should do more "what not to do" videos 😜
Your videos and book have been a tremendous help to me over the last couple of years since starting cocktail making at home. Thank you!
Great to hear! Thanks for your support.
Thank you for keeping the video short. You gave us the content we clicked for without stretching out the video unnecessarily long.
Glad you enjoyed it! This one didn't need to be a 20 minute video :)
Just ordered the book in Germany. Happy to support you this way, and looking forward to receiving it!
Very informative video. The most common mistake I think I make is overshaking drinks. That results in too much dilution and a watery feeling and taste in the cocktail. I need to stop shaking earlier. On the other hand, I want the drink to be cold...
10-12 seconds is all you need. After that the drink won’t get much colder..
I can barely even shake for longer than ten seconds before the pain from the cold shaker in my hands becomes unbearable unless I use eg. a towel, even though I always add the ice in last thing before sealing the shaker. But maybe that just means my shaker is of low quality, I haven't got my hands on a boston shaker yet.
@@fdagpigj Elevated Craft do insulated shakers if it’s causing you hassles: bit.ly/elevated-craft
@@fdagpigjif you're new to making drinks, it might also just be that you're not used to it yet. I could barely shake for ten seconds when I first started but I can go much longer nowadays
Woot! First comment!
Good tips here Steve, your frowning shake was as fun as I expected when you made the community post.
Cheers!
Hah, thank you! 🙏
Steve, you had me at the mixing part. I rewound it three times for a great morning laugh!
1:16 hahaha the most "kill me pls" shake ever. i wasnt expecting that
Congrats on the new book!!! 🎉
Thanks Dane! Pretty excited to have a published book out in the world! 🤩
Those are all great points. Seves book is one of my favorites for recipes and techniques.
Thanks so much! 🙏
I'm a newbie and found this channel by accident and it is very helpful. I may have to buy the book!
Welcome to the channel Christine!
If this isn't one of the best pitches i've heard in a while, I don't know what is!
Right audience, "foot in the door", honesty - even if that may hurt the prospective customer and most importantly a product you definitely stand behind (which you juuust briefly mention as a "by the way, this happens to be the solution to your Problem!").
Throughout all of that, still to-the-point and presented oh-so-charmingly (;
Would I not be currently limited in what I can allow to spend my money on, I would without a doubt have gone and looked up where I can find your Book!
Keep up the great work in every aspect!
It really shows that you put more than 1:53 of effort into this one.
Thank you for the kind words Nathaniel. I not big on self promotion so even this was a big step for me! 🙏
Hi Steve, good video and I fully agree with all you say. My notable mistake was making an Across the Pacific and failing to dissolve an ice cube in a first shake. The cocktail, shaken only with a couple of rocks knocked me out for rest of that evening.
Properly diluted it is a lovely drink loved by my family too.
Nick from York
Haha, dilution is key!
My main rivals against a well stocked bar are my visiting family taking my bottles whenever they want and my college student budget. But other than that, I'm also at fault of neglecting fresh ingredients hahahaha
Lol, that is the trouble with having too many bottles... they get depleted too easily!!
Love the thumbnail ❤
Why thank you! 🙏
Great video
Fresh out of college so I don't have all the money in the world atm, but i have enough stuff to make several really good drinks. And i just recently made the switch to fresh lime and lemon juice, and wow, what a difference!
Knowing your videos Steve, I bet you that you burst into laughter after you did the "poor cocktail shaking technique" part of the video 😂😂😂😂 it may have even taken a few takes!
Haha, only one take but my wife was laughing at me in the background.. hard to keep a straight face!
I have the book. It’s really good. The photos are very good.
Thanks so much! I took many of the photos myself too :)
My biggest mistake starting out was not knowing what needed refrigeration and what didn't. I cringe thinking of the times that'd I'd keep dry vermouth on the shelf and absinthe in the fridge. 😅
I think keeping dry vermouth out of the fridge and for too long is very, very common too.
@@StevetheBartender_maybe a video on that?
My bar just added drambuie, but didn't say how to use it. How do you make a quick drink with it?
Steve!!! Why do some bartenders rim the glass with sugar on a whiskey sour? Is that just personal choice or is it overkill for the sweetness in your opinion?
Great book
Why thank you! 😅
biggest dumb mistake I made was not realizing a fizzy water I was adding to a cocktail had citrus and the cocktail in question involved cream... citrus and cream curdled which is less desirable :
Hey Steve, are you using a new mic for this video? The audio is especially strong and clear. Great video, BTW!
I changed back to my shotgun mic instead of the lapel… but it’s Adobe AI that really improves the audio!
I’ve found freshly squeezed citrus to be the biggest difference. If a recipe calls for 20ml of lime, that could be anything from 1/2 a lime to a whole one depending on the size and age of the limes you have.
20ml from a very juicy lime will typically come from 1/2 a lime and will be nowhere as strong as the same volume taken from older less juicy limes.
The danger is you can end up with a drink with way too much citrus if you go purely by volume, as the juice from older limes is much more concentrated
not a beginner, and some of this I never made: I've always measured ingredients to the best of my ability (I still use one of the milk bottles from my babies, and the youngest are already over 19!) and I always use best quality fruit and herbs (between my own garden, and that of my dad's and of 2 sisters-in-law, I always have fresh, organic, best quality fruit and herbs at hand).
as for mixing properly and garnishing properly, I have the perfect work-around! I prefer built cocktails to the exclusion of mixing, and I really, really! don't like garnishes. even at bars and restaurants, I always ask for my cocktails to come with as little garnishing as possible and with no added ice (restaurants especially use vast amounts of ice to overprice cocktails.
the range of drinks in the bar is a point I would love for you to expand on.
I have 3 types of rum, irish whiskey, scotch, brandy, apple brandy, tequila and all kinds of wine all the time. I often have beer and champagne (well, I only like cava, so that's the only one I buy). but I nearly never have vodka - because I just don't like vodka-based cocktails - and I never have gin - unfortunately, I can't drink it anymore ;-(
I also have about 10 different types of liquors - all of them home made, most of them from your recipes: lemon, orange, qumquats, coffee, chocolate, white menthe, blue berries, cherries, raspberry and my own invention: rum-based masala.
is this considered a good start?
Steve!!!! What is your favourite whisky for your favourite whisky sour???
I should say Whiskey as its probably American.
My repeat mistake is not tasting the mixture prior to shaking it in ice.
Very fun video. When I 1st started, I would sometimes confuse the conversion from ml to oz. I quickly made sure it was no longer an issue after making a VARY out of wack Mai Tai for my wife. The face she made while drinking it told me I needed to try again. 😂
Thanks Runge! Haha, I'm sure you haven't done it since though :)
@StevetheBartenderAUS That I haven't good sir. Cocktails have led me to accept the metric system 😂
@@Runge_was_here hahaha... but aren't most recipes you come across written in imperial measurements?
@StevetheBartenderAUS Starting out, I used books and websites for ideas that mainly addressed specs in ml. CZcams changed that big time. Between your channel, Anders Erickson's, Educated barfly, and Behind the bar, I have amassed so many recipes that present with both ml and oz that it has become less necessary. It's still an unexpected skill I have picked up along the way. My friend in Belgium is proud of my progress. Lol
Sounds like the time I mixed up F and C on a Bahraini oven. Waaay more dangerous of a mix up. Lucky I didn't start a fire. After that I taped a sticky on the above cabinet with conversions for common recipe temps. That's kinda what I do for drinks if they decide to list in ml. I do have a jigger that has both measurement types on it. That helps a lot.
I remember the first time I made a cocktail, I shook the shaker until there were no ice left in the shaker :(
I love this! ..at least you learnt from it :)
@@StevetheBartender_ Yes, I did. Now my friends love the cocktails I make. :)
So thank you!
@@Toloblitz you’re most welcome!
Another mistake: not closing the shaker properly :D. Only that once, but my kitchen celling still did not forgave me
Does shaking the metal mixer thing also help aerate the cocktail? So like if its not shaken enough it can taste definite than if it was mixed a lot more
Yep! Shaking dilutes, chills and aerates a cocktail.
@@StevetheBartender_ thanks mate! Love your videos. My favourite is a passion fruit martini ♥️
@@James-iz9ci thanks James! 🙏
Hey big fella, not sure if you’re reading off a teleprompter and you usually raw dog it - but while the shooting was more professional, the canter of your voice was definitely different, and pls remember to blink when reading!
Not hating, I’ve been around for years and love the content - I’ve got your Mediterranean gin on my bar cart and get a new bottle of yours every time I’m in SA
Changing styles always comes with a learning curve - much love brother x
Thanks for the feedback and yes, you called it.. first time using a teleprompter... I'll get better after using it a bit more. I normally freestyle but I want to get into longer and in-depth content which means I need to plan it more.. straight up recipes will always stay freestyle (or maybe only script the intro).
1:16 had me dying!!!!!!😂
The sad shake 😅
His book rocks btw.
Thank you so much! 😁
My biggest problem seems to be dilution when I strain seem to be getting half a glass maybe my shaking technique isn’t right
Or my glassware is too big 🤷
What size is your cocktail and what recipe are you making? Shaking for 10-12 seconds should get you in the sweet spot. Most classics will fit perfectly into a Libbey Embassy coupe which is 165ml / 5.5oz.
@@StevetheBartender_ I was going to say anything I see served in a coupe or nick and Nora but measured the glasses I was using but they all seem way too big even the coupes I have that I thought were small were over 200ml. Shopping time.
Next tip video how to explain to loved ones why I need all this stuff. Thanks Steve!
@@Blade_of_The_Red_Rose Yeah, there are plenty of over sized coup glasses out there! Solution: make bigger drinks! 😅😅
I have the book and can confirm that it's a good book.
Thank you for grabbing a copy and I'm very happy to hear that you like it! What's your go to cocktail currently?
@@StevetheBartender_ I'm a negroni man, but this last weekend in a friends gathering there was a lot of extra champagne and I made French 75s for eveyone.
@@zanshibumi nice one!
Отличная реклама книги. Дай скачать pdf
It’s available as an ebook 👍
Wish I could afford a stocked bar
Start with a few key ingredients and build it out as you can... you don't need 100 ingredients... just the important ones that you will use regularly.
My biggest mistake is making a cocktail for someone who has zero interest in a cocktail. All that work for nothing. Lol. I ask the right questions now.
Keep the cocktails for yourself! 😏
I occasionally see people promoting free pouring rather than measuring - bad idea!
Can never be as accurate as using a jigger!
No smile on that shake tsk tsk tsk. :D
That was the point... terrible form! 😂
Feeling a bit like Ralphie right now. "Besureto" Be sure to what?! My fingers flew, my mind was a steel trap... BesuretobuySteve'sbook
Ralphie..? 🤔
Biggest mistake is actually not to smile while you are shaking. 🙂
😁😁😁
What is that shake technique? Slowly strangle a rat shake? lol
That was the point.. it’s the B roll for when I was talking about bad technique.
Videos need a bit more length
Plural? This was my only short video for the past 4 years (a part from vertical format shorts, of course). My videos are usually 6-10 mins.
All great drinks started with a mistake, no doubt.
What happend to your voice on this video?
Quite a few have asked.. I’ve had a pesky cold for a few weeks… then used Adobe AI which improves but changes my voice considerably.
Your voice sounds a little different Steve hope you’re healthy…. Just a concerned subscriber 🙏❤️
Thanks for the concern.. I’ve had a mild cold for a couple weeks, hence the change in my voice..
I don’t make any of those mistakes…..and I own your book…..so hmmmmmm
Lol, thank you 🙏
I'm a stickler for measuring - *except* when I'm making a Caucasian, for that would be very un-Dude.
Haha true true!
NOT fun NOR rewarding!!
Just mess.
And people bossing me around.
Man, I don't know if I like this trend of videos becoming not only less frequent, but also shorter in duration. There's only a handful of channels making quality bartending content between you, Leandro, Truffle on the Rocks, Cocktail Time, Behind the Bar, and How To Drink. Please don't turn this channel into just a platform for book advertisement.
I wrote a book. I'm incredibly proud of this achievement so I'm naturally going to mention it a few times but I can assure you that the channel is not going to become a "book advertisement". If you would prefer even less sponsored videos and more frequent videos then the best way is by supporting the channel on Patreon: bit.ly/stb-patreon