How to work smarter, not harder, with template cocktails

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My motto in life is ‘never stand if you can sit, never sit if you can lie down’ (which will be particularly fitting when etched on my gravestone). Roughly translated to bartenderese, this would be ‘never shake if you can stir, never stir if you can build’.

While I have massive respect for bartenders who can play endlessly with proportions, form and technique, personally I rely on templates. 

At Bomba, the wine list is long and full of Spanish grape varietals that may be intimidating to the uninitiated – both guests and staff! Some wise sommelier before me had broken it down into approachable subheadings: Think Light & Crisp is where you’ll find the brighter whites like txakolis and albariños, for example, and Think Shiraz, Spicy and Not Too Heavy holds tempranillos and lighter monastrells.

One of my first innovations was to apply this categorisation to the cocktail list, breaking it down into Think Spritz, Think Fruity & Fun and Think Short & Boozy. For those of us fluent in flavour and ingredients, we can forget that a simple list of contents doesn’t always make it clear to the average patron what the final form of their cocktail will be. Nothing slows service in a busy bar more than having to talk through every cocktail; helping people find the style of drink they are looking for ahead of getting to the bartender to order improves efficiency immensely.

It also provides a structure to the drinks list which can make cocktail creation much easier. Giving a less experienced bartender free reign might be overwhelming, but a clear directive around needing a drink that fits in a particular category and uses a particular base spirit acts as the bumper rails needed to guide them to a strike. Even for those of us that have been doing it for a long time, having templates to fall back on can help when creative exhaustion sets in.

Rachael Hand is one of the most inventive bartenders I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside, and a good few years ago now she had spent a lot of time and energy putting together a clever and varied cocktail list for summer, but we needed one more Spritz-style drink. There was some peach pureé in the freezer from an event, she blitzed up some tinned pears with their juice and a pinch of salt, added cava and the Bomba Bellini was born. In that infuriating way, it came together much more easily than the other drinks she had toiled over crafting and was an instant hit. It lives on to this day – the team just switch out the pureés depending on what fruit is in season, and it is easily one of the venue’s bestsellers with a great cost of goods and an easy, built-in-glass serve.

For me, Spritzes and Highballs are the ultimate models for this template approach. Think of Yao Wong’s seasonal highballs at The Elysian, a constantly revolving array of deliciousness using whatever fruit he can find on special at the market, processed using a couple of simple methods – just add whisky and soda. Frankly, you don’t even have to work that hard. Nowadays, the proliferation of complex and delicious amari and vermouth can do the heavy lifting for you, flavour paired with artisanal sodas, tonics or sparkling wine. Add a fruit or herb garnish and you’re done. These combinations may be simple, but they sure hit the spot as the thermometer pushes 40 degrees.

Consider this permission to not have to reinvent the wheel with every drink as the treadmill of seasonal menus rolls on; sometimes a fresh look at an old favourite will be more than enough. A few strong template recipes in your arsenal can ease the pressure and free up creative brain space. Which leads me to another favourite adage: work smarter, not harder.

Around the Bars

• The crew at Marionette are celebrating the launch of their new elderflower liqueur with a pop-up in Fitzroy (speaking of easy wins, I have a feeling this product will be a bartender favourite fall-back very soon!). It is running at 28 Johnstone Street from the 13th to 23rd February and features an array of contributors holding events, from cheese makers to fermenters, florists to bakers. Find out more here.
• Wanderlust X Hospitality, a mental health and wellbeing support programme tailored for the hospitality industry is following on its success in WA with a Melbourne launch at Hope St Radio on 24th February. It's a panel format introducing the resources they can provide to hospitality businesses. Reserve a free spot here.
• If your New Years’ resolution is upskilling, make sure you keep an eye on Casa de Vinos Industry Hub Masterclasses. They’re celebrating 15 years with plenty of chances to taste rare drops, kicking off with a Clase Azul tasting 10th February. Sign up here.