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Getting Our Cocktail Glass Filled by Brady Weise

May 26, 2017 by evebushman

This week we learn all about veteran “Barman” Brady Weise, followed by a 5-question interview that should interest those that want a rewarding bar career and those of us that just like spending time in a bar.

Brady Weise, Barman

Grippit Photo 2With a flare for the flavorfully dramatic and the keen instincts that gift top‐notch bartenders, Brady Weise has carved the perfect spot for himself among L.A.’s cocktail elite by creating memorable cocktails, many of which find their base in beer.

It’s no surprise, considering Weise started brewing his own beer at 15 and won his first award for it at 16. The journey to becoming a professional bartender started in Chicago, where a marketing company hired Weise to launch Yellowtail Wines in Japan. When that venture was a success, Weise moved on to creating his own alcohol import/export business, which inspired him to step behind the bar and that is when he realized there was much for him to learn.

He moonlighted at a few spots in Chicago and San Francisco, and then moved back to Los Angeles, where he split his time between building cocktail programs in Hollywood and working the bar at the famed Library Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel. After the Roosevelt, Weise moved to Pasadena where he was a lynchpin of the 1886 bar at the Raymond. Staying loyal to his roots and his market, Weise was one of the principal architects of the cocktail program at the Rathskeller. Still creating and always challenging conceptions with his work, Brady has moved into the event area where he spends his hours educating consumers and restaurant staff alike about new products and their space in the marketplace.

And as Weise shares his unique cocktails with his dedicated clientele, his passion for liquid creations continues. Says Weise, “One of my favorite things is stepping behind the bar. It’s always changing, it’s always interesting and there’s never a dull moment. It’s such an interesting place to be!”

Q and A With Brady

Where do you see the future of spirits leading?

The spirits industry is going through an unprecedented shift with massive consolidation of brand portfolios, huge multi-billion dollar mergers, and a marketing storm that we have never seen before. Part of this change is due to a failure of the current distribution model, and part of this is a function of attempting to broaden choice through the opportunities created by that system failure. In California for example, we have three major distributors; one of whom controls close to 80% of all major brands. This has allowed smaller labels to take advantage of holes in the market that large producers can’t fulfill.

A great example of this would be the explosion of whiskey, gin, tequila, and rum brands. While vodka is still the most popular spirit, consumers these days are interested in well-balanced drinks that include ingredients that are unique with a range of flavor profiles. This has given rise to the bartender asking for more ingredients from producers that meet these taste requirements; whether it be bitters, unique syrups, or exotic herbs and spices, the bartender of today is a much different craftsperson from the bartender 20 years ago.

What is your biggest challenge?

I’d say one of the biggest challenges today is keeping up with trends and demand. It used to be even 10 years ago that one new restaurant a month had a cocktail program. Now it seems like there’s one a week!

Bartenders have been really pushing new trends and keeping up with them has been part of the everyday challenge of the business.

It used to be that a well-made Old Fashioned was enough to keep people excited. Now you have to have infusions, house syrups and tinctures, large block ice, etc. to get people to come and see your bar.

I think this is great for the industry as a whole, but keeping up with all the changes can be exhausting sometimes. I find that it’s best to look at what changes are coming down the pipeline and to examine the trends as a whole rather than what’s hot and new this week.

How were you trained?

I was trained by some of the best in the business. Marcos Tello is a great teacher, and gave me a lot of the tools I still use when creating cocktails. Part of the reason his program is so successful is that he has templates and formulas for everything; you don’t need to guess at what you’re doing. This helps you to focus your energies on working within the formula, and not trying to reinvent it. The other training I’ve had comes from some of the best minds in the Los Angeles restaurant scene. Working with talented and determined people is always a joy; especially if it’s with the kitchen AND the bar. I think any bartender that refuses to work with their kitchen in menu creation is missing out on a huge chance to succeed.

Part of my training also comes from the guests themselves; as you become successful their expectations of you changes. This forces you to keep evaluating your decisions when creating a menu. I think that is one of the most important lessons for me in recent memory.

What advice do you have for a budding mixologist?

Read a lot. A LOT. There are so many books out there that have technique and tips from some of the top talent around; they are basically giving you their bar programs for the cost of the book. Don’t watch YouTube unless it’s for fun; most of the information out there is incorrect and won’t explain execution to you like a book will.

Another thing to learn about is the financials of a bar program. This is one of the points I can’t stress enough. If you can’t understand how the money is being spent, then you can’t be an effective asset to the business. Anyone can make an amazing cocktail with a $100 bottle of liquor and expensive produce. The trick is to make it taste expensive even though what’s in it is not.

What events can drinkers find you next?

I’m usually at events all over Los Angeles lately. I work with the MYM agency and they are great! I’m currently not behind any bar at the moment, but I’m always pouring something people enjoy. If you catch me at a bar, it’s usually in Pasadena. I live there and have great relationships with most of the restaurant staff around town. There are some great gems in Pasadena if you know where to look.

Contact Brady: bradyweise@gmail.com

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: bar, bartender, beer, bitters, brewer, chicago, cocktail, flavor, gin, herbs, hollywood, ice, import, infusion, kitchen, los angeles, marketing, menu, mixologist, old fashioned, pasadena, restaurant, rum, san francisco, spice, syrup, tequila, vodka, whiskey, wine

Liking all of the “GOOD THINGS TO DRINK WITH MR. LYAN AND FRIENDS”

November 13, 2015 by evebushman

Wow, just wow. If the cocktail recipes alone don’t do it in the book “Good Things to Drink with Mr. Lyan and Friends” any cocktail fan will also appreciate Lyan’s sage advice on cocktails, like wine, bringing people together. He makes you feel that the drinks are right there in front of you with an abundance of mouth-watering crisp colorful photographs and drawings, descriptions that include both his “Method” and “Magic”, equipment and techniques.

chocolate wine recipe by Mr. LyanAs jaded/experienced that I am I did learn:

Smaller and finer are better as glass choices.

You can scissor-snip a plastic ice cube tray’s dividers to make long columns of ice.

The proper way to shake, stir or muddle.

How to (successfully and easily) make different flavors of simple syrup.

Different cocktails for different occasions; the book is divided up with chapters on “Brunch”, “Friday Nights”, “Winter Feasting” and “The Perfect G & T.” (Note for newbies: a G & T is a gin and tonic, Lyan serves up a few different options to the traditional recipe.)

The chapter on Infusions really appealed to me as I also love putting things in a crock pot to enjoy later. There are 4 recipes, at least, in that section that I want to try: Grapefruit and Rosemary Gin with Ginger Ale, Peach and Sage Bourbon, Elderflower and Chocolate Scotch with Soda, Rhubarb, Pear and Cardamom Vodka with Fresh Lemonade.

A chapter on Juleps? Yes, much to my husband’s thrill, there is.

There are plenty of cocktails in the “Alfresco Days” chapter that also appealed. Lyan writes, “Summer days in the sun are near heaven. To make them better, a balance of bittersweet drinks (great before food) following up with spirited and zesty numbers is ideal…”

For my wine 101ers…yes, there is a recipe to make your own Chocolate Wine!

Lyan says that the warm drinks in the “Fireside Serves” chapter “provide a similar comforting warmth” to days gone by spent by a “crackling fire.” I agree.

As I read through the book the recipes didn’t seem as hard to understand as I did when I started the book. Clearly, I was picking up knowledge and, a little more gumption to try new things.

And if I forget which chapter a fave recipe is in there is, thankfully, an index.

From the Press Release

Words and illustrations by Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr. Lyan, with photographs by Kim Lightbody.

(October 2015) — Cocktails aren’t just for fancy nights out and snobby home mixologists. In Good Things to Drink with Mr. Lyan and Friends, Mr. Lyan (the man behind the award-winning White Lyan and Dandelyan bars in London) shows you how 60 innovative and exciting cocktails can be part of your everyday life. Easy to make and beautifully photographed, the cocktails cover every mood and occasion, from sunny day drinks and winter warmers to Friday night cocktails and morning revivers. Mr. Lyan perfects classics such as the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan, and experiments with new intriguing combinations and ingredients.  *Gift Guide Consideration for on-trend foodies, lovers of a great drink! **Ryan was recently featured in W Magazine.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: bourbon, cocktails, gin, glasses, ice, infusion, muddle, recipe, scotch, syrup, vodka, wine

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