This past weekend, my inlaws hosted a birthday party for my wife’s grandfather, who turns 104 this week. I was asked if I would be willing to play bartender and mix drinks. Naturally, I took the opportunity to learn some new things.
Grandpa Charlie’s cultural heritage is Czech, so I went looking for cocktails with some kind Czech connection. My regular liquor store sells only one product made in Czechia: a liquer called Becherovka. According to the company’s website, “this iconic herbal liqueur is the oldest alcohol brand in the Czech Republic – it has been continuously produced since 1807.”
A quick search revealed a few options. Cocktailogy.com provides a rather extensive list of Czech-themed beverages. A few make use of Becherovka: the Beton and the Prague Old Fashioned. Unfortunately, the page doesn’t provide recipes (or links to recipes). The Beton is just a gin and tonic using Becherovka instead of gin, and the Prague Old Fashioned seems to use Becherovka in place of sugar or other sweetener.
I ended up just assuming that since a gin and tonic is usually around 2:1 tonic to gin, the same should work with the Beton.
Because I was dealing with a 5oz plastic martini glass, I ended up using 1 oz Becherovka.
Fill the glass with ice, add the Becherovka, and top with tonic water.
With the Prague Old Fashioned, I was again constrained by the options available. I chose rye as the whisky, because I thought that would compliment the sweet slightly spicy flavor of the Becherovka. My recipe was:
- 1 1/2 oz Rye
- 1/3 oz Becherovka
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
Mix in the glass and add ice.
If I were making it at home, I would use a rocks glass, and increase the amounts to 2 oz rye and 1/2 oz of Becherovka. I’d use a single large ice cube, and I’d garnish with an orange twist.
It was still a fantastic drink and was definitely the favorite of the guests at the party.
Another drink I discovered was the “Czech-mate.” Both the Becherovka website and Difford’s Guide have recipes for it. I ended up using Difford’s.
- 1 1/2 oz vodka
- 3/4 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz Becherovka
- 1/3 oz simple syrup
- ~2oz Czech pilsner (to top)
I used Notch Brewing’s Pils as my Czech pilsner. The final drink was wonderfully refreshing, even on a day that barely hit 50°F.
All three drinks ended up being very enjoyable, and they were definitely a hit at the party.
I’d put together a list of what I knew I could make with what I brought with me. There are a half dozen “standard” drinks I can make off the top of my head, but there are some common ones I’d never made before, including the Cosmopolitan and the Lemon Drop (I don’t usually favor vodka as the primary spirit in the cocktails I mix for myself). I took the trouble to look up the recipes ahead of time, and it turned out to be a good thing: I ended up making some of each. So it was a good learning experience in that respect.
One thing I was not prepared for and had to scramble to figure out was how to organize bottles and handle the lack of running water. You can see my jury-rigged solution: a pitcher of water, and a bucket. I’d love to know how professional bartenders do it when they have those bar carts that get wheeled out onto the floor of an event.
It was also awkward working from a folding table, which was a foot shorter than I would have liked.
Overall though, I had a great time doing it, and people seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to do more of the same going forward and can actually learn from it. I wonder if there’s a way I could pick up an actual bar shift somewhere, to really learn the trade.
