#Kei Urushido
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See you on Wednesday (Cousin) City Pop
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A cute love song. The two are male and female co-workers. They are attracted to each other and enjoy long phone calls at night. This time, they had a day off together on Wednesday, so it was their long-awaited first date. Since it's a weekday, they don't have to worry about being spotted by people from the company. She wakes up earlier than usual and even looks through newspapers she doesn't usually read. Well, how did the first date go? ・・・
The song is sung by "Cousin". It is a unit formed by Izumi Koga and Kei Urushido's cousins who hit it off with a common musicality.
♪(He) I’ve only sawn you in a suit
(She) Let's meet barefoot today Wednesday with you
Through the sound of pumps
Sneakers seem to start dancing
Skip one flight of stairs at the station
To the park where we meet...
水曜日に会いましょう (カズン):シティ・ポップ
可愛いラブソング。2人は会社の同僚の男女。お互いに惹かれあい、夜には長電話を楽しむ間柄。今度、水曜日に2人そろって休日になったので、待ちに待った初デート。平日だから、会社の人に目撃される心配もない。彼女はいつもより早く目覚め、いつもは読まない新聞にさえ目を通す。さて、初デートの首尾は?・・・
歌はカズン。古賀いずみと漆戸啓の従弟どうしが、音楽性の共通点で意気投合して結成したユニットだ。
(2023.04.27)
#See you on Wednesday#Cousin#City Pop#Babylman#Izumi Koga#Kei Urushido#co-workers#first date#Youtube
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Magical Boys Are Fabulous in Fairy Ranmaru TV Anime Trailer
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And now for something completely different: the main cast, the main staff, a new key visual, and a new trailer have all been published for Fairy Ranmaru ~Anata no Kokoro Otasuke Shimasu~ ("Fairy Ranmaru ~We Will Help Your Heart~"), an upcoming original TV anime featuring five magical boys who transform into fairy-form in order to fight evil and to soothe the souls of the customers that frequent the bar at which they work. The main staff for the series includes:
Original work: Taiga Umatani
Director: Masakasu Hishida
Series director: Kousuke Kobayashi
Series composition: Masakasu Hishida
Series composition: Yuzuru Aoba
Character design: Human characters: Shoko Nagasawa, Yousei characters: Andgy, Mascot characters: Tomoko Miyakawa
Action director: Tetsuya Ishikawa
Animator: Masayuki Nomoto
Chief animation director: Human characters: Shoko Nagasawa, Tomoko Miyakawa, Hatsumi Takahashi, Yousei characters: Mika Yamamoto, Sayaka Tokunaga
Color design: Sachiko Urushido
Art director: Tsutomu Nishikura
CG director: Hayato Numajiri
Director of Photography: Kenji Takehara
Editor: Hideaki Murai
Sound director: Ryousuke Naya
Music: yamazo
Music production: Pony Canyon
Animation production: Studio Comet
Production: F Ran Production Committee
The main cast for Fairy Ranmaru ~Anata no Kokoro Otasuke Shimasu~ includes:
Shougo Sakata as Ranmaru Aoi.
Kohsuke Tanabe as Homura Hoterase.
Balletta Yutaka as Uruu Seiren.
Taichi Kusano as Juka Mutsuoka.
And Akihiro Hori as Takara Utashiro.
The main cast also includes:
Tetsuei Sumiya as Shirouse Tenrouin.
Junpei Morita as Houjou Omamori.
Shiori Mikami as Queen.
Kasutomi Yamamoto as Bakkun.
and Others.
youtube
Set in a world of cruelty and heartbreak, Fairy Ranmaru ~Anata no Kokoro Otasuke Shimasu~ follows five young men who work at the mysterious "Bar F" and who offer to heal the hearts of their clients, wiping away their tears and causing smiles to bloom like flowers. They take no payment...aside from stealing their clients' hearts.
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Fairy Ranmaru ~Anata no Kokoro Otasuke Shimasu~ is scheduled to begin broadcast in Japan in April of 2021.
Sources:
Comic Natalie
MoCa
Official Fairy Ranmaru ~Anata no Kokoro Otasuke Shimasu~ TV anime home page
Copyright notice: © Taiga Umatani / F Ran Production Committee
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Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.
By: Paul Chapman
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Irumando Coffee Tokyo, Kodenmacho café
Irumando Coffee Tokyo, Kodenmacho Café Design, Japanese Architecture, Japan Dining Interior
Irumando Coffee Kodenmacho café
26 April 2022
Design: Senbunnoichi Inc.
Location: Kodenmacho neighborhood, central Tokyo, Japan
A camera obscura that makes the landscape abstract.
Photos by Miho Urushido
Irumando camera shop in Kodenmacho:
Irumando Coffee in Kodenmacho, Tokyo
The Kodenmacho neighborhood of central Tokyo was for over half a century home to a beloved camera store called Irumando. The task for Senbunnoichi Inc. was to convert the camera shop into a modern-day coffeehouse while preserving its history and name.
With memories of the camera store as the architects’ starting point, the architects considered several designs, imagining customers musing about the passage of time over coffee.
The building is small, with less than thirty-three square meters of floor space on each of its two levels. To take full advantage of this limited space, Senbunnoichi Inc. constructed vaulted ceilings to blur the edges of the rooms and installed dim lighting to create a mysterious, other-worldly atmosphere.
The café achieves an effective blend of tranquility and spiritual depth, evocative of the special huts used for Japanese tea ceremonies. The key design innovation by Senbunnoichi Inc. was to turn this dimly lit, confined space into a camera obscura.
The Latin term “camera obscura” means a “dark room.” It refers to an early type of camera that harnesses a natural optical phenomenon. The camera obscura device is also called a pinhole camera, which was used in ancient Greece and China.
In the café, when light passes through small holes in the wall beside each table, an inverted image of the streetscape is projected onto the opposite wall of the coffeehouse. This creates ever-changing abstract reflections of the outside world, inviting customers to contemplate the transient, elusive images.
Tokyo is a place where architectural heritage is prone to disappear due to continuous urban development. In this age of uncertainty, Irumando Coffee recalls the days of the former camera shop and the passage of time through both its name and design.
Senbunnoichi Inc. have sought through this project to lovingly preserve and pass on narratives of the city.
Irumando Coffee Tokyo, Kodenmacho café, Japan – Building Information
Project name: Irumando Coffee Architectural design: Senbunnoichi Inc. (principal architects: Yoji HAYASHI, Shinichi MAMIYA, and Kazumi MURAYAMA) Project management: Shinichi MAMIYA and Ryoken KAMIYA
Location: Kodenmacho, Tokyo, Japan Completed: 2020
Photography: Miho Urushido, Neoplus Sixten Inc.
Irumando Coffee Tokyo, Kodenmacho café images / information received 260422 from Senbunnoichi Inc.
Location: Kodenmacho, cantral Tokyo, Japan, eastern Asia
Tokyo Architecture
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Ota Art Museum & Library, Gunma Prefecture Architects: akihisa hirata architecture office photo : Daici Ano Ota Art Museum & Library Building
L’OCCITANE Bouquet de Provence, Shibuya Crossing, Suginami City Architects: AtMa inc. photo : Shigenori Ishikawa L’OCCITANE Shibuya in Suginami City
R・torso・C Residence Architects: Atelier TEKUTO photo : Jérémie Souteyrat、SOBAJIMA, Toshihiro R・torso・C Residence in Tokyo
Tokyo Architect Studios : Japanese capital city design firm listings on e-architect – architecture practice contact details
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Comments / photos for the Irumando Coffee Tokyo, Kodenmacho café design by Senbunnoichi Inc. page welcome
The post Irumando Coffee Tokyo, Kodenmacho café appeared first on e-architect.
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Chivas Regal announces winners to compete in Chivas Masters Global Final
Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky, has revealed the 15 national winners who will compete to be crowned the 2017 Chivas Masters Global Champion, at the Chivas Masters Global Final taking place next month in Tokyo.
Now in its fourth year, the 2017 Chivas Masters Global Final (1st – 5th July) will focus for the first time on the celebrated traditions of Tokyo’s bartending scene – whose unique cocktail customs continue to fascinate and inspire bartenders across the world. Throughout the week, the contestants will take part in a number of individual and team challenges, and will need to showcase both exemplary bartending skills and team spirit to impress the judges.
The 15 finalists, who have each excelled in their national competitions running across four continents, will be hosted in Tokyo by Masahiro Urushido, the first ever Chivas Masters Global Champion. They will be mentored by a distinguished panel of internationally-acclaimed judges, who will share their expertise through a series of inspirational masterclasses. The panel comprises:
Iain Griffiths, hospitality industry pioneer and co-founder of Mr Lyan Ltd;
Micah Melton, beverage director at the Alinea Group (Aviary Chicago & NY) and renowned ‘ice chef’;
Chris Lowder, spirits evangelist and ‘New York’s Rising Star Bartender 2015’ (StarChefs);
Dré Masso, ex-director of bars for the Potato Head Group in Bali, Jakarta, Singapore and Hong Kong; worldwide Cocktail Mentor and spirit creator
Rogerio Igarashi Vaz, owner of Tokyo’s Tram & Trench, celebrating the modern interpretation of Japanese bartending
Max Warner, Global Brand Ambassador for Chivas Regal, comments: “Our 15 national winners have already hugely impressed us with both their skill and character, but there’s still much more to do if they want to be crowned our 2017 Chivas Masters Global Champion. The values of community, collaboration and generosity lie at the very heart of this competition, and successful participants must not only impress a world-renowned panel of judges, but demonstrate that they embody these values every step of the way.”
The Chivas Masters cocktail competition is built on Chivas’ belief that great bartending is measured not only by the achievements of an individual, but by the ability to work in harmony with others. The ultimate winner will not only impress with their individual bartending skills, but – crucially – will also prove their ability to work collaboratively with an international bartending team, and inspire others to achieve shared success, through the Chivas Masters Collective team challenge.
Max Warner continues: “I cannot wait to put our contestants through their paces in Tokyo, and see who will walk away with the 2017 title – and beyond that, watch as they, together with their Chivas Masters Collective, take what they have learned to further develop and inspire their bartending communities back home.”
The 2017 Chivas Masters Global Champion will be decided on the evening of Wednesday 5th July, and will win an all-access, all-expenses-paid trip to Tales of The Cocktail 2017 in New Orleans. The winning Chivas Masters Collective team will walk away with the pinnacle of the range, Chivas Regal The Icon, presented in a bespoke decanter with customised Japanese glassware.
Meet the 2017 Chivas Masters Global Finalists
Sandra Šalatová (Czech Republic)
Prague’s Sandra Šalatová has already achieved the remarkable feat of qualifying for the final by winning her first ever major competition – the Czech Republic regional heat. Sandra now has her eyes firmly set on a new first, becoming the first ever female Chivas Masters Global Champion.
“So far I would consider my biggest achievement to be reaching the final, competing alongside some of the greatest bartenders in the world. I’m going to go one better in Tokyo, as I hope to be crowned the first woman to win the Chivas Masters.”
Ryan Nightingale (Hong Kong)
Representing Hong Kong, Ryan Nightingale loves the variety of bartending, experienced both through the drinks that he makes, and in the exciting mix of customers coming through the door. With plentiful experience of crafting his own creations, Ryan takes his greatest enjoyment from watching his customers enjoy what he has worked tirelessly to perfect.
“The constant aim for perfection is a cornerstone of the Japanese bar community. I’m heading to Tokyo ready to gain a better understanding of this, which I then hope to express in my final serves.”
Atsushi Suzuki (China)
Having started bartending as a means to an end as a 17 year old, China’s Atsushi Suzuki’s work behind the bar has rapidly developed into a career that has enabled him to travel the world. Runner-up in 2016’s Chivas Masters China heat, Atsushi went one better in 2017, and now has his sights set firmly on Tokyo.
“Teamwork and respect are definitely a must to run a bar well. But for me the most crucial aspect to bar work is the desire to learn.”
Masato Sakurai (Japan)
Masato Sakurai first encountered cocktail-making after the tragic passing of his grandfather, devoting his time to craft his skill as a bartender to help him deal with the grief. As a proud son of Japan, and with the hometown support fully behind him, Masato is hoping to honour his grandfather’s faith in him by being crowned the 2017 Chivas Masters Global Champion.
“I am obviously determined to be crowned Chivas Masters Global Champion, however the greatest experience that I can take away from the final will be the brotherhood that I will gain with my fellow finalists.”
Benjamin Boyce (United Arab Emirates)
Like many of this year’s finalists, Benjamin Boyce’s first experience of bartending was a chance encounter, which has blossomed into a fruitful and impassioned career. For Benjamin, the key to success for any bar team is the application of the three Ts: training, teamwork and trust.
“The Chivas Masters is an amazing opportunity to learn from the experiences of different bartenders, all coming from a wide range of countries and cultures, to experience Japanese culture, and to have a lot of fun while doing so.”
Hyacinthe Lescoët (France)
Parisian Hyacinthe Lescoët thrives amidst the pressures of his craft, providing everyday creativity in a socially demanding and highly competitive environment. But above all else, the greatest value that Hyacinthe finds in bartending is achieving the appreciation of those around him.
“Great bartending is all about passion and sharing. Once those are instilled in your work, the rest will flow.”
Wouter Bosch (The Netherlands)
Winner of the regional final in The Netherlands, philosophy graduate Wouter Bosch’s love for bartending centres upon the memories and experiences that his drinks create. Rather than be the star of the show himself, Wouter’s bartending style is all about letting the drink do the talking.
“Nothing is as rewarding as having people coming up to the bar and telling you that you've made their night. I'm inspired by that, and hope to create many lasting experiences for my guests.”
Adam Schmidt (USA)
Representing the USA, New York native Adam Schmidt enjoys mixing his sense of humour into his drinks. Having previously spent time exploring Barcelona’s vibrant cocktail scene, Adam can’t wait to get out of his comfort zone again in Tokyo.
“What inspired me to be a bartender? As a youngster I had a part-time job dishwashing in a local bar. To me it always looked like the bartenders were having the most fun. I was right.”
Rhys Wilson (United Kingdom)
An actor by trade, the UK’s Rhys Wilson’s bartending style stems from his belief that performance on the stage, and that behind the bar, are not too dissimilar. Rhys is already looking forward to all that he can take away from the experience in Tokyo, especially having the opportunity to collaborate with his fellow finalists.
“A great bar is not just about what's in the glass, it's about the whole show. I love taking care of my audience and putting on a great show for them.”
Aloisek Rodríguez Martínez (Cuba)
Winner of the national final in Cuba, Aloisek Rodríguez Martínez is a bartending purist. The art of mixology is Aloisek’s greatest passion, allowing him to showcase his creativity and share the pride that he has for his culture.
“A great bar team is one in which everyone is working for the same purpose and vision, making each individual bartender a complement of the other.”
Abner Barrientos (Puerto Rico)
Having originally taken up bar work to support his studies, Abner Barrientos’ perfectionist qualities were realised through bartending, soon transforming into a passion for the trade. Abner’s flexible and open outlook to his work has enabled him to embrace new cultures and perspectives from all of the customers that he has served on his bartending journey.
“As a bartender, every day is a challenge, however every challenge should be viewed as an opportunity to grow and develop.”
Patryk Biadacz (Poland)
Poland’s Patryk Biadacz place in the final is the culmination of ten years of hard work crafting his bartending skill. Patryk’s passion for the trade stems from his love for every aspect of bar work, and he is eager to prove that in Tokyo
“Just like the mixing of cocktails, a perfect balance of ingredients is crucial to a great bar team.”
Daniel Huggins (Germany)
As Germany’s representative in the global final, Daniel Huggins’ love for the craft of cocktail-making is cemented by his passion for hosting – forever seeking to provide the perfect experience for his customers. For Daniel, the camaraderie and respect found within bartending is what makes it so special.
“I want to be known as a bartender with empathy and expertise, always willing to turn your evening into a great experience.”
Roger Grüter (Switzerland)
Hailing from Basel, Roger Grüter is dedicated to perfecting his craft as an expert cocktail-maker, a dream that he hopes will come true in Tokyo. Roger is looking at the final as an opportunity to enhance his bartending skills, taking away all that he can from the much-revered Japanese culture.
“Attentiveness and authenticity are key ingredients to the cocktail experience. I always work to ensure that my guests leave happier than they came.”
Haydée Barron Flores (Mexico)
With dreams of being considered an ambassador of Mexican bartending, Haydée Barron Flores’ love for her work comes from the creativity that it allows her, and then having the opportunity to share her creations with others and witness the moment that the drinks create first-hand.
“In learning my craft I believe that I have learnt more about myself, my flaws and my strengths. It has all lead me to this moment – the chance to represent my country in the Chivas Masters Global Final.”
The post Chivas Regal announces winners to compete in Chivas Masters Global Final appeared first on GreatDrams.
from GreatDrams http://ift.tt/2tbnto2 Greg
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Cracking the Citrus Code: How Brands Are Creating Bartender-Quality RTD Cocktails
In recent years, ready to drink (RTD) canned cocktails have become an important disruptor in the alcohol sector. According to consumer analytics firm Nielsen, more than 50 percent of consumers surveyed in 2019 highlighted convenience as the main reason for purchasing single-serve RTD cocktails. That convenience fueled 80 percent growth for the category last year, which reached a total value of more than $100 million by the end of December. In recent weeks, Nielsen says, canned cocktails have been “key to the growth of the spirits category” during quarantine, as off-premise alcohol sales have surged in the U.S.
While convenience is a key draw, the quality of the can’s contents can’t be ignored. VinePair has been tasting through canned cocktails for the past few years and can report that there are few RTDs on the market we’d bring to a party. And that’s the key: Creating a product that consumers embrace and are excited to share. Through the process, we experienced a broad range of options, but also varying levels of quality — not all the RTD cocktails currently on offer accurately recreate the drinks in their freshly made form.
The quality disparity becomes most apparent when citrus is part of the drink. The main issue with using fresh citrus juice in a canned product is its remarkably short shelf life (just a few days). While pasteurized juice offers a shelf-stable alternative, the process compromises flavor. Some brands may be willing to accept this trade-off, but for those looking to create bartender-level cocktails, the answer lies elsewhere.
With the race still on to corner the RTD cocktail market — in the way that a brand like White Claw dominates the hard seltzer space — different producers are tackling the citrus quandary using different approaches. Some have set about completely rebuilding the citrus profile themselves, while others are happy to accept reduced margins and use premium, commercially available products. A third approach aims to bring cocktail-bar-quality drinks to the masses by building upon a bartender-developed “acid adjusting” technique.
Reconstructing the Citrus Profile Using a Variety of Products
Once you get past the fact that fresh citrus is not an option, it becomes a question of ��what’s the best alternative,” says London-based Max Whitney. After tending bar at some of the U.K. capital’s leading cocktail spots, including The Zetter Townhouse and untitled, Whitney now works as the head of development for World of Zing, a cocktail and flavor innovation company that produces cocktail ingredients and batched drinks for trade clients.
In the past, World of Zing has developed pre-packaged cocktails for events like GQ magazine’s annual awards ceremony in London on behalf of large-scale liquor companies such as Diageo. The company also offers batched versions of classic drinks, like the Negroni, Old Fashioned, and Margarita, for fast-casual dining chains looking to offer a consistent drinks program across multiple locations — some of which might not have a dedicated, skilled bar team.
For drinks that typically use fresh citrus, like the Margarita, Whitney attempts to rebuild the fresh fruit’s profile from scratch. “I look at it like a puzzle,” he says. “The more pieces of it you can put together and find a nice balance with, the closer you’re going to get to citrus.”
To reconstruct lime, Whitney uses multiple ingredients that encompass all parts of the fruit. Comminuted lime concentrate — a shelf-stable product made from the juice, fibers, pith, and oils of the fruit — provides the core of the lime flavor. Food-grade essential oils, which are present in the citrus peel, are also added to provide an aromatic “top note.” Depending on the desired flavor profile of the final cocktail, Whitney may then adjust the pH using powdered acids, such as citric acid (the main constituent of fresh citrus juice) and also malic, lactic, and succinic acids.
Using Commercially Available Products
Others say ready-made, high-quality solutions exist on the market; they just cost more than pasteurized juice and take some digging out to discover.
Dallas-based former bartender Rocco Milano first started thinking about creating packaged cocktails five years ago after he was approached by Virgin America to create a cocktail menu for the airline’s in-flight menu. When his then boss and now business partner Patrick Halbert suggested they instead offer pre-packaged cocktails, their company On The Rocks was born.
From day one, the duo focused on recreating classic cocktails one would enjoy in a bar, like the Aviation, Old Fashioned, and variations of the Margarita. “Our goal as a company is not just to create a small package that’ll get you drunk, it’s ‘How do we give you a culinary experience in a glass that’s going to awaken your senses?’” Milano says.
To achieve this, they knew that high-quality citrus would be vital. (All the drinks they now offer contain citrus in some form or another.) After trying and dismissing shrubs — a combination of fruit, sugar, and acid — they reached out to dozens of ingredient purveyors across the country to see what other citrus solutions they could find.
During an 18-month development period, they tasted more than 60 potential options and narrowed the field during round-robin tastings. “By the law of probabilities, what we settled on was the most expensive option,” Milano says.
With other, cheaper alternatives available, this might not strike everyone as the smartest business decision. But Milano points to the focus on quality of ingredients over margins as one of the core principles of his brand. “The success of this company can’t be summed up by the sum of column D,” he says.
Ultimately, it’s proven to be a savvy move in the long run. While airlines and hotels represented the company’s major clients in the early days, five years down the line, the off-premise market accounts for 70 percent of the company’s sales. On The Rocks’ lineup is now available in every Whole Foods across the country, and can be found in supermarkets such as Kroger’s, Albertsons, and Vons.
Milano admits that it’s easy for products to get lost on retail shelves, but says a partnership with Beam Suntory has brought brand recognition. “Once people were able to point at the bottle and say, ‘Knob Creek is in this Old Fashioned?’ — that made all the difference in the world,” he says.
Acid Adjusting and Natural Flavors
In 2019, Los Angeles-based Aaron Polsky founded his canned cocktail brand, LiveWire, following a career working at notable bars such as Amor y Amargo in New York and Harvard & Stone in Los Angeles.
His first experiments in recreating citrus flavors for batched drinks came when Harvard & Stone was hired to curate the bar program for Coachella. When the festival told him pasteurized citrus was going to be the only option, he instead turned to using a mixture of acids and food-grade flavored oils. The process builds upon the work of Dave Arnold of Existing Conditions in New York, who pioneered the “acid adjusting” technique.
After leaving Harvard & Stone in August 2019, Polsky decided to use this formula to form the base for his canned cocktails. Rather than seeing the citrus equation as a challenge to overcome, he’s excited by the options the combination of acids and natural flavors present.
“For 150 years we have been married to the flavor of lemon or lime,” Polsky says. Now, he’s able to match the pH of those fresh juices while building a core profile around high-quality natural flavorings. For the latter, he works with leading flavor company Givaudan, which has the ability to recreate the taste of every fruit at varying levels of ripeness.
While the initial idea was to create an “Aaron Polsky line of drinks,” he soon realized it was a concept he could open up to his peers.
LiveWire’s first cocktail — a citrus-driven blend of vodka, oroblanco grapefruit, kumquat, jasmine, and ginger called “Heartbreaker” — was designed by Polsky and went to market at the end of March. Initially just available in Los Angeles, national expansion is in the cards for within the year, with online retail now offered through a range of merchants.
To create the brand’s future releases, Polsky is working with a list of notable bartenders. The venerable lineup includes the likes of Yael Vengroff (Spare Room, Genghis Cohen), Gianna Johns (Nomad), Jillian Vose (Dead Rabbit), Sother Teague (Amor y Amargo), and Masahiro Urushido (Katana Kitten).
Each has been tasked with creating a drink that fits a sparkling, low-ABV (7.5 percent) profile. Polsky, meanwhile, will ensure the cocktails can be scaled and canned, and is working with Givaudan to ensure all flavorings are as true-to-life as possible.
The article Cracking the Citrus Code: How Brands Are Creating Bartender-Quality RTD Cocktails appeared first on VinePair.
Via https://vinepair.com/articles/recreating-citrus-bartender-quality-rtd-cocktails/
source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/cracking-the-citrus-code-how-brands-are-creating-bartender-quality-rtd-cocktails
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Cracking the Citrus Code: How Brands Are Creating Bartender-Quality RTD Cocktails
In recent years, ready to drink (RTD) canned cocktails have become an important disruptor in the alcohol sector. According to consumer analytics firm Nielsen, more than 50 percent of consumers surveyed in 2019 highlighted convenience as the main reason for purchasing single-serve RTD cocktails. That convenience fueled 80 percent growth for the category last year, which reached a total value of more than $100 million by the end of December. In recent weeks, Nielsen says, canned cocktails have been “key to the growth of the spirits category” during quarantine, as off-premise alcohol sales have surged in the U.S.
While convenience is a key draw, the quality of the can’s contents can’t be ignored. VinePair has been tasting through canned cocktails for the past few years and can report that there are few RTDs on the market we’d bring to a party. And that’s the key: Creating a product that consumers embrace and are excited to share. Through the process, we experienced a broad range of options, but also varying levels of quality — not all the RTD cocktails currently on offer accurately recreate the drinks in their freshly made form.
The quality disparity becomes most apparent when citrus is part of the drink. The main issue with using fresh citrus juice in a canned product is its remarkably short shelf life (just a few days). While pasteurized juice offers a shelf-stable alternative, the process compromises flavor. Some brands may be willing to accept this trade-off, but for those looking to create bartender-level cocktails, the answer lies elsewhere.
With the race still on to corner the RTD cocktail market — in the way that a brand like White Claw dominates the hard seltzer space — different producers are tackling the citrus quandary using different approaches. Some have set about completely rebuilding the citrus profile themselves, while others are happy to accept reduced margins and use premium, commercially available products. A third approach aims to bring cocktail-bar-quality drinks to the masses by building upon a bartender-developed “acid adjusting” technique.
Reconstructing the Citrus Profile Using a Variety of Products
Once you get past the fact that fresh citrus is not an option, it becomes a question of “what’s the best alternative,” says London-based Max Whitney. After tending bar at some of the U.K. capital’s leading cocktail spots, including The Zetter Townhouse and untitled, Whitney now works as the head of development for World of Zing, a cocktail and flavor innovation company that produces cocktail ingredients and batched drinks for trade clients.
In the past, World of Zing has developed pre-packaged cocktails for events like GQ magazine’s annual awards ceremony in London on behalf of large-scale liquor companies such as Diageo. The company also offers batched versions of classic drinks, like the Negroni, Old Fashioned, and Margarita, for fast-casual dining chains looking to offer a consistent drinks program across multiple locations — some of which might not have a dedicated, skilled bar team.
For drinks that typically use fresh citrus, like the Margarita, Whitney attempts to rebuild the fresh fruit’s profile from scratch. “I look at it like a puzzle,” he says. “The more pieces of it you can put together and find a nice balance with, the closer you’re going to get to citrus.”
To reconstruct lime, Whitney uses multiple ingredients that encompass all parts of the fruit. Comminuted lime concentrate — a shelf-stable product made from the juice, fibers, pith, and oils of the fruit — provides the core of the lime flavor. Food-grade essential oils, which are present in the citrus peel, are also added to provide an aromatic “top note.” Depending on the desired flavor profile of the final cocktail, Whitney may then adjust the pH using powdered acids, such as citric acid (the main constituent of fresh citrus juice) and also malic, lactic, and succinic acids.
Using Commercially Available Products
Others say ready-made, high-quality solutions exist on the market; they just cost more than pasteurized juice and take some digging out to discover.
Dallas-based former bartender Rocco Milano first started thinking about creating packaged cocktails five years ago after he was approached by Virgin America to create a cocktail menu for the airline’s in-flight menu. When his then boss and now business partner Patrick Halbert suggested they instead offer pre-packaged cocktails, their company On The Rocks was born.
From day one, the duo focused on recreating classic cocktails one would enjoy in a bar, like the Aviation, Old Fashioned, and variations of the Margarita. “Our goal as a company is not just to create a small package that’ll get you drunk, it’s ‘How do we give you a culinary experience in a glass that’s going to awaken your senses?’” Milano says.
To achieve this, they knew that high-quality citrus would be vital. (All the drinks they now offer contain citrus in some form or another.) After trying and dismissing shrubs — a combination of fruit, sugar, and acid — they reached out to dozens of ingredient purveyors across the country to see what other citrus solutions they could find.
During an 18-month development period, they tasted more than 60 potential options and narrowed the field during round-robin tastings. “By the law of probabilities, what we settled on was the most expensive option,” Milano says.
With other, cheaper alternatives available, this might not strike everyone as the smartest business decision. But Milano points to the focus on quality of ingredients over margins as one of the core principles of his brand. “The success of this company can’t be summed up by the sum of column D,” he says.
Ultimately, it’s proven to be a savvy move in the long run. While airlines and hotels represented the company’s major clients in the early days, five years down the line, the off-premise market accounts for 70 percent of the company’s sales. On The Rocks’ lineup is now available in every Whole Foods across the country, and can be found in supermarkets such as Kroger’s, Albertsons, and Vons.
Milano admits that it’s easy for products to get lost on retail shelves, but says a partnership with Beam Suntory has brought brand recognition. “Once people were able to point at the bottle and say, ‘Knob Creek is in this Old Fashioned?’ — that made all the difference in the world,” he says.
Acid Adjusting and Natural Flavors
In 2019, Los Angeles-based Aaron Polsky founded his canned cocktail brand, LiveWire, following a career working at notable bars such as Amor y Amargo in New York and Harvard & Stone in Los Angeles.
His first experiments in recreating citrus flavors for batched drinks came when Harvard & Stone was hired to curate the bar program for Coachella. When the festival told him pasteurized citrus was going to be the only option, he instead turned to using a mixture of acids and food-grade flavored oils. The process builds upon the work of Dave Arnold of Existing Conditions in New York, who pioneered the “acid adjusting” technique.
After leaving Harvard & Stone in August 2019, Polsky decided to use this formula to form the base for his canned cocktails. Rather than seeing the citrus equation as a challenge to overcome, he’s excited by the options the combination of acids and natural flavors present.
“For 150 years we have been married to the flavor of lemon or lime,” Polsky says. Now, he’s able to match the pH of those fresh juices while building a core profile around high-quality natural flavorings. For the latter, he works with leading flavor company Givaudan, which has the ability to recreate the taste of every fruit at varying levels of ripeness.
While the initial idea was to create an “Aaron Polsky line of drinks,” he soon realized it was a concept he could open up to his peers.
LiveWire’s first cocktail — a citrus-driven blend of vodka, oroblanco grapefruit, kumquat, jasmine, and ginger called “Heartbreaker” — was designed by Polsky and went to market at the end of March. Initially just available in Los Angeles, national expansion is in the cards for within the year, with online retail now offered through a range of merchants.
To create the brand’s future releases, Polsky is working with a list of notable bartenders. The venerable lineup includes the likes of Yael Vengroff (Spare Room, Genghis Cohen), Gianna Johns (Nomad), Jillian Vose (Dead Rabbit), Sother Teague (Amor y Amargo), and Masahiro Urushido (Katana Kitten).
Each has been tasked with creating a drink that fits a sparkling, low-ABV (7.5 percent) profile. Polsky, meanwhile, will ensure the cocktails can be scaled and canned, and is working with Givaudan to ensure all flavorings are as true-to-life as possible.
The article Cracking the Citrus Code: How Brands Are Creating Bartender-Quality RTD Cocktails appeared first on VinePair.
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