The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess

Molecular Mixology is one of those things that always facinates people, so we decided to drop in and visit Jamie Boudreau at Vessel so he could share with us some of what aspects of this that he employs in a couple of the drinks that he makes there.

It is important to understand that the little “tricks” you’ll see in this episode, and the two followup episodes, aren’t the “core” of what MM is all about, they are simply a few of the results of studying the science of mixology and gaining a better understanding of what works, and what doesn’t work. Other results of MM are things like the choice of glass size, manipulation of ice, ratio of water to sugar in simple syrup, and hundreds of other little “discoveries” that are virtually invisible within the overall process of making a drink. So it is of course the things that incorporate “flame” which get all of the attention…

OMFG, that is so cool!  Insane! 

Now I have a use for that oil mister I got for Xmas. 

A few questions: 
- The rosewater I use for cooking and cocktails is a brand I obtain at Middle Eastern groceries.  I notice that Mr. Boudreau used the fancy French stuff that comes in the tiny blue bottles.  Is there an effective difference between the two for this cocktail?  (Or is a rose a rose a rose?)

- What, if any, are the safety concerns about applying such intense heat to the bar glass?  It’s a good thick glass, but in a few moments he’s adding ice and giving it a good shake.  I’m sure Mr. Boudreau has worked this out, but are there any safety pointers for the home mixologist? 

- Where can I get a soda siphon like that!?

Thanks for a great installment!

I tried this tonight and the brulée technique is not as easy as it looks!  I just couldn’t get the flame to persist in the glass for more than a second or two, and another spritz from the mister extinguished the flame instead of feeding it. 

Clearly some practice is in order.  But are there finer points to this that Mr. Boudreau could share?  Is the glass heated first? 

Fire foibles notwithstanding, this produced a terrific cocktail.  Even my doesn’t-like-gin wife pronounced it delicious!  I’m going to keep working on this one.

Thomas:
It is best to mist the glass with a spray or two of the Angostura first so the flame has something to ignite. Aiming the spray at the tip of the flame and not the lighter itself also helps.

Thanks again, sir!  I salute you and your creations.

That was fantastic! the details in the ice, measure, shake style and use of basic concepts are what set Vessel apart. I wish I could make it to Jamie’s bar once again for a sizzle.

Cheers!

I’ve been practicing the flaming bitters technique and it helps.  I’ve gone through nearly a bottle of Angostura (more than a little on the counter) and broke one lighter, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.  A few observations:

- It helps to keep the lighter flame close to the nozzle of your mister.  At first I held it further out, thinking that a more diffuse vapor would ignite easier.  Instead it was blowing out the lighter. 

- Likewise, holding the nozzle closer to the glass when spraying more in helps keep the flame going (and avoids messy counters). 

- Tilting the glass helps as Mr. Boudreau does here helps keep the flame oxygenated in the glass. 

- Practice pays off! 

Also, I didn’t have brandied cherries so I substituted my homemade maraschino cherries - local Balatons sitting in Luxardo Maraschino liqueur - with excellent results. 

Another question:  to keep this burning for the 25 seconds or so results in a boatload of bitters in the glass - about a teaspoon.  Am I overdoing it, or is that about right? 

Thanks again!

If you are having difficulties in getting the bitters to burn, it is acceptable to “cheat” a little and add some 151 rum to the bitters mister. It is also better if you spray the glass with the bitters mixture first, in order for the fire to have something to catch on to, and stay ignited.
You will use a lot of bitters, but the bitters shouldn’t be overpowering, they should meld well with the cherries and rosewater.
Good luck!

Thanks again!  I did think about cheating with some 151, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.  And yes, I realized that spraying the top of the glass was a lot more effective than spraying on the sugar at the bottom! 

That’s my experience with the volume of bitters, too:  the rosewater blends nicely and it doesn’t end up tasting like an Angostura cocktail at all. 

Much obliged.