For Madison Burch, Ecco’s newest bartender, she is still fresh on the scene.
"A year and a half ago, I knew nothing about bartending. Just the difference between red and white wine."
But through self-studying, accumulating a library of cocktail books and spending hours on the customer side of the bar watching the masters, she may soon be one of Atlanta’s bartenders to watch. Burch recently worked as beverage director at Veni Vidi Vici. She is just dipping her toes into the bartending world, and has already competed in two cocktail competitions. We talked with Burch to get tips on how she built up cocktail knowledge from the bottom.
You said you did “market research” to buff up your knowledge. What did that involve?
I went out to the bars around town to see what they are doing- Kimball House, Proof and Provision, and Leon’s. I was interviewing bartenders in a way that was probably creepier than usual, like asking, ‘What are you adding?’ ‘What’s in that jar?’ But they were receptive and we have a very supportive bartending scene here in Atlanta.
What was one of the most difficult parts of the learning process?
I went through a phase where all my drinks tasted the same. It was like writer’s block for bartenders. No matter the ingredients, every drink looked, tasted and smelled the same.
What was the breakthrough to get you out of that funk?
I was making a version of the Terminus with tequila, Aperol, lemon juice and simple syrup, but when our bar got in mezcal, I tried different variations, yet it still tasted the same. It wasn’t until I talked to different bartenders and learned the specific flavor profiles of each spirit that the change came. The final drink included fresh basil, which brought out the earthiness and grassiness of mezcal instead of the smokiness.
What are the best resources for those wanting to get into the bartending scene? "The Savoy Cocktail Book" by Harry Craddock, every bartender should have a copy. Holeman & Finch Public House has a vintage copy that is extremely expensive. I touched it, and they didn't like that.
Give us five tips that helped you succeed as a bartender.
- Look at what kind of cocktail you are making: something with food versus after dinner. An aperitif will generally be more bitter because you want to prime the appetite, while an after dinner drink is sweeter and thicker to pair with rich desserts.
- You always want to hit the five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, umami and salt.
- Mise en place is important. Know your surroundings and where everything is behind the bar. You never want to have to look for things. You want to be interacting with your customers.
- Lemon and simple syrup are a go-to because of the sweet and sour contrast. That's the basic sour mix.
- The way you mix a drink can change the entire profile. For a Manhattan where the liquors are the same weight, you want to stir it because you want to preserve the texture. Shaking should only be used to emulsify the drink, like something with an egg white.
What is the most important lesson you've learned as you built up your bartending knowledge? You always want to drink off someone else's list to see how well they make "your drink." That's where you see what techniques they use, like how they handle the ice, the glass, and how they serve the drink. If you like their cocktail better, you can learn what made it different.
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