The green Fairy
Surrounded by mysteries, Absinthe as a potentially deadly drink is a bit of a dud. Granted, its preparation looks intriguing, with the sugar, a dedicated fountain and the special spoon, but Absinthe its reputation is largely undeserved and is mostly a result from a ban at the beginning of the last century. Absinthe was decriminalised in the 90’s and recent studies show it’s a spirit like any other. In fact, we recommend you try one at your earliest convenience; similar to Pastis, another high-proof anise-flavored spirit, it is a great drink to enjoy somewhere on a warm terrace facing south. Refreshing and unique!
Three Wise Men
One third of Johnnie Walker, a third of Jack Daniels and a third of Jim Beam. Three “wise men” indeed, and the recipe doesn’t release hidden flavors or unique blend that you wouldn’t already expect. The goal of this cocktail is to get as much alcohol in a single drink as possible, while still pretending to be a cocktail. The Three Wise Men as a cocktail is juvenile, unnecessary and guaranteed to take you down very quickly. Since there are no special skills involved, this cocktail is not part of the EBS curriculum either.
The Four Horsemen
If you think the Three Wise Men were bad, you better sit down and take a deep breath for the Four Horsemen. Continuing with the biblical theme, this cocktail is a reference to the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and like the Three Wise Men, it only contains spirits. Four, to be exact: 1 part Jim Beam, 1 part Jack Daniel’s , 1 part Johnnie Walker and one part Jameson.
The methanol cocktails from Bali
Since it’s not in the best interest of the Indonesian tourism board to publish exact numbers, this one is a little sketchy. But googling “methanol cocktail” will tell you all you need to know. Basically, if you are traveling on a budget in Indonesia, this is one you should consider: Do not drink cocktails from those cute little bar shacks in the middle of nowhere! The bottles on the counter might look like the real deal, but in an effort to bring down costs, the real contents of those bottles could very well be home-made hooch containing unhealthy amounts of methanol. Originally a poisonous side-product of the fermentation process, professional manufacturers painstakingly make sure methanol does not make it into their products. Bootleg liquor hasn’t gone through that process, with potential deadly results.
The Irish Car bomb
This US-version of a regular bomb-shot (a drink in a small glass is dropped into a larger glass containing a different drink), where an Irish Whiskey is floated on top of Irish cream inside a shot glass. Which is then dropped into Irish stout and served. First of all, this cocktail tends to curdle so the goal is to consume it quickly before that process starts. The more immediate and very real danger of this drink is the likely hood of getting punched in the face. Either by the Irish bartender himself, or anybody else who suffered from the Northern Ireland conflict and overheard you placing that one drink that sets them of. It doesn’t even taste that good; like the Three Wise Men and the Four Horsemen, these drinks are mainly gimmicks instead of real cocktails.
Professional bartenders know real cocktails, no gimmicks!
At the European Bartender School you will learn all the classic cocktails, and some great answers when someone orders “Four Horsemen” or any other gimicky drink!
