The bar has been raised!

No i don't mean i've put my bar up on stilts but on Sept 1st 2008 i had hit the target that i had made for the whole of last season, so i am over the moon and still with 2 months trading to go. I had a quiet week up until thursday but this is the norm as its the period between school holidays finishing and couples coming on holiday after the kids have gone back but from thursday i've been packed out again everynight, also due to the nights getting darker earlier people are coming out earlier and going home earlier which is great news as i'm closing earlier but still making my target every night. Lots of earliers in that part don't you think LOL!

So now i'm getting some me time and also getting to pool at around 9.30am, i'm already starting to wind my season down so its a really nice feeling to have knowing that this season i have worked damn hard with a full bar almost everfy night but not struggled with the season where as others are saying its their worst season ever.

Again i couldn't have done it without all my lovely customers who have been so nice and pleasant, also a big thank you to all the negative people who have been against my bar from day one in 07 but have never visited as you have spurred me on to prove you wrong which i think now i can say i have.

As for next season nothing can be taken for granted what with prices of holidays, pound to euro and personal circumstances but until i haven't got life in my body i will continue the best i can and not let my standards drop or let my customers down.

So here's to you all your all great, Yammas!

P.S. The negative people are always welcome in my bar i don't hold grudges thats if they can swallow their pride long enough LOL you never know you may enjoy the bar even though you think i'm a short arsed welsh git.

Kev's guide to a perfect cocktail!

After making many thousands of cocktails in my career and also being professionally trained in the art i thought i'd share my master class cocktail course with you so you can impress your guests at dinner parties, birthdays and christmas.

1/ Use a Glass. Many people make the mistake of using a mug, tea cup or egg cup that holds very little liquid, NO! This just isn't right. It must be clear, made of glass, of a nice size and with a hole at the top to drink from, do not mistaken a cocktail glass for a flower vase, this is just to big and will cost alot to make one cocktail.

2/ When a cocktail has a fruit garnish i would recommend lemon, lime, orange or pineapple. It is totally wrong to use rhubarb, a leek, cabbage floret or spinach.

3/ When making a cocktail make sure you know what the cocktail is and what the correct ingredients are if making a "sex on the beach" the correct ingredients are smirnoff vodka, archers peach schnapps, orange juice and cranberry juice. Anything other than this is wrong. The reason i have stated the makes of the drinks is you can tell the difference in quality in taste when cheaper unknown brands are used. Do not accept a "sex on the beach" made with a tea bag, tobasco sauce, stingy nettles and american cream soda, no matter how much you throw the shaker around it won't taste right.

4/ If it says "poured over crushed ice with a salt rim" such as a "Margarita" is, don't think you can get away chipping off chunks of ice from your over frozen freezer and leaving a salt cellar with your guest. This will lead to confusion and maybe getting their lip stuck to the iceberg causing ice burn followed by rubbing salt in the wound and later on a scab which looks terrible at cocktail parties.

5/ If a cocktail is meant to be shaking or stirred there is a reason for this, no its not because of James Bond its due to the density of the different drinks which if shaken mix properly and if stirred some don't. If you do not have a cocktail shaker a cement mixer is just as good.

6/ Make sure there are equal measures of each spirit in your drink and half the drink is mixer so your guest can actually taste some alcohol, making a cocktail with mostly juice does not do your party any favours as those people may not return if they think their not getting drunk and left the car at home which then means taxi fair back.

7/ Take time and care over the making of your cocktails its worth it in the end. If a guest gets their cocktail within seconds they will click that you pre made a jug of cocktail the night before, added ice to a glass and slung it out. This will leave your party guest feeling unloved and unwanted thinking you couldn't take that extra little bit of time to make it fresh just for them. After all the guest is the party and if the guest isn't happy they will slate your parties and then after that your parties will never be the same again due to you cutting corners.

8/No matter how much you dress up your cocktail glass to look like a work of art if the drink inside the glass has the flavour of a sweaty armpit all that sparkly, fruity, monkey hanging decoration was for nothing. Example:- I once chatted up a young lady in a bar she was stunning, dressed like a princess, body of a goddess, looks to die for but when we got back to hers after she'd taken her wig off, plonked her false teeth in a glass of sterident, rested her false leg against the wall and took her corset off it was nothing like what i expecting.
So the moral of this point is:- just because it looks good doesn't mean it tastes good.

So if you do want the best cocktail party ever follow those 8 easy steps and you'll have the busiest party and be the talk of the town.