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Inside Angel’s Envy – Bartending and the Art of Bitters with Alex Staub

Inside Angel’s Envy

Bartending and the Art of Bitters with Alex Staub

Alex Staub has been working behind our Finishing Room bar since the earliest days of the distillery. In March of 2020, he’ll begin leading a workshop teaching guests how to create their own bitters and incorporate them into their cocktails. We sat down with Alex to discuss his professional history and what inspires him to craft his own bitters.

Alex Staub

Tell us about your time at the Angel’s Envy distillery—what have you found rewarding? What’s been different from other jobs? Have there been any unique challenges?

I was fortunate enough to work the inaugural event at Angel’s Envy. Before there was an actual bar program in place, I was working for the restaurant that catered the ribbon cutting event. We must have done a decent job because we were asked to come back and work some of the other private events hosted in the Finishing Room. Back then, the only cocktails on our menu were our signature cocktail, The Henderson, and a classic Manhattan. It is very rewarding to see how far we’ve come since those first few events and to see how our menu has evolved to incorporate handcrafted bitters, ingredients and elaborate garnishes. One of the most enjoyable challenges of the job is consistently trying to outdo ourselves. Another perk of this job is the freedom to create. Every other bar program that I’ve ever been a part of has had their own prefabricated menu created by their own beverage director. At Angel’s Envy our menu is a collaborative effort from the bar team. We won’t put a drink on our menu that doesn’t get a unanimous “Yes” from everyone.

What do you like about crafting bitters? What initially drew you to it?
My girlfriend bought me a book while she was on a sales trip to San Francisco called Drinking the Devil’s Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and Her Cocktails by Duggan McDonnell and Luke Abiol that has a basic aromatic bitters recipe in it. I brought that book to the bar and that recipe kind of got the ball rolling for our team making bitters and tinctures (extracts). I still have a ton of bookmarks in that book from different recipes we’ve played around with. I guess my girlfriend buying me that book and the creative freedom that I have here at Angel’s Envy is what really got me into crafting bitters.

Can you walk us through what goes into creating a batch of bitters? Is there a simple recipe you’d recommend for people to try at home?
There are a lot of different ways to do it but the way that I like to make bitters is pretty simple. I have a big box full of little mason jars with different tinctures and bittering agents in them that I play around with. To make the tinctures, I combine a blend of overproof vodka and a selection of ingredients such as peels, roots, herbs and spices from our bar’s “toolbox.” I currently have about 60 tinctures to play with.

After the tinctures sit for a while and taste the way I want, I’ll blend flavors that I think might go well together in a very small batch until I have something that I like. I often utilize The Flavor Bible by Karen A. Page and Andrew Dornenburg to find flavors that pair well. It’s a great resource for creating bitters, cocktails or cooking at home.

Once I have a good idea of what flavors I want for the bitters, I’ll begin working on making a larger batch by combining the raw ingredients in large mason jar and then adding 100 proof vodka. Every couple of days I’ll give the mason jar a shake and taste the mixture to see how fast or slow it is infusing. I don’t really have a set amount of time that I let them infuse. I taste them frequently and when they taste the way I want them to, I’ll strain out the solid ingredients first through a mesh strainer, then for a second time through a coffee filter. It’s a lot of trial and error. For every recipe I’m happy with there are dozens of failed attempts. I think that’s the fun part. It’s okay to mess up and learn from those errors. When you have a final product that you’re happy with it is very satisfying.

Do you have any suggestions for how people should use their bitters? Is there a cocktail recipe you’d be willing to share?
I forget where I heard this, otherwise I would totally give them credit. A while ago someone told me to think of bitters as the salt and pepper of cocktails. That really resonated with me. Bitters can help balance the sweetness or acidity of a drink while subtly adding a hint of flavor or aroma on the back end. The right bitters can turn an okay cocktail into a great cocktail. You just need to learn through trial and error what flavors will complement each other. Bitters are cool because they can add those desired flavors, aromas and complexity to your drink without noticeably increasing the volume in your glass. If you have a cocktail that you’re working on that is almost right but missing something, you can give it a few dashes of the right bitter and you’ll have a great drink.

My orange bitters recipe is simple and can be used in many different cocktails. You’ll need orange peels, coriander, timut peppercorn and gentian root. I start by filling a quart sized mason jar with about a cup of orange peels. Then I’ll add a tablespoon of coriander seeds, a tablespoon of timut peppercorn and a tablespoon of gentian root. After that you fill your jar with 100 proof vodka and wait. Every couple of days shake your mixture and give it a taste. When it has a flavor that you like, strain it and it’s ready to use. It usually takes about two weeks before it starts tasting right. You can store it in a clean mason jar or put it into smaller jars. This is going to be a large batch for your home bar but works fine for our bar at the distillery. We go through a ton of orange bitters, so I always have a batch in rotation. I recommend trying out these homemade bitters in a classic Old Fashioned.

How did you get your start in the service industry? How did you find your way behind the bar?
When I was 16 I landed a job as a server assistant in a popular chain restaurant, but it wasn’t until I found an opportunity at a local Louisville restaurant that I really started to understand the ins and outs of the service industry, and the staff became like a family to me. I started as a part time busser, worked my way up to becoming a waiter. Eventually I found myself behind the bar where I tried Angel’s Envy Finished in Port Wine Barrels for the first time. Angel’s Envy was a fresh, new product back then and one of my co-workers who is a whiskey enthusiast was very excited about us adding it to our menu. We tried it together and we were both blown away! There aren’t a whole lot of other spirits that I vividly remember trying for the first time—at least none that resonated with me the way Angel’s Envy did.

What is it that you enjoy about the work? What keeps you involved and interested in what you do?
There are a lot of things that I enjoy about the work, but I’d say that here at Angel’s Envy, I really enjoy the guest’s reactions to a lot of our cocktails and just seeing the bar in general. It wasn’t until recently that a distillery could legally offer a cocktail experience at the end of a tour, so for the first couple years we were open, the bar was a real surprise and delight. Now here we are into our third year and I have regulars! We have guests who have taken the tour multiple times or attended one of our monthly cocktail classes to show their friends and family our cocktail bar. That is amazing to me. I think that is what keeps me interested in what I do.

Orange Bitters Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Cup orange peels
1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
1 Tablespoon timut peppercorn
1 Tablespoon gentian root
1 Quart 100 proof vodka

Instructions:

Fill quart-sized mason jar with all ingredients and top with vodka. Shake the jar every few days, and taste to check the flavor around the two-week mark. Once it’s reached the desired flavor, store in a clean jar, or smaller clean jars. Add a few dashes to your favorite cocktails, particularly the Old Fashioned.

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Inside Angel’s Envy – Bartending and the Art of Bitters with Alex Staub

Inside Angel’s Envy

Bartending and the Art of Bitters with Alex Staub

Alex Staub has been working behind our Finishing Room bar since the earliest days of the distillery. In March of 2020, he’ll begin leading a workshop teaching guests how to create their own bitters and incorporate them into their cocktails. We sat down with Alex to discuss his professional history and what inspires him to craft his own bitters.

Alex Staub

Tell us about your time at the Angel’s Envy distillery—what have you found rewarding? What’s been different from other jobs? Have there been any unique challenges?

I was fortunate enough to work the inaugural event at Angel’s Envy. Before there was an actual bar program in place, I was working for the restaurant that catered the ribbon cutting event. We must have done a decent job because we were asked to come back and work some of the other private events hosted in the Finishing Room. Back then, the only cocktails on our menu were our signature cocktail, The Henderson, and a classic Manhattan. It is very rewarding to see how far we’ve come since those first few events and to see how our menu has evolved to incorporate handcrafted bitters, ingredients and elaborate garnishes. One of the most enjoyable challenges of the job is consistently trying to outdo ourselves. Another perk of this job is the freedom to create. Every other bar program that I’ve ever been a part of has had their own prefabricated menu created by their own beverage director. At Angel’s Envy our menu is a collaborative effort from the bar team. We won’t put a drink on our menu that doesn’t get a unanimous “Yes” from everyone.

What do you like about crafting bitters? What initially drew you to it?
My girlfriend bought me a book while she was on a sales trip to San Francisco called Drinking the Devil’s Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and Her Cocktails by Duggan McDonnell and Luke Abiol that has a basic aromatic bitters recipe in it. I brought that book to the bar and that recipe kind of got the ball rolling for our team making bitters and tinctures (extracts). I still have a ton of bookmarks in that book from different recipes we’ve played around with. I guess my girlfriend buying me that book and the creative freedom that I have here at Angel’s Envy is what really got me into crafting bitters.

Can you walk us through what goes into creating a batch of bitters? Is there a simple recipe you’d recommend for people to try at home?
There are a lot of different ways to do it but the way that I like to make bitters is pretty simple. I have a big box full of little mason jars with different tinctures and bittering agents in them that I play around with. To make the tinctures, I combine a blend of overproof vodka and a selection of ingredients such as peels, roots, herbs and spices from our bar’s “toolbox.” I currently have about 60 tinctures to play with.

After the tinctures sit for a while and taste the way I want, I’ll blend flavors that I think might go well together in a very small batch until I have something that I like. I often utilize The Flavor Bible by Karen A. Page and Andrew Dornenburg to find flavors that pair well. It’s a great resource for creating bitters, cocktails or cooking at home.

Once I have a good idea of what flavors I want for the bitters, I’ll begin working on making a larger batch by combining the raw ingredients in large mason jar and then adding 100 proof vodka. Every couple of days I’ll give the mason jar a shake and taste the mixture to see how fast or slow it is infusing. I don’t really have a set amount of time that I let them infuse. I taste them frequently and when they taste the way I want them to, I’ll strain out the solid ingredients first through a mesh strainer, then for a second time through a coffee filter. It’s a lot of trial and error. For every recipe I’m happy with there are dozens of failed attempts. I think that’s the fun part. It’s okay to mess up and learn from those errors. When you have a final product that you’re happy with it is very satisfying.

Do you have any suggestions for how people should use their bitters? Is there a cocktail recipe you’d be willing to share?
I forget where I heard this, otherwise I would totally give them credit. A while ago someone told me to think of bitters as the salt and pepper of cocktails. That really resonated with me. Bitters can help balance the sweetness or acidity of a drink while subtly adding a hint of flavor or aroma on the back end. The right bitters can turn an okay cocktail into a great cocktail. You just need to learn through trial and error what flavors will complement each other. Bitters are cool because they can add those desired flavors, aromas and complexity to your drink without noticeably increasing the volume in your glass. If you have a cocktail that you’re working on that is almost right but missing something, you can give it a few dashes of the right bitter and you’ll have a great drink.

My orange bitters recipe is simple and can be used in many different cocktails. You’ll need orange peels, coriander, timut peppercorn and gentian root. I start by filling a quart sized mason jar with about a cup of orange peels. Then I’ll add a tablespoon of coriander seeds, a tablespoon of timut peppercorn and a tablespoon of gentian root. After that you fill your jar with 100 proof vodka and wait. Every couple of days shake your mixture and give it a taste. When it has a flavor that you like, strain it and it’s ready to use. It usually takes about two weeks before it starts tasting right. You can store it in a clean mason jar or put it into smaller jars. This is going to be a large batch for your home bar but works fine for our bar at the distillery. We go through a ton of orange bitters, so I always have a batch in rotation. I recommend trying out these homemade bitters in a classic Old Fashioned.

How did you get your start in the service industry? How did you find your way behind the bar?
When I was 16 I landed a job as a server assistant in a popular chain restaurant, but it wasn’t until I found an opportunity at a local Louisville restaurant that I really started to understand the ins and outs of the service industry, and the staff became like a family to me. I started as a part time busser, worked my way up to becoming a waiter. Eventually I found myself behind the bar where I tried Angel’s Envy Finished in Port Wine Barrels for the first time. Angel’s Envy was a fresh, new product back then and one of my co-workers who is a whiskey enthusiast was very excited about us adding it to our menu. We tried it together and we were both blown away! There aren’t a whole lot of other spirits that I vividly remember trying for the first time—at least none that resonated with me the way Angel’s Envy did.

What is it that you enjoy about the work? What keeps you involved and interested in what you do?
There are a lot of things that I enjoy about the work, but I’d say that here at Angel’s Envy, I really enjoy the guest’s reactions to a lot of our cocktails and just seeing the bar in general. It wasn’t until recently that a distillery could legally offer a cocktail experience at the end of a tour, so for the first couple years we were open, the bar was a real surprise and delight. Now here we are into our third year and I have regulars! We have guests who have taken the tour multiple times or attended one of our monthly cocktail classes to show their friends and family our cocktail bar. That is amazing to me. I think that is what keeps me interested in what I do.

Orange Bitters Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Cup orange peels
1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
1 Tablespoon timut peppercorn
1 Tablespoon gentian root
1 Quart 100 proof vodka

Instructions:

Fill quart-sized mason jar with all ingredients and top with vodka. Shake the jar every few days, and taste to check the flavor around the two-week mark. Once it’s reached the desired flavor, store in a clean jar, or smaller clean jars. Add a few dashes to your favorite cocktails, particularly the Old Fashioned.

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Inside Angel’s Envy – Bartending y el arte de los amargos con Alex Staub

Inside Angel’s Envy

La coctelería y el arte de los amargos con Alex Staub

Alex Staub ha estado trabajando detrás de nuestro bar Finishing Room desde los primeros días de la destilería. En marzo de 2020, comenzará a dirigir un taller para enseñar a los invitados a crear sus propios amargos e incorporarlos a sus cócteles. Nos sentamos con Alex para hablar sobre su historial profesional y lo que lo inspira a elaborar sus propios amargos.

alex polvo

Cuéntenos sobre su tiempo en la destilería Angel’s Envy: ¿qué ha encontrado gratificante? ¿Qué ha sido diferente de otros trabajos? ¿Ha habido desafíos únicos?

Tuve la suerte de trabajar en el evento inaugural en Angel’s Envy. Antes de que existiera un programa de barra real, trabajaba para el restaurante que atendía el evento de corte de cinta. Debimos haber hecho un trabajo decente porque nos pidieron que volviéramos y trabajáramos en algunos de los otros eventos privados organizados en la Sala de Acabado. En aquel entonces, los únicos cócteles en nuestro menú eran nuestro cóctel de autor,  The Henderson, y un clásico de Manhattan. Es muy gratificante ver lo lejos que hemos llegado desde esos primeros eventos y ver cómo ha evolucionado nuestro menú para incorporar amargos artesanales, ingredientes y guarniciones elaboradas. Uno de los desafíos más agradables del trabajo es tratar constantemente de superarnos a nosotros mismos. Otra ventaja de este trabajo es la libertad de crear. Todos los demás programas de bares en los que he formado parte han tenido su propio menú prefabricado creado por su propio director de bebidas. En Angel’s Envy, nuestro menú es un esfuerzo de colaboración del equipo del bar. No pondremos una bebida en nuestro menú que no obtenga un “Sí” unánime de todos.

¿Qué te gusta de la elaboración de amargos? ¿Qué te atrajo inicialmente?
Mi novia me compró un libro mientras estaba en un viaje de ventas a San Francisco llamado  Drinking the Devil’s Acre: A Love Letter from San Francisco and Her Cocktails  de Duggan McDonnell y Luke Abiol que contiene una receta básica de amargos aromáticos. Llevé ese libro al bar y esa receta hizo que nuestro equipo empezara a hacer amargos y tinturas (extractos). Todavía tengo un montón de marcadores en ese libro de diferentes recetas con las que hemos jugado. Supongo que mi novia me compró ese libro y la libertad creativa que tengo aquí en Angel’s Envy es lo que realmente me llevó a crear amargos.

¿Puede explicarnos lo que implica crear un lote de amargos? ¿Hay alguna receta simple que recomendaría para que la gente pruebe en casa?
Hay muchas maneras diferentes de hacerlo, pero la forma en que me gusta hacer amargos es bastante simple. Tengo una caja grande llena de pequeños tarros con diferentes tinturas y agentes amargos con los que juego. Para hacer las tinturas, combino una mezcla de vodka overproof y una selección de ingredientes como cáscaras, raíces, hierbas y especias de la “caja de herramientas” de nuestro bar. Actualmente tengo alrededor de 60 tinturas para jugar.

Después de que las tinturas reposen por un tiempo y tengan el sabor que quiero, mezclo los sabores que creo que pueden ir bien juntos en un lote muy pequeño hasta que tenga algo que me guste. A menudo utilizo  The Flavor Bible  de Karen A. Page y Andrew Dornenburg para encontrar sabores que combinen bien. Es un gran recurso para crear amargos, cócteles o cocinar en casa.

Una vez que tenga una buena idea de qué sabores quiero para los amargos, comenzaré a trabajar en hacer un lote más grande combinando los ingredientes crudos en un tarro de albañil grande y luego agregando vodka de 100 grados. Cada dos días sacudiré el tarro y probaré la mezcla para ver qué tan rápido o lento se está infundiendo. Realmente no tengo una cantidad fija de tiempo que les dejo infundir. Los pruebo con frecuencia y cuando saben como quiero, paso los ingredientes sólidos primero por un colador de malla y luego por segunda vez a través de un filtro de café. Es mucho ensayo y error. Por cada receta con la que estoy contento hay docenas de intentos fallidos. Creo que esa es la parte divertida. Está bien equivocarse y aprender de esos errores. Cuando tienes un producto final con el que estás satisfecho, es muy satisfactorio.

¿Tiene alguna sugerencia sobre cómo las personas deberían usar sus amargos? ¿Hay alguna receta de cóctel que estaría dispuesto a compartir?
Olvidé dónde escuché esto, de lo contrario les daría todo el crédito. Hace un tiempo alguien me dijo que pensara en los amargos como la sal y la pimienta de los cócteles. Eso realmente resonó conmigo. Los amargos pueden ayudar a equilibrar la dulzura o la acidez de una bebida mientras agregan sutilmente un toque de sabor o aroma en la parte posterior. Los amargos correctos pueden convertir un buen cóctel en un gran cóctel. Solo necesita aprender a través de prueba y error qué sabores se complementarán entre sí. Los amargos son geniales porque pueden agregar esos sabores, aromas y complejidad deseados a su bebida sin aumentar notablemente el volumen en su vaso. Si tiene un cóctel en el que está trabajando que es casi correcto pero le falta algo, puede darle unas gotas del amargo correcto y tendrá una excelente bebida.

Mi receta de amargos de naranja es simple y se puede usar en muchos cócteles diferentes. Necesitarás cáscaras de naranja, cilantro, pimienta timut y raíz de genciana. Comienzo llenando un tarro de albañil de un cuarto de galón con aproximadamente una taza de cáscaras de naranja. Luego agregaré una cucharada de semillas de cilantro, una cucharada de  pimienta timut  y una cucharada de  raíz de genciana. Después de eso, llenas tu jarra con vodka de 100 grados y esperas. Cada dos días agita la mezcla y pruébala. Cuando tenga un sabor que te guste, cuela y está listo para usar. Por lo general, toma alrededor de dos semanas antes de que comience a probar bien. Puede guardarlo en un tarro de albañil limpio o ponerlo en tarros más pequeños. Este va a ser un lote grande para el bar de su casa, pero funciona bien para nuestro bar en la destilería. Pasamos por una tonelada de amargos de naranja, por lo que siempre tengo un lote en rotación. Recomiendo probar estos amargos caseros en un clásico Old Fashioned.

¿Cómo fue su inicio en la industria de servicios? ¿Cómo encontraste tu camino detrás de la barra?
Cuando tenía 16 años, conseguí un trabajo como asistente de mesero en una cadena de restaurantes popular, pero no fue hasta que encontré una oportunidad en un restaurante local de Louisville que realmente comencé a comprender los entresijos de la industria de servicios, y el El personal se convirtió en una familia para mí. Empecé como ayudante de camarero a tiempo parcial y me abrí camino hasta convertirme en camarero. Eventualmente me encontré detrás de la barra donde probé Angel’s Envy Finished in Port Wine Barrels por primera vez. Angel’s Envy era un producto nuevo y fresco en ese entonces y uno de mis compañeros de trabajo, que es un entusiasta del whisky, estaba muy emocionado de que lo agregáramos a nuestro menú. ¡Lo probamos juntos y ambos quedamos impresionados! No hay muchos otros espíritus que recuerde vívidamente haber probado por primera vez, al menos ninguno que resonara en mí como lo hizo Angel’s Envy.

¿Qué es lo que disfrutas del trabajo? ¿Qué te mantiene involucrado e interesado en lo que haces?
Hay muchas cosas que disfruto del trabajo, pero diría que aquí en Angel’s Envy, realmente disfruto las reacciones de los invitados a muchos de nuestros cócteles y simplemente viendo el bar en general. No fue hasta hace poco que una destilería podía ofrecer legalmente una experiencia de cóctel al final de una gira, por lo que durante los primeros dos años que estuvimos abiertos, el bar fue una verdadera sorpresa y una delicia. ¡Ahora aquí estamos en nuestro tercer año y tengo clientes habituales! Tenemos invitados que han realizado el recorrido varias veces o que han asistido a una de nuestras clases mensuales de cócteles para mostrarles a sus amigos y familiares nuestro bar de cócteles. Eso es increíble para mí. Creo que eso es lo que me mantiene interesado en lo que hago.

Receta de amargos de naranja

Ingredientes:

1 taza de cáscaras de naranja
1 cucharada de semillas de cilantro
1 cucharada de pimienta timut
1 cucharada de raíz de genciana 1 litro
de vodka de 100 grados

Instrucciones:

Llene un tarro de albañil de un cuarto de galón con todos los ingredientes y cubra con vodka. Agite el frasco cada pocos días y pruebe para verificar el sabor alrededor de la marca de dos semanas. Una vez que alcance el sabor deseado, guárdelo en un frasco limpio o en frascos limpios más pequeños. Agregue algunos guiones a sus cócteles favoritos, particularmente al Old Fashioned.

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