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Ok, kids.  Figured that every Friday would be perfect timing for a little Happy Hour cocktail segment.  So look forward to a post every Friday celebrating a few of my favorite classic cocktails.

As the weather starts to brighten up and spring takes over Kansas City, I thought it was perfect time for one of my favorite warm-weather classic: the Daiquiri.

First off, let’s set the record straight.   An original Daiquiri isn’t frozen.  It isn’t fruity, either.  And I certainly wouldn’t serve the thing with a parasol.  It’s an easy recipe that, like so many other classics, is still so easy to screw up royally.

Things you’ll need:

White rum: I love Appleton (from Jamaica), Don Q (from Puerto Rico), or Mount Gay (from Barbados); but when it comes down to it, it’s your cocktail at the end of the day, so make it with what you will.

Sugar: superfine white sugar typically works best.  Because it’s a finer grain, it emulsifies easier in cocktails.  And if you can’t get your hands on the stuff, making a 1:1 simple syrup with your typical granulated white sugar will work just fine.  I prefer the superfine sugar because it tends to lend the cocktail a sherbet-like quality that isn’t the same with simple syrup.

Limes: always pick smaller limes that aren’t too firm.  If you squeeze them in your hand, they should feel juicy, not like a golf ball.

Tools: 3-piece shaker or Boston shaker set.  Hawthorne strainer (the one with the bunny ears).  Hand juicer.  Cocktail spoon.  Jigger.

Ok, we’ve got all we need to mix us a Daiquiri.  The recipe is simple:

2oz white rum

2 barspoons superfine sugar (or 1oz simple syrup)

1oz fresh squeezed lime juice

Combine lime juice and sugar in your mixing glass or 3 piece shaker.  Stir together until sugar starts to emulsify.  Add rum and fill with ice. Cap and shake well for at least ten seconds.  Strain into a cocktail glass or serve over crushed ice or cubes.

Always remember: these recipes aren’t set in stone. Feel free to tweak them to your personal tastes.  All these recipes will be geared towards my personal tastes, because, well, this is my blog.

Hope you enjoy as much as I do.  I love how simple, bright, and refreshing this old Cuban beauty is. And as the weather warms up, this puppies are perfect on the deck.  And considering you only need a few things to make this happen and relatively easy cleanup, they are great poolside.

I had planned on writing about Super Tuesday today, but I came across an article that struck a chord with me in Class Magazine, an industry publication.

Believe it or not, I am actually in the bar business, not politics or economics; although those are two of my favorite hobbies. It’s a demanding, yet rewarding, job/career that I rather enjoy.  The booze, the people, the art: what’s there not to love?

And in my opinion, it’s a profession that doesn’t elicit the respect it deserves.  Anyone who’s done time behind the stick knows how difficult it is to remain congenial and hospitable while faced with the drunken masses.  It definitely requires immense amounts of patience, study, professionalism and a good deal of athleticism, not to mention acting as a poor man’s therapist.  The hours are long, the work is hard, and we bartenders depend upon the kindness of our patrons to make a living.  To be honest, it’s downright stressful.

But the piece by Jamie MacDonald and Sam Fish highlights a trend that is prevalent across our profession: the lack of female bartenders, especially within the craft cocktail scene.  Jamie makes an argument that women should be ‘nurtured’ in our work environment.  The sentiment seems to (and I’m sure somewhat unintentionally) lend credence to women needing what Sam refers to as a ‘crutch.’

Personally, I’m totally with Sam on this one.  The women in our business should be celebrated and treated as equals in our work environment.  Now that I just read that last sentence, I can’t really believe that even has to be said in this day and age.  But that certainly doesn’t mean they need to be coddled.

If one looks at some of the leading people in the bar business, you come across names like Julie Reiner, Charlotte Voisey, and Aisha Sharpe.  And maybe we’re a bit better at promoting this than the guys across the pond. Point in fact: Speed Rack.

Some of my favorite bartenders I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with have been female.  The dynamic behind the bar can be completely different with a lady tending alongside me.  And at Manifesto, the bar I currently run in Kansas City, we prefer having females on staff alongside the fellas.

But work ethic, creativity, attention to detail, endurance, and hospitality know no gender.  These are the aspects we celebrate at Manifesto; and be it man or woman, if you exhibit those qualities, how far you go or what you do with them is up to them.  I can only hope the same could be said at every other joint in the biz.

I’m not so naive to think that all things are equal everywhere.  And I’m not going to speculate as to why more ladies don’t enter our field.  But the ones that do should at the least be offered a fair shake by the rest of us, be it competing in cocktail competitions, or just slingin’ beers on a Friday night.  Show some respect.