Az Újévvel egy új arcot is köszöntünk itt az oldalon... Ő az első "vendégszerőnk" itt a blogon. Szakmája szerint bartender, így aztán báréletről, italokról, alapanyagokról, trendekről ír majd Nektek. Fogadjátok szeretettel Thiagot!
What My Tipple Says About Me
As for my first boozy post ever, I guess introducing myself it’s only proper. But as bartender living the “speakeasy life” in Budapest for about 1 year now, I reckon it would be only suitable to let my favourite tipples tell you a little more about me. Enough talking, let’s get out and booze. Who cares it’s Tuesday, it’s my only night off anyway.
Out of the cold, and in a cocktail bar around Deak Square or thereabouts. Nothing too roomy I’d end up losing track of the bartender. Let’s get it started.
The Boilermaker, or Beer & Shot— Call it how you like. The mix of beer and spirit is more of sipping ritual I picked up from a friend in the UK, who in turn picked it up from a family’s friend in Ireland. And the tale goes backward, on and on. It’s hard to tell who’s friend started this whole thing first, but if you go down that road, you’re likely to acquaint yourself with some steelworkers in western Pennsylvania in the US.
IPA & rye whiskey (IPA is a must, at least for me; shot may change as hops vary) is how I’d start a drinking session downtown Budapest— Always sat at the stick whether in good company or not. All I need are some craft tasty waves, a cool buzz and some serious kick, and I’m off to a fine start.
2 beer & 2 shot later, as a steady stream of chit-chatting opens up across the bar, and certain intimacy is established between the bartender and myself, I’d go ahead and order an Eastside cocktail. The drink is a riff on the classic citrus-and-mint Southside— Fresh cucumber really pushes this libation into another flavour dimension.
Though a new age classic, the Eastside Cocktail isn’t wildly known in town, a little fault I set out to fix by suggesting the cocktail as often as I can as well as ordering it as much as I can afford. I’d still have to spell the specs out to make sure this cucumber-and-mint infused “fresh gimlet” (no Rose’s, please. I like it always fresh) is shaken and strained properly.
Following up next. The Brown Derby. Another classic cocktail, from Hollywood golden age and named after a movie stars hang- out in Los Angeles. Easy to mix, even easier to drink. Sour like tipple made out of Bourbon, honey syrup and fresh grapefruit juice, shaken and served up.
As many other classic mixed drinks, the Brown Derby is easy to riff or twist. I’d normally keep as it is, short and pungent, though this aperitif sips all right over ice in a colin glass topped up with soda water. If short and up or long over ice is pretty much up to the bar snacks. Often they’re good enough to keep me going without getting buzzed too soon (and boasting about my sexual life).
It’s a little into the small hours. It’s time for little break, perhaps a cigar, if I really mean to live it up… I sure should arrange a ride back home before I get too stoned. But not right away. So I carry on drinking, maybe a little taste of whatever get me excited about the back bar, more often then not, some barrel-aged hootch before the last round.
The Negroni. I won’t even get started. You all probably know it better than I do. I’d have it with Zwack Unicum making up for the bitter Campari. A tipple I was first introduced to during my time at Boutiq’Bar by Nagy Zoli. A great Magyar twist on my all time favourite. I fancy it little fruitier than I usually find in bars around town. Equal parts Beefeater 24, Unicum Plum and Antica Formula stirred in a mixing glass and poured over one huge ice cube. Grapefruit twist thrown in, for garnish. Bittersweet as life always is, great nightcap.
“It’s 3 in fucking morning” shouts, my fiancee on the phone. “Don’t wake up the baby”, she shouts one last time before hung up on me. I figured It’s time to go home if I ever want to have sex again this new year.
I’m done and drunk, trying out the best of my Magyar in hope the taxi driver would get at least my home address out of my 14-words-rich vocabulary.
Please spare me of your judgements. I’m no alcoholic. I don’t get wasted every night. In fact, I can’t quite recall when I got hammered last (I never can…). Either way I’m surely sentenced to a morning of hangover.
Thiago Souza is a Brazilian expat bartender stirring his living in Budapest since 2014. If you want to know about him, pop in at Brody Studios for a mixed bevvy.
