The LAB, Comptoir à cocktails and Mixoart Bar Entertainment have decided to fundraise for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec for the month of February.

This volunteer-based health charity is fighting for the elimination of heart disease and stroke by promoting:

ON LINE BOUTIQUE

Are you looking for specialized material for your bar? Searching for Flair videos or flair supplies? Make sure to check out our online boutique at:
www.mixoart.barstore.com

There’s an impressive choice of equipment that’s just waiting to be discovered!

OUR MUSTS

Versinthe

This month we invite you to discover Versinthe, an alcohol derived from absinthe plants.

L’Absinthe is the ancestor of Versinthe. It was Marc Villacèque, a liquorist with the Liquoristerie of Provence, that resuscitated the taste of this mythic drink thanks to a complex formula.

Versinthe is an alcohol that combines a large wide variety of plant-based flavours and is made by following the most complex rules that have been passed down from generation to generation by liquorists. The result is a highly-refined alcohol that opens up an entire new experience to those who decide to taste it.

The method of production has not changed. Over 20 different kinds of plants associated with anise, including absinthe plants, are macerated in order to create the complexity and freshness of the legendary alcohol.

Versinthe is drunk in the traditional fashion, using water drawn from a chilled fountain poured over half a lump of sugar. Purists drink it straight while other will enjoy it in a cocktail!

How do you recognize real Absinthe?

Thanks to the myths and its reputation, there have been many want-to-be absinthes whose only connection to the alcohol is the name on the label.

Here are a few tricks to recognize a true absinthe:

· Absinthe is an ancestor of pastis, its recipe lies in balancing the softer anise flavour with the bitterness of the absinthe plants. High-quality absinthes are naturally tinted by the maceration of the plants.
· A real absinthe will change colour once water is added to it – taking on a greenish-yellow opalescent shade (the neon green colour has been artificially added by some in order to recall the myth of the Green Fairy).
· Its complex, subtle taste recalls anise and absinthe plants. It is neither associated with the sweet liquorice taste of pastis, nor the violence of strong alcohol.
· At the same time, since absinthe is not sugary, it cannot be considered as a liqueur (alcohol regulations stipulate that liqueurs must have a high sugar content).
· Attentively reading the list of ingredients is perhaps the best way to distinguish a high-quality absinthe.

For more information visit: www.versinthe.net.

We also recommend: L'Absinthe, le mythe ressuscité by Marie-Claude DELABAYE, it provides a passionate, in-depth look at how to recognize real Absinthe.

THE LAB’S COCKTAIL SUGGESTION

This month we’re proud to introduce the “Cherry Cool Fizz”, a fruity, delicious long drink. To be consumed with moderation!

Cherry Cool Fizz

· 1½ oz de Pineau des Charentes
· ½ oz de Ratafia Plaisir d’Abruzzo
· 1 oz squeezed lemon juice
· 1 oz de simple syrup
· Top with soda water

To create this cocktail, pour all of the ingredients into a shaker. Cover with ice and shake energetically for 8 to 10 seconds. Pour the mix into a Collins glass. Top with soda water, add a cherry garnish and enjoy!

BOUTEILLES & SHAKERS – Fresh updates on international flair bartending and its participants.

In association with Legends of Bartending comes one of the biggest bar and beverage trade shows presented in the western hemisphere –the Nighclub&Bar convention.

Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center from March 1st to March 4th, this convention is part of International Hospitality Week and includes four specialized events. Over 30,000 professionals from the restaurant bar, and hospitality industries attend the event. They come from all over the United States as well as 22 countries from around the world.

Everyone is welcome to attend this event which features a programme that is adapted to today’s economy and will be particularly interesting for bartenders/mixologists, owners of bars and restaurants as well as those who are in promotions and marketing.

For more information visit: www.nightclub.com

COMPETITIONS – Monthly bar and Flair events from around the world.

For the 11th year in a row, the most prestigious Flair bartending competition on the planet is back again! This year, the Legends of Bartending will be organised at the LAX Night-club at the Luxor in Las Vegas from the 1st to the 3rd of March 2009.

This 11th edition is featuring over $23,000 US in prize money and will welcome over 100 competitors from all over the world for two days of intense competition. There are two divisions (advance and pro) and three rounds of competition (Precision, Flair and Speed) where participants will be able to accumulate (or lose) points towards their final score.

Each competitor that enters the Pro division will have three minutes to make five cocktails, while those in the Advanced division will have the same amount of time to make four cocktails.

Finest Call Mixes are still the principal sponsors of the event and are supported by other sponsors including Flair Bartenders Association, Flairco and Three Olive Vodka.

A major change for the Legends of Bartending competition is the return of tandem routines! Since the 2008 edition, teams of two bartenders have also had the chance to demonstrate their skills on stage. They will have five minutes to make two cocktails.

The Mixoart team attended the 2008 edition; Legends of Bartending is definitely not to be missed!

AFTER COMPETITION- The latest results from flair bartending Championships.

Here are the results from the Zero Gravity competition which was organized on January 11th in Omaha, USA.

1st Place: Vladymir Buryanov (Russie)
2nd Place: Rodrigo Cao (Argentine)
3rd Place: Dario Doimo (Italie)
4th Place: Tim 'Flippy' Morris (USA)
5th Place: Mauro Garrido (Italie)

Congratulations guys!