Bar equipment

Hi guys, lately there has been a lot people searching for old and new bar equipment. From hand juicers to julep strainers. As bartenders I think we are always searching for that new bit of shiny kit so here's my take on it.

We collect ornaments
And forgotten mementos
Like magpies and crow's
Searching, hunting, tracking

They line my bar, some up some down
For quick and speedy use
A bitter bottle made of glass with a silver top
One dash and a splash
Modifying a drink

A spoon for stirring
Measuring and pleasuring
The eyes and a flick of the wrist
I stir, always circular
Always smooth

A jigger for the control of moving liquid
Fluid and streaming
Different shapes different sizes
More precise than my eyes

A juicer for squeezing
Fresh fruit, lemons and limes
A constant rhythm
Press and discard
The spent empty shell

A muddler for pounding
And crushing soft summer fruits
Sugar too

A shaker for that dance I do
One, two, one, two hard and fast
Mixing ingredients that don't always get along
It can be heard over the gentle
Buzz of customers conversations
The center piece of my bartenders show

A strainer, julep or hawthorne
For holding back the unwanted and unneeded
Letting the concoction that I have mixed
Flow freely and neatly into the open mouth of the glass

A glass, a vessel
The voyage of me too you
Clean and always cold
A canvas on which I paint
My love my joy
I hope it conveys the little things
that I appreciate

“This is an original poem by Hayden Lambert and cannot be reproduced without his permission”

Recently I was in contact with Mr S. Berg who makes and sells a delightful range of bitters. I bought a couple of bottles and they were fantastic! So many thanks to all the revitalist bitters makers for your weird and wonderful creations.

The great composers Angostura, Peychaud,
Fee, Abbots and Bokers!

The conductors of flavours and subtle intricacies
Some here some gone.
Reminiscent of the golden era

A dash here a drop there,
A splash, a touch, a smidgen

Gin, whiskey, rum, brandy
Old Fashioned, Pink gin and Manhattan
Too name but a few.
Magical elixirs, made for the humble man.

A dash here a drop there,
A splash, a touch, a smidgen.

Recipes lost to fashion and changing time's
The delight of silent symphonies.
Rediscovered and recreated by dreamers,
Scholars and oddball enthusiasts

A dash here a drop there,
A splash, a touch, a smidgen.

The buying of bottles and jars
The sourcing of the weird and wonderful
From the far corners of the globe
Eye of newt, ball of bat, gentian and coriander too.

The home herbalist,measuring and weighing
Crushing, bruising, soaking and agitating
Boiling, filtering and sharing the very essence
Of their understanding

A dash here a drop there,
A splash, a touch, a smidgen

The new composers Mr Berg, Mr Regan
and Mr Glasser.
Conducting the direction of this
New bittered sweet revolution.
Bottling for us their sacred concoctions

A dash here a drop there,
A splash, a touch, a smidgen




“This is an original poem by Hayden Lambert and cannot be reproduced without his permission”

The Bartender

Another post on the same day "wow" what a first. This poem is just about watching bartenders and their movement. I hope you enjoy
Hayds

The Bartender,
There he stands just still and smooth
Quietly confident. He is the man behind it all.
The artist, the entertainer, storyteller, friend
And confidante, match maker and alchemist.

The ingredients,
He counts as he measure's, carefully preparing
Mixing his potions, fifteens and twenty's
A drop of sweet here, a dash of sour there
The perfect balance.

The shake
Short, sharp, strong, a snap of the wrists
A rhythmic beat, until there is no air in his chest

The sound
The crash of cars the echoing of waves,
The approaching train

The feeling
Joy, excitement, fondness and pride
The rush of blood that pounds his freeze dried fingers
Powdered, white, cold.

The movement
Fast, flowing, quick, rehearsed
Natural and timed to perfection.

Glass to bar, pre-chilled of course!

The pour
Fluid, long, sometimes a stretch
Arms raised high, over-shadowing the bar
Graceful and elegant.
Controlled.

The drink
Timeless, cold, cloudy.
Tall or short, classic or new
Wrong or right?
Settled and ready to be imbibed

The customer
My friend, my acquaintance, my patron
Satisfied, disconcerting, merry........
Back again!

"This is an original poem by Hayden Lambert and cannot be reproduced without his permission!"

The Blue Blazer

Recently I met with Dave Wondrich and Gary Regan, two great fellows with hearts of gold. OK maybe not hearts of gold, but great guys none the less. Here is a poem I wrote after seeing Dave Wondrich perform his Blue Blazing technique, what a spectacle!

Heat, ignite and pour
The flaming liquid that burns
Blue and bright

Lights the dead of the cool winters night

Streaming back and forward
From finely polished goblets
In a timed and gentle motion

The master behind the bar
Accomplishes it with ease
Caressing and nurturing this fickle flame
Careful not to spill a drop of molten liquid

His customers are his main concern

They gather and crowd
Watch in awe an act that is daring and brave
Not to be performed by the fool hardy

Eyes transfixed on the never ending stream
Of blue blazing booze, the flames lick and spit
Sprinting up and down the fiery Scottish spirit

He smiles as he slowly puts it to rest
The lingering flame that refuse's to die
Smoldering to the very end
Then a puff of smoke

The raging monster has been tamed and calmed
No longer savage, but smooth and elegant
Soft and sweet

Steam rises as the liquid is poured
We raise our glass to your effort and grace
Your commitment, your passion and your
Blue blazing fun!


"This is an original poem by Hayden Lambert and cannot be reproduced without his permission!"

Updated site

The Urban bartender has had a little overhaul as I was bored with the idea of reproducing and commenting on cocktails. There are loads and loads of blogs that do this extremely well!
Here are my humble poems about different aspects of my bartending life. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed writing about them.