House of Bols Liqueurs
Today was a great day. I've seen even more about
the city, as I tried to enter the Bolls Amsterdam liqueurs museum, and as I've
got totally lost.
Never mind though. After 2 hours of walking and
struggling to realize, where I was and where to go, I've seen finally the blue
flags and its writings ´´Bols Amsterdam Bar Academy´´. Just right behind the
entrence, You can see hundreds of typically shaped bottles of these liqueurs
and a reception.
As I said before, there was a sign saying Bar academy,
so I was a bit confused so I asked, if this is an entrance to the museum. They
told me, that more than a museum, it is an experience. After seeing, what
could I see, I have to agree.
I don't know how else could I call it, so let's use
the word Museum. So ehm, this Museum is done in an awesome style. The style of
its interior is very modern and beautiful, but also the actual ´´lessons´´
which You will learn, are very modern. Just a small, tiny piece of history, as
necessary as possible, then how are the liqueurs made and then something about
Bols Genever. Thank god, that it's not really big, because then it could be
confusing, but like this is everything smooth. You won't get bored and it
flows. At the end of it, You can choose one cocktail of their menu and drink it
at the bar located inside.
I chose ´´The improved holland gin cocktail´´ made by
mr. M. Deeleman :
- Bols Genever aged
- Bols Maraschino
- Sugar syrup
- Absinthe
- Angostura bitters
- Twist of lemon peel
It's pretty strong by alcohol amount, as much as
it's strong by taste. It has been a great choice though. Until it is cold
and fresh, You can taste, how this ingredients are perfectly matching each
other, but as You drink it slowly (recomended), it will obviously get
more warm. Some coctails are destroyed by this process and become undrinkable,
or unenjoyable at least. But to my cocktail it didn't do any difference, thanks
to the taste of Bols Genever. When You will take a sip of that, You will feel
taste-like gin. But when You will breathe out, the taste of the grain and
botanicals will come back and fulfill the taste of the rest of the cocktail.
As I was drinking this and wondering, why the hell is
not this cocktail more famous, I started to talk to the bartenders. First of
all I have to say, that I mentioned the name of the Bartender, who actually
prepared my cocktail, because if You would just have a look at him, while he
was working, You could say, that this guy is really good and he likes, what is he
doing. All of them were pretty good - freepouring, shaking and customer
service, included. When they've realized, that I like bartending by
itself, they become really great. M. Deeleman asked one of his collegues to
work instead of him for a while and he took me upstairs to the bar
academy, right into the one of the ongoing lessons.
Thanks to him I could see the most beatiful
classroom, You can possibly imagine. There were six fully equiped cocktail
bars, barstools included.
There are 3 steps of courses.
First one is a basic bartending course.
Second is about advanced bartending, including recipes
and knowledge about bar products (There is a beautiful detail - they
actualy don't push Bols Liqueurs as much as I expected).
And the third and final course is about
profesional bartending including marketing and management.
Bols Liqueurs had a very important role in bartending
in the past and thanks to very good ideas I can assure You, that Bols will be
very popular in the future, too. Maybe even more popular thanks to Genever,
because modern way of classic mixology was missing the original ´´Genever
Gin´´ for preparation of
very classic and old recipies. I am sure, that there is going to be a
new wave of a cocktails based on this Liqueur because of its 42% alc. by
volume, as well as its particular taste was basically created for
mixology. And me personnaly? I cannot wait for that.
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