Jonathan Stanyard
Representing: USA
"The Bitter Gringo Toolkit" is an initiative that inspires bartenders to think locally and improve their modifiers; I'll teach bartenders in my hometown of Seattle how to develop bitters and shelf-stable cordials, and a digital version of the toolkit will be published on the Diageo Bar Academy for bartenders anywhere.
Ketel One Family Made Vodka is a leader in supporting their community, putting their 300 years of family distilling to good use. With 20 years of bartending experience, I am using my knowledge to elevate my bartending community. Just as Carl Nolet set off on a mission to educate bartenders about great vodka, I follow in his footsteps. I have created a complete and inspiring educational program known as The Bitter Gringo Toolkit. My initiative demonstrates Ketel One's versatility and community spirit while inspiring bartenders to think locally and improve their modifiers. Through my Community Hero initiative, I'll teach bartenders in my hometown of Seattle how to develop bitters and shelf-stable cordials, making the most of every ingredient. Additionally, a digital version of the toolkit will be published on the Diageo Bar Academy website so bartenders can learn and grow anywhere.
My signature serve, Apples and Hops, features hyper-local ingredients from my home state of Washington. Using sustainable processes, I feature two varieties of apples in my Washington Apple Cordial. An ambient apple peel oleo relies only on time. I blend the oleo with the fresh, strained juice of the apple flesh, acids, and Ketel One Vodka. I repurpose the apple scraps from the cordial by resting them in Ketel One Family Made Vodka to further enhance the cocktail. Using local San Juan Island Sea Salt, I compliment the apples with my salted celery-cardamom bitters. The finishing touch is a Hop and Honey air that features local Seattle honey and Yakima Valley hops in a locally brewed beer. I built the recipe with the same fundamentals as Ketel One Family Made Vodka by layering fragrance, flavor, mouthfeel, and finish. Bars and restaurants are encouraged to feature my Apples and Hops cocktail, served with a QR-code coaster, to further the scale of these educational tools.
Bars use bitters and modifiers every day, and my Bitter Gringo toolkit gives bar professionals more artistic control over their cocktails. Using fresh and seasonal produce supports local farmers and reduces waste by making fortified modifiers with a longer shelf life. The techniques taught in the toolkit can empower businesses to put a personalized signature on their cocktails, giving a sense of pride and creating a deeper connection to the community. Ultimately, this is a means to elevate bar programs and increase sales. To connect with my community further, I am hosting hands-on, in-person events to promote the education of the Bitter Gringo Toolkit initiative. First, starting on the ground in Seattle and taking the initiative on the road, we will inspire bartenders nationwide. The Ketel One Family Made Vodka cocktails and Bitter Gringo bitters sold through these events and at participating bars will help fund further educational programming through donations to Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. I'll help raise the bar for my community and bartenders everywhere by sharing my passion for bitters, sustainability, and education.
Apples and Hops
1.50 oz Ketel One Family Made Vodka - local apple scrap infused.
1 oz Washington Apple Cordial
6 drops Celery-Cardamom Bitters
Garnish: Hop and Honey Air
75 grams IPA
15 grams of Honey Syrup (2:1)
10 grams of Lemon Juice
1 gram Sunflower Lecithin Powder
Ketel One Family Made Vodka - infused with scraps from local apples:
Add the scraps from the cordial to the vodka and let infuse for 24-48 hours.
Washington Apple Cordial:
75 grams of Apple Peels (Granny Smith & Gala)
75 grams of Organic Cane Sugar
3 grams of Citric Acid Powder
3 grams of Malic Acid Powder
14 grams of Water
¼ tsp of Maldon Salt
Clarified Fresh Apple Juice (2.5 x weight of oleo)
Add 25g Vegetable Glycerin
Add 2 oz Ketel One Family Made Vodka
Peel enough apples to gather 75 grams of peels (total), including both varieties. Juice the apples (reserve the scraps and cores) and let the juice sit to separate. Skim the foam from the top and pour the juice through a paper filter into a clean, airtight bottle. Keep it in the refrigerator.
Place the apple peels, cane sugar, acid powders, salt, and water into a bag or mason jar. Mix the ingredients well and place into a water bath for 3 hours at 125F. After the time expires, stir the mixture until all the sugar has dissolved. Next, strain the mixture/oleo through a piece of cheesecloth. Squeeze solids in the cheesecloth to express all of the oleo from the peels. Reserve the solids. Add the glycerin and vodka to the cordial. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until it is ready to use. This will hold for 6 months.
Salted Celery-Cardamom Bitters:
1 oz Gentian Liqueur
1 oz Cardamom Bitters
1 oz Celery Bitters
18 grams Maldon Salt
Combine all ingredients and stir/whisk to dissolve the salt. You can gently heat the liquid to accelerate the process, but be careful not to heat too much. Store in an eye dropper in the fridge.
