Mindful Bartending with Cecil Usher - Finding your Quarantine Creativity.

The allure of being an apartment bartender has all but worn off as we enter the sixth month of weekend nights spent at home. In April, it felt like you won the lottery if you could even access the Wine & Spirits website. I’d grab a few cases of wine and not think about it for a month. After a while, you start to crave something a bit different. Home-cooked meals and a glass of wine just can’t compare to the experience derived from a night out at your favorite restaurant.

Now, even though restrictions are slowly being lifted, getting craft cocktails to go may not be the easiest and most affordable way fill this void. To answer some of the necessary stay-at-home cocktail questions, we reached out to bar mastermind Cecil Usher from Mindful Hospitality and asked him a couple of questions that could change the way you approach drinking at home. 

Do you have any advice for people afraid to step outside their normal purchase habits or tips for people trying to expand their horizons?

I am such a fan of all spirits and think people but pigeon hold themselves. Every spirit has so much variance and a range in their offerings. You like vodka, try some made from wheat, rye, potato or grape. See which one you like best. Then learn about the different methods of distillation. Pot still or Column still. Each one give the spirit a different nuance. Again, that’s just vodka! Try different tequilas, rums, and bourbons.

Could you recommend some online sites that you have used to find new products or equipment to use at home?

I like using barproducts.com for a wide array of items on the cheap. If it’s for my personal use cocktailkingdom.com does the trick.

What about some items at home you may already have that someone wouldn’t think of using?

I have two tips for people at home that would spice up their cocktails. One would to look into alternative acids. We all know lemon, lime and other citrus fruit but try working with different vinegars. They add acidity to your cocktail and when paired with sugar and some type of fruit juice in equal parts you have something called a shrub. Get creative. And the second tip would be making some “complex”syrups. We all know simple syrup is 1:1 sugar and water, however you can get creative with the liquid side of that equation. Instead of water, use fruit juice, tea, coffee, anything! That will for sure take your old fashion game to another level.

Have you came across any safe alternatives other than at home for getting a drink with a friend?

Acacia, in Southside before the last closure was probably the safest place you could drink. They went above and beyond for their guest safety. Another place that is doing a great job is Kelly’s in East Liberty. Both places have bartender owners so they get service really well.

To learn more about Cecil Usher and his business Mindful Hospitality: Visit his website at https://www.mindfulhospitalitygroup.com/ or follow him directly on Facebook and Instagram.