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acjbartending

Smart Serve certified, experienced bartender offering private bartending services across the GTA

07/02/2025

Every so often I trade out my go-to extra dirty gin martini for my version of a “sweet treat”. Lychee martinis may have the reputation of being overhyped, but if done properly they are the perfect summer drink; sweet, chilled and easy to sip.

09/21/2024

Tonight’s bar set up for a private backyard party 🍹 On the menu tonight is the birthday boys favourite: Paper Planes
This drink is a bit of a hidden gem, but once you’re in on the secret you aren’t going to want to go back.

Paper Plane:
1.5oz Amaro
1.5 oz Bourbon
1.5 oz Aperol
1.5 oz Lemon Juice

Put everything into a shaker with ice, shake well, and strain into a coupe glass. It packs a punch, so beware!

06/22/2023

Aperol Spritz. Perhaps the most popular drink for girls night out around the world. The thing about this cocktail is it can be incredibly bitter, giving the phrase “acquired taste” a whole other meaning.

What makes a good Aperol Spritz is the blend of flavours, so that all you are left with is a crisp, refreshing drink that quenched your thirst. And looks pretty on Instagram of course.

05/11/2023

It’s been a hot minute! I was performing in a show, so in an effort to be a good human, I cut alcohol out for the last couple months of rehearsal… mostly!

What a way to welcome it back with this balanced, light and foamy espresso martini from 1 Kitchen. I find these can be harsh, but this one went down smoothly. Definitely returning for another one.

03/29/2023

Rims. I often find them distracting with the exception of a salt/sugar rim on a Margarita, I typically shy away from anything that gets too fancy. However this cocktail at Kissa Tanto in Vancouver paired their mezcal based drink with a salted sesame seed rim that just elevated it to the next level.

It added texture, and deepened the more subtle flavours of yuzu and citrus found within the cocktail. Definitely tucking that away for inspiration!

03/05/2023

Vodka sours in a lightning snowstorm on the rooftop. Enough said.

I tend to shy away from sours because I find the flavour profile too simple, often over relying on the egg white texture to mask the lack of creativity. This one however included notes of orange blossom, subtle cinnamon and nutmeg spices and the bright crispness of a citrus spritz.

02/15/2023

Flowers as garnish. I find they can often be overdone and cheesy, detracting from the drink experience by poking into your nose whilst you try and take a delicate sip.

UNLESS

They are done like this. In this Valentines themed drink from Library Bar, the experienced bartenders top this sweet, crisp cocktail with the most delicate flower sprig that adds aroma and elegance without feeling tacky. The flowers are all on one stem, so easy to remove or push aside while you sip. 🌸

02/09/2023

Big ice cubes. So simple and yet I’m fascinated. I’ve seen many a video claiming to debunk the “big ice cube hack” that bars use in order to put less actual alcohol in your glass.

However, while this may be true in some rare cases, in my opinion if you use the right sized glass, a big ice cube can add elegance and the perfect chilled frostiness to each sip. It melts slower, which means less dilution, and cools the drink from the core outwards. So here here for big ice cubes!

01/27/2023

Purple. My favourite colour to look at and lately my favourite colour to drink. Going back to my gin obsession, I’ve been leaning to Empress Gin lately to achieve that bright purple hue. However, I’ve also been experimenting with infusing butterfly pea flower powder into vodka, and there’s something about that process that makes me feel very legit 😊💜

01/18/2023

As I’ve entered my mid twenties era, I’ve found myself leaning away from my typical go to, which has always been vodka based drinks. Vodka waters were a college staple (don’t judge, it was cheap and easy) but lately I’ve been wanting something more elevated.

Enter gin.

This past summer I had the opportunity to take a little trip to NYC and pop into Valerie’s, the very popular gin bar. It was the first time I saw an entire menu dedicated to enhancing the flavour of the spirit, instead of trying to mask it.

So for anyone trying to escape their unpleasant memories of their college drinking habits, stay tuned for some elevated, mid twenties approved gin cocktails coming soon!

01/11/2023

Espresso martinis are popular for a reason! Something about being able to get a caffeine hit whilst getting tipsy is quite appealing.

The one above is one of my faves in the city, at Majesty’s Pleasure on King. For a nail salon they sure know how to mix a mean cocktail, and the fact that you can get your nails done at the same time is a bonus!

Tipsy Tips: When I recreate this at home, I add two pumps of sugar free mocha syrup, which punches up the flavour of the coffee and rounds out the drink with a smooth chocolate finish.

01/09/2023

Throwing it back to Thanksgiving with this smoky Apple Cider Margarita. Something about cinnamon sticks brings me immense cozy joy, so I try and incorporate them whenever I can.

The secret ingredient is two dashes of organs bitters, they really punched up the flavour profile of this drink, balancing out the sweetness of the cider.

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