ChicagoBartender

I believe you're thinking of Ginseng, there. Ginger is a tropical frost tender plant. The only way you could grow it in Wisconsin (or many parts of China) would be in a pot or greenhouse. Wisconsin is one of the major suppliers of Ginseng to the world market. Erik ← You're right Erik, it's ginseng in Wisconsin. I find my ginger and ginseng at the grocery.

I like to infuse my own liqueurs and always have something in the works. I'm sure whatever gin you use will just just fine. Just use one that you're familiar with so you know how to track the changes in flavor. As far as the ginger is concerned I'd avoid imported. Ginger root is very strong in infusions and domestically produced ginger tends to be a bit lighter. (I hear Wisconsin is second only to China in production. Not 100% on how true that is, but it wouldn't surprise me.) A week is probably as long as you would need to mascerate the root in your gin. Go longer if you like. Check on your creation daily and give a gentle shake. It may be ready sooner than expected. The liquid may be a bit cloudy or take a yellowish tinge. This won't affect the flavor. Check the flavor daily. Once it's ready just strain, put it into a clean bottle, and there you go! If you prefer a clean looking liquid you can use extracts to simply flavor the gin. As far as the cocktail goes, I'm sure it's made the regular way, with an irregular Gin. Don't forget your limes!

Did anyone go to Chicago Whisky Fest? I just recovered from Whisky Fest. What a great time around great people. The presentation between Fred Noe and Richard Paterson was the highlight for me. These guys are more entertaining that Penn and Teller (and sometimes more scathing). They must be great friends, because they're both still alive. I was great to have the opportunity to try out so many great whiskies. There may be some changes to the menu at work. Bottom line however, is that I really enjoyed being around the people there (maybe having a buzz helped). Everyone there was relaxed and friendly. All the master distillers there were great. Just a bunch of down to earth guys who love what they do and are great at it. I may have to make myself a Manhattan... or maybe a Rob Roy. Cheers!

Just a few things. Alright, TEN THOUSAND. JK. It becomes natural after a while, like rock climbing or tying shoe laces. I would suggest that the beer be laid sideways in the plastic tubs (as opposed to standing up). You can fit more in the tubs then. I like to use large lexan containers on jobs of that type. If you don't have lexans at your disposal anything that doesn't leak will work. If the event is at a rented hall it may be possible that they have Ice Caddies. Those are great too. And remember, Beer first, Ice second! If you have room you should think about a back bar. Two 6 or 8 foot tables with cloths, one for the bar and one for the back bar should be fine. Use pins or clips to hold up the cloths on the back side. With the tubs underneath you now have a makeshift reach in. With 8 foot tables it may be possible to squeeze 3 behind the stick. With a 6 footI wouldn't go more than two unless you put two tables together. (When the guest list is this large, if no one has done so yet, find out the size of the space for the event and draw a nice, simple diagram. Doesn't need to be fancy.) Make sure you have tape to tame the power cords, and lots of power cords. I've been caught short before and it sucks to make a run to the hardware store. Ice Scoops and Garbage Cans are a must. You may also want to print out recipes for the bartenders since they're rookies. Size the recipes accordingly and make it easy for them to measure out the amount of booze going into the blenders. Explaining that it's no fun to have a guest throw up on you may be good motivation to use some reason. Ice. I've always found it a good rule of thumb to have a pound of ice per person and keep it in a separate cooler that's only for ice. If you live in a warm climate you may want to up that 10-15%. (It still kinda cool where I live) If the crowd has heavy drinkers you may want to go higher. Remember, some of the ice will be needed to chill the beer and wine. Lastly, have the bartenders display the available products. Just one of each on top of the bar should suffice. If you make a big bar... you get it. It eliminates a lot of the questions people may have (e.g. What kinda beer ya got?), speeds up the line, and in general makes life easier on everybody. I'm sure there's a million things I'm leaving out, but with all the info from everyone else and my two cents, I'm sure you'll do okay. Once again, best of luck!

I just met Andy Dawson, one of the co-founders of Broker's Gin. Nice guy. I tried a comparison of his gin and Sapphire at his request and I have to say, after years of drinking Sapphire, that I preferred the Broker's. Bombay Sapphire seemed a bit medicinal after tasting Broker's. I'll have to try Sapphire again after some time passes. I'm sure that a comparison of neat alcohols will not mean the same thing as a cocktail, but all the same, I was very impressed with the Broker's. Plus I scored some cool swag. (bowler's hat shaped pourers)

Thank you Sir. You live up to your avatar.

drachmns, do.s, wine glass, does anyone really know how this all measures out? Too bad Jerry Thomas didn't use parts or ounces. Bar-Savants, please help!

Beyond making sure you have staffing for this be sure you have enough blenders and ice. Dedicated people for the frozen margaritas may be a good idea. You also have to remember that a lot of ice gets used to chill beer and wine at catered events. Good Luck!