LA Group

GCP Cocktail Comp 30th April LA Bar Academy

Scott — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:56:23 +0000

30th April 2012 at the LA Bar Academy will see over 40 bartenders from 8 different cities around Scotland and the North of England compete to be the G’Vine Gin Connoisseur of 2012.

Superb day and night lined up from start to finish.

Check the link below for info on all and register asap!!

http://www.la-group.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/GCP-GVine-Comp.pdf

LA Group 2012

Scott — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:45:45 +0000

Happy New Year All -

The LA Group are back in the thick of things here at the LA Academy and ready for action this year.

Going to be a great year for the team with the LA Bar Academy and LA Wholesale really coming of age in 2012!

Stay Tuned to all our Social Networks for all the up to date action.

Click the following to link up to our facebook groups > LA Group – LA Bar Academy – LA Wholesale

All the Best for 2012.

SGx

Boutique Bar Show 2011

Scott — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:35:35 +0000

This year will see the LA Group promote the entire Boutique Bar show again this year across Scotland.

We are also running the main stage afrom Start to finish with Scott Gemmell our MD hosting the Great Scottish Shake Off and Bartenders to Bar Owners Session happening through the 25th.

Key reasons to attend the show:
Discover new and interesting drinks brands that can support your business
Develop new and important business contacts
Bring along your team to be educated and inspired by internationally acclaimed speakers

Brands include…………….Nikka Whisky, Kigo Shochu, Kammerlings Ginseng Spirit, ish Gin, Rebel Yell Bourbon, The Botanist Gin, Chairman’s Reserve Rum, Tapatio Tequila, Quilmes Beer and a lot more
(for a full list of nearly 100 drinks brands visit the website)

Speakers include Tony Conigliaro, Stanislav Vadrna, Jamie Macdonald, Malcolm Spence plus we have a Bar Tender to Bar Owner Business Discussion (full details available on website)

If quality drinks are important to your business please be sure to make the time to visit The Boutique Bar Show Scotland returning after its successful launch in 2010.

CLICK TO REGISTER NOW!!

Rumfest 2011

Scott — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:31:57 +0000

The LA Group are also very please to announce we will be supporting Brugal and Havana Rum at Rumfest this year over London Cocktail Week in October.

Joiners & Decorators will be in the LA Academy this weekend polishing the stand designs before we head to the Big Smoke to set up. We look forward to catching up with old friends and sipping some fine rums.

It has got to be one of the years biggest highlights!!

http://rumfest.co.uk/

Get your tickets now!!!

LA Group Summer Newsletter

Scott — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:53:20 +0000

LA Group Summer Newsletter

Not unlike our company and also our cocktails, The LA Group Newsletter is a seasonal affair. For this reason, as well as the fact we have got a good bit to tell you, please carry on reading, there should be something of interest in here for just about everyone!!

Summer has certainly thrown the LA Events team a busy little schedule from

Imbibe Live to Taste of Edinburgh and the Scottish Fashion Awards. We have been all over the country serving our lovely bespoke cocktails to adoring guests in near enough every city. Scotland on Sunday’s Eligibles party was also a fantastic highlight for the team too, with Scott Gemmell our Managing Director being voted Scotland’s 5th most eligible gentleman. (Nice one Scotty) We were also serving Prince Philip at the Royal Scottish Academy in June, which was also a fairly special occasion for both us and 10 women on a hen night.

LA Wholesale is also officially in 3rd gear now having celebrated its first birthday a month or so ago – congratulations to Mike and the team for surpassing all targets here and opening some amazing accounts that are now ordering the majority of their spirits from our good selves. You’re only as good as your Ingredients folks!! So give the team a call…

The LA Bar Academy is mirroring this success after winning some great work with the likes of Chardon Management, Dakota hotel, Piersland Hotel plus numerous independent bars and individuals who are benefiting from our government funded partnerships with Blue Print Training and Skills Development Scotland. These partnerships ensure our clients benefits from our great array of courses specifically designed for every level of the trade. We were also voted in the top three training providers by the British Institute of Inn Keeping so a great start to 2011 for us earlier in the year. Get in touch with our team to get our interactive digital training brochure for all the details, leads, links and information you need to get all booked up.

Remember The LA Academy is open from 930am till 700pm Monday to Friday
so pop in for a tour and chat anytime, we would be delighted to see you!!

Classical Thinking – Classical Drinking – By Bobby Cockburn

Scott — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:58:19 +0000

A Gentleman & Genius behind the bar – a true bartender – an amazing friend and beautiful human being!

(RIP Brov – your magic, love and laughter will live on in every event we do) xxxxxxxxxx

Classical Thinking, Classical Drinking Written by Bobby Cockburn Summer of 2009

What is it that made cocktails so appealing back in the day?

How did the classics come about, and what made them so popular?

What countries did the cocktail culture begin in?

What is the relevance of the classics in today’s bar?

How much of an influence do the classics still have on contemporary cocktail lists?

Martini’s & Manhattan’s, the mention of these drinks immediately conjure up images of a by gone era of a bow-tied bartender, wearing an immaculate full length white apron and a wonderful mustache, who overlooked no fine detail while mixing these drinks for the well dressed gentry and aristocrats, who smoked fat cigars and sat in wonderfully luxurious leather chairs, sipping these crafted drinks out of sparkling crystal cocktail glasses. Well thats what springs to my mind!.

These are seen as two of the best examples of a classic cocktail. But these drinks didn’t just appear recently, they were created during the evolution of mixed drinks, spirits and liqueurs. So for us to understand what made cocktails appealing back in the day. We need to know how things changed over time to find out how,what and why these drinks were appealing.

Cocktails “officially” date back to the 17th Century. Although no-one can say for certain when the very first cocktail/mixed drink was created, or when the first written reference to them is found. But I like this early definition dated 13th May, 1806 (actually a response to a readers enquiry from the ‘Balance and Columbian Repository of New York’)

“ Cocktail is a stimulating liqueur, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters – it is vulgarly called a bittered sling.”

To understand how the classic cocktails as we know it came about, we need to understand how cocktails evolved to the classical age. It is vitally important take into account how the world changed so much during these timelines, the evolution of spirit and liqueur making techniques. In short as things got better, more refined, more flavorsome, so did technology, society and drinking habits.

There were four distinctive ages of the cocktail that have led us to the drinks we call ‘Classics’; The Archaic Age (1780 – 1830). The Baroque Age (1830 – 1885). The Classic Age (1885 – 1920). Prohibition (1919 – 1933)

In the Archaic Age (1780 – 1830) please take into account that good quality spirits were at only the rich and powerful’s disposal, even then they were no-where near as palatable and complex as today. The bartenders of this era were pioneers in their craft, they did incredibly well creating numerous palatable drinks from a very limited amount of available ingredients. Most drinks from this era were served warm; Flips (ale, egg, sugar, spices) either boiled over a open fire or if it had cooled and if someone wanted it served hot, a red hot poker was taken from the fire and plunged into a individual serving. Just out of interest this poker was known as a loggerhead and when it all kicked off in the tavern, combatants would use these as weapons, and that is where the term “loggerheads come from”.

The following styles of drink that originated from this age are : slings, toddies, punches, mulled wine. Back then the colonists drank in substantial quantities,throughout the course of the whole day. Alcohol was viewed as social, to give sustanance to travelers and medicinal. Hence there was such a large consumption per person. (think back, there were so many illnesses, disease and lack of hygiene its no wonder the enjoyment of this medicine was so popular!!)

The Baroque Age (1830 – 1885) saw a un-comprehendable impact on cocktails/mixed drinks. ICE. Before it was only the uber rich, privilidged and powerful that could access ice. But now it was so widely available that drinking habits completely changed. Where previously drinks were produced en mass (eg pots of mulled wine or bowls of punch) now they were served individually in cups, wine glasses and tankards. Ultimately leading to the invention of more tools and equipment to manage and manipulate the ice and create a new variety of drinks It was this period that showed the first real burst of creativity. With more spirits, liqueurs, bitters and syrups available the bartender was equipped more now than ever before. Due to increased trade and transport links drinks began to travel.

Then the Classic Age (1885 – 1920) finally arrived. As the differing styles and recipes of drinks grew so did the number of different types of glassware to hold these creations. Whiskies, Scotch and Gin became big players in the cocktail scene and imported liqueurs multiplied behind the bar, particulary vermouth. The style of the the time produced many drinks containing spirits bitters and vermouth. Looking back it seems the common factor was masking the strength and somewhat rough spirit with bitters and vermouth/liqueurs to make a fine drink that was stinging cold and full of flavour.

The constant factor that connects these ages and the ages to come is basically simple. Cocktails are made to transform liquid flavour’s into something far far superior, or even more simply put – making something unpalatable, palatable. Cocktails grew more and more as a sign of class and refinement, a signiture of status. As time progressed so has the quality and refinement of everything related to cocktail making, now allowing us access to the most magnificent and delicate drinks that were physically never able to be produced. Something we all have to be thankful and respectful for.

Following the classical age was Prohibition. After the hard work and endeavor of bartenders throughout the classic age (particulary Professor Jerry Thomas, regarded as the grandfather of the cocktail. look him up!). These highly skilled creative creatures had nowhere to go, or so it seemed. The majority of cocktail culture and society had been in America but over the years other countries had began to follow that route, but it was America who fully embraced the art of the cocktail.

With prohibition in full swing there were 2 choices for our american cousins:

1- Work/run an illegal speakeasy producing drinks with whatever the could get their hands on. You have to remember that access to good quality booze was very limited and bootlegging was rife, in fact the bootleg industry was thought to have been worth more than $1 Billion dollars in todays money. This logically led to mixing drinks to mask the acrid flavors of dodgy spirits using bitters and juices, cocktails were now also being born out of circumstance. The reverse affect of prohibition was a bustling scene of many roaring clubs and swinging music. Prohibition created a close knit community as a vast array of different walks of life would mingle, dance and drink their way through an incredible amount of booze (its very hard to imagine it was illegal and yet so much went on!)

2 – Travel to Europe and work in England, France or Italy. These were the places to be for the rich and famous. It was places like Harry’s New York bar in paris, The Ritz and The Savoy in London and Harry’s Bar in Venice. It was there that the classic cocktails as we know them were crafted and mastered. Achieving world popularity as they set the trend of what drinks to drink and when to serve. During this time the drinks that flourished were : the bloody mary, the daiquiri, the martini, the old fashioned, the manhattan, the martinez, the sour, fizzes, daisies, fixes, collins’, aviation’s. As the affluent drinkers and the best bartenders travelled, so did the drinks.

These classic’s are relevant and available in today’s bars because they have stood the test of time, for a few reasons; They are perfectly balanced, technically simple to make, the ingredients are readily available (more so than a lot of people realize). They are a test of a true bartender and a universal language of the world.

The ingredients of today are superior to those of old, sugar, bitters, citrus and ice are so common place they are more than available. If made correctly these old drinks are amazingly refreshing and simply fabulous. If you want to be poetic these drinks can transport you back into the gay nineties or roaring twenties. In theory any good bar should be able to create these to the classic proportions and in the classic methods with no real hassle because wether or not they realize it they probably already have all the ingredients and if not then incredibly easy access. If you look at the DNA of the drinks on the contemporary cocktail list you will find the back bone of them stem from the best drinks of yesteryear. Cocktails are not a modern art form or phenomenon, but a constantly evolving, living, breathing piece of history. And history should be respected, preserved and passed on. More bars and bartenders should learn and list these classics, because once you can master and understand how and why they work, you are then equipped to embark on your own masterpieces and potions. As the old tell the young “You cant run unless you learn how to walk”, I cant emphasize this enough. Now, it surely must be time for a stiff drink!.

——————————-

We raise our glasses to you Bobby – one of the greats!!!

Your love laughter and fine liquid libations will live on in our hearts and bellies.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

LA Group January Newsletter

Scott — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:07:04 +0000

On behalf of all the team at the LA Group, a very Happy New Year to you all. We’ve got another action packed year ahead of us with all divisions within the group in full flow and we’re raring to get started!

Last year saw us launch our specialist wholesale division, creating essential routes to market for a great range of fine spirits, liqueurs, bitters and vermouths. LA Wholesale will continue to breathe life into bars as we expand into new markets this year. We are also offering LA Wholesale volume account holders a free menu consultancy on top of discounted bar training certificates.

In 2010 we fully launched LA Academy as Scotland’s first ever dedicated bartender training school. We are now offering three staged bespoke courses for bars or individuals who are willing to invest in their profession. Whether you are a beginner or professional bartender, our Silver, Gold and Platinum certificates can provide the essential next steps to becoming the very best in the business.

Our mobile event production will be at the forefront of our business again this year and will include key trade events in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Locally, we will be heavily involved in many of the key events that form the backbone of Scotland’s cultural identity, serving our bespoke cocktail recipes and neat spirits to Scotland’s movers and groovers. Our bespoke brand event production with media partners will ensure that brand communication in this new digital age is managed seamlessly into these events and their reach and promotion is fully achieved.

Our HQ at 44 Houston St, otherwise known as the LA Academy, plays a vital part in affording us this depth of service and as a space embodies many art forms and creative disciplines. Our internal events will mirror this moral foundation with art galleries, film screenings, photo shoots and music events taking place throughout the year. Keep up to date with all the latest events in the LA Social pages on www.la-group.co.uk/social.

So as you can see, 2011 is set to be an exciting year for us and we hope that whatever your area of interest, you will be along to enjoy the ride with us! Stay tuned to all our web windows and digital devices for info on all things LA coming up this year!

And lastly, please feel free to pick up the phone and let us know what you think.

We would be delighted to hear from u!

Best Regards

Scott Gemmell

Managing Director

LA Group

Boutique Bar Show Scotland 2010

Scott — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 22:49:47 +0000

For all who did not make it, here are some of the highlights from Boutique Bar Show debut in Scotland…

Oh to have been a punter!!

Following a superb opening tasting and talk from Richard McLellend of West Brewery with the the Beautiful St Mungo beer, Alex Nicol from the Spencerfield Spirit Company really laid his cards on the table for all who attended and was a truly amazing speaker. A man of great experience who is now running a family business, Alex told us about the Spencerfield journey with a few political home truths thrown in along the way…not mentioning any names ofcourse! It was great to hear an elder gent cut through the nonsense on stage and tell us what is really going on behind the scenes in the Scottish Drinks Industry and touching on the politics that can make or break it. I would think his point is even more relevant at a show like this with such a lot of young bartenders present. These same bartenders are the ones who will change our good trade for the better in future. Ervin Trykovsky, Caorunn Gin’s brand ambassador (with his crinkle-cut shirt) also impressed with a very in-depth talk on this great new Scottish Gin that is flying high worldwide. Following this, Johnathan Inglis from Pincer Vodka took to the stage and held his own answering questions from a very lively and informed audience. Next up, Alex and Stefan from the Bitter Truth and Scotland’s very own Adam Elmgirab. All three must be commended for their in-depth look at the history of bitters in cocktails – assisted by one of Jason’s Scots crew at Bramble. This was a full house again and very well attended by bartenders eager to get their hands on some of their aromatic delights and learn more about this category and their origins. Following this slot with a very similar audience was the Molecular Mixology Demonstration from Miles from Molecular Mixology – this opened a lot of doors for some confused bartenders and answered a lot of questions for many who have dabbled in the bar chemistry but still struggle to perfect its application in a real-time bar environment.
Well Well Well! What can we say about the Boutique Bar Show Intercity Challenge? This had to be the biggest highlight of the day. 4 teams, 28 bartenders and 4 team captains – the stage was set for something BIG!!! Following the Bartender Mastermind, The ‘Make Bad Shit Taste Good’ round seriously put the bartenders to the test and was certainly something new for Team Edinburgh who had never actually heard of any of these products – Buckfast, Mad Dog 20/20, Newcastle Brown Ale and Cherry Lambrini under the scrutiny of Britain’s top mixologists. If only Nicola Sturgeon had been around for that one – seemingly her tipple is the kiwi-flavoured MD 20/20!
The Cocktail Relay Finale was packed wall to wall as the show drew to a close. The excitement was at fever pitch as the four teams had to make 7 classic in the fastest possible time – Aberdeen went up first against Newcastle – and narrowly pipped the brown ale boys to the Mark. Then came the auld rivalry between Scotland’s two largest Cities – It was Glasgow V Edinburgh – The place went crazy!!! it was so tight with literally a second between them the whole way. Edinburgh had Glasgow after the first four cocktails however as it came to the Negroni – Glasgow sneaked the lead back finishing a milli-second quicker than Edinburgh as they made the last cocktail. It was getting our of control!!!
A few minutes later ……. Our highly respected judging panel including Jason Scott from Bramble, King Kyles from Villager, Robert Skippy Jupp from Speciality and Andy Big Time Gemmell had the task of deciding the winners! Having looked at all rounds and given each team marks based on all the challenges set -
The decision was unanimous, barring Andy Gemmell who walked out early after disagreeing with the Teuchter-heavy panel. Edinburgh had nailed it!! The home crowd went crazy – security moved in to apprehend Team Glasgow – ambulances arrived for Team Aberdeen whilst the boys from Newcastle made some tracks for the free buffet at Hawke and Hunter – now you know why you had a negroni for dinner!!!

From there on, it was onto Cabaret Voltaire for all who dared…probably best not to narrate from this point!

What a laugh guys and gals – it was great to catch up with everyone at the same time and at the same place – the LA Team and I loved every minute!!

Thanks again to everyone who came along and especially to the team captains, exhibiting brands and bartenders from all over the UK who helped make the Intercity Challenge and entire Boutique Show debut in Scotland such a huge success.

Remember folks…the North is nicer!!!

See you next year for more main stage action and Boutique Bar show madness.

Scutts and I are scheming already.

LA Group Sponsor the Grand Central Hotel Opening in Glasgow

Scott — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:50:47 +0000

What was the very first event to be held at the new Grand Central Hotel in Glasgowthe Scottish Event Awards was sponsored by ourselves and International Beverages by anCnoc Highland malt this year at the Grand Central Hotel. Scott our MD presented two awards for the Best Scottish Event and Best Advertised Event –

The LA Group’s post dinner anCnocitos and neat measures of the 12 year old anCnoc Highland Malt went down a storm.

We do love the guys from the Drum and what a fantastic new Hotel for Glasgow.

Back to the Glory Days of Glasvegas!!!!

Rumfest 2010

Scott — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:58:36 +0000

Another Road trip for the LA Crew this year to Rumfest supporting Pernod with Havana and Maxxium with Brugal -

Yet another phenomenal show for Ian Burrell this year at Olympia – Onwards and Upwards for the UK Rum Ambassador!!

Must be said though!!!

Mahiki should of won the Tiki Face – Scandal and Politics!! – you would expect nothing less from the Capital of England!!!

What a fantastic show – This year LA made way for the original Rum bhoys – with the soulshakers running the main stage.

Great fun from start to finish!!