"Caribbean Flavours from Barbados"

Malibu Rum has its beginnings at the beautifull island of Barbados. Located in the southeast corner of the west Indies,the distillery overlooks the beach and white sands of black rock.

Barbados is tradicionally regarded as the birth place of rum, where for more than 350 years rum has been produced. Barbados rums are lighter and more delicate with subtle sugar cane and soft butter rum notes. This proved to be the perfect background to blend exotic flavors.

My visit to barbados and the Malibu distillery took place in 2003 when i was bartending onboard cruise ship "Serenade of the Seas" from Royal Caribbean Cruise line. its an amazing island with friendly islanders, the trip starts with ride on malibu's personnal van, decorated with the Malibu colours and logos, once you get to the distillery, thats when fun starts, after seeing how the rum is produced, you end up right at the beach, with rum barbeques, rum exotic cocktails and clear caribbean water,besides all the water sports and fun you can enjoy a fresh coconut water brought and cut from one of the locals. Indeed an amazing island experience not to be missed when travelling to the caribbean. I also recommend a visit to one of the oldest rum distilleries, the "Mount Gay Rum", set just a few miles from Malibu distillery, right on the corner of one of the main roads. Oh and dont forget to bring some samples and island souvenirs like the Malibu lip stick, or tradicionall island music.

Waloe

1 1/4 oz Malibu

3/4 oz Cointreau

2 oz Fresh orange

1/2 oz Simple syrup

4 Fresh mint leaves

1/4 oz Fresh lime

Muddle gently the mint leaves together with the simple syrup, then add the rest of the ingredients, shake well and serve in a frozen pineapple with crushed ice.

For more Malibu recipes visit www.malibu-rum.com

Cachaça Boom Times!!

Brazil's First National Invention

Cachaça was the first Brasillian invention decades before Bartolomeu de Gusmão's revolutionary hot-air balloon or Santos Dumont's airplane. Though records of its creation are sketchy, it is certain that its invention coincides with the cultivation of sugar cane, the country's first mass crop.


The first seedlings of sugar cane came from Asia in ships commanded by Portuguese coloniser Martin Afonso de sousa arround 1532.Records indicate that the drink was first created in a plantation arround São Vicente, on the southeastern coast of São Paulo,Brasil.


Rum (made from the distillation of molasses) was being made well before the first sugar cane seddlings reached land in the Americas. This drink was eventually produced in Brasil untill someone, by curiosity or clumsiness, filled the still not with molasses, but with fermented sugar cane juice. The result was a less sweet drink with an intense, pleasant aroma. There, one of the world's main spirits was Born: Cachaça.

Sagatiba Wallpaper

1 1/4 oz Sagatiba pura Cachaça

3 bsp of vanilla sugar

3/4 oz of passion fruit

1 small slice of chilli pepper

Mix and stirr all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and double strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish with chilli pepper and a vanilla stick.

Courtesy of "Cachaça Sagatiba, pure spirit of Brasil" http://www.sagatiba.com/

Pomegranate Martini

DiDi's Pomegranate Martini

2 oz Pama Pomegranate liqueur
1 oz Absolut Ruby Red
1/4 oz Monin pomegranate
Splash of Sweet & Sour

Pour the pomegranate syrup in a mixing glass, then add the vodka and the pomegranate liqueur, finally add the splash of sour mix and ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. To decorate, flame an orange peel and twist it into the glass and serve.
Instead of the syrup you can also use the pomegranate seeds and muddle them with a hint of simple syrup to give a more real flavour to the cocktail.

Passion for pomegranates

Punica granatum L.

Punicaceae

Common Names: Pomegranate, Granada (Spanish), Grenade (French).

Related Species: Punica proto-punica.

Origin: The pomegranate is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and was cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout India and the drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa. The tree was introduced into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. In this country it is grown for its fruits mainly in the drier parts of California and Arizona.

Mr. Próspero Cocktail selection for 2008 summer season at Dunas Douradas beach Club/Portugal.

Mr. Próspero Cucumber Martini

"Excuse me Bartender, there's a poem in my gin"

"Gin and the Bore "

“A gin is a gin is a ginswore the bore nothing odd can be.” But if that gin should win eleven botanicals inoh, then what a gin it would be. So we tricked him in bed, gave him Hendrick’s instead then fully sober, he shouted with glee “this gin is not gin like others that be yet it tastes even more like gin to me.”

Cortesy of Hendrick's gin

4 or 5 slices of cucumber
1 1/4 oz Gin hendrick's
3/4 oz Midori melon
1/4 oz Simple syrup
Dash of fresh lime

Muddle the cucumber with the simple syrup and the fresh lime in a mixing glass then add the gin and the midori.
Shake well and double strain into a chilled martini glass.
Decorate with a slice of cucumber and a mint leave.

You can try this drink in "DiDis" Martini bar at the Dunas Douradas Beach Club, Algarve/ Portugal.
Courtesy of myself, Mr. Próspero.

What is Flair Bartending?

Flair is a style of bartending that has existed for at least 150 years. Fabled American bartending legend Jerry "the professor" Thomas performed Flair in the mid 1800s, whenever he made his famous Blue Blazer, pouring flaming scotch and water from mug to mug in a long, fiery stream
Any bartender who has ever put two or more bottles in one hand uses Flair. Flair is simply efficiency of movement with a little style. Technically speaking, Flair is the act of flipping, spinning, throwing, balancing, catching bottles, drinks, and various bar tools while in the process of making cocktails. Flair involves highly technical pours and cuts that ensure accuracy and no spillage while performing various tricks and moves.
Speed Bartending- a form of Flair in that the fastest, most efficient way to make drinks involves multi-bottle pours, inverted catches and grabs, stylish and even behind the back throws and catches from time to time.
Definition courtesy of the F.B.A. (Flair Bartenders Association)

Today there are inumerous flair competitions arround the globe, and various famous flair bartenders like the brothers Christian and Rodrigo Delpech, Tom Dyer, Marco Canova, Danilo Oribe,Nicholas saint jean and many others. These bartenders can be found in the most famous bars and clubs arround the world, las vegas, London, Dubai,etc.

To find more about the flair world i reccomend a visit at some web sites like:

http://www.barflair.org/

http://www.bartender.com/

http://www.worldflairassociation.com/

http://www.iba-world.com/

http://www.ramoscocktailacademy.com/

http://www.roadhouseflair.com/

http://www.flairco.com/

http://www.barproducts.com/

Bar team @ Dunas Douradas Beach Club

Esta é a equipe de bar do mais recente resort algarvio. O Dunas Douradas Beach Club é o mais recente projecto do grupo hoteleiro norueguês fundador da linha de cruzeiros Royal Caribbean Cruise line. Um resort moderno e bastante acolhedor onde podera disfrutar de uma excelente experiencia gastronómica. Com uma carta de bar cuidadosamente elaborada capaz de proporcionar finas sensações, o convidado terá a sua disposição as habituais criaçoes classicas e intemporais bem como novas composiçoes elaboradas pelos simpaticos bartenders. Tendo uma boa relaçao com a conhecida Cocktail Academy e com o World master bartender Paulo Ramos, os bartenders tém uma constante formaçao e actualizaçao sobre as tendencias do mundo da mixologia.

Sem dúvida alguma vale a pena uma visita ao espaço e convido a fazer uma prova de cocktails.

www.ddbc.pt

Flavio Próspero

Curriculum Vitae

Flávio J. G. Próspero
Quinta do canha, Edf. torre 10 B Aradas 3810-449, Aveiro/ Portugal
tel: +351 918994278
prosprobar@hotmail.com
Professional Certificates
Basic bar course, ( Coimbra hotel and tourism school ); Bartender course, ( Coimbra hotel and tourism school ); Master sobre Vinho do Porto ( Caves Ramos Pinto, V. N. Gaia ); Master sobre Espumantes ( Caves Aliança); Master sobre Cerveja ( Unicer ); Master sobre chocolate ( Nestlé, Portugal ); Master sobre Rum Malibu ( Malibu beach, Barbados); Master sobre Rum Bacardi ( Bacardi, Puerto Rico ); Master sobre Licores Curaçao ( Curaçao island,Bonaire ); Master sobre Mount Gay Rum ( barbados ); Bar, wine and restaurant serviçe ( coimbra hotel and tourism school ); Safety course for personnel nominated to assist passengers in emergency situations; Bartender training certification ( Royal Caribbean International & Showtenders,Miami ); Beer and beer maintainance training certification ( UNICER/ EDOM ); STCW-95, Crowd Management appropriate training certification (Royal Caribbean International, M/S Splendour of the Seas); Serve Safe Course (Royal Caribbean International); International Freestyle Bartending training level 1 ( Cocktail Academy Portugal ); International Freestyle Bartending training level 2 ( Cocktail Academy Portugal ); Master Hot Drinks (Fundao,Cocktail Academy Portugal)

Professional Experience
1994
Bar back & Bartender @ Bar “O Lagar” – (Ílhavo/Portugal );
1995
Bartender @ Aqua Park “ Vaga Splash”,( Praia da Vagueira/Portugal );
1996
Head Bartender @ Bar “ O Labrego”- (Praia da Vagueira/Portugal );
1997
Bartender @ "Maresias" bar - (Praia da Vagueira/Portugal);
1997/1999
Bartender @ Bar “ O Terraço” - (Aveiro/Portugal );
1999/2002
Bartender @ "****Hotel Moliceiro" - (Aveiro/Portugal );
2000/2002
Guest Bartender @: Discoteca "Pink House"- (Praia de Mira/Portugal ); "Barbaridades bar"- (Vagos/Portugal ); "Biblioteca bar" – (Aveiro/Portugal ); Camping praia da Vagueira – ( Portugal ); Bar “O Barracão” – (Praia da Vagueira/Portugal ); Restaurante/ bar “ A Estufa”- (Ilhavo/Portugal ); Bombordo Bar- (Aveiro/Portugal ); Restaurante “ A Bruxa”-(Ilhavo/Portugal ); Restaurante/ bar “Bela Ria” – (Ilhavo/Portugal ); Bar “ Charlot “-(Costa Nova/Portugal );
2002/2004
Bar Server & Bartender @ "Royal Caribbean Cruise lines" (GTV Brilliance of the Seas) , (GTV Serenade of the Seas);
2004/ 2005
Bartender @ Vale do Lobo Golf Resort "Monty’s" Restaurante/Bar; Guest bartender @ "Inauguração de um Antiquário"- (Almancil/Algarve);
2005
Bartender @ Bárbaro Bar – (Aveiro/Portugal); Discoteca "Bubbles"- (Oiã/Portugal );
2006/2007
Head Bartender @ “Mama Inês” La Bodeguita Cubana; Guest Bartender @: Evento -“Salsa in Ria”; "Semana do Enterro de Aveiro";
2007
Bartender @ Vale do Lobo Golf Resort/ "Sandbanks Beach Club"(Algarve); "Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines" (M/S Splendour of the Seas); After Hours @ "Players Bar" (Aveiro); Discoteca "Club 8" (Aveiro);
2008
Bartender @ Discoteca "Club 8" – Aveiro; Apresentaçao BMW serie 1 (Santa Maria da Feira); "Plaza Bar" (Aveiro); Evento Red Bull – "Vanity Club" (Vila da Feira); Evento Red Bull – "Kool Caffe" (Condeixa);
Present Date:
Head Bartender@
"Dunas Douradas Beach Club" (Algarve)