%0 Journal Article
%T Q&A: the science of cocktails
%A Tony Conigliaro
%J Flavour
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/2044-7248-1-19
%X Tony Conigliaro is a London-based mixologist and owner of cocktail bars 69 Colebrooke Row and The Zetter Town House, both in London, UK. He also runs the Drink Factory, a bespoke lab that focuses on alcohol-development and research into liquid flavour, drinks and cocktails. Widely acknowledged as one of the UK's pioneering drinks creators, he won the award for International Bartender of the Year 2009, as well as the Observer Food Monthly award for Bar of the Year in 2010. His new book, Drinks, is released later this year.In a Q & A with Flavour, Tony Conigliaro talks about the scientific methods and equipment he has brought into cocktail making and some of the new drinks he has created.My background isn't in science. I did Fine Art and Art History for years at University and college, so I think that took care of the creative side of things. But as for the science, I'm more of a magpie, I suppose ¨C I pick up bits and pieces as I go along, but over the years we've built a collection of people whom we can ask specific questions, so if we ever get stuck with a line of thought or there's something we don't understand, those people will jump in and help us out. Beyond that, we've never really been afraid of asking questions. If we don't have the answer, we find someone who does and actually ask, and we aren't afraid of asking until we find out the answer to the question.I've been working in the bar cocktail industry for sixteen years now. There was, you might say, a pivotal moment where I was in the kitchen in Isola in Knightsbridge back in 1999 and I was trying to make a fresh puree. I was kind of obsessed with fresh purees back then because all the ones that we were buying had too much water, too much sugar in them, and I wanted to add that fresh element. I think we were working on Bellinis at the time, and the pastry chef came over and just shook his head at me and said ¡°That's not how you do it¡±. He threw everything in the bin and said ¡°This is how you do it¡±. From th
%U http://www.flavourjournal.com/content/1/1/19