I thought I wanted to be in the finance game, so about 11 years ago I was studying finance. Then I started working at a bar for extra cash and fell in love with bartending. Needless to say, my BCom, which should have taken three years, took six because of the hours I spent working in bars.
I opened a mobile bar company with some friends in 2011, and four years later I won Diageo's World Class bartender of the year competition in which 60 countries participate. Diageo were looking for a World Class brand ambassador to run the programme in South Africa, and that's what I now do. It's a lot more fun than finance.Sustainability is a big trend in mixology. Just like the restaurant industry is focused on nose-to-tail cooking, many bars are trying to create less waste. People don't realise how much bartenders waste.For example, if you squeeze a lemon, instead of throwing it away you can use the zest to create oleo saccharum, a syrup made from the oils in lemon zest. And you can use the rest of the lemon to make lemon curd.
We're also focused on using local and seasonal ingredients to cut down on carbon emissions.
Great ingredients are more important than tools for a cocktail-making connoisseur. A chef can't make a bad steak taste good.
Eggs are probably the wildest ingredient I've used in cocktail making, but there are people out there adding ants to cocktails. Apparently it's quite a cool thing!
The absolute can't-miss cocktail on the EB Social Kitchen & Bar menu is The Invisible Man, which is a twist on a classic cocktail called the Clarified Milk Punch.DELORENZO'S BOOK-INSPIRED COCKTAILS
The literary-inspired cocktail menu at EB Social Kitchen & Bar is causing more than just a shake and a stir. Check out the six newbies:
1. THE INVISIBLE MAN
HG Wells
Inspired by Griffin, the novel’s iconic character, this cocktail is filled with bourbon, apple, Christmas spice and vanilla and is deliciously deceptive. It will come to your table looking like a glass of water but the taste will take you on a beautiful journey to Christmas and back.
2. ULYSSES
James Joyce
Heralded as the best novel of the English language, the Ulysses cocktail takes you on a deep journey of flavour. Beginning with light floral and raspberry notes, moving into a touch of nuttiness and finishing off with delicate vanilla and caramel, this cocktail will be hard to put down.3. WOMEN IN LOVE
DH Lawrence
There’s nothing more passionate than a woman in love and the novel comes to life in this heart-inspired cocktail. With spices from the Don Julio tequila as a forefront, to the delicate grapefruit and vanilla notes working in perfect harmony, this cocktail will keep you coming back for more.
4. THE CALL OF THE WILD
Jack London
Inspired by all things natural, this earthy cocktail with cucumber water, a touch of elderflower and a splash of apple soda is brought to life with Ketel One vodka. It’s an adventure on your tongue.
5. A TALE OF TWO CITIES
Charles Dickens
Wine purists might tell a tall tale about this one, but when they taste the extraordinary combination of crisp SA wine, fresh apple juice and vanilla, mixed with vodka, they will only have praise for it...