Catering Supplies - When you run a catering business, you're the one in charge. You wear the chef hat, you don the apron, you serve the food, you do dishes - you have a hand in everything to keep the show running. That means when there's an issue, you get to work - including the bar area. If you don't have a lot of experience mixing drinks you can still worm your way through it. Here are some common drink mixing techniques to keep in the back of your head for the next time you end up behind a bar.
Blending - The blender is used anytime a drink recipe needs ingredients that can't normally be broken down or mixed properly by shaking or stirring the drink. This is most common in margaritas, daiquiris, etc. Blend the drink until it's smooth, including the ice that's used.
Building - Building is merely another term for layering and it has to do with layering or floating drinks. Bartenders will often pour liquors into a cocktail glass in a specific order in order to achieve a certain look. By using creams and other drinks in a specific order you can create what looks like a leveled drink. The key to building or layering is to pour slowly so the drink doesn't penetrate the deeper layers and mix improperly. Note that drinks are layers from heaviest to lightest, with the higher alcohol content drinks toward the top.
Muddling - Muddling is a decorative procedure for drinks and involved smashing ingredients into the side of the drink glass with the backside of the bar spoon. A mojito is a classic example of a drink that requires a little muddling. When making this drink, the bartender will mix lime juice, sugar and mint leaves muddled together in the glass before the rum is added, which dissolves the muddled mix.
Flaming - Fire is dangerous, obviously. This technique shouldn't be tampered with unless you've had practice and can do this responsibly. You're setting drinks on fire so it's not child's play. This isn't just for effect; it enriches the flavor of the drink. You should never try to do this on your own. Work with an experienced bartender who can show you how to safely flame a drink.
Shaking - Shaking is done to mix drinks that don't normally mix well. The ingredients are typically put together into a stainless steel shaker. The shaker is filled with ice, usually 3/4 of the way full. You won't need to shake more than a few seconds as the action and the ice within will help blend the two ingredients. Note that thicker liquids sometimes need a longer shake - and don't shake carbonated drinks.
Mixing the drinks is rather simple, you just need to know the most appropriate method based on the ingredients. That hard part is learning all the drink and recipe variations that people request. Most guests who request a drink will know how it's made if you're not sure. If they don't know, you can always turn to the web on your smartphone or keep a mixology app handy.
Catering supplies are a dime a dozen but if you want to impress your clients then you need each chafing dish and beverage dispenser to scream quality. You won't find premium catering equipment at big box retailers. For the best in premium quality, come to CateringEquipment.com