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COCKTAIL FEATURE |
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Pisco Cocktail
Served on board Celebrity Cruises Solstice Class
Pisco
Pineapple Juice
Champagne
St. Germaine
White Grape Juice
Lime Juice
Dainzu Gomme Syrup |
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EVENTS |
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Peru-From Lima to Pisco, A Journal
By: Aaron Fitas
Day 1
Junior and I arrived to Lima, Peru and at the airport Ernesto, who is a member of the Peruvian Bartenders Association, received us. Soon after, we were picked up by Paulino (Peruvian Bartenders Association's President) and were driven to the hotel. We had to find another hotel since the first one assigned to us didn't have an Internet connection. After visiting 2 hotels, we finally found one that had Internet service. |
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We stayed at the Ferre Hotel, located in Miraflores, an upscale part of Lima. Later during the day we visited Cenfotur, which is the place were the Junior Merino's seminar was going to take place. Cenfotur is a culinary school that trains and certifies chefs and bartenders. After visiting Cenfotur, we were invited to have dinner, and then we went back to our hotel. |
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Day 2
As it was the day before the event, we started to plan all the necessary preparation for Junior's seminar. Junior didn't bring any recipes to be applied at the seminar so that we would use local products. We headed to Surquillo market, which is a local traditional Peruvian market in which you can find basically anything at very low prices. We bought many Peruvian fruits such as tumbo, aguaje, lucuma, also different local herbs, huacatay, spices, etc. It was a great experiences to see such a great variety of products to choose from, many of them unknown to us. |
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After loading up with stocks, Paulino took us to Radio Capital, a very popular radio station in which Junior was going to be interviewed. There, we were introduced to a recently elected mayor of one of Lima's districts. Junior gave him a sample of the encapsulated mojito, and briefly explained what he does and what he was going to be doing in the event. It was funny to see the mayor's surprised face when he tried the capsulated mojito and the gummy pisco sour. Minutes later it was Junior's time to be on air. The interview lasted about 15 minutes, in which the radio host asked Junior about what mixology was, the reason of his visit to Peru, the creation of the encapsulated mojito and gummy pisco sour and marshmallow margarita. The host kept showing his surprise for what Junior does. Even a radio listener called and wished Junior success and luck in his career. Great time at that radio station! |
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Once done with the radio station interview, we headed to Metro, a nice supermarket located nearby Cenfotur, the school where the event was going to take place. At Metro we bought a couple of bottles of liquor, and bitters. Also some fruits and ingredients we couldn't find at Surquillo market. It was almost night time, we had dinner, and then we were invited to Chala, an upscale restaurant located in La Bajada de Banos de Barrancos, a beautiful colonial place in one of Lima's accommodated neighborhood. In there Jefferson, the bartender, hosted us. He prepared a couple of drinks for us. One had air salt prepared with passion fruit. It was cool his use of the air in the drink. The second drink had foam, cool red and pink colors. We were introduced to the chef, who was very pleased of Junior's presence. He even sent us a couple of delicious dishes for us to try.
It was a day full of activities, very rewarding in many aspects. After we left Chala Restaurant, we went to the hotel and called it a day! |
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Day 3
Day of the event! Junior and I got to Cenfotur around 10am, and started doing all the prep for the event. We gathered all the fruits and vegetables, and began juicing the fruit, while the event organizers provided the alcohol. We had two events that day- the seminar and then the actual event. The room quickly filled up to about 30 to 40 young bartenders and chef students.
Junior started talking about the basics, definitions of mixology, its categories, molecular mixology- a term that was overall misunderstood among Peruvian bartenders. Junior talked about different spirits such as pisco, rum, tequila, and mezcal, and cachaca. Junior also explained the ways to balance a cocktail, aroma architecture, the use of all our sense to create and enjoy a cocktail. He also went into detail about herbs and spices.
Meanwhile I was passing around samples of the different spirits Junior was talking about, passing around the spices we brought with us and the scents from Junior’s aroma architecture kit. Junior then started using local fruits and vegetables to create some kick ass cocktails. |
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It was a very satisfactory learning experience for all of us. We finished around 9pm, and all the students went to the counter where Junior was and started asking questions and examining our tools, salts, syrups, and basically everything we had displayed at the counter. They all were very impressed by the way Junior has taken cocktail creating to an amazing level. |
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Day 4
Junior and I started setting up our table with all the necessary things for our seminar. At that moment we were told the bartender representing Hacienda Santa Teresa, from Venezuela, couldn't make it to Peru, and I was asked to take his place. Obviously, I was so nervous, I've never done anything like this, talking to more than 3 people makes me nervous, and there I had at least 20. Thank God I had Junior by my side. God bless. I spoke a little about rum, very basic stuff, while making a drink based with rum. Junior filled up all the gaps I left while talking, he give explanations of the different rums and its making process. My "show" lasted about 10 minutes, which felt like an eternity, with me shaking and sweaty. Then it was Master Mixologist Junior Merino's Showtime. |
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Day 5
Arequipa!!! We arrived at Esdit, the center where the seminar was to take place, and made our way inside among a huge line of young culinary students who were waiting to buy the tickets to get in.
We decided to go to a local market to buy what we needed. Mr. Ferre, Junior, another 2 people and myself got into this huge market. So many fruits, herbs, flowers and basically anything were sold in this place. It was a very similar market to the one visited in Lima, but twice as big. We tried to be quick buying all the stuff since our presentation was soon to happen. Out of the market, we headed to the center in which the first session was going to be held at. Gino told us there were going to be two seminars. |
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At the first class, Junior and I pulled out our tools. Junior started the class talking about the technical aspects of making a cocktail, aroma architecture, infusions, molecular mixology, and characteristics of some spirits. I passed around samples of tequila, mezcal, and bourbon as well as some scents. Junior also created a couple of drinks using the ingredients we had just bought. He showed the students how to infuse tequila with tobacco using the smoke gun.
In the middle of the class, people from America TV, the most popular of Peruvian TV station, showed up and asked if the class could be paused for 10 minutes so they could interview Junior. Once the interview was done, we continued with the class. In the end, Junior gave the students the liquid lab certificate, which made their day.
From there we headed to the Esdit center, time to do the last event. In there, the auditorium was completely packed. We could see the crowd standing at the entrance of the hall on the street side of it. |
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Our presentation started like the other one we had done so far, with Junior's introduction video, so people could get to know who he is and what kind of level he has taken his work. Then he started talking about some spirits, and started making a cocktail. Then that cocktail was placed in a table in the middle of the stage where intense light was placed. While Junior was making the cocktails, seemed like all the Esdit staff were trying to help washing shakers, jiggers, or anything they saw in my hands. Very kind of them, but they forgot to bring the tools back! LOL! Fortunately, the show went on without delays. Junior created a second drink, in which he applied liquid nitrogen, and you could hear the "ooooohhhh" from the crowd. |
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The third cocktail, the last one of the event, was the most memorable one, Junior's signature cocktail-The Coming Up Roses, which with its beauty put an end to the event and our work in Peru. The crowd was so hyper and happy, they asked to try the cocktails, so then we decided to let them sample some encapsulated mojito, and gummy pisco sours. |
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It was a fantastic experience, intense and calm at times, hectic and mellow, many people met, interesting places, funny moments and frustrating ones too, this trip is a memorable for me because I got to learn many things about mixology, my profession and passion. But most importantly I had the chance of getting to know more this wonderful human being who's Junior Merino. Sharing all this time with him and getting to know him more in a personal level was a great experience for me. It made me feel I found a brother, someone I respect and admire for what he does, for what he is.
Thanks so much, Junior! |
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NEWS |
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January 2011
EG El Magazine De La Gastronomia
Junior Merino... Arte en todos los sentidos!!!
En inglés hay una frase que dice "I am spoiled", que significa "estoy malcriada". Pues eso mismo me pasó después de probar las fascinantes creaciones del mixólogo mexicano de 34 años, Junior Merino. Todo ocurrió en un festival gastronómico en la ciudad de NY, cuando me sirvieron "El Cúbico", una bebida con Siembra Azul Añejo, Dainzu, Navan, jugo piñas al grill, infusión de tabaco y limón. Desde ese día ya nada me parece igual y si alguna bebida me gusta, siempre surge la coincidencia que la receta es de él o quien la ha preparado ha sido su estudiante, como me pasó en el restaurante Rayuela de NY.
READ MORE [PDF] |
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December 2010
El Norte Navidad
Chocan Las Copas Al Estilo NY
Los grandes rascacielos, las agitadas calles y el ambiente cosmopolita de Nueva York han sido por mucho tiempo el escenario perfecto para festejar el fin de año.
Aquí en Monterrey será fácil tener en casa una probadita de esta celebracióne, con recommendaciones del mixólogo Junior Merino, mexicano originario de Puebla y radicado en Nueva York, quien cuenta ahora con una las más importantes carreras en preparación de bebidas y cocteles.
READ MORE [PDF] |
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VIDEOS |
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Mezcal Tour with The Liquid Chef & The Liquid Team:
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ABOUT |
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Junior Merino the liquid chef
It is no surprise master mixologist Junior Merino The Liquid Chef has built his career on fusing exotic, unexpected flavors: He grew up in the culinary melting-pot of Central Mexico. Beginning when Junior was just 10, his food-loving parents taught him to cook with local produce ranging from indigenous cocoa beans, to pomegranates native to the Middle East, to cilantro, which has Mediterranean roots. Despite all these foods' varied origins, Junior saw that in combination, they created harmony--planting in him an early passion for culinary mestizaje or blending diverse flavors. It's a technique that's helped Junior rise quickly in his field along with his intense work ethic.
READ MORE |
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