Bartender’s Best Friend: Lorenz
Introduction
A typical bartender has dozens of spirits with varying qualities at their disposal. This can lead to lengthy inventory checks and challenging teaching environments for new bartenders. After all, no bar is complete without white rum, vodka, gin, silver tequila, or vermouth. Right? Well, there is a worthwhile alternative to some of these clear liquors, and while it may not replace everything, it does a fantastic job of replacing the core spirits. So what is this spirit? It is Lorenz Crafted Spirit, the Bartender’s Best Friend!
What is Lorenz?
As a Crafted Spirit, Lorenz does not fit into any federal designations for specific spirits. Many of those designations are vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey, to name only a few. So instead, Crafted Spirit is a broader designation used to define something that doesn’t fit “the norm.”
In many cases, the term Crafted Spirit covers liquors close to a specific type of spirit but only fits some categories. Lorenz, for instance, matches most closely to a rum and is, in fact, a rum up until the final blend. When Lorenz goes into our Mash Tun, the ingredients are exclusively cane-sugar based, which is the requirement for rum. The only addition to the process before distillation and the final blending is the yeast required to ferment the mash and create alcohol.
Once our spirit has finished its second distillation, we blend it with apple brandy to create the signature taste. This apple brandy addition moves Lorenz out of the rum category as the spirit is no longer exclusively cane sugar. However, this does not prevent Lorenz from mixing into almost every white rum cocktail as smoothly, if not better, than traditional white rum.
Who was Lorenz?
Named for and inspired by Lorenz Peter Freuchen, an arctic explorer and significant proponent of oceanic conservation during his time. One of the critical members of the Thule Expeditions, he was easily recognized for his imposing height of 6’7″and his coat made from a polar bear he had hunted; here seen standing next to his third wife. He is perhaps the world’s first most interesting man, known during World War 2 for his favorite pastime of approaching Nazis harassing Jewish civilians, tapping them on the shoulder, and informing them that he, too, was Jewish. His towering stature typically intimidated anyone. Because we use his likeness, we donate a portion of our proceeds to the Ocean Conservancy in his honor.
Bartender's Best Friend?
Whether as a primary or supporting spirit, Lorenz is versatile. Crafted from sugar cane, vapor-infused with cinnamon and vanilla, and then blended with apple brandy, Lorenz provides many flavor options. Utilized in place of a gin for a martini or ‘gin’ and tonic, new and experienced consumers can indeed find it a delightful substitution. The same is true for white rum, which this spirit resembles most.
Unlike a typical white rum, frequently considered a mixing spirit, Lorenz is more than capable of standing neat or on the rocks. It also mixes exceptionally well in regular rum cocktails such as:
- Piña Colada
- Daiquiri
- Mojito
- Hurricane
- Mai Tai
Lorenz can also provide more to a cooked dish or delicate pastry. The vanilla and cinnamon shine differently depending on the creation, and the spirit’s body adds even more variety. Its versatility enables it to mimic flavors, allowing fun pairings in sodas. Each pairing is as simple as one part Lorenz and two parts soda. Some of these pairings are:
- Apple Pie
- Sprite or 7 Up
- Root Beer Float
- Your Favorite Root Beer
- Orange Dreamsicle
- Orange Fanta
This wonderful spirit can even help replace tequila and gin in select cocktails or work as an alternative to various liqueurs. If you need more inspiration, check out our recipes page.
A Teaching Aid
The bar can often seem daunting and confusing when working with a bartender without prior experience: so many spirits, cocktails, and pairings coincide. Lorenz’s versatility lends itself to the teaching environment by assisting in understanding a new bartender’s palette and developing their skill. Instead of six bottles, they have one and its capable permutations. Alone, this experience can help them understand how to build a drink, what flavors pair better than others, and prevent the chance of accidentally forgetting a recipe learned from rote memorization. In addition, the how of a process allows for the development of stronger mental connections than memorization alone.
Once a new bartender has a firmer grasp of flavor pairings, they can better understand what bottles to use with which cocktails. Many patrons expect cocktails made with specific spirits, but developing flavor layers is an oft-forgotten key to cocktail creation and building. Instead of relying exclusively on typical cocktail recipes, the ability to think about flavor pairing allows a bar or restaurant to become a new forward thinker within the cocktails industry, introducing flavors and experiences never before seen.
Conclusion
The bartender and patron ultimately decide what spirit to use in a cocktail, while the teacher and student decide what to teach. No individual outside the exchange can influence the outcome. Tools, methods, concepts, and offerings can be introduced before the discussion, allowing for new dynamics. The introduction of Lorenz to a bar is simply adding a new tool, method, concept, and offering that provides new dynamics in creating and teaching exquisite cocktails. Leave the possibilities to the bartender’s and supervisor’s imagination and discretion.
As with teacher and pupil or bartender and patron, no one outside the exchange can genuinely influence the outcome. So grab a bottle today and see where the possibilities take you. Hopefully, you’ll be just as pleased with them as with taking a chance on a new opportunity and medium of creation and teaching. Let us know in the comments below what creations and curiosities you’ve found.
