Cocktails have come a long way from the Old-fashioned and Mint Julep served since the 1800s. We now infuse, smoke, and fat-wash our cocktails to fantastic effects. But have you heard of the term “switching” in bartending?
Just like Michelin-starred chefs pushing the boundaries of culinary art, we continuously try to innovate by bringing new flavors and techniques to our drinks. Innovation is one of the golden rules of bartending. But true innovators are rare in the world of mixology.
Iain McPherson of Panda & Sons, a cocktail bar in Edinburgh and one of the 50 best bars worldwide, is one of them – and he’s come up with a technique called switching, which works by separating water from spirits at extremely low temperatures and replacing it with other liquids (but more on that later below).
This groundbreaking technique has been rocking the bartending world, offering a unique way to manipulate flavors and create cocktails you wouldn’t begin to imagine. But what exactly is switching in bartending and how does it work? We cover:
- McPherson’s road from idea to execution of the switching technique
- What switching can bring to mixology
- Three ideas for switched cocktails
Read on to dive into the icy depths of this cool new method (and for more puns and bartending jokes).
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Iain McPherson's Road from Idea to Execution
Switching in bartending is a novel technique that effectively uses sub-zero temperatures to remove the water from a spirit. The water contents can then be replaced by other liquids without over-diluting, adding extra flavor and texture.
When fellow mixologists hear what switching in bartending does, their first reaction is often a mix of awe and disbelief. "The process is so simple that when I explain it to other bartenders, I get a lot of 'Fuck you!' I can't believe how easy this was to come up with," bartender Ian McPherson begins.
But as easy-peasy as the basics may sound, it took a maverick like McPherson a creative dry spell and months of research to develop and refine the seemingly simple technique.
No bartender could be better or more uniquely qualified to come up with such a radical yet refined freezing technique as the Scotsman, who has always been fascinated by freezing temperatures. “I’m basically an over qualified ice cream lover,” McPherson half-jokes.
Because while Iain loves gelato, he’s far more than an aficionado – he’s a certified expert who’s took a Science of Ice Cream course at the University of Reading before furthering his expertise at the Carpigiani Gelato University of Bologna.
With his knowledge on ice cream deepened but with no way to bring his sub-zero passion to his mixology game, McPherson felt he had hit a ceiling. "I felt that I personally had hit a roof in terms of creativity. Not that my ideas had dried up. I just didn't have the tools to keep on going and achieving what I wanted," McPherson explains.
Here comes ‘the switch’
Frustrated, the experienced bartender completely redesigned his creative space, stripping it back to the basics and equipping it with the tools he needed to bring his ideas to life. It was in this new mad scientist’s lab that the concept of switching in bartending was born.
After experimenting with different alcohol and sugar levels and ending up with a slush, McPherson focused on switching spirits, especially those without added sugar.
He decided to work on separating the water from a 40% ABV gin at -31 degrees Celsius and replacing it with clarified juices of pink grapefruit and orange, McPherson was sure he was on to something. “The juice was giving the gin a mouthfeel that can't be achieved through distillation.”
Iain then further explored how the technique could be applied to cocktails with both juices and spirits – but it wasn’t until the last stage of his experimentation that he saw the full potential of his innovative technique.
Swapping the water contents of two spirits, his rum had a smoky “switch finish” from swapping the water content of an Islay whisky and a South American rum. Just like a barrel finish would impart on a sixteen-year-old whiskey.
Coconut Daiquiri by Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
What will come of switching in bartending?
The response to switching in bartending has been ”a hugely positive one. It's amazing to see how far and wide the technique has gone in the world,” McPherson comments enthusiastically when we ask him how the new technique has been received by the larger community.
It’s not just that switching has been picked up by elite mixologists with much enthusiasm. One of the most exciting aspects of switching in bartending is its accessibility. Unlike some high-tech bartending techniques that require expensive equipment, switching is within reach of smaller bars and even home bartenders. The only significant investment is a chest freezer capable of reaching temperatures below -45°C (-49°F), which costs around $800. Also to note, is that you don’t necessarily need a separate freezer for switching, you can still use it as a normal freezer, with the added benefit of being able to switch spirits.
This accessibility is a game-changer for the industry. "So many bars have felt left out of being able to do these cool techniques," McPherson notes, "but this is one that they can actually use."
“Opening up the freezing realm as a place where we can create flavor has changed bartenders' way of thinking ,” Iain told Broken Bartender. “It’s no longer just focusing on heat and room temp techniques.” McPherson was recently named the industry's third-most influential figure by Drinks International for his innovations in mixology.
Being the cocktail visionary that he is, Iain sees switching as the catalyst for opening up a lot more pathways to choose what is right for the cocktail in mind. “The great thing is there is so much to explore with freezing.”
Panda Martini by Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Three ideas for switched cocktails
Bartenders around the globe are putting switching into practice and coming up with exciting new flavors. To get your creative juices flowing, here are three examples of cocktails created using this technique:
- Panda & Sons' Signature Coconut Daiquiri: This drink uses Bacardi Carta Blanca rum 'switched' with Thai coconut milk and lime, which is then clarified like a milk punch,. The result is a luscious, zesty, and dangerously drinkable cocktail.
- Panda & Sons' Jungle Bird: This switched version of the classic tiki cocktail replaces the water in the rum with a clarified blend of clarified pineapple and lime juice. The result is a shorter, more booze-forward tiki drink that McPherson describes as "more synonymous with a tropical rum negroni."
- Panda & Son's Panda Martini: "Here we switch out the water from the gin and replace with birch water and birch spirit. After the switching process we infuse the switched gin with a touch of saffron. The result is a more textured silky martini, with a longer finish, thanks to the touch of saffron." - Iain McPherson
These examples just scratch the surface of what's possible with switching in bartending. As McPherson says, "I may have created it, but I don't know everything about it. There's so much we don't know about freezing out there and the bar industry could really corner the market on it. Switching is just the tip of the iceberg."
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