Spotlight – September 2019

THE BASICS

Easy English

Here, you’ll find a dialogue, with facts and exercises

related to it, at the A2 level of English — basic language

points you may have forgotten or missed before.

By VANESSA CLARK

EASY

56 Spotlight 9/2019 THE BASICS

Dialogue

Here, we present lives from around the English-speaking

world. This time, we’re talking to Ajay Kundra, a mixologist.

What’s the difference between a barman and a mixologist?

A mixologist specializes in cocktails. I do general bar work,

too, but mixing cocktails is my speciality.

What skills do you need to be a good mixologist?

To start with, you have to learn all the classic cocktail

recipes. Then you can play around and be creative. But you

must always use the best-quality spirits.

Do you throw the bottles around like Tom Cruise in the

film Cocktail?

No, I don’t. I’d rather concentrate on what I’m doing.

Do you make alcohol-free mocktails, too?

Yes, if I must. They’re quite popular, especially on a summer

day, when people want something light and fruity.

Are cocktails only for women?

Most of my customers are women, but not all. From what

I see, men prefer bitter or sour drinks, rather than sweet or

creamy ones.

Which cocktail is “in” at the moment?

I’d say the French 75. It’s dry gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup

and champagne or Prosecco. It’s refreshing and not too

strong — the perfect summer drink.

Show and tell

Now, find out more about something Ajay uses in his

cocktails: gin.

Gin was originally drunk as a medicine.

When the River Thames froze in the 17th century,

Londoners enjoyed fun and games on the ice —

and hot gin with gingerbread.

Gin became so popular with women that it was known

as “mother’s ruin”.

The gimlet cocktail was invented by a ship’s doctor. He

mixed gin with lime — for vitamin C.

In the 19th century, the British in India took quinine as

a medicine against malaria. It was bitter, so they made

it into a drink with sugar and called it “tonic water”.

The gin and tonic was born.

gingerbread

[(dZIndZEbred]

, Lebkuchen, Pfeffer-

kuchen

lime [laIm]

, Limone

mixologist

[mIk(sQlEdZIst]

, Barkeeper

quinine [kwI(ni:n]

, Chinin

recipe [(resEpi]

, Rezept

Cabinet of curiosities

Ajay Kundra, mixologist