Balancing Act
The scientific method - for cocktails! Discover the techniques and technology used by the world's best bartenders..
Making a great cocktail can be as simple as using good ingredients and a time-tested recipe... or you can do some tinkering and get an even better result. We’ll show you how an advanced mindset can improve every drink, even if you don’t have a centrifuge in your kitchen.
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Subscribers to Balancing Act can access our entire catalog of episode recordings, from Season 1 up through the most recent show.
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About the Experience
This season we'll be evaluating the latest cocktail trends, introducing exotic new ingredients, and reexamining tried and true classics like the Martini. Every episode, Jack and Dave give you a front row seat to their creative process, proving that with a little experimentation (and a little determination), any cocktail can be perfectly balanced.
Each episode of Balancing Act is accessed via Zoom and runs for roughly 60 minutes.
Meet Your Hosts
Dave Arnold is one of the godfathers of the modern cocktail revolution. As founder of the Museum of Food and Drink, owner of Booker & Dax, host of the radio show Cooking Issues, and creator of the Culinary Technology department at the French Culinary Institute, few have done more than Dave to advance the concepts of modernist cuisine behind the bar.
Jack Schramm is a butcher-turned-barista-turned-cocktail-professional at the highest level. Until Covid put the NYC bar scene through the wringer, he was head bartender at Greenwich Village's beloved high-concept cocktail spot Existing Conditions. These days, Jack is a full time internet bartender with a sideline running his jello shot startup, Solid Wiggles. Oh, and of course — as one of Dave’s disciples, Jack is a master of the scientific side of cocktail making.
Prior Public Shows
Season 2 shows
May 12, 2022 8:30 PM EST – Is MSG the New Salt? A cocktail smackdown between tried and trusty saline and new kid on the block: MSG. Jack and Dave will examine the features and flaws of these ingredients when applied to various drinks. Who will emerge victorious? We'll also explore some MSG and salt alternatives: fish sauce, anyone? This episode will feature items from the Pantry Box.
$15
June 2, 2022 8:30 PM EST – Let's Talk About Specs, Baby Jack and Dave interrogate guest host, Joaquin Simo, about a cocktail spec of his choosing. How did he arrive at this spec? What makes a spec good or bad? Prepare for lots of strong opinions and hot takes. This episode will be conversation and Q&A-focused, and won't use any items from the Pantry Box
$15
June 23, 2022 8:30 PM EST – What the !@#% do I do with...Aquavit? If you have a bottle of Aquavit collecting dust on your shelf, or if you're just plain curious about this mysterious nordic spirit, then this episode is for you. Jack and Dave will guide you through fun, inventive ways to use Aquavit, and make a case for its permanent placement in your home bar. This episode will feature items from the Pantry Box.
$15
July 21, 2022 8:30 PM EST – Stirred Classics That Don't Suck The Martini. The Negroni. The Manhattan. 'Nuff said. Jack and Dave will teach us how to make the best possible versions of these three classics. This episode will feature items from the Pantry Box.
$15
August 18, 2022 8:30 – That's Just Ridiculous: Our Most Absurd Drinks Jack and Dave discuss some of the wildest drinks they've created in their adventures tending bar in watering holes far and wide. This episode will be conversation and Q&A-focused, and won't use any items from the Pantry Box.
$15
September 12, 2022 8:30 @ Mister Paradise NYC – If at First You Don't Succeed. IN-PERSON EVENT!! Join us at Mister Paradise in Manhattan’s East Village for our first ever in-person episode! Jack and Dave will explore the process of drink iteration, building around the theme of milk washing. This episode will be streamed live on Zoom like always, but for the first time there will also be a live in-person audience! Space is limited, so grab your ticket ASAP. During the teaching portion of the event, in-person guests will get to taste the drinks that Dave and Jack are working on. After the teaching portion ends, we’ll have a cocktail party featuring the best drinks Jack and Dave came up with, plus some classics!
In-person Event $50
In-person After-Party $35
Live Event (online) $15
Introducing Balancing Act Video Subscriptions
Starting this season, only subscribers will be able to access the video recordings after each episode airs. This means we will no longer be sending out recordings of the show to regular ticket holders after the show (this is one reason why prices for live event tickets are lower this season). Subscribers will also have access to all past Balancing Act video recordings, and will get 10% off Gush store items and tickets to the in-person event in September!
The Season 2 Pantry Box
The Pantry Box includes all the custom and hard-to-find stuff you'll need to participate alongside the hosts all season long, plus some items every serious cocktail enthusiast should have on hand. Even if you're discovering Balancing Act a few episodes into the season, you should still get a Pantry Box — it's a great foundation for building a truly exceptional bar at home.
Important note: the Pantry Box does not include the basic grocery items (citrus, standard sugar, honey, milk, etc.) that go into the season’s cocktails. We’ll send guests a grocery list well before the show so you know what to get.
+ What's in it?
Salt & Salt Alternatives
- Saline Solution (1 oz)
- MSG Solution (1 oz)
- Red Boat Fish Sauce (full 8 oz bottle)
- Worcestershire Sauce (1 oz)
- Kishibori Shoyu (1 oz)
Special Use Items
- Hoja Santa (1 leaf)
- One hunk of pumpernickel bread
Flavors and Garnishes
- Simple syrup (1 oz)
- Umeboshi vinegar (1 oz)
- Orange Syrup (4 oz)
- Citric acid powder (40g)
- 'Filthy' pickled onion (8 oz jar)
Equipment
- 4 oz Mason jar
- Cheesecloth
- Cocktail toothpicks (~25)
(plus the option of adding a refractometer and graduated cylinder, if you don't already have those from a prior season of Balancing Act)
Pantry Box : $150 (single) or $270 (double)
Season Pass + Pantry Box Bundle: $216 (single) or $351 (double)
Optional Pantry Box add-ons
Refractometer ($20)
Whether you’re making your own batch of custom syrup or just want to make sure you’re balancing your cocktail exactly right, a refractometer is crucial any time you need to find out precisely how much sugar is in a particular liquid.
This refractometer is optical (not electronic), so you never need to worry about batteries. It measures sugar concentrations from zero to 80 brix.
We would have automatically included this in the Pantry Box, except that we already sent them out to our guests in the very first Balancing Act episode…
Graduated Cylinder ($4)
These aren’t just for high school chemistry class. If you need to measure exact volumes of liquid, there’s no better way than with a graduated cylinder. Plus it adds to the whole “mad scientist” vibe that we assume you’re going for with your home bar…
Private Events
What’s included?
Cocktail kit with ingredients to make three exceptional cocktails* (including 375ml bottles of three spirits, shipped separately)
Refractometer
Graduated cylinder
Electronic scale
Citrus juicer
*Supplies are enough to make four of each cocktail from the show, so guests can show off their new skills to friends later
Premium options
Professional-grade bartending equipment (shaking tins, jigger, strainer, etc)
Custom-engraved glassware
Full bottles of spirits
Premium spirits
Larger quantities of ingredients
Snack pairings
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