Jules Schneider, Bar Manager at Herd Provisions has a decade-worth of experience in the food and beverage industry. Each of his roles along the way revolved around bettering the boozy side of the spectrum. Whether it be working as a bar back, oyster shucker, or bartender, he has always kept one crucial goal in sight: To optimize the ways we drink.

Schneider and brother Ethan, a bartending duo from Herd Provisions in Charleston, SC have come together to create a new type of cocktail experience that fits that same mold. Introducing the Abooze Mouche. “I’ve always loved restaurants that do a little amuse bouche before my meal; So we decided to amplify the bar experience here at Herd with a little taste before you get going,” says Juleon, “It all started with Ethan making a delicious pumpkin spice inspired foam for a dessert cocktail. I knew our pastry chef, Danielle, has done caviar pearls for desserts in the past, so I had a brain blast that was centered on the idea of caviar spreads with creme fraiche and finding a way to ‘cocktailify’ it”. The first flavor the Schneider brothers debuted the special with were ‘green tea shots’ – Jameson sour caviar over peach Sprite foam

Chilled chats with Schneider about the thought process behind his concoctions and on the joint’s one-of-a-kind way of cocktailifying amuse bouche known as, “ Abooze Mouche.”

What kind of experience can guests expect at Herd Provisions?

Herd Provisions offers the clearest version of a vertically integrated farm-to-table mentality. Menus are built to feature seasonally local ingredients with a focus on beef raised on our owner’s property in southern VA – Leaping Waters Farm. Comfort is our driving force, but our constant pursuit of creativity, knowledge, and betterment of the craft is always apparent on the table before you.

Tell us about the beverage program and its inspiration, what makes it special?

I’m always starving to mix something that shouldn’t fit. I love to find a weird ingredient or spice, then meditate and take a shower and see what I can pair with that flavor. Or how I can manipulate it to make it the weirdest and sexiest iteration of itself. Whether it’s figs and curry leaves, sandalwood and rooibos tea, or how much salted fino sherry flavor we can cram into an ice cube and still have it freeze.

Give bartenders some tips for creating a successful beverage program.

In creating a successful beverage program. I think the most important aspect is to know your audience. Who are you catering to? Give the people what they want! Listen to them, and then surprise them. Start small, and see what you can get away with

What does “Abooze Mouche” mean? What inspired the idea?

Abooze Mouche is word play on the classic pre-meal bite “amuse bouche” or mouth entertainment. Most upscale restaurants will include a free bite from the kitchen to showcase a theme or idea the chef is working on in the form of a one or two-bite dish. I was marinating on the idea of caviar and creme fraiche and all the amuse bouches I’ve had before and realized we could do it behind the bar.

Take an elaborate cocktail and split it into two-three parts, a foam/cream, a cocktail caviar, and possibly a textured enhancement. When you look at it this way, the possibilities are endless.

The post We Asked Bar Manager Jules Schneider, What’s Abooze Mouche? appeared first on Chilled Magazine.