The explosion of the cocktail scene over recent years has created challenges for bar staff and mixologists as they struggle to keep glasses clean and deal with the increasing variety of glassware.
Miele Professional, suppliers of top-quality dishwashing solutions to bars and kitchens around the UK and Ireland, carried out research to find out what the biggest hurdles are when it comes to keeping glassware clean and coping with increasingly varied assortment of drinkware.
Surprisingly one of the biggest challenges is created by one of the smallest glasses – the shot glass. With such a small opening, it can be hard to get good circulation of water and cleaning solution inside the glass through the dishwashing cycle.
According to head mixologist at Frankie’s Wine Bar and Lodge in Cheshire, Luke Schofield, loading a dishwasher has become a fine art, “It’s important to ensure that champagne glasses are surrounded by sturdy glasses or high banked trays to stop them falling over. One of the hardest glasses to clean, because of bow in its shape, is the humble wine glass. The entry point for the cleaning solution to get inside of the glass is smaller and this can result in poorly cleaned glasses. I often need to wipe them down individually after the dishwashing cycle, as well as polishing them.”
But the boom in cocktails such as the Espresso Martini has led to another challenge for bar staff. “At peak times dishwashers are often handling three or four times their normal volumes and cocktail ingredients and embellishments, such as coffee beans and lemon pips, can clog the filters,” explains Luke. “This can result in lower standards of cleaning and some glasses needing to go through the cycle more than once, something that busy bar staff can ill afford.” The guidance from Miele Professional is to make sure that a professional grade freshwater dishwasher is installed to give the most effective clean for glassware, no matter its size or shape. Clare Humphrey, category manager at Miele Professional comments, “Glasses should be cleaned at between 50° and 60° to ensure they are in the best possible condition to accept a new drink. Reduced cycle times also help to keep a ready supply of fresh glasses behind the bar, but this should not be done at the expense of a professional clean. Choice of detergent is also important – opt for the detergent that has been designed to be used with your brand of dishwasher as they have been created to work in tandem to deliver the very best clean.”
