The world of mixology is like a mad scientist’s lab as bartenders experiment with different techniques to enhance the flavor of cocktails. Panda and Sons owner Iain McPherson and his team spend their time in a basement lab dubbed the Brain Melting Society, experimenting with different freezing techniques to enhance the flavors and textures in cocktails.
Since opening its doors in 2013, Panda and Sons has been no stranger to accolades, including landing the 30th spot in the 2024 awards for the World’s 50 Best Bars. And it was an extra special year with McPherson being awarded the Altos Bartender’s Bartender of the Year.
“To win the Altos Bartender’s Bartender of The Year meant so much to me, as it was a true testament to how amazing the team at Panda & Sons is,” said McPherson. “To also be voted for by my peers means the world. In a nutshell, they are the ones that make me look good. So as much as it is an “individual” award, to me it is a team award. Thank you to everyone who voted for us.
The bar has gained worldwide acclaim with the release of its latest cocktail menu, Transcend, last year. Created by McPherson, bar manager Nicky Craig, and the Panda staff after five years of experimenting in the lab, the menu consists of 16 cocktails. It is divided into four chapters- Switching, Sous Pression, Freeze Drying, and Cryo-Concentration- that highlight and explore different subzero freezing techniques that were either advanced or created in the lab.
Iain McPherson in his lab where he created his freesing techniques
Switching, created by McPherson, is a process of taking out the water from a spirit and then “switching” it for another flavor. The technique came about in 2019 when McPherson was playing around with Eisbock, in which the frozen concentration is skimmed off, leaving the beer more potent, McPherson had a kind of lightbulb moment. Understanding that he needed to learn more about the science of freezing, McPherson enrolled in the Science of Ice Cream course at the University of Reading and then Bologna’s Carpigiani Gelato University to advance his study to help perfect this technique.
“I just like to practice existing techniques to have a better understanding of how they work and how they impact flavor,” said McPherson. “I noticed the frozen element, which was majority water, still pulled out certain flavors and other flavor profiles that were left in the beer were more prominent, etc., so I realized I could use this method to extract or amplify flavors as well control the amount of water in the liquid.”
The Transcend menu created by Panda & Sons founder Iain McPherson
Next, there’s Sous Pression which is an alternative to sous vide that applies subzero temperatures for better infusion. Then there’s freeze drying, the sub-sphere alternative to dehydrating in which the dried product can be rehydrated while retaining all its flavor. The last technique is Cryo-concentration, a technique where the frozen water is taken out; therefore, concentrating on the flavors, acids, salts, and sugars.
These techniques have received high praise within the bar community and there’s even a step-by-step instructional video to guide bartenders as they try these techniques on their own turf. McPherson travels around the world with bar takeovers and lectures to spread the gospel about his brain-branding freezing techniques.
The Sability Cocktail
” It’s been humbling to see them adopted very quickly,” said McPherson. “These are the four main techniques, but we’re always researching and developing new ones. We think the menu deserves a second year, but we will change some drinks like adding an ice cream angle to one of the chapters. We want to keep it around for another 12 months so that people can see the menu.”