Signature Cocktails & Bar Leadership

Independent study. xplor is not an IAMI- or PYA-accredited GUEST training provider. This course covers the ground assessed in GUEST Unit 15; it awards no GUEST unit, certificate or Certificate of Competency and does not count toward one.

Free

INT-MIX-2-1 · Building Original Drinks

3 lessons

INT-MIX-2-1.1 From Brief to Balance Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-1.1.1

Designing a Cocktail from a Brief

How to turn a guest brief — a palate, a destination, an occasion or an ingredient — into an original cocktail, using drink templates and single-variable substitution, while designing for the constraints of a yacht.

INT-MIX-2-1.1.2

The Flavour Framework and Balance Maths

The eight levers of flavour — sweet, sour, bitter, salt, umami, texture, aroma, temperature — and the ratio, dilution and ABV maths used to diagnose and correct an unbalanced drink.

INT-MIX-2-1.2 The Spec Sheet and the Signature Menu Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-1.2.1

Spec Sheets, Naming and Costing a Signature Menu

How to write a reproducible spec sheet, name and present a signature drink, and cost a signature menu using pour-cost and cost-per-drink calculations for an owner or charter.

INT-MIX-2-2 · Advanced Techniques and Ingredients

4 lessons

INT-MIX-2-2.1 Transformation: Infusion, Fat and Clarity Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-2.1.1

Infusion, Maceration and Sous-Vide

How maceration, infusion and sous-vide extraction work, with practical ratios, timings and the over-extraction risks, plus the difference between barrel-ageing and bottle-ageing a batch.

INT-MIX-2-2.1.2

Fat-Washing and Clarification

Fat-washing relies on fat-soluble flavour compounds and freezing to separate the fat; clarification (milk, agar, filtration) removes haze and harshness by curdling or gelling and then filtering.

INT-MIX-2-2.2 The House Larder, Texture and Theatre Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-2.2.1

The House Larder: Syrups, Cordials, Shrubs and Acid Adjustment

Making the house larder — syrups, cordials, shrubs, oleo saccharum, tinctures and bitters — and using citric, malic and lactic acid adjustment to rebuild citrus when fresh fruit runs out mid-ocean.

INT-MIX-2-2.2.2

Carbonation, Smoke, Foams, Garnish and Ice

Force-carbonating and bottling a cocktail, the fire and smoke-detector risk of smoking a drink onboard, foams and airs (pasteurised egg or aquafaba), dehydrated garnish and directional-freezing clear ice.

INT-MIX-2-3 · Zero-Proof, Low-ABV and the Modern Guest

3 lessons

INT-MIX-2-3.1 The Zero-Proof and Low-ABV Programme Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-3.1.1

Building a Non-Alcoholic Programme That Is Genuinely Good

Why non-alcoholic drinks fail and how to replace what alcohol does — body, bite, bitterness, acidity, aroma — to build a zero-proof programme that is genuinely good, plus the real limits of NA spirits.

INT-MIX-2-3.1.2

Low-ABV, Aperitif Culture and Drinks for Every Guest

Low-ABV and aperitivo culture as a deliberate programme for pacing guests through a long day, and how to serve pregnant guests, non-drinking guests, children and tender drivers with discretion and precision.

INT-MIX-2-3.2 Allergens, Health and the Preference Sheet Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-3.2.1

Allergens, Health-Conscious Guests and Reading Preference Sheets

Where allergens hide behind a bar (orgeat, milk-clarified and fat-washed drinks, sulphites, egg), how to build around them without cross-contamination, and how to mine preference sheets into a per-guest repertoire.

INT-MIX-2-4 · Bar Leadership and Operations at Scale

4 lessons

INT-MIX-2-4.1 Programme, Provisioning and Cost Control Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-4.1.1

Designing the Season, Provisioning and the Bond

Planning a season's bar programme around itinerary, guests and prep capacity; working with yacht provisioning agents and lead times; and the rules and controls around duty-free bonded stores.

INT-MIX-2-4.1.2

Inventory Value, Pour Cost and Stock Control

Counting stock accurately, calculating cost per ml, drink cost, inventory value, usage and variance, and the controls — jiggering, logging, locked bond, waste tracking — that keep a yacht bar accountable.

INT-MIX-2-4.2 Service at Scale, Hygiene and Responsible Service Practice in examiner →

INT-MIX-2-4.2.1

Mise en Place at Scale, Hygiene and HACCP

Batching, pre-chilling, ice planning and bar-line design for a large event; briefing non-bartender helpers; and the HACCP controls — labelling, dating, refrigeration, shelf life — plus knife, glass and ice safety.

INT-MIX-2-4.2.2

Running a Large Event and Responsible Service

Running a large bar service, recognising the signs of intoxication, refusing service diplomatically by slowing before stopping, and the yacht-specific hazards — swim platforms, tenders, decks at night — that make it a safety issue.

Aligned to the IAMI GUEST Program framework. Preparatory study only — assessment and certification are carried out by an approved GUEST Training Provider. Official source (GUEST Program).

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