• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
 The
CoCkTail’sFuTure
 Wt’ nxt  amc’ dn?
By Jack Robertiello
I
t’s impossible to overstate the popularity of the cocktail today. 
Every magazine and newspaper, it seems, eatures regular coverage o beverage trends and local mixology stars. Drink websites blossom andourish, cocktail-making classes sell out and, with everish enthusiasm,mixologists continue to mine the old, explore the new and invent any-thing they can’t fnd to make amazing drinks.
From top left:
Jackson Cannon, bar manager, Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinksin Boston and their “Alpine” cocktail; Neyah White, head bartender atSan Francisco’s Nopa and their “Sherry Shrub” cocktail
With spirits being introduced in the U.S. at an unprecedentedrate and pre-Prohibition drinks spreading beyond the major cocktailmarkets, it’s hard to pin down what’s next. Just ask cocktail sooth-sayer Gary Regan.“I am not exactly sure which direction cocktails will head into in2009, and that’s probably because I believe that they will continueto grow in every which way,” he says. Regan, who’s long olloweddrinks or the
San Francisco Chronicle
and ArdentSpirits.com andhas developed the Worldwide Bartender Database, says the ubiquityo ancy drinks and consumer interest is pushing bartenders to ur-ther experimentation.“We’ll see more and more twists on the classics, bartenders willcreate their own bitters, tinctures and marigold-inused sweet anddry vermouth or some such thing, and they’ll create drinks thatwe can’t even dream about making at home. They will push theenvelope ar too ar, and that’s what I think has to happen next in
 
 WhaT To WaTChFor iN 2009
order or us to nd a level at which to operate,” he continues.As Regan suggests, tracking the latest developments can be a dizzy-ing endeavor, but there are two general areas on which contemporarycocktail advocates are ocusing with laser intensity: a closer attentionto ingredient selection and the development o diverse philosophicalapproaches, based on regional dierences and trends.Meanwhile, bartenders are relishing the attention they’re getting,and putting it to good use. “There’s this general sense that this cock-tail thing has penetrated the mainstream,” says Jackson Cannon, barmanager o the celebrated cocktail spot Eastern Standard Kitchen &Drinks in Boston. “Now, the rank and le guest in our restaurant isvery interested in our specialties. They’re not as quick to question thebrands we use but are more interested in drinks with identity o theplace.” This openness encourages Cannon and others to create drinksthat may recently have been considered too o-beat or challenging orthe average customer to accept.As customer knowledge increases, bar stas are trying to keep up,says Neyah White, head bartender at San Francisco’s Nopa. “I you wantto have a serious bar program, a huge education component really is im-portant. You have to be able to talk about the spirits, but also the drinks,because at every place, it seems, the drinks are all new. People are takingrisks, and the guests that get it, really get it and are proud o knowing theingredients and details about distilleries.”
A Cocktail List That Stands Out
With this consumer openness and knowledge in the background, and anincreasing competition to stand out in a crowded cocktail eld, bars andrestaurants are staking out territory with a mix o the old and new. Theso-called classic cocktail is now rmly established as a bar necessity, andbartenders are continuing to mine the pre-Prohibition era or old/newideas: or instance, punch has quickly evolved rom a quirky concept to aniche service style. At the Clover Club in Brooklyn, in just one example,punches are made or groups o three or more and served in bowls com-ing rom owner Julie Reiner’s private collection. Other, slightly moredicult drinks, like shrubs, which employ favored vinegars, are alsonding avor.“It begins and ends with the guest and what they will accept,” saysCannon. “The list o what’s considered exotic is shrinking.”
Savory spirits:
Gin has become the bartender’s bestriend once again, and its avor spectrumis being expanded by both big and smallcompanies. Now, once again, Dutch-styleGenever (rom Bols) is widely available inthe U.S., and bartenders are starting to turnaway rom even high-grade sweet spirits,looking to the savory side or inspiration.Rye, less sweet and spicier than mostbourbons, has already benefted rom thistrend, and even vermouth makers, like NoillyPrat, are returning to traditional recipes.
 Value cocktails:
Is the $12 cocktail on lie support yet? As theeconomy teeters, some restaurants are tryingto bolster sales and build trafc with smalleror less expensive cocktails. Amidst the oodo spirits are numerous value brands, especiallyamong bourbons and vodkas, that are making theirway to the well to replace the super-premiums or at leastbecome an essential part o the back bar. Look or more.
Nutriceutical cocktails:
At NYC’s Apotheke, mixologistAlbert Trummer lists drinksboasting the ability to stimulate,calm, or otherwise aectone’s mood, much like thevitamin and nutrient-enhancedbottled waters and teas sopopular today. Apothecaryin Philadelphia does muchthe same, using essences,tinctures, medicinal herbs and other non-traditional baringredients to add more than avor to a drink.
Do-It-Yourself cocktails:
Look or more bars involving customers in the drink crating.At Copa d’Oro in Los Angeles, guests peruse ingredientsat the bar or reer to a daily menu listing available spirits,herbs, ruits and vegetables, and can mix and match to maketheir own concoction or ask a bartender or collaborativesuggestions.
Cordials with less sweetness:
Producers o some well-known liqueurs usedierent ormulas when making productsor the U.S. market, generally sweeter andwith lower alcohol. Bartenders who travelinternationally oten return with a ew bottleso stronger and intensely ruity liqueurs and havebeen pushing companies to bring better liqueurshere. A number o small producers are readyingsome superior ones or entry soon.
IN
 
Apotheke, NYC
Martini glasslineup and restaurantdiners atMint/820 inPortland, OR
 
An increased interest in resh ingre-dients and the simultaneous explosion o South American produce in the U.S. hasallowed operators to introduce drinksmade with kumquats, gooseberries, limeleaves and other “once impossible ingredi-ents,” says director o mixology or South-ern Wine & Spirits, Francesco Laranconi.Even chain restaurants are experimentingwith switching to resh ingredients whenpossible, a challenge or multi-unit, na-tionwide operations.“Having something seasonal or occa-sional as in limited-time-oer ashion in themenu grabs customers’ attention, and it’salso a great promotion,” says Yuri Kato o Cocktailtimes.com. “San Francisco or NewYork is ahead o the game in terms o oeringcocktails prepared with seasonal produce.”Beyond more resh and seasonal ingre-dients, bartenders are adopting an increas-ingly broader range o spirits or their drinks.To make more room on the back bar, opera-tions stocking dozens o vodkas, especiallyin times o economic belt tightening, areshrinking that inventory as they pick andchoose among all the new liquors available.“There will be even more premium spirits,but now with perhaps a touch more thought-ul decision-making regarding quality andvalue versus famboyant and superfuous,”notes Steve Olson, wine and spirits consul-tant and one o the ounders o the BeverageAlcohol Resource training program.
the next big spirit
As vodka becomes less popular as an ingre-dient in cocktail-ocused, stand-alone op-erations, bartenders there will be ocusingon cocktails made with whiskey (especially
Mxgt w pyvn c ttntn tngdnt ctn nd t dvpmnt  dvppc ppc t y.
 TheCoCkTail’sFuTure
 Astringent bitterness:
Some contemporary bartenderswho like to tinker and experiment torecreate extinct bitters or developtheir own creations seem to all in lovewith their own products and end upserving potions as unpleasant as awitch’s brew. Customers may eel toointimidated to say anything, but theywill eventually turn away rom barswhere bitter is the new sweet.
Fruit bombs:
Appletinis,Cosmopolitans andother overly sweet drinksseem to have peaked inpopularity, as cocktails withavor profles balanced amongtart, sweet, bitter and saltygain advocates and ans daily.The return to classic and pre-Prohibition drinks has givenbirth to a new generation odrinkers.
OUT
Big vodka:
There will be increasing pressureon mass market vodkas rom theon-premise, especially as bars andrestaurants look to shrink overly largeinventories, make room on the backbar or newer, more modern spirits.Cost-cutting might help, but no onewants to go there.
Yet 
.
Excessively largeglassware:
In the early part o thedecade, bars startedserving customers largeand expensive drinkslooking to build checkaverages. But the drinkswarm quickly and are otentoo sweet or contemporarytastes. Look or more modest-sized glasses like the coupe.
Extreme cocktail-making:
Some popular techniques – likeat-washing or ingredient smoking– can add remarkable depth andcharacter to drinks. But oams,gels and other enhancements otenseem gimmicky and add little to acustomer’s enjoyment, and the barsand restaurants that don’t ocuson the customer in 2009 won’t bearound in 2010.
Apothecarybar & loungein Philadelphia
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...