The Cocktail Revolution
Author: Carolyn Koenig
December 2007
Food + Beverage
You walk into a restaurant bar or a pre-dinner reception (no, this is not the beginning of a bad joke)...
The scene is generic: people are talking, relaxing, a drink in hand. All the scene needs—and is increasingly getting today—is the sound of cocktail shakers in motion. Ah, instant ambience.
For a long time, the craftsmanship of cocktail mixing was passé. “It got to the point of bartenders pushing buttons: vodka came out of one gun, orange juice out of another,” says Tony Abou-Ganim, founder of The Modern Mixologist, a cocktail consultant and one of the country’s leading mixologists.
Today, there’s a renewed interest in cocktails and the craftsmanship that creates them, fueled by a number of trends, including the return of the cocktails of yore—those beloved by a generation that glorified them on the silver screen and in living rooms throughout the country. Classics like the martini, the manhattan, the sidecar, the negroni, the pisco sour.A return, yes, but with a twist. Bartenders may be excavating old cocktail recipe books to educate themselves, but they’re also likely to be mixing their drinks with fresh juices and other seasonal ingredients. They may be serving them out of non-traditional barware. Or with a coated rim that adds a fillip of taste as well as eye appeal.
But the bottom line, Abou-Ganim says, is that “we’re now appreciating the cocktail as we would a great entrée. The No. 1 goal is not to get intoxicated, but to enjoy the experience.”
To keep up with the latest trends, Smart Meetings asked several industry experts for their input.(See smartmeetings.com for additional cocktail information and recipes.)
Cocktail Cradle
Not surprisingly, large cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco are the birthplace of cocktail trends, which then spread to other areas of the country. Mojitos—rum and mint-spiked drinks that harken back to Cuba in the 1920s—may be hot in Cincinnati, but they’re a little past their peak, say, in coastal California, where tangerine pisco sours may be the drink du jour, according to Stefanie Marco, director of mixology for Stirrings, a top-shelf bar products company.
Generation Gap
Not so surprising, either, are the generational differences (see Smart Meetings’ November issue on Genergraphics). The only classics that weathered out Prohibition were cocktails like martinis and scotch and soda—drinks identified with World War II, says Thad Vogler, a consultant to some of San Francisco’s top restaurants and bar manager of Jardiniere. “Boomers turned their backs on spirits and cocktails in general, because they had that restrained, uptight feeling of ‘manhattans at 5 p.m. after work,’” he says. The cultural revolution of the 1960s revolved around drugs—and that was the last nail in the coffin, according to Vogler. Today, Boomers are still more interested in wine than cocktails, he says.
So, who is challenging the skill and the experience of bartenders today? Mostly people in their 30s and 40s, Vogler says. “They have some income, and they’re taking an interest in classic cocktails.”
Mars vs. Venus
When planning cocktails, consider gender differences as well. “Men are going to shy away from anything pink, as always,” Marco says. “Men are attracted to more savory elements; they’re more likely to try something whiskey based. Women like girlie things—lavender, rose petals. If they want to be risky, they’ll steer clear of vodka and go to rum.”
A Culinary Approach
The American bar has lagged behind the American kitchen for many years, but now they’re following the same path, Vogler says. You’ll find fresh juices and seasonal garnishes—chosen with the same sensibility as ingredients in the restaurant’s kitchen.
The impetus, obviously, is a public that’s better educated about food, and the emerging foodie culture. “Becoming a foodie crosses into a lot of age groups,” Marco says. “Everyone 21 and up—even 18—is watching the Food Network and cooking shows, and eating and drinking better.” People are drinking less, she says, but demanding to drink better. If they have one cocktail, they want it to be out of the park.
Cocktails are becoming more savory now, and as we go forward, Marco says, “It’s going to be about balance—a proper balance of sweet, sour and savory...spicy drinks with a kick, that have some ginger in them, a lot of herbs, lots of cucumber for summer. You’ll see some esoteric ingredients like agave nectar, that’ll continue to push the envelope.”
Going Global
All of our experts agreed on the huge global influence on cocktails today. For instance, Marco says, spicy margaritas from Mexico and, out of India, cardamom spice with scotch, complementary flavors that create a lot of fusion. “People are blown away by the taste of cardamom with scotch,” she continues.
The Latin influence is also having a huge impact on what we drink, Abou-Ganim says. “Cachaça from Brazil, pisco from Peru and Chile, rums from all parts of the world, like Puerto Rico.”
What’s Out
“The days of anything artificial are behind us,” Marco says, especially some of those sugary drinks so popular during the ’80s. “Sex on the Beach is just full of juice and sugar, very little spirit." There’s also a new resurgence of the non-vodka variety, she notes. People are trying gin, tasting it in new ways (and a lot of time, the old ways!), like the White Lady, a gin cocktail with lemon juice and Cointreau. People who thought they didn’t like gin are changing their minds.
Pre-dinner, Post-dinner and During Dinner?
Pre-dinner is traditional, but cocktails are now appearing during the main meal, either matched with the entrée or with a tasting menu of spirits and food. After-dinner drinks have also become popular, whether on their own or as a dessert.
“These are typically darker spirits,” Marco says. “Cognac or cognac-based cocktails, chocolate, liqueurs that are a little sweeter. We’re having fun with a lot of new rimmers, like dark chocolate martinis, sugar or crushed-nut rimmed martinis.”
The Cocktail Hour
Keep it to an hour; that’s ideal, Vogler says. “A cocktail is to wake up the palate and help people enjoy each other’s company before they sit down [for dinner],” he says. And keep it simple, as natural as possible, Marco says. “Offer people very basic but high-quality ingredients. Try to use one or two spirits that are neutral, three or four combinations of flavors for mixers—the popular ones right now are pomegranate, lemon and lime, three great basic flavors that marry across the board.”
Signature Cocktails
An open bar can be lots of fun in a big meeting, says Abou-Ganim, but he recommends a signature cocktail instead. “I did an event for a company I won’t name, but I created a signature cocktail called ‘Big Blue,’” he says. “I kicked off the evening with it, then went into wine with the meal.”
Talking the Talk
As always, when working with the F&B director, have a conversation about your event, and what you want to get out of it—plus, what your ideas are. For instance, do you want shakers only, mixed drinks going around, an after-dinner drink?
People are generally looking for ambience with cocktails, Vogler says. “They think of cocktails very iconically: it looks like this, it looks like that. They want to conjure up a feeling.”
The Un-cola
Be sure to have something nonalcoholic available, Vogler advises, something beyond the usual Coke and club soda. “You can do a sparkling aperitif in a champagne glass—it tastes good and looks sophisticated,” he says. “That’s a real key to making a cocktail party good. It’s not the ’50s; people are more health-conscious now...It’s not about getting hammered; it’s partaking in an experience.”
MAGIC, MARTINIS AND MARIO
Want something really different for your company’s next high-profile event? Consider booking Magic, Martinis and Mario. This intriguing, innovative program combines the comedy and magic skills of Billy Harris, a hugely popular entertainer (the Magic part), the cocktail talents of Tony Abou-Ganim, one of the country’s leading mixologists (the Martinis part) and the culinary expertise of Mario Batali (yes, that Mario, of Molto Mario, Iron Chef America and 11 restaurants fame).
Together, their event, which they dub “An Evening To Remember,” is geared toward Fortune 500 and other companies that want to create an environment for team building in an entertaining, social atmosphere. Harris is the MC, Abou-Ganim takes care of the interactive cocktails portion, inviting people from the audience to learn how to shake and mix like a pro, and Batali creates the dinner.
You’ll need to book this trio from six months to a year ahead, due to Mario’s schedule. Abou-Ganim and Harris can also do a similar program as a twosome—you’ll save the chef’s fee, but you’ll miss the dinner. magicmartinismario.com
Photo Credits
Stirrings Sugar Plum Champagne Cocktail, Stirrings Dark Chocolate Martini; Stirrings Mojito
