The early aughts were considered the dark ages of cocktail culture. Walk into any bar in the United States and your average drink special was a flavorless fruity concoction. And those were typically pre-made mixes.
But some rumblings of revolt were already apparent across the country. The Milk & Honey opened in New York City in 2000. It was the first Contemporary “speakeasy” of this century.
New York City, of course, is a hotbed for cuisine cultural revolutions. From Benihana in the 60s to the foreign taste revolution of the 90s. So it’s no wonder that the cocktail revolution began among the drafty skyscrapers of New York City.
In the last ten years, the revolution ignited the countryside. From big name bars to small town pubs, we saw bartenders peddling fresh ingredients, novel techniques, and exotic liqueurs.
Cocktail culture is so pervasive that if you don’t carry Fernet-Branca, you aren’t a real bar. But what does that mean for the cocktail industry?
Is this just a fad that will pass into the fade? Or have we changed American culture for good?
Let’s pour a glass and see, shall we?
1. The Bartender’s Mess
Before the cocktail revolution, bartending wasn’t much different from waiting tables. Yes, you had a list of drinks you knew how to make. But unless you worked in a fancy New York dig, you were probably only serving a basic ten drink set.
Making customers happy simply meant fast service and knowing what beers were on tap. But that all changed with the Cocktail Revolution.
Suddenly you saw the most ridiculous places, like a chain hotel or a dive bar in middle-of-nowhere Ohio, claiming to have a “speakeasy” bar.
The challenge was on to find bartenders who knew even a dram about craft cocktails. And these people quickly became bar managers in a few months, when only a couple years before three-years-experience was the set bar for entry.
While this was great for fresh Brian Flanagan wannabes, it spelled disaster for a lot of companies’ bottom lines. Wet behind the ears might be able to mix a decent cocktail, assuredly, but they don’t know how to manage a bar.
And many bars went out of business or lost revenue in their desperation to become “hip.” Mistakes like ordering expensive spirits and blowing a budget, or being too ballsy with the cocktail menu and making cocktails too intensive for speedy service.
The result is a fading of quality and a lowering of standards. And when you’re a real craft cocktail aficionado, low standards are a weak drink.
2. Desperate Creativity
While standards do go down in a saturated market, the demand for creativity goes up. It’s almost silly at times what you see come across the bar in some places.
Lately, a few beer fanatics even jumped into the cocktail game. BJ Piichman and his friends over at Forbidden Root decided they must mimick the Fernet-Branca flavors in a new beer.
But the drive to “create new and bold cocktails” may not always be true to the core ideals of the cocktail revolution. While old standbys are showing up on major restaurant chain menus, odd combinations appear there as well.
Just adding rhubarb to your drinks doesn’t make them craft cocktails. But knowing what is both authentic and historically relevant can change your cocktail game.
And some suburban spaces and chains are doing it right. Applebees, for example, sticks to simple craft cocktails like the Brandy Smash.
They don’t see the need to experiment with infusions and various flavors. Instead, they focus on the best flavor of spirit and seasonal appropriateness over overt creativity.
Some restaurants wisely remain within their restaurant theme. Islands Restaurant grills a massive amount of pineapples for their burgers. And using what they had on hand, infused their tequila with the grilled pineapple for their Makaha Maggie margarita.
But there are only so many cards you can play before you run out your deck. And so both small pubs and corporate owned bars are going to have to learn that it’s ok to remain classical.
3. The Dawning of a New Era
Like previous successful revolutions, things must return to normal eventually. Yes, there will be mini-revolutions. These will always be necessary.
But we must go back to the less frenetic competition and implement the lessons we’ve learned.
The best cocktails aren’t always a new take on an old theme or a brand new experience every time. Sometimes, they are merely there to remind us of history and connect us to a particular past.
And if small town bars and corporate restaurants continue to remember this fact, we will be in good hands for a long time.
And besides, constant revolution is not sustainable. You eventually run out of funds and soldiers eventually give up the will to fight.
Conclusion: The Revolution Must End
If the revolution hasn’t ended, it should. Continue enjoying your old fashioned and your triple [insert special ingredient] infused fennel salt rimmed margarita.
It’s ok to have a favorite. It’s also ok to continue to experiment.
But the battle is won. The landscape irrevocably changed. And now that you can find your favorite martini at almost every stop on your road trip, it’s time to simply enjoy your local watering hole.
Loyalty will always be rewarded. And the brilliant minds behind your most cherished elixirs won’t stop being creative. To create is a necessity.
But the feverish pace at which they create will slow. And the good news is the world “behind the stick” will never be the same.
So, seek out a place where you know the cocktails are beautiful and you’ll never leave.
