The New Breed of "Purist" Bartenders

[slkinsey]

There was a very interesting article in this week's food section, entitled So a Purist Goes in a Bar and Starts to Pour Art. In the article, Florence Fabricant discussed the growing trend among bartenders to take a more "culinary approach" towards mixology. The article, by the way, features an eGullet favorite and leading light in the cocktail revival, Audrey "Libation Goddess" Saunders.

Here are a few excerpts I found interesting:

. . . in the past four years this new breed of bartenders and bar owners has been putting an emphasis on the quality, and not just the icy dazzle, of drinks.

"The three-ingredient drinks are the classics," Ms. Saunders said. She and other bartenders prefer to make smartly balanced tart-sweet sidecars and daiquiris to merely sweet cosmopolitans and chocolate martinis. They also favor smaller drinks, about four ounces, instead of the brimming jumbo libations that have become the norm.

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. . . aside from the cosmopolitan, a new drink with staying power has not come along in recent years. The mojito? It is an old classic, rediscovered.

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Like Ms. Saunders and other bartenders, Mr. Petraske [sasha Patraske of Milk and Honey] disdains premade mixes and has little use for vodka because it has no flavor.

"The cosmopolitan is a ridiculous cocktail," Mr. Petraske said. "If you offer it, people will never try anything different. I don't carry cranberry juice anymore, so I don't have to make them."

Some interesting stuff there, and some provocative stuff too. I highly recommend this article and am interested to hear what we think of it.

[thebartrainer]

Did Mr. Trummer think that his soundbite on the quality of American bartending was going to make recruitment for his new bar easier or harder??

It is interesting to see the transatlantic divide in our industry. In Edinburgh (Scotland) the cocktail bar scene is booming and all, with only one or two exceptions, are using fresh ingredients. The last time I used I thought about using anything other than a Raspberry to get Raspberry flavour into a drink was about 4 years ago (Ok chambord but only in conjunction with fruit!)

The quest for consistancy is a bigger battle with the use of fresh juices, fruits and herbs. In this quest my approach is to teach bartenders to balance cocktails so that they are neither sweet or sour. If I taste a sweet Cosmopolitain it doesn't get served... it gets corrected.

I am a firm believer in the power of the bartender to influence their customers to try new things. I am not so convinced that the way to get them to order something new is to not to stop stocking it. Whatever happened to building a rapport and talking, especially in bars where it is not a 5 deep throng at the bar.

Cheers

[ThinkingBartender]

That article is ridiculous in so many ways.

I, for one, will never wear a chef's jacket.

Why should making cocktails properly, and with a great deal of care and enthusiasm be seen as extraordinary. surely this is what a bartender should. The only thing that I would like to be called is a "good bartender". Are people who take no pride in their bartending really bartenders. Sure they tend the bar, but not very well it seems, these should be called "bad bartenders".

I serve people how I wish to be served myself, albeit without the free drinks.

Cheers!

George

[DrinkBoy]

...I, for one, will never wear a chef's jacket...

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Perhaps tending bar in a standard chef's jacket might be just a "bit" out of place, but I personally (in the appropriate establishment) love to see bartenders in nice crisp uniforms. Dale DeGroff looks quite dapper in his trademark red jacket. And various other bartenders in well appointed bars will likewise wear various forms of "standard attire". Even in some casual bars I think that it provides a nice atmosphere for their to be a "uniform" that has been properly selected to suit the overall ambiance. And with all of the different styles of chef's jackets out there, I expect that there are some that would look damn fine behind the bar.

The uniform could even be a random selection of "Bowling" shirts. Just the fact that the establishment thought about the atmosphere of their bar/restaurant to that level is a hopeful indication that they are making sure that everything (drink quality included) is being taken care of.

...Why should making cocktails properly, and with a great deal of care and enthusiasm be seen as extraordinary...

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I agree.

Making great cocktails "shouldn't" be unexpected, but unfortunately, it is, at least over here on my side of the pond. I still need to make a trip over there to London and see how things have shaped up since the last time I visited. While I think the author of the NYT article didn't quite understand the topic as well as I would have liked, I think that the overall intent and direction of the article is one that I'd love to see get more exposure.

(Side note: I was in the Zig Zag Cafe here in Seattle Wednesday night, and no sooner did I sit down at the bar, but the bartender handed me a copy of the article)

If some of our "mediocre" bartenders were to see this article and realize that there actually is another level of achievment they could attain, this would be a move in the right direction. Many of the lesser (but in the majority) bartenders that I talk to don't really have a clue that they really could be doing better.

-Robert

[trillium]

There was a very interesting article in this week's food section, entitled So a Purist Goes in a Bar and Starts to Pour Art. 

Some interesting stuff there, and some provocative stuff too.  I highly recommend this article and am interested to hear what we think of it.

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Huh. And to think I got called snotty!

I like it that more and more people are paying attention to making a proper cocktail, but being a jackass never gets people anywhere, so why do they think it's going to get them customers interested in trying new things? I would think you could be provacative and witty as an approach to get people to try new things, but I'm not a bartender, so what do I know? And that whole exclusionary thing with the secret door and phone number? That crap drives me nuts. I'll go out of my way to avoid that stuff, good cocktail or no.

regards,

trillium

[slkinsey]

It is interesting to see the transatlantic divide in our industry.  In Edinburgh (Scotland) the cocktail bar scene is booming and all, with only one or two exceptions, are using fresh ingredients.  The last time I used I thought about using anything other than a Raspberry to get Raspberry flavour into a drink was about 4 years ago (Ok chambord but only in conjunction with fruit!)

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Well, I think one has to define "booming." The cocktail culture is "booming" in NYC as well, and famously so. But the fact is that while plenty of bars in both NYC and Edinburgh may make cocktails, most aren't "cocktail bars" and the cocktails made in the average bar aren't very good. If a higher percentage of the cocktail-making bars in Edinburgh (or wherever in Europe) are making quality cocktails, it is probably mostly reflective of the fact that "cocktails" are part of the culture of most every bar in the US whereas it is not for many (most) in Europe. It is quite easy to spend time in NYC primarily in bars like Bemelman's, Schiller's Liquor Bar, Milk & Honey, Flatiron Lounge, etc. That's what I try to do, in fact. But one does have the tendency to form the idea that the state of the craft is a lot better than it really is.

I think when one says "cocktail bar" and speaks of bartenders like yourself, there is already the expectation that higher quality ingredients and a more culinary approach will be employed. It is significantly less likely, in my view, that a "cocktail bar" will use sour mix and flavored syrups in place of citrus juice and fresh fruit -- just as it is less likely that these bars will serve an overly sweet, unbalanced drink.

All this is to say that I have a hard time believing that the average bar in Edinburgh or London is using fresh ingredients, etc. That said, it's been a few years so maybe I'm not current. But I don't get the impression you're an "average bartender" working in an "average bar."

I like it that more and more people are paying attention to making a proper cocktail, but being a jackass never gets people anywhere, so why do they think it's going to get them customers interested in trying new things?  I would think you could be provacative and witty as an approach to get people to try new things, but I'm not a bartender, so what do I know?  And that whole exclusionary thing with the secret door and phone number?  That crap drives me nuts.  I'll go out of my way to avoid that stuff, good cocktail or no.

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I'm not sure I get it. Where do you get the jackass part, and from who? It doesn't sound like they're being anything but good to their customer base, despite the fact that some of them had not-so-nice things to say about the state of the craft. I can say from personal experience that the NYC venues mentioned couldn't be more welcoming.

Just for the record, the phone number thing at Milk & Honey is hardly exclusionary. This is even pointed out in the article:

The secrecy is actually an expedient, Mr. Petraske said. His landlord did not want it to be evident that there was a bar on the ground floor of the building, so he had to control the clientele.

It's a small place and they also want to make sure they are able to give everyone the appropriate attention. In a way, it is taking a bar in the direction of a restaurant model, by taking reservations. It's hardly difficult to get the phone number for M&H, though.

[trillium]

I'm not sure I get it.  Where do you get the jackass part, and from who?  It doesn't sound like they're being anything but good to their customer base, despite the fact that some of them had not-so-nice things to say about the state of the craft.  I can say from personal experience that the NYC venues mentioned couldn't be more welcoming.

Just for the record, the phone number thing at Milk & Honey is hardly exclusionary.  This is even pointed out in the article:

It's a small place and they also want to make sure they are able to give everyone the appropriate attention.  In a way, it is taking a bar in the direction of a restaurant model, by taking reservations.  It's hardly difficult to get the phone number for M&H, though.

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I think I got a very different impression when I read it in the paper yesterday. I don't live there (I'll stay here with my inferior west coast seafood and produce, thank-you-very-much) so I only go by what the article says, and what it says makes it seem like the owner is using the whole "exclusive" vibe as a marketing ploy. I dislike stuff like that.

"The cosmopolitan is a ridiculous cocktail," Mr. Petraske said. "If you offer it, people will never try anything different. I don't carry cranberry juice anymore, so I don't have to make them."

To me, that attitude = jackass. I'm not a huge fan of cosmos, but I'd hardly dismiss them as ridiculous. Done right, they follow the same formula of other more classic cocktails. If you're not happy making them, why not take the time to educate your customer about other more interesting drinks, instead of just not stocking cranberry juice? Aren't there more fun ways of persuading people then by blunt force?

Mr. Petraske's bar, Milk and Honey, is as challenging as Rao's in East Harlem when it comes to securing a reservation. It is also the best example of the speak-easy style that is starting to be imitated. You must know the unlisted phone number to get a table behind the blank metal door.

Explain to me how needing an unlisted phone number to get a reservation at a place with no sign is not exclusionary. If the number is easy to come by, why is the opposite emphasized in the paper? And won't the whole world (or at least the NYT reading one) know there is a bar in the building now?

regards,

trillium

[thebartrainer]

Well, I think one has to define "booming."  The cocktail culture is "booming" in NYC as well, and famously so.  But the fact is that while plenty of bars in both NYC and Edinburgh may make cocktails, most aren't "cocktail bars" and the cocktails made in the average bar aren't very good.  If a higher percentage of the cocktail-making bars in Edinburgh (or wherever in Europe) are making quality cocktails, it is probably mostly reflective of the fact that "cocktails" are part of the culture of most every bar in the US whereas it is not for many (most) in Europe.  It is quite easy to spend time in NYC primarily in bars like Bemelman's, Schiller's Liquor Bar, Milk & Honey, Flatiron Lounge, etc.  That's what I try to do, in fact.  But one does have the tendency to form the idea that the state of the craft is a lot better than it really is.

I think when one says "cocktail bar" and speaks of bartenders like yourself, there is already the expectation that higher quality ingredients and a more culinary approach will be employed.  It is significantly less likely, in my view, that a "cocktail bar" will use sour mix and flavored syrups in place of citrus juice and fresh fruit -- just as it is less likely that these bars will serve an overly sweet, unbalanced drink.

All this is to say that I have a hard time believing that the average bar in Edinburgh or London is using fresh ingredients, etc.  That said, it's been a few years so maybe I'm not current.  But I don't get the impression you're an "average bartender" working in an "average bar."

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Too kind

You are absolutely correct in what you say about cocktails not having any part to play in 90% of bars (pubs) in Scotland certainly. And I would doubtless have a very different attitude to the whole situation if I had grown up with cocktails playing a role in the majority of bars.

Maybe it is not that important what people are making as long as their customers appreciate it and keep buying. Lets face it if cocktail culture falls flat then I'm in a much less fortunate position than I am now!! There will always be the people who will seek out the quality in everything not just the drinks they choose. However the challenge for the industry is to convert those who assume that what they have always bought is all that there is.

I also take your point about the "booming" thing. Edinburgh is not a big place by any stretch of the imagination, but proportionately 'cocktail bars' are becoming an increasingly larger segment of the market.

Cheers

[JAZ]

I'm not a huge fan of cosmos, but I'd hardly dismiss them as ridiculous.  Done right, they follow the same formula of other more classic cocktails.  If you're not happy making them, why not take the time to educate your customer about other more interesting drinks, instead of just not stocking cranberry juice?  Aren't there more fun ways of persuading people then by blunt force?

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I don't necessarily agree with him about the status of cosmopolitans, but I can understand his feeling the way he does. It's sort of like a chef who balks at cooking steaks well done, despite what his customers ask for.

In a similar vein, I know a great bartender here in SF who doesn't stock Apple Pucker precisely so she won't have to make apple "martinis" -- and that doesn't seem odd to me. When she gets requests for them, she says, sweetly, "Oh, I don't have the ingredients for that, but let me suggest something you might like." I'm sure it might alienate some patrons, but most seem to adapt, and she's pretty good at gauging what they'll like. But if she had a bottle of Apple Pucker sitting there, and tried to dissuade customers from ordering apple martinis, then I'm sure they'd get upset.

[bacchant036]

must be pointed out that if you include pubs in this (and i can't stand the damn things - unless its family run and in the middle of dartmoor) then yes the average bar in london won't be using fresh ingredients, however think it should be pointed out that almost every new bar to open in the last couple of years has a cocktail list and attempts to use fresh fruit whenever possible - i've been here 7 years now and the change in drinking culture and quality of venues has increased so much i'm amazed when i can go into a asian restaurant in notting hill and order a decent mojito.

[slkinsey]

That's a good point, bacchant036, and a good thing to hear. We're seeing a lot of that here in NYC as well. In recognition of the fact that I tend to go to a certain kind of bar or restaurant, I'm not sure if I can say "most new bars" all across the City -- but it's certainly something I've noticed as well. My impression is that this tends to be especially true for restaurant bars.