Five Flavors... Two Cocktail Flavors?

[bar.mix.master]

I've been doing research on flavor recently and know that there are 5 recognized flavors: Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty, and Umami.

Why is it that cocktails, unlike food, only seem to take advantage of two flavors... sweet and sour?

I can name a ton of sweet drinks, I can name a ton of sour drinks, but I am having a hard time naming Bitter, Salty or Umami cocktails.

Coffee, beer, and wine are some good non-cocktail examples and I think a Martini fits the bitter bill. I can also think of one I would consider Umami, the Manhattan. As for salty the only example I can think of is a salt rimmed Margarita.

There are also a ton of balanced drinks between the flavors... a Gin and Tonic is a good example of a Bitter (quinine and juniper) and Sweet (sugar) mix. And I think a Dirty Martini is a good Bitter/Salty combo.

Are these 3 flavors ignored in the cocktail world? Or am I just not thinking straight after my nightly beverage?

Thoughts? Examples of Bitter, Salty, Umami?

I won't even get into other taste sensations right now like: Temperature, Spiciness, Coolness, Astringency, Fat, and Tingly Numbness.

-Brad

www.barmixmaster.com

Edited November 26, 2006 by bar.mix.master (log)

[mkayahara]

What about apéritif bitters like Campari?

(Obviously there is a sweet component there, but there's also a sweet component in most sour drinks, whether from simple syrup, triple sec, or something else.)

[JAZ]

It seems to me that maybe you're a little confused about some of the tastes in cocktails. First of all, there's a whole host of bitter components in cocktails, from, well, bitters to Campari, Picon or Torani Amer, Cynar, and Pimms. Vermouths also have a distinct bitter flavor profile.

So, for bitter cocktails, there's the Negroni, Picon Punch, Pimms Cup, Pink Gin (gin and Angostura bitters) to start. You're right that most bitter profile cocktails are actually bittersweet -- tonic is a great example of that, and all of the drinks I've mentioned have a sweet component as well.

Salt comes into play primarily as a garnish, and in addition to the Margarita, there's the Salty Dog. It makes sense that the salt-rimmed drinks contain the more bitter of the cirtus fruits, lime and grapefruit, because salt serves to diminish bitter flavors. But your Dirty Martini has actually more of a salty profile than a bitter one, although olives also have a distinct bitter component.

I'm not sure why you call a Manhattan an example of umami. There's a little umami flavor in olives, so an olive-garnished Martini has a bit of that, but there's nothing in a Manhattan with glutamates, which are the source of umami taste. The only common mixed drink that exemplifies the umami taste is the Bloody Mary (and its variants like a Caesar or Bloody Bull), with tomato juice and Worchestershire sauce.

[bar.mix.master]

What about apéritif bitters like Campari?

(Obviously there is a sweet component there, but there's also a sweet component in most sour drinks, whether from simple syrup, triple sec, or something else.)

←

Yes as pointed out to me by ThinkingBartender (elsewhere)...

Negroni

Americano

are good bitter examples.

Any others?

Salty? Umami?

Does Manhattan fit Umani?

[bar.mix.master]

I'm not sure why you call a Manhattan an example of umami. There's a little umami flavor in olives, so an olive-garnished Martini has a bit of that, but there's nothing in a Manhattan with glutamates, which are the source of umami taste. The only common mixed drink that exemplifies the umami taste is the Bloody Mary (and its variants like a Caesar or Bloody Bull), with tomato juice and Worchestershire sauce.

Excellent!!! Thanks JAZ.

I see your point on the Manhattan... If not Umami, how would you classify it? Bitter/Sweet?

And I know that many cocktails have some components of of bitter and salty, but why is it that sweet and sour seems to win out? Is it that sweet and sour are more preferred in general?

[marty mccabe]

If you're bored, try a Teresa:

2oz Campari (bitter)

3/4oz creme de cassis (sweet)

1oz fresh lime juice (sour)

shake and strain

I'd love to see more examples of cocktails that combine more than two "flavors."

[dsoneil]

As for salty, a Dirty Martini would fit that description. I serve a lot of these for some reason. But people who enjoy salt and olives really go for them.

I've been contemplating making a cocktail based on salt. Maybe something with a unique rock salt and some herb infusions. If people drink olive brine, how could this be worse.

Dirty Martini

2 oz Vodka

Dash Vermouth

1 Tsp Olive Brine

Stir with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an olive.

[eje]

[...]

I've been contemplating making a cocktail based on salt. Maybe something with a unique rock salt and some herb infusions. If people drink olive brine, how could this be worse.

[...]

←

Oh, hmmm, that reminds me, I've got some smoked salt in the kitchen. That might make an interesting rim on a cocktail.

[eje]

[...]

I'd love to see more examples of cocktails that combine more than two "flavors."

←

Well, there's the Income Tax. Gin, orange juice, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, and bitters. At least got sweet, sour and bitter in there. Pegu Club also have juice, bitters, and a sweetener. Satan's Whiskers is another similar cocktail combining fruit, sweetener, and aromatic elements.

[thirtyoneknots]

The Jasmine is another good one to combine multiple tastes in one drink, where you have sweet, sour, and bitter all at once. Incidentally it's also a great way to introduce someone to both gin and campari, since both of those things are vital components of the drink and yet the overall flavor is of something familiar (usually described as grapefruit juice)

As far as salty flavors go, I don't think I would find them appealing in a cocktail, and the only drinks that typically have a salty element are the ones I don't care much for (though for other reasons). I always get my Martinis with a twist, and I don't care for tomato juice for the texture nor Margaritas since I'm not fond of Tequila.

Cocktail Chronicles featured an interesting variation on the Martini that includes in it's ingredients a pinch of sea salt. I haven't tried it but it sounds interesting:

http://www.cocktailchronicles.com/2005/07/31/not-half-bad/

Of course Cocktail Chonicles could make trash can punch sound interesting, at least to me.

-Andy

[Shalmanese]

I'm not sure why you call a Manhattan an example of umami. There's a little umami flavor in olives, so an olive-garnished Martini has a bit of that, but there's nothing in a Manhattan with glutamates, which are the source of umami taste. The only common mixed drink that exemplifies the umami taste is the Bloody Mary (and its variants like a Caesar or Bloody Bull), with tomato juice and Worchestershire sauce.

←

How could you talk about umami in cocktails without mentioning weeniecello?