What'll you have?

March 8, 2009 8:25 PM

[Bar Filter] Bartenders - What are all the cool people ordering these days?

So, work has slowed down enough that I'm planning on supplementing my income by going back to bartending on evenings. While I'm pretty comfortable with my knowledge of drinks of 5 years ago, what new / suddenly popular drinks should I be aware of now? Is there a web reference I can look at to see what I should have at the front of my mind?

posted by frwagon to food & drink (34 comments total)

La Cucaracha- Equal parts Kahula and Tequila in a shot
posted by BrnP84 at 8:28 PM on March 8

Hell if I know about new drinks, but if you perfect the martini you can expect plenty of fans (and plenty of tips).
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:33 PM on March 8

This, likewise, isn't new, but if you can't make a good sidecar, you would not, in my opinion, be a good bartender. It's one of that group of classic cocktails that has come back into vogue, partially because, well, it's just so good. You may be familiar with them (sidecar, old fashioned, gimlet, etc.) but it's my impression that they were much less prevalent five years ago than they have since become.

I suggest you read Kingsley Amis's Everyday Drinking if you're interested in polishing up on these and other classics (Amis was the best kind of drunk: one who could write well, and invitingly, about drinking).
posted by ocherdraco at 8:38 PM on March 8 [2 favorites has favorites]

A good Manhattan. God, no one can make a good Manhattan.
posted by oflinkey at 8:54 PM on March 8 [1 favorite has favorites]

Ok, so I'm going to ask for clarification. "Good" ... kinda helps. But can you be more clear? For example, to me, a perfect martini involves pouring vermouth into a chilled martini glass, letting it roll around the sides, and then pouring the excess, chilling the gin, and pouring it into the lined glass. A good manhattan can ONLY be achieved by muddling bitters and cherries, adding a generous dash of sweet vermouth, and then a good bourbon (sorry to the whiskey drinkers..)... What would make a "good" drink in your cases?
posted by frwagon at 8:59 PM on March 8

Ok, I get you. Well, I am not a bourbon Manhattan drinker. But I will tell you that by "good", I suppose I mean "balanced". This is different than how I prefer. I make my own Manhattan one way, but I have had absolutely wonderful Manhattans that were prepared in ways which were much different than my own preparation. They achieved a balance or had a certain deliciousness about them, however.

By that same token, I have ordered Manhattans and gotten what amounted to glasses full of vermouth or glasses full of whiskey, or even worse, maraschino water. I would not order your recipe, as I do not like bourbon Manhattans, but I would drink your drink as a whiskey Manhattan, and probably like it as it sounds as if you have achieves some level of balance, and you actually think about the assemblage of elements (and their proportion).
posted by oflinkey at 9:07 PM on March 8

I honestly couldn't tell you. I've had excellent martinis and reprehensible martinis and everything in-between, and I simply cannot articulate the difference between them. Sure, some were watery, some not dirty enough, some tasted too much like petrol, but it's one of those things I just feel while I'm drinking it.

Personally I believe ice should not be involved - the glass should be chilled, the gin chilled, the vermouth chilled. But that's just the ones I make for myself, at home, when I am not wearing pants.

Find the bar in your town that is renowned for its martinis. Copy what they do.
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:12 PM on March 8

Since I'm not a bartender, I have trouble making a good sidecar on my own (I invariably fuck up the proportions). But, I can describe what a good one tastes like: the brandy should be the base of the drink, but there shouldn't be so much that it's overpowering. The lemon juice should make it refreshing, not really tart. I think the key is in balancing the lemon juice and the triple-sec (neither too tart nor too sweet). (There's actually a big debate over the basic proportions of the brandy, lemon juice, and triple-sec: 1:1:1, or 2:1:1. I'm a 2:1:1 person myself.)

I also prefer mine served in a rocks glass rather than a cocktail glass, but that's just because I like the solidity of a rocks glass, and has no bearing on the drink itself. Bartenders often forget the sugar on the rim when I order it that way, though, which is a shame. The sugar rim is one of the best parts.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:17 PM on March 8

What kind of bar are you looking to work in? The sort of place where one orders La Cucaracha calls for a different skillset than one in which patrons are looking for a well-crafted sidecar or martini.
posted by sanko at 9:53 PM on March 8 [2 favorites has favorites]

For example, to me, a perfect martini involves pouring vermouth into a chilled martini glass, letting it roll around the sides, and then pouring the excess, chilling the gin, and pouring it into the lined glass.

frwagon, a true martini afficianado would return that drink. A Perfect Martini is made with equal parts dry and sweet vermouth, and has been for at least 50 years.

A good manhattan can ONLY be achieved by muddling bitters and cherries, adding a generous dash of sweet vermouth, and then a good bourbon (sorry to the whiskey drinkers..)...

Since bourbon is certainly a whiskey, I'm not sure why you are apologizing to the whiskey drinkers. However, your manhattan recipe is good: a manhattan without bitters is just alcopop.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:09 PM on March 8

very true, IAmBroom. Bad linguistics on my part. I'm aware of the recipe "perfect martini", but was working on describing the "perfect" martini, at least in my humble opinion.
posted by frwagon at 10:24 PM on March 8

Also depends on where you are. Here in NC, the cool kids are all about some Firefly with lemonade and soda. [self-referential only]
posted by greta simone at 10:34 PM on March 8 [1 favorite has favorites]

I just got done with my bartending shift. So I will reiterate what the above have said, it depends on your clients. I have found that my age set (25-35) are enjoying classic cocktails. Like collins with fresh squeezed fruit, a good old fashioned (always have a good muddler on you!), or martini referenced above. It seems like the trend is really to have almost no vermouth, not even the rolling around the glass kind. Sometimes I pour the vermouth in the water I am chilling the glass in. That produces satisfactory results. The other thing that is big right now is craft beer. People expect more than a passing knowledge, someone asked me the other day if I was the beer sommelier.

Then their are the young ones, I would brush up on my cosmo's, blonde headed sluts, lemon drops, choclate cake and a ton of other thing that require the most odious of things, the sugar rim.

We are just getting the Firefly tihng here in Atlanta. I would pick a couple of cocktails to specialize in and then just grow organically. That way when the very silly indecisive types come out, you can have something magical to throw at them.
posted by stormygrey at 10:55 PM on March 8

Inspired by Mad Men, some of my friends have been into the Old-Fashioned lately. The rest of us drink Cosmopolitans, amaretto sours and bourbon sours (as long as the bar lime is realistically limey-tasting), and mojitos.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:33 PM on March 8

As stormgrey hinted at: if the good, the bad and the ugly is the continuum then we are at an Ugly node point.

"muddling" anything is OUT for the young un's. How 2007. "Stick-drinks" are over. Bring back 'building', 'mixing' and 'shaking'.

Dairy cream will come back. Classic creamies like Alexanders and Grasshoppers are back. Even though the latter is toothpaste it has amazing design possibilities.

Classic builds like the 'Singapore Sling' and 'Harvey Wallbangers' and builds like 'Gimlets' are back.

'Martinis' never go away and neither do 'Manhattans'. No single person can ever perfect these drinks. They have lore

My only advice is know your audience. Try a 'whiskey sour' or a champagne cocktail. Try adding 12 kinds of champagne cocktail to your resume. Then you have a 9 points of difference.

And remember aperitifs.
posted by evil_esto at 3:18 AM on March 9

The interwebs (and in particular cocktail blogs) have changed things somewhat. Now, you may not be heading behind the bar at Absinthe in SF, and you may find work where the appletini still rules, but if you're the only game in town, you may still encounter people who want wetter martinis, older old-fashioneds and even the lovely, lovely gimlet.

And my word, you will find more bottles of bitters on the shelf, if the institution is a good one.
posted by holgate at 3:44 AM on March 9

The truly cool always order classics...manhattans, real martinis, old-fashioneds, sidecars, highballs, etc.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:23 AM on March 9

Vodka gimlet, with real lime.
posted by dpx.mfx at 5:56 AM on March 9

Hipster Napalm: equal parts Pabst Blue Ribbon and 151 rum.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:18 AM on March 9 [3 favorites has favorites]

Speaking as a young-un that frequents dive bars and has an embarrassing love from uber girly drinks, I feel like a dick when I make the bartender muddle something. They're probably busy and it really fucks up the flow when you ask for a lemon drop or something. I guess if you're at some posh bougie whatever bar the bartenders have to grin and bear if even if it's crowded.

Very few people seem to have heard of a Black Opal outside the pacific northwest, but I love them. Long Island with chambord instead of coke.
posted by Betty_effn_White at 6:31 AM on March 9

Madmen really seems to be influencing current culture. - A few of the women at work are also starting to dress almost of that era.

I'm amused that it has also inspired a return to classic cocktails. - I will have to try and old fashioned next time i'm in a cocktail bar.
posted by mary8nne at 6:51 AM on March 9

mary8nne, I'm pretty sure the return to classic cocktails was already in full swing before Mad Men (though it has undoubtedly added to the trend).
posted by ocherdraco at 7:02 AM on March 9

At younger/divier bars, drinks that involve dropping shots into beers seem to be very popular. At Irish-type bars it's the ever-present carbomb. At other places it's the Jager Bomb. There was a brief trend of Flaming Dr. Peppers at my local for awhile (mostly because the pretty bartender would blow fire to light the shot).

Some people may argue that, since these drinks are meant to be chugged, there's no finesse to them. But poorly-proportioned glassware and the wrong shot-to-beer ratio will make for an unpleasant drink.
posted by muddgirl at 7:05 AM on March 9

Hendrick's Gin is becoming a bit more popular around Austin. Hendrick's and soda with a slice of cucumber is a great thing.
posted by kaseijin at 7:16 AM on March 9

If you're working with people above the age of 25, perfect the classics and you can really never go wrong. Invest in a good recipe book too.

If you're working with people under the age of 25, have a couple of "signature" drinks which are not in the mainstream knowledge, because invariably young people will hear one of your signatures (it also helps if you can post them up somewhere) and go "ooooh, I want that!" and start drinking them.

I bartended for a few years on this theory and very rarely did it work out badly for me.
posted by David Fleming at 8:07 AM on March 9 [1 favorite has favorites]

I should also note that no less than 4 bars in town now have the "Banana Split" on their menu which I found on the internet and made my signature drink three years ago. It wasn't my drink but once a few people had been introduced to it, it was being requested often.
posted by David Fleming at 8:09 AM on March 9

Gin gimlet, rose's. Philip Marlowe would nod and consider fucking you.
posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice at 9:35 AM on March 9

A clasic lime daiquiri (not the frozen blender drink!) as well as the rest of the classics.
posted by pointystick at 9:49 AM on March 9

I have to say that I agree with all the classic cocktail suggestions. I have a feeling that even older things are going to make a comeback, like very old school cocktails with egg white.
posted by ob at 10:01 AM on March 9

Some of us cool kids aren't drinking alcohol anymore. And I guarantee I'd love you forever if you could offer me something better than seltzer water when I ask for Perrier or its ilk. I realize we're tiny minority of your clientele. But I promise I would spend more money at your bar, and tip you handsomely, if you gave me some fascinating non-alcoholic options aside from the fountain gun. I, personally, like Orangina.
posted by greekphilosophy at 10:28 AM on March 9

The fancy places in my area are putting out all sorts of gourmet drink menus--not things that people will ask for unprompted, so you as a bartender wouldn't be taken by surprise, but it's a trend I've seen develop over the last year or so. Things like this--drinks with elderflower liqeuer, or Earl Grey-infused vodka, or rose water, or balsamic vinegar.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:30 AM on March 9

A good Manhattan. God, no one can make a good Manhattan.

you can get a good one in DC now. really! I got a gin fizz here though they're not on the menu, just happened to be making some that night. omg. fantastic.
posted by citron at 1:36 PM on March 9

If you're working with people under the age of 25, have a couple of "signature" drinks which are not in the mainstream knowledge, because invariably young people will hear one of your signatures (it also helps if you can post them up somewhere) and go "ooooh, I want that!" and start drinking them.

Repeated for truth. Especially if it comes in a double-shot glass and could reasonably be considered a shooter. It also helps that the bar can charge less than for a regular drink and call it a "special".
posted by muddgirl at 2:15 PM on March 9

Among my peers (late 20s early 30s) scotch & martinis are the most popular for the guys. With the women it varies a lot more, but Vampires and cheesecake martinis are popular.

When it comes to Martinis ask how the customer wants it. While I prefer mine with the official amount of vermouth, it's all over the board for my group.

If you really want impress your scotch drinkers ask if they want water with it. I don't like it, but many of my friends put a few drops in theirs.
posted by thekiltedwonder at 5:31 PM on March 10