If you’re a fan of cocktails, you’re likely well aware of the cocktail renaissance of the early aughts. This rise in cocktail culture not only brought the art of mixology to the forefront but also brought a return of classic cocktails, paved the way for creative contemporary drinks, and began a rise in home bartending. But, in my almost twenty years of writing about alcohol professionally, I’ve learned quite a bit about the cocktail world. I’ve tried mixed drinks and interviewed bartenders on all corners of the globe, from Sydney to Stockholm. I’ve also heard my fair share of cocktail myths in those years.
It seems like the time is right to debunk some of the biggest cocktail-related myths. To help me debunk cocktail myths, I turned to a pair of bartenders: Frederic Yarm, USBG bartender at C-Side Bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Dom Giannelli, USBG head bartender at The Jasper in Richmond, Virginia. Keep scrolling to see what they had to say.
Cocktail myth: Older cocktail recipes are better
One of the biggest myths surrounds historical recipes and why they aren’t always the best way to craft a well-made cocktail.
Historical recipes are not always the best as ingredients and preferences have changed, not to mention vague measurements like dashes of liqueurs that classically trained bartenders (who the books were geared towards) knew how to interpret from experience,” says Yarm. “For example, Hugo Ensslin’s 1916/17 recipe for the Aviation would be too tart to drink.”
Cocktail myth: There’s only one real way to make a cocktail
Another myth is that there is always a standard way to make a drink.
“Japanese barman Kiyoski Imai described how there are four recipes: the original, the recipe that has been updated to current tastes, the drink mixer’s preferred recipe, and the recipe preferred by the guest who will be drinking it,” says Yarm.
Cocktail myth: How to make a Mai Tai
When it comes to specific cocktails, there’s a myth about what ingredients make up the classic Mai Tai.
“ It’s not a pineapple and grenadine drink with a side of Malibu, but a wonderfully balanced classic with different rums, orange liqueur, lime, and orgeat, an old recipe for an almond sugar syrup,” says Giannelli.
Cocktail myth: You can’t mix spirits
Another myth that definitely needs a big-time debunking is the idea that you can’t mix multiple spirits in the same cocktails.
“This probably refers to the myth of not mixing different types of drinks during a night out,” says Giannelli. “This myth is likely just old advice of not mixing different types of alcoholic drinks, and isn’t especially a problem if you’re aware of the ABV of everything you’re having that night.”
What are some misconceptions about cocktails?
Yarm says that there are major misconceptions in the mixology world, and many of them surround the disconnect between the trained, educated bartenders and the drinking public.
“From the start of Prohibition until the late 1990s or 2000s, cocktails went through the dark ages where American bartenders and drinkers lost their way. With so much information available on the internet and in new books and recent pressings of old ones, it is easy to find things out if one wants to. However, even with that knowledge available, many people choose not to dig into the hows and whys,” he adds.
“A lot of drinking in America starts with underage teens trying to get drunk in the cheapest and fastest way possible that did not taste horrible. Many people base their opinions on these experiences, like how they do not like gin after having it from a plastic bottle from the lowest shelf in the liquor store, or how they cannot drink tequila after indulging too much on cheap hooch.”
Advice for beginning cocktail fans
When it comes to advice for beginner cocktail drinkers, Dom Giannelli says that you should try to sample as many diverse spirits and cocktails as you possibly can.
“Not every drink is for everyone — you’ll quickly find out what kind of flavors and profiles you lean towards,” he says. “The more you try different types of spirits on their own, the better appreciation you’ll start to have for those small, nuanced differences in any particular spirit family. Talk to your bartenders. Find out what they like, what’s popular right now, and what they wish they had more of around town.”
Yarm has advice for anyone looking into home mixology. He says that your best bet is to start by building a small home bar collection with a handful of base spirits, modifiers, and bitters. Also, learn a few recipes from books and websites you trust.
“Learn what you like and add slowly to the collection, especially after seeing a few recipes that you would like to make with the new bottle. Be prepared to change course on thinking about what the good brands, good recipe sources, and preferred drink styles are as you open up to new experiences and new wisdom. Some things take time to enjoy, like Campari, absinthe, and smoky Islay Scotches, and may become the new normal over time. The first few early favorite cocktails may be outgrown or kept as mementos or guilty pleasures.”
He adds, “Cocktails are meant to complement moments by bringing people together, and sometimes it is not what is in the glass that makes it so noteworthy. In the absence of the special people, places, and events, the drink often needs to be better to compensate. Other times, it is enjoyable as just a moment that you treat yourself to as you let the stresses of the day subside. And it can be a gift you can bestow unto others by doing the work similar to how a drink always seems to taste better by a confident, knowledgable, and smiling bartender who places the glass in front of you.”
