"Mixologist" news and stories

Certain things are just too hard to watch -- whether it's a friend's super-serious expression as she winds up to bowl or your boyfriend in the throes of "Guitar Hero".

That's how we felt upon discovering this video, a greatest-hits compilation of cocktail-shaking by New York City's top mixologists. The 10 minute long odyssey features 30-second clips of 33 mostly-male NYC barkeeps. It starts with the Cars provocative "Shake it Up" and trails off eerily into bar noise, the cacophony of shakers and fierce, game-face expressions.

Boring? Nope. Oddly mesmerizing, in the same way that you can't look away from "The Bachelor" but might put your hands over your eyes.

These are true practitioners of the art, however, so let us know if this gets you inspired to go practice your shakin' style, whether it's the one-hander (some bartenders put the other hand behind their backs, sommelier-style) or the hard shake practiced by Tailor's Eben Freeman. And here's a pretty raspberry-and-gin laced Belmont Stakes elixir from Gourmet (the race is on Saturday) in case you wish to practice your skills before the weekend hits.

[Star Chefs] via [Grub Street]

Dave Wondrich is one of the leading mixologists and experts on cocktail history in the world and author of Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar. On March 30th at the Astor Center in NYC he will be leading a hands on workshop called Resurrecting Historic Cocktails (And Drinking Them With the Professor).

That's right, hands on! You will get a chance to sling back the shaker in the kitchen at the Astor Center, as you learn from Dr. Dave how to make drinks from the best recipes of the Golden Age of Cocktails (1820-1920.) Folks, this is a once in a lifetime chance to learn from the best, to stand side by side with the expert on cocktails and their history, and have him teach you to make drinks that haven't seen the light of day in over a century. Two hours of shaking, stirring, muddling, mixing, and of course tasting the results. Please make sure you have a designated driver or taxi for afterwards. I predict it's going to get drunk out.

I can't think of anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon in late March. Can You? As a special bonus from Slashfood and the Astor Center, we offer you a special 15% discount. Just use code SF033008 when you sign up for the course online. See you there.

I recently entered the world of Cocktails and have been playing the role of Mixologist, experimenting with all the great spirits I have leftover from my reviews. I am trying to invent cocktails using some of the new products, but following the classic cocktail formulas.

The other day I was thinking about martinis. Not the so called martinis that are actually cocktails given the name martini to class them up a bit, but the real thing. Gin, dry vermouth, and a dash of bitters; stirred, not shaken. (Clear cocktails should never be shaken, only ones with fruit juices or opaque ingredients. Bond had it all wrong.) I pulled out three of my favorites, the superbly floral G'Vine gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, and Vya extra dry vermouth. Basically this recipe is for a traditional martini, with the addition of the St. Germain.

St. Divine Martini

A twist on the classic martini using the super floral G'Vine French Gin, the complex Vya extra dry vermouth, and the addition of St. Germain Elderflower French liqueur. The combination of the three leads to a slightly sweet, complex and extremely floral martini.

2 oz. G'Vine Gin
½ oz. Vya Extra Dry Vermouth
½ oz St. Germain Liqueur
¼ tsp. of Stirrings Blood Orange bitters, or 1-2 dashes of Regans' or Fees' Orange bitters.

Stir on ice and strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with very thin lemon zest twists.

If you thought that a mixologist was just a fancy term for a bartender, you'd only be partially correct. Most mixologists start off as bartenders, but the terms are not entirely interchangeable according to mixologist Leo DeGroff. The latter is more like a chef, creating new drinks, not just pouring them.

People have been coming up with new drink recipes for hundreds of years, but it is only in recent times that cocktail creation has really grown into an art, using fruits, vegetables and other flavors with the same precision that they are used in cooking. Mixologists often rely on seasonal ingredients, too. The drinks they create are frequently commissioned to be appropriate for particular events, menus and themes. As an example of the way mixologists work, take a look at the three "old west" theme drinks that were recently created for the launch of a new AOL game, Gold Rush. All the drinks use whisky, a classic American spirit, as their foundation, but come out with entirely different flavors.

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