A Mixologist Decoded

If I’m going out for a few drinks with friends, I will invariably gravitate towards an establishment with a great resident mixologist. Fantastic wine menus and a good rotation of craft beers are pleasant, but nothing quite captures my attention like the dexterity and flair of a cocktail connoisseur showcasing their skills from behind the bar. As I sip on a Cranberry Collins, the flavor fusions, and gorgeous garnishes the mixologist conjures up leave me nothing short of entranced.

Jerry Thomas, a bartender from New York, was credited with inventing mixology in the 1860s, after his extravagant serving style turned heads among visitors at bars he worked in across the U.S. He later penned the seminal book on cocktail-making, Bar-Tender’s Guide, and created his signature cocktail, the Blue Blazer. This beverage was created by lighting whiskey afire and passing it back and forth between two glasses to create an arc of flame. Thomas initiated mixology as a craft – and a theatrical one at that. Today, mixology is firmly established as an art – one that, in essence, has three components – the aesthetic, the flavorsome, and the atmospheric. Any talented contemporary mixologist will create beverages that look beautiful and taste delicious, all the while captivating guests with conversation, humor and, as Jerry Thomas did, a few tricks.

However, not all cocktail menus come complete with a gifted mixologist to serve their bounty. There are few things as disappointing as visiting a relatively high-end establishment only to have your cocktail served in a lazy half-pint glass, or the spirits added without measure to create an undistinctive punch of misbalanced flavors. Luckily, this is becoming a thing of the past, as more hospitality professionals become properly trained in this honorable art form.

Of course, it is not just the professional mixologist who is to be admired. 

“While we are typically referring to bartenders when we use the term ‘mixologist’, the label actually applies more broadly to include non-professionals and home cocktail enthusiasts, too. Basically, anyone who aspires to mix great cocktails is a mixologist, and everyone has the potential to be great.”

Still, few would argue that there are bartenders who know how to make cocktails and there are mixologists.  In the next post, I will highlight the differences between a skilled bartender and a mixologist. Stay Tuned!