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The Art of Mixology: More Than Just Shaken, Stirred or On the Rocks
- 2. Where did it all begin?
- 3. Noun 1. an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients - Merriam-Webster Dictionary
- 4. First known definition of “cocktail”
- 6. Taut nerves relax, taut muscles relax, tired eyes brighten, tongues loosen and friendships deepen….
- 12. Picture taken January 12, 2013
- 13. May 31, 1948
- 14. “Didn’t you sell a case of beer for $2?” “Not $2; it was $1.50, but they didn’t tell me I couldn’t do that. They just said I couldn’t run a place.”
- 28. True Bartender’s Worst Nightmare
Editor's Notes
- They aren’t really sure where the term cocktail came from. There are many different uses of the word, from the drink itself to the feathers of a bird being used to garnish the beverages served to friends in someone’s home. The word itself now is even used in a variety of manners. In some instances it could mean a mixed beverage on ice, in others it could mean any mixture of spirits and yet it can even be used for an edible appetizer such as the shrimp cocktail. But what IS the definition?
- Well, Merriam-Webster defines a cocktail as a noun meaning an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients. But, where did this definition come from? (pause) We can be certain that “cocktails” were being enjoyed long before someone defined what they were, but
- the first recorded definition was found in The Balance And Columbian Repository written by the editor in response to a letter sent to the publication. The writer clearly states that in all his years he has “heard of a forum, of phlegm-cutter and fog driver, of wetting the whistle, of moistening the clay, of a fillip, a spur in the head, quenching a spark in the throat, of flip & c, but never…did I hear of cock tail before.” So, the editor gave him his definition: Cock tail, then is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters it is vulgarly called a bittered sling…” And so the first definition came to be. But, this wouldn’t be the only definition. In fact
- To quote David Embury’s 1948 book on the theory of cocktails, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, he asked “What then is a cocktail?” and replied with, “The well-made cocktail is the most gracious of drinks. It pleases the senses.
- The shared delight of those who partake in this refreshing nectar breaks the ice of formal reserve. Taut nerves relax, taut muscles relax, tired eyes brighten, tongues loosen and friendships deepen and the world becomes a better place to live.”
- Or so some thought. January 16, 1919. The passing of the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the "...manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States...” And on October 28, 1919, the passing of the Vostead Act to enforce the law of Prohibition.
- But this didn’t stop people from enjoying their favorite concoction. As with anything that is in demand, people found a way to get what they wanted.
- There were speakeasies, blind pigs, blind tigers and the like all over the country. Chicago became a haven for those who wanted to dodge prohibition and names like
- Al Capone became infamous. And it wasn’t only Chicago. Green Bay and the Fox Cities played their part too. Bootleggers were big business, especially to Capone’s crew. He ruled the bootlegging from Canada to Florida. And that’s where my family history cuts in.
- You see, my mother’s side of the family had been involved in the tavern industry for quite some time. Exact dates are still a bit fuzzy, but there is record that the family had their tavern before prohibition. That little girl, from what I’m told, is my grandmother. And it would make sense, considering she used to tell me stories of bootlegging alcohol up from Chicago in the back of the family car. I can only guess that it was for the family business. I also vaguely remember stories of bathtub gin and moonshine being made by my grandmother’s parents. They worked hard for their business and when my great-grandparents couldn’t run the tavern any longer, my grandmother ran it for 21 years. She sold it shortly after her parents died, roughly around 1947.
- The old Brandt Saloon still stands though it looks nothing like what it did back when my grandmother was young. You can find it on the corner of University Avenue and Elisabeth Street in Green Bay. It’s been through a few owners over the years, so there have been countless changes. It is now known as Some Place Else.
- After selling the tavern, she married my grandfather in 1948. Somehow, I can see how they got along. It wasn’t only my grandmother’s side that was in the liquor trade, but my grandfather’s family too, however, they apparently weren’t quite so good at keeping it secret.
- Felix Gillis, my great-grandfather ran the “Five and Ten”. According to this article, published in the Green Bay Press Gazette May 25, 1931, he was busted for a second time for selling illegal beer and moonshine. It says: Felix Gillis, 1612 Willow Street (which is now University Avenue) was given sixty days in the county jail in police court this morning on charges of selling beverages without a license. He declared himself unable to pay a fine of $100 and costs. It was Gillis’ second appearance in about a month. The first time he had been fined $25 and costs and warned to close the place up. This, police said, he failed to do. Gillis’ place was known as the “Five and Ten,” because he sold beer – very poor beer, according to some of those who sampled it – for five cents, and a “shot” of moonshine for ten cents.
- He may have been wrong where the law was concerned, but he did get one thing right. It wasn’t so much about the drink itself. When cocktails first become the next big thing (which they have done time and time again), they started out with a base mix of ingredients. The spirits in those days were nothing like that which we use today. The gin was not nearly as dry and things tasted much different. Take for instance
- The old fashioned. A staple for many drinkers of spirited beverages in Wisconsin, this drink has many varieties, but the base ingredients remain the same.
- Sugar, orange, bitters, spirit and the mixer. You can have a brandy sweet, brandy sour, whiskey sweet or whiskey sour, then there’s the press. Lots of options but it all starts the same way. You can use sugar cubes or you can use a small bit of granulated sugar. Add that to the glass, a slice of orange (I remove the rind), I also add a cherry and a little bit of the mixer (typically sweet, sour or 50/50 soda based on preference). Taking the muddle I mix these things together until the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is mashed well. I then add my bitters, ice, 1.5 oz of spirit, in this case Southern Comfort whiskey and top it off with my mixer. Stir and garnish with preference. Usually cherries for a sweet old fashioned and olives for a sour one, however you will find some like brussel spouts, mushrooms or other garnishes. And there you have an Old Fashioned, made from scratch. Anyone need a drink? Doesn’t take much, does it? Well, when it gets
- busy at that bar, making 15 old fashioneds from scratch really isn’t all the productive. What’s the one thing that you can’t stand when you go into a bar? (wait) Waiting for a drink, right? Well, to make a good from scratch drink it takes time, and time you don’t have, so, this is part of the reason why you see pre-mixed ingredients. Some only prepare sugar water in advance, some have everything done but the spirit and mixer.
- So you went from all of this for making a Tom Collins to
- this. Everything was in a bottle of Hy’s except the Gin. Grabbing a lemon or lime, squeezing it into a glass, getting sugar, a spoon, mixing it, it was taking time away from what people really wanted to be doing. Especially when they were serving drinks in their home to friends. You see the same thing with many different cocktails and can even walk down the aisle of your favorite liquor store and find many drinks that are already completely mixed. Now all it takes is taking off the cap. But you’re not going to find the drinks you are looking for premixed at a bar or supper club and sometimes you’re not even sure which cocktail you want. That’s when many people ask for the
- cocktail list; a colorful array of choices giving you the option to try something new. For the brave, there’s always the option of telling the bartender to surprise you. This can turn out very, very well, or horribly wrong. There’s nothing worse than a poor tasting cocktail. You have to remember in those instances, that every mixologist is a bartender, but not every bartender is a mixologist.
- So, what is the difference? Well, anyone can mix you a drink, however it’s those who understand the tastes involved that truly master the art. A good drink will have just the right amount of liquor to its mix and just the right flavoring ingredients to give it a pleasant smell as you raise the glass to your lips, a delectable taste as you take a sip and an aftertaste that is desirable enough to make you want more. If any one part of the mixture is wrong, your experience with that drink is tarnished and you will probably never order it again.
- Many bartenders experiment in their culinary pursuit of the perfect drink. A great deal of the popular drinks you know today were created by bartenders for hotel bars and tourist attractions in the early 20th century and before. Take for instance, the Martini. It started as a drink called the Martinez, created by Professor Jerry Thomas who worked at Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, serving patrons who were waiting for the ferry to go to Martienz. He made a specialty drink of his own to bring customers back time and again. Some of these mixologists will not share the recipes for their delicious nectars, just as magicians refuse to share how they do their tricks, but bartenders really don’t serve cocktails, they serve people
- Cocktails encompass our culture, but maybe not in the way you are thinking. We are not an alcoholic nation, but we are a social culture. While there may be some bragging rights involved, “I had 75 shots last week! Don’t tell my doctor, but I’m going to try for 80 next week!” That’s not fun. What is fun is walking into an environment and enjoying what’s outside of the glass. Many people forget that you can sit in a bar, enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage and have just as much fun as the people who are
- drunk and making a complete ass of themselves. A good bartender knows their drink making is only half the battle. If you are in a bar where the drinks are fabulous but the bartender keeps to themselves, doesn’t talk at all and stands in a corner as if no one was there, it’s not as fun, is it? If it was only about how a drink was made, well, realistically, we wouldn’t need bartenders or mixologists.
- For years bartenders were taken under the wing of a veteran and taught the tools of the trade; how to make a good drink, how to keep their bar clean and how to interact with customers (especially the unruly ones when the time comes). Many bars have gotten away from this tradition and now hand nearly
- anyone the keys to their bar. They require them to use jiggers, the measuring cup of the bartending world, to make sure they are not skimming booze in the drinks they serve.
- Some even put in a system whereby each bottle has a specialized topper on it that records every pour electronically and rings the drink right into the till. (Those of us who have been around long enough hate these systems as it limits what you can do as a mixologist.) Once you have been mixing long enough, you are able to use a “count” to determine your liquid measurements. Everyone counts differently however, so when learning the “count” method, it can be a bit difficult.
- You know a bartender has mastered this method when you see them line up 4 – 20 glasses, take out their cocktail shaker and pour out their creation equally amongst each of the glasses with nothing left to spare. And that is all part of the intrigue of the atmosphere. That could be any number of drinks, but for some reason, it’s much more entertaining when there’s a bit of flair, a bit of pizzazz to the show. It gives you and your friends something to talk about and that’s the real reason you are there anyway; to have a good time.
- So, the next time you are sitting down having a cocktail with friends, probably at one of these meetings, remember that no matter what you order, or what you make, it’s about the time spent with friends enjoying each other’s company, and if you’re looking to learn to be a mixologist, well, my advice to you is, give it a try. Mix a few things up. See how they taste to you. Eventually you’ll come across something you like. We all do.