Fighting the Good Fight

Classical music, classic cars, classic movies.... Ahhh the wonderful feeling of nostalgia. Maybe the classics stir up childhood memories, or the favorite people in your life. The word classic brings to mind something safe, something stable, something you know will always be there for your to lean on. It also glimmers with a hint of perfection, something unimprovable. A classic has already met its full potential and hangs in history with a glowing light encompassing it like a halo.

The same is true for the Classic Cocktail. Utter perfection, balance and orginality. We give credit to the birth place of these drinks and the forefathers who came before us in creating these timeless libations. We pay homage to the greats by preserving their original concepts and carrying the tradition throughout time like a secret family recipe. If it aint broken, don't fix it. That's the idea here. As you search through a sea of Classic Cocktails and get to know each one on an intimate level remember that there is something magical, something sacred about what you are shaking up in a glass like so many Bartenders have done before you. And think before you add a cheap flavored vodka to that mix. Think about what you are doing. Sure it may bring to light a new flavor profile and you may be the next one to discover a Cocktail worth comemorating, but just remember where you are coming from and where you are going. Don't loose sight of purity with which you are tampering. A general rule of thumb, leave the classics alone--- let them live on in their purest form.

Sazerac- Born in New Orleans, affectionately referred to as the first American Cocktail

2 oz Rye Whiskey (I like Sazerac Rye, but Bulleit will do in a pinch)

1 Sugar Cube

.25 oz Absinthe

3 Dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Start by leushing a tumbler with the absinthe, dumbing it after the inside of the glass is coated. In a seperate glass, muddle the sugar cube with the bitters top with ice and the rye stir and strain neat into the leushed tumber. Garnish with a generously size lemon peel

There is an endless oasis of Cocktails to concoct and combinations to explore in the Contemporary spectrum. Build off of the Classics by using them as a base point for knowledge and experience. Work to understand their simplicities and complexities and take that forward to build your own exotic works of art. And remember, the best way to do that is to drink them, definetly a perk of the job! The Contemporary Cocktail breaths light through the Classics that have gone before it. We have a never ending supply of new spirits at our disposal and even more combinations arise as we blend the new with old.

Strive for balance, create something memorable, be inspired. This is the glory and quest of every Bartender. Watching a guest take the first satisfying sip of something you have created with your own ingenuity. Watching their eyes light up as they swallow with a nod of their head and slowly growing smile. It sounds a little cheesy, but if you have every been there, you understand. Its a small reward that keeps on giving everytime you get to introduce your baby to a new customer. When it is your cocktail you take a certain pride in constructing it, ingredient by ingredient, watching it come to life. That pride is what I like to call "The Swell." The Swell is something that I strive to help each Bartender I work with achieve. The feeling that only a job well done can provide, no amount of money or praise can compare to the feeling that you get when you know you have done something, and done something well. The Swell is what keeps you creating, keeps you measuring and tasting, striving for perfection.  After all, we can do all the research in the world and know all of this useless information, but if we can't make a great drink for our patrons to enjoy, well then we can't call ourselves Bartenders can we?

I'm certainly no heart surgeon and I don't save people's lives, but I take pride in what I do because that is who I am. Last night, I had a couple at my bar from out of town and the husband said to me, "Young lady, we appreciate people who take pride in what they do. And we can see that you are one of those types of people." I smiled graciously and said thank you as you do when you are working a busy bartop, but when I got home, that comment stuck with me. And before I went to sleep, I smiled to myself and thought, I do take pride in what I do.