The craft cocktail movement is booming around the world, and the United States is no exception. While the modern cocktail renaissance has only flourished over the last decade, craft cocktails have been around for quite a while, and it's those classics that drove the recent boom. But let's take a look at the current mixology trends.
According to Reid Mitenbuler of Serious Eats, mixologists and craft cocktails can be dated back to the nineteenth century with cocktail guides mentioning ‘mixologists of fluid excitements’ and drinks like the Gin Slinger and the Blue Blazer. In the old days, a craft cocktail often consisted of tasteful amounts of liquor with sweeteners and flavor enhancers like fruit and herbs.
Currently, the Millennial generation is in full swing, and they are driving the craft cocktail movement. In fact, according to Harvard Business Review, 48 percent of Millennials have had a craft cocktail in the last month, which is nearly double that of the population as a whole.
Today, the craft of creating cocktails has evolved into a science. Mixologists that participate in the craft cocktail movement are infusing liquor using vacuum sealers, they're adding smoke, and they're even using molecular gastronomy processes to create interesting and tasteful drinks.
In a process called spherification, which originated as a molecular gastronomy cooking technique, mixologists are creating cocktail caviar. This caviar of Cointreau from Molecular Recipes, which uses the spherification method, can be added to drinks like champagne and margaritas to give them a unique twist.
Other mixologists are changing up the way they chill their cocktails. A cold immersion circulator is used to create a hollow ice sphere and then the cocktails are injected into the ice spheres. To drink the beverage, a small hammer is used to break the ice.
The cocktail industry has changed dramatically over the years. In the future, many expect craft cocktails to move beyond trendiness. Experts in the industry like Anthony Bourdain hope that craft cocktails will normalize and become typical of every bar and restaurant.
The renaissance of craft cocktails means there's also a new category of glassware for serving them.