Robert Simonson

The Old-Fashioned,

A Proper Drink,

The Martini Cocktail

Every now and then I stumble upon a niche of history, of people that coexist alongside me but have been largely invisible. This niche has its own stories, it own heroes and villains, virtues and vices, great moments and ideals.

This time I stumbled upon cocktails.  Not craft alcoholic beverages like wine and beer, or mixed drinks like rum & coke, but cocktails. I've always known that cocktails have existed and I've enjoyed them on more than my fair share of occasions. But that idea that they have a story is a bit novel to me.

I'm not going to retell the story here. There are a few themes I'd like to remember.

That martinis, old fashion's & Manhattans are very honest drinks. That may be why they have such staying power. What is an honest drink? Its one that lets you easily tell if the bartender did a bad job, or cut corners.

Take a margarita... I love a good margarita. However, if the bartender used a cheaper tequila, more ice, or more citrus, then I would be hard pressed to notice.  With a martini, Manhattan or old fashioned, its all there in front of your face. The classic glassware lets you clearly see the drink. There is no ice in a martini or Manhattan. A good old-fashioned only has a few  cubes. The extra ingredients can't dilute the drink. You can taste if cheap liquor was used.

There is a cycle in the cocktail world where bartenders invent many fancy cocktails in an attempt to distinguish themselves from the crowd. If one of these new creations catches on (think the cosmopolitan) then cheaper variations appear.  This leads to a backlash where people start asking for the more honest (or old fashioned) cocktails. After a period of honest cocktails, bartenders start inventing new and fancy creations… and the cycle repeats.

The book talks about cocktail thinkers, cocktail memorabilia collectors, cocktail historians, cocktail gurus. All of this sounds like drinking, but with more flourish.