Episode 129

Important Spirits & Cocktail Trends in 2019

1.) The Rise of Hard Seltzer

Probably the biggest trend we’ve seen is the rise of hard seltzer. Yeah – and we really hate that it’s so popular because every time you crack open a can of White Claw, a bartender somewhere sheds a silent tear. Like it or not, there’s a kind of populist, anti-intellectual trend that’s taken hold in our culture here in the US, and it’s kind of bleeding into the way that many people drink.

If you’re listening to this, we’re sure you’re one of the valiant defenders of flavor and quality, so this criticism probably doesn’t apply to you. But in case it’s not obvious, hard seltzer is just a highball in a can. They use cheap, grain neutral spirits and then pump it full of bubbles and artificial flavoring. But did you know that it only takes 30 seconds to make a highball that is head and shoulders above a can of hard seltzer?

All you need to do is pick your spirit, pick your bubbly water (flavored or not – we personally like grapefruit with scotch, lemon with bourbon, and lime with gin), and then combine them over ice in your favorite glass. Then, to top it all off, you can garnish it. And one thing is for certain, you’re not gonna shove a lemon twist in your can of white claw. So take that, hard seltzer! Even though you’re popular, you’re lame AF.

2.) Tiki

Next up in trends, we gotta throw in a shout-out to Tiki, that escapist blast from the mid-century past.

Tiki has been popular for a number of reasons, one of them being the penetration of artisan rum into the American market. High quality rum has been something that other parts of the world have known about for some time, but we’re finally starting to see some great, affordable bottles here in the U.S.

We also need to thank some great authors for releasing Tiki books in the past year, including recent interview guests Shannon Mustipher and Matt Pietrek. I’ll link to our interviews with those two fantastic authors over on the show notes page for this episode over at ModernBarCart.com/podcast, as well as our conversation with rum importer Chase Babcock of Saint Benevolence Rum, who is responsible for doing great charitable work and bringing delicious Haitian Clairin to the U.S.

• Interview with Author Matt Pietrek

• Interview with Author Shannon Mustipher

• Interview with Chase Babcock of Saint Benevolence Rum

The last thing we’ll say about Tiki is that a lot of folks have been taking time to throw copious shade at its less-than-admirable origins in colonialism and cultural appropriation. This is indeed the origin of tiki culture – and the two white guys who popularized it (Donn Beach and Trader Vic) raked in lots of cash by putting stylized depictions of native culture on display to delight their customers who couldn’t get enough of the kitsch.

We’ve seen some articles out there proposing that because of its history of exploitation, Tiki is a prime candidate for cancel culture. We’re still in the process of putting our thoughts together on this – because if you’re a white guy you need to think long and hard before volunteering thoughts on cultural appropriation. But let it suffice to say that when we do throw our hat into the ring, we’re probably not going to advocate for a world where we outright ban the Mai Tai, the Zombie, and the Jet Pilot. That sounds like a less delicious world, and we’re not for it.

Important Spirits-Related Legislation

In terms of current events, there is one EXTREMELY current event that you all need to know about if you’re invested in spirits and cocktails and that is the extension of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, which allows small distillers, brewers, and winemakers to avoid massive, truly oppressive taxes on what they produce. Without this one year extension, many distillers would have to pay a 400% increase in their excise taxes, which is crazy.

If you zoom out and look at the beverage landscape, prices are going up on things like Scotch Whisky and other imported European spirits due to the tariffs imposed by that dumbass in the White House. If, after this extension expires in a year, Congress doesn’t see fit to extend it again or pass permanent legislation, distillers could be right back in trouble, which means that prices on your favorite craft spirits will skyrocket, cocktails will get even more expensive at your favorite bar, and industry growth will be seriously stunted.

So if ever there was a time when everyday folks could chip in and help all the bartenders, distillers, and cocktail folks out there, this would be it. Please keep your eye out for updates about this legislation. Maybe set a Google alert to notify you when articles come out. And PLEASE – when someone like our friend Jaime Windon of Lyon Distilling shares details about how to lobby your political representatives on this issue, please take a moment to pick up a phone or send an email.

Your favorite spirits are being threatened, and you CAN do something about it.

After having done over 100 interviews where I’ve asked the same lightning round questions, I thought it might be nice to shake things up a bit.

So, I’m going to swap out our advicey questions – the ones about favorite cocktail books and advice for new home bartenders – for a couple questions that are a bit more intriguing. The books and the advice will still emerge every once in a while when I think our guests can offer new titles and recommendations, so if you’re a fan of those questions, don’t fret. They’ll make plenty of guest appearances in the future.

So without future ado, please meet your new lightning round questions – and you know what, since I’m here, I’ll answer them as if I were being interviewed.

The first new question is:

What is a spirit or cocktail ingredient that you’ve never tried, and why?

For me, the answer is Amaretto – and I have a sneaking suspicion that I’ve probably had it without knowing it. But I don’t think that really counts – so for me, it’s Amaretto, that Italian almond-flavored liqueur.

And I think the reason why I’ve never been motivated to try it has something to do with those Disaronno commercials circa the early-to-mid 2000s that felt like perfume ads, but instead they had shots of this syrupy brown liquid being poured into a glass while a woman sensually whispers “Disaronno….” The ads just always seemed creepy to me as a teenager because they were clearly trying to sell an image or a lifestyle rather than a product – and it was always unclear exactly what “Disaronno” was…so yeah. I caught on to the marketing schtick early and as a result, I think I’ve always had an inherent distrust of Amaretto. Not that I wouldn’t try it if someone offered – just really not high up on my list.

The second new addition to our lightning round is:

What is a view or belief that you hold in the spirits and cocktail world that might be considered strange or controversial?

In reality, I probably have a bunch of controversial beliefs, but probably my most controversial is that I believe that Martinis – especially Vespers – can be shaken without disturbing the fabric of cocktail space-time.

The consensus among cocktail experts is that shaking a martini is a sacrilege and that Ian Fleming is tantamount to the anti-Christ for popularizing James Bond and his affinity for shaken martinis. It would be something like if I wrote a series of popular spy novels where the main character always put ketchup on his steak.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love a classic gin martini. I think it should always be stirred. I like 2 oz of gin, ½ oz of Dry vermouth, a healthy dose of our Embitterment Orange Bitters, and a nice, trimmed and expressed lemon twist that stays in the glass. That’s my perfect martini.

However, I do think the Vesper cocktail is a member of the martini family. I do think it should be shaken, not stirred. And I hold that belief for two reasons. One is that introducing air into the equation by shaking softens and alters the texture of the drink, and the other reason is that shaking is going to increase the dilution factor in the order of about 5-10% compared to stirring. And when you hold up a vesper recipe right next to a classic martini recipe, you’ll notice that it’s got more booze, so it can handle a little increased dilution.

So, I know that I’m in the minority on this issue. I’m not interested in anyone trying to persuade me that I’m wrong. And I’m not saying that you have to join me in the land where vespers are shaken. But I will say that it’s delicious over here if you’d ever care to join me.

Personally, I’m really excited to hear how our guests in 2020 answer these new lightning round questions, and I hope you’ll give us a shout-out on Facebook or Instagram @modernbarcart to let us know what you think or even share your answers. Who knows – maybe I’ll even read them on-air.

Looking Ahead to 2020

Looking at the first couple months of podcasting, this coming January and February, we’ve got some exciting stuff on-tap. Our first episode back is going to be a compilation episode featuring some great bartender interviews from two cocktail competitions we had the privilege to attend courtesy of our friends at Catoctin Creek Distilling and McClintock Distilling. we had a lot of fun watching these bartenders work, and we’ve got some great video to share in association with that episode, so it’s going to be a great kick-off to 2020.

Also, the Modern Bar Cart team will be taking another west coast road trip in February, where we’ll hit Los Angeles and San Francisco, so if you’re located in one of these places and you’d like to be a guest – or if you’d like to recommend an interview guest – please hit us up at podcast@modernbarcart.com. We’re actively in the planning phase for this trip right now, so any recommendations will be welcome.

That about does it for me and for the year 2019. We want to thank you for being a part of our happy, growing community of cocktail nerds and boozehounds, and we can’t wait to hit the airwaves again in just a few short weeks.

Until then, remember to always drink responsibly, and experiment boldly. Cheers.