BENGALURU: There has been a huge revolution in cocktails since the first decade of the new millennium. Bartenders are sourcing exotic ingredients, using high-tech machinery, creating various flavours and textures, and, ultimately, blurring the lines between food and drink.
The most experienced of these professionals are called mixologists. These mixologists apply molecular gastronomy to bartending. The liquor community refers to this either as “molecular mixology” or “progressive” cocktail-making. Molecular gastronomy is the hottest trend in the beverage world, I believe. It involves experimenting with the science of cocktails to create various textures and flavours.
Progressive bartenders combine classic and signature cocktails with bold innovations, made possible by equipment like moulds, foam siphons, infusers, sous vide machines, dehydrators and smoke machines.
They also use a variety of harmless chemicals to create jellies, caviars, consumable air, sorbets and various other interesting things, creating a dramatic spectacle that leaves a lasting impression.
I have made it a point to adapt a few of these techniques while creating our signature cocktails. We have cocktails that have a flavour blaster bubble, foams that are infused with smoked purees that are added on top of the drink, complementing the drink and adding complexity. We even have fruit caviars, that burst with flavour in your mouth, and drinks smoked with spices and wood to capture that intense taste.
We’ve enhanced our classic cocktails by incorporating molecular techniques. These methods showcase every ingredient in the cocktail in a creative way. With an imaginative spin, these drinks give customers a level of surprise, making them want to try more. Progressive mixology has definitely broadened the platform for our bartenders to experiment and innovate.
For some, foreseeing the future of drinks means drawing greater inspiration from the realm of already-existing classics, in which transparency and minimal intervention are the norm. For others, it means leaving behind drinks with traditional formula altogether, looking to a future in which ingredients, rather than existing recipes, form the launchpad of innovation.
Mixologists are always in search of new techniques and ingredients to entice their customers and keep them hooked. Customers are well-read and travelled these days; they know what they want and will not settle for something that is mediocre. Progressive mixology has built a thirst in people and we are trying their best to quench it.