Bartending Legend and Liquor.com advisory Board Member Dale DeGroff shares the biggest cocktail trends that he is forecasting for 2014. Below are his predictions. Cheers!
FLAVOR FATIGUE:
There are literally hundreds of flavored spirits and even more in the works. (Not to mention a rash of bars serving bacon-flavored and -infused booze. Care for a bacon Chocolate Martini?) I have to admit, my heart sank when tequila fell prey to this trend. I hoped for some restraint in the agave category, but just Google “flavored tequila,” and you’ll weep. Then I tasted Avión Espresso Tequila, and life was good again. That is until I saw the recipe for a concoction called Red Hot Saturday Mix calling for sweet and sour mix, flavored tequila, grenadine and triple sec. All that sweetness with nothing to balance it! Listen, this is all good clean fun, but the market will sort things out in the end.
THE FIFTH TASTE:
Oh mama, it’s umami! Make way for the fifth taste, savory, which is breaking down cocktail barriers. For example, the charming Colin Field, head bartender at Paris’ famed Hemingway Bar in The Ritz, popularized an Italian Martini, which is made with olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese. He’s not alone. I’m seeing more drinks utilizing umami-heavy tomatoes and even soy sauce.
THE ART OF ARTISANAL:
Distributors, liquor stores and bars are all expanding their artisanal-spirits selections. In New York one store, Whiskey & Wine Off 69, has even gone locavore, dedicating several shelves to locally made spirits.
White dog (new make spirit), rum and vodka are still the leaders in the craft spirits world, but that’s changing, with more and more gin being produced.
KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID:
For years, cocktail ingredient lists were growing to outrageous lengths. Fortunately, many craft-cocktail bartenders are paring down recipes to include only things that actually contribute to the balance and the flavor of a drink. This trend will lead to the creation of new classic cocktails that future generations will look back on as gems from the Second Golden Age of the Cocktail.
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