Mixology looks to the future by going waaay back in time
Over the past five years, countless bars throughout the city have opened to much fanfare by offering the Classic Cocktail Experience®—suspender-clad bartenders and super-secret entrances included. Still, even at the most tradition-minded spots, a shift is starting to take place. Now, bartenders are revitalizing turn-of-the century drinks by looking back even further in time.
Welcome to the age of the neo-classic cocktail.
When the speakeasy trend first emerged, it was enough to serve well-balanced classics like the Greenpoint and Vesper—drinks mixed with fidelity and a strong sense of history. But these days, the gin martini is being reimagined with 15th-century Genever; the Sazerac with double bitters and 250-year-old Dubonnet. There’s more to 2010’s gimlet than meets the eye.
Text by Cait Weiss; photos by Melissa Hom
Pictured: The 19th Century at Fort Defiance
