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i have been tending bar for many years. i am interested in the metamorphosis of recipes over time- i.e., martinins from gin to vodka/ salty dogs from gin to vodka (yes, i know a salty dog made with vodka is really a salty sam) . wondering if there is any reference material regading such & if it’s a regional phenomenon.
That is a great question Susan. From my personal experience, I have seen most transitions in the cocktail arena to be a result of changing tastes and palates of the public. A good example of this is the use of Seven Up in many recipes that used to call for club soda (the Tom Collins is a prime example). The use of Seven Up is a result of people preferring sweeter, smoother drinks than what results from using straight soda water.
The same transition is at the root of the move from vodka to gin that you mentioned. Vodka is much smoother in cocktails than gin which can definitely be an acquired taste. Simply put, it’s easier to drink vodka since it has minimal flavors which are easily covered by mixers.
In addition to the changes in cocktail recipes brought about by the changing taste buds of the world, there are certain social aspects at work in the evolution of the cocktail. Prohibition had a HUGE impact on the cocktial for the sole reason that people were forced to use what they had on hand or what they could make.
Another social impact is the resurgence of the cocktail culture. There are many people out there that feel more in common with the cocktail culture of the 50′s and 60′s than with the club scene these days. Many recent changes in cocktail recipes are the result of bartenders bringing old recipes up to date with the palates of today’s drinkers.
In terms of reference materials that discuss this phenomena, I am not aware of anything off the top of my head. You can learn a lot by reading old recipe books (such as The Savoy Cocktail Book). They help you understand what was previously popular but they really don’t tell you WHY they were popular.
Having said that, I will definitely do some more research to see what I can find about cocktail evolution and share with you moving forward. Hang tight and let’s see what we can find out.
Just thought of another couple of very powerful factors that fuel the changing drink scene these days: marketing and media/tv/movies.
First, marketing. With the current state of marketing alcohol, the average bar customer is subjected to a wide variety of inputs on what and how they should be drinking. SoCo and lime, any one of a plethora of Red Bull based drinks, Di Saronna on the rocks and of course, the Mojito. The current popularity of any of those drinks definitely owe a major thank you to the advertising and marketing departments of the distributors. Considering the time involved with creating a true Mojio, I don’t see that as being something the typical bartender is going to push…
And we definitely can’t forget the power of TV and movies in pushing a new, hip drink. How many Cosmo’s have been made due to the proper placement in a trendy TV show?