Cocktail predictions: what's the next hot cocktail? Think foreign influences, flavor, freshness and food friendliness

Cheers, Oct, 2006 by James Scarpa

Call them bartenders, mixologists, bar chefs or what you will. But be sure to call them creative and driven. The current crop of bar professionals is arguably the most curious and dedicated to their craft than any since pre-Prohibition days.

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Their cocktails may take cues from the classics, but they taste and look like none that have been mixed before. To discover today's new cocktail sensations and glimpse into the future, Cheers tapped leading mixologists and prominent beverage authorities, who responded with an intriguing array of opinions and predictions about what will happen next at the bar.

Among the top trends the experts cite are an increasing number of unique signature drinks in bars and restaurants, greater use of fresh juices, fruits and vegetables in drink recipes, closer cooperation between bar and kitchen staffs and the rediscovery of forgotten cocktails of the past. At the same time, they anticipate a continuing interest in futuristic, avant-garde "molecular mixology." In spirits, they expect vodka to be slightly less dominant in cocktails; and gin, brandy and whiskey to be more widely appreciated.

For cocktail inspiration, mixologists look to Latin America and Asia, both important sources of food trends as well. In addition, London is shaping up as a world capital of mixology, the nexus where bar trends are synthesized and downloaded around the globe.

CAIPIRINHA EVOLUTION

"There's strong interest in South America, with the Caipirinha and the Pisco Sour coming on the heels of the Mojito," says Dale DeGroff, the New York-based cocktail authority and consultant. Driving the popularity of the Caipirinha, the Brazilian national drink, is the arrival of smoother bottlings of cachaca, a Brazilian spirit made from sugar cane juice. Also credited is the ease with which the basic muddled-lime-and-sugar formula can take on additional flavors. Note the best-selling Pepper Basil Caipirinha ($12) at Devin Tavern in New York. It features Beleza Pura Cachaca muddled with fresh lime and basil, sugar and black peppercorns. "The pepper brings out the basil flavor and tingles your tongue," notes co-owner Michael Waterhouse.

Also on the radar screen is the Pisco Sour, a tangy libation getting a public relations boost from the growing appreciation of Peruvian cuisine. The key is Pisco, a Peruvian brandy made from Muscat grapes, shaken with fresh lime juice, simple syrup and egg white, finished with a dash of bitters.

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One of the sweeping trends in mixology is the growth of signature cocktails. "We're getting to the point at which there will be more and more cocktails you will find only in specific bars," says Gary Regan, New York-based cocktail expert and bartending consultant.

"Signature cocktails are going to be standard," agrees author and mixology maven Robert Plotkin of BarMedia in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Every bar will be assessed on the quality of those it sells."

Aiding the growth of signature cocktails is a shift in the psyche of the adult beverage consumer. "In my generation, everyone had their own drink," says Regan. "I'm a Manhattan drinker, for example. But younger people tend not to have a personal drink preference. They look over the cocktail list to find what's interesting."

Attracting those 21-something patrons is a plethora of new cocktails with the vibrant flavors of fresh juices and produce. Many say nowhere is the fresh-bar trend more advanced than in London. Adam Seger, general manager and bar chef of Nacional 27, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises' modern Latin restaurant in Chicago, returned from a London tasting trip "blown away" by the commitment to freshness.

Touring London's top bars in the afternoon, Seger says he was amazed to see bar mise en place, or setup of fresh ingredients, "on a par with great restaurant kitchens," including abundant fresh produce, herbs and exotic purees.

FOCUS ON FRESH

London's influence will be seen over time in the cocktails of New York, Las Vegas and other major markets, Seger predicts.

Nacional 27's Market Cocktails, made with fresh produce from local farmer's markets and the region's growers, already reflect that thinking. Examples are the Cucumber Mojitonico ($9), made with Green City Market cucumbers, chives, mint, lime, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, Gran Centenario Plata Tequila and tonic; and the Black Cherry Caipirinha ($8), with Mick Klug Farms Black Michigan Cherries, Ypioca Cachaca and muddled lime.

Full steam ahead with the fresh trend is Ryan Magarian, a Seattle-based mixology consultant whose business, Liquid Kitchen, is connected with Kathy Casey Food Studios there. Magarian creations star at the Hyde Lounge, an SBE Entertainment Group nightspot in West Hollywood, Calif. They include the Love Unit, with muddled fresh red pepper and basil, vodka and fresh lime and grapefruit juices; the Citrus Mojito, with muddled fresh mint, Bacardi O Rum and Green Chartreuse liqueur; and the Cucumber Watermelon Margarita, a combo of muddled cucumber, watermelon and black pepper with El Tesoro Platinum Tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice.