This installment of SIT at the BAR was going to be our first video blog. I wasn’t just going to SIT at the BAR, but rather, I was going to hang out at “Tales of the Cocktail” in New Orleans with bartenders from all over the country and talk philosophy and passion, and make it all into a slick video, with the help of my creative partner, Brent Herrmann. However, the day before I left town, I found out that Brent passed away suddenly the night before. Brent was a very special person; everyone at Twin Liquors respected, appreciated and knew him well. He was I.T. so he went around fixing everyone’s problems. That’s who he was, a problem solver. What started out as I.T. led to web developing, and eventually, he became part of our creative marketing team. He was responsible for the “Sandra & Jessica” videos, the “Dan Aykroyd, Crystal Head Tour” video and so much more. He always had a plan and was ready to execute. He had even recently completed a short film, “A Potter’s Passion” for the Austin Film Festival. He was a great collaborator and encouraged many people to find their inner voice and express it, whether through his films, videos or Twin’s What’s Poppin’ Blog. Brent was not only my co-worker, but my close friend. Because of him, I was able to bring to life some of my ideas and for that I thank him. I still cannot believe he is gone…it makes you realize that you have to make each moment count.
And so, in honor of Brent, I want to revisit a topic that started me on this SIT at the BAR quest way back when.
I began to really focus on what I put into my body, really paying attention to each bite. I got really into books about the kitchen, like Heat and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I vowed to really pay attention and make each bite count. Then I started to take that to the next level with drink; well, I’ve always done that with wine, but now I was into the “spirit” too! That’s where SIT at the BAR was born: out of a desire to watch, learn and pay attention to what is going into your drink. Let’s face it, most of the time, we don’t pay attention, and we just drink; consumption of spirits is often synonymous with getting intoxicated. This is a little different than consumption of wine, which suggests sophistication. The reason why I bring up this comparison is that I am realizing that even though the time of Mixology (or Artisanal Bartending) is now, I believe it’s going to take a while to proliferate through to the mass consumer. For instance, today I was working retail and a customer said to me, “this is cheap vodka, I know, but it’s just going into a mixed drink.” My response was, “a drink, or dish for that matter, is only as good as the ingredients you put into it.” But this is a sign that most people don’t think about it. Well, I guess she was kind of thinking about it, or maybe she was just looking at me to validate her choice. Look, I am not going to dump all over something that is inexpensive. Heck, if it’s good, it’s good. But the mass consumer out there doesn’t necessarily want to take the time to figure it out. Again, I say, for a lot of folks out there, drinking spirits seems to be for a whole different outcome than drinking wine. I am not trying to be elitist about this topic. I just really want to see more quality offered up… in retail and in bar establishments. We are all familiar with Slow Food and Farm to Table, and it’s time now to take that to the next level with cocktails. But, we can only do this if the product will sell; if the consumer demands it.
Just like a wine maker blends and a saucier seasons, a mixologist is like a chef, creating sips of inspiration for your palate. There is a great cocktail movement happening now, but so far, only in thoughtful establishments. So, I did end up going to Tales of the Cocktail, and I did end up talking philosophies with bartenders; I just didn’t get any video. I lived in the moment and didn’t worry about documenting everything. I attended seminars, dinners, tastings, and of course, partied too, but the thing I took away from it all was that these bartenders are really serious about their craft. Even though they can have a good time, they are very serious about the drink. They seek out the new experience because they want to bring it to you. However, they can only be successful if you, as the consumer, demand it. So, I am charging you, consumer, to ask for a better drink, to call for a better spirit, to ask for more quality overall and to educate yourself on the world of spirits. For instance, take a mixology class, or go sit at a bar. Because if you do this, then bartenders across the city, and across the country, will have to step up their game and make better drinks. Then it will be much easier to make every sip count.
