I kind of think we’re arguing different aspects of the same thing, and that’s that most bartenders, present and past, were just slinging beer for the most part, and maybe some very simple drinks. Which is why you get things like vodka martinis being the default in some less informed places, and why an order for a daiquiri got us some kind of strawberry flavored crud.
All I was trying to say is that there are and were a few who took it a little more seriously than it just being a job- I think the distinction is more in the approach and intent of the bartender himself. Most bartenders aren’t looking at it as a profession or craft- it’s a job. A few consider themselves as artisans and read up on the history, do professional development activities, etc… but the majority have never done that kind of thing- they learn what their customers drink and/or what their company tells them they have to serve, and that’s about as far as they go.
Sure, but these artisans have never been the norm. They rarely are in any industry. And thus, any blanket proclamations on what you should expect from a bartender are inappropriate which is the recurring theme in this thread.
FWIW there is a thing called “Real Ale”, which the most reliable sources tell me is
I used to brew beer and used to freely sample the unfinished product, which I guess is called “real ale”. I found it quite tasty but opted to finish the fermentation for the benefit of others. I make no judgment on the reality or unreality of various ales.
I think it’s inappropriate and unreasonable to expect every bartender to know how to make the multiple variations on a Corpse Reviver or a La Floridita/Hemingway daiquiri. Or to know the history of a French 75. Or to know why an Old Fashioned is named the way it is. Or even to know what the hell a gin rickey or Floradora is for that matter.
But I think it’s entirely reasonable for any bartender worth their salt to know how to make the “standard” drinks correctly- Martinis from gin, Manhattans from rye, daiquiris are lime, sugar and rum. Unless of course, the customer *asks *for a vodka martini, bourbon Manhattan, or strawberry daiquiri.
Knowing that very basic stuff is what should make someone a bartender, not merely being some guy who can work a beer tap and happens to be standing behind a bar.
Real ales are more of a British thing- in essence what it means is that real ales are brewed and dispensed in the old style- i.e. they’re brewed at the brewery, and they undergo a secondary fermentation for carbonation in the cask, and are dispensed using beer engines/pumps.
This is in contrast to the more industrial product where the beer undergoes primary fermentation, then is force-carbonated with CO2 and dispensed using gas pressure.
The thinking is that real ale is a “living” thing- as the ale in the cask matures, the flavor and carbonation change as various reactions, etc… go on, and presumably drinkers want this, as opposed to the extremely consistent carbonation levels and flavor from the industrial process.
For many bartenders, the standard daiquiri is a frozen and blended drink. The standard margarita is tequila and margarita mixer. The standard bloody mary has clamato, pickles and a slim jim in it. The standard cuba libre is made with Captain served in a pint glass. And yes, the standard martini is made with vodka.
Standard simply means “how most people in my bar want it”. Now, if you’re asking for a “classic” drink, that’s a bit of a different story and your average bar isn’t in the business of making classic drinks. They don’t even have high ball or coupe glasses.
Unfinished isn’t the point. The point is it being made in what can reasonably be called the old-time proper way, (and, I think, using the old-time type of yeast as well), without the changes introduced in more modern times. I’m certain you can come out with a spectacularly bad ale using the old methods, it’s just some people prefer that style in general.
Well, my point is actually an attempt to
a) increase understanding of what is being ordered.
b) satisfy the gin purists who say vodka is not suitable for a martini
And I probably should have pulled quotes out of the Culinary Heresy thread because that probably would have limited the discussion more than my original post. Ukulele Ike’s post (#13) is more like what I was thinking (except that I gave up drinking alcohol in high school so I never learned the actual names of drinks/cocktails).
And, aside from lots of discussion back and forth from lots of other people, this is my point entirely: Why not give it a name of its own – call it a Przewalski* or something and give it an entry of its own on the source of Ukelele Ike’s list?
–G
*Yeah, like the horse. Y’know, it would be considered somewhat related to the (Moscow) Mule – Vodka, lime, ginger (ale) [and copper cups are apparently now optional in the new revival fad] – but less twisted.
P.S.
Looks more like an epitaph than a signature. :dubious:
