3 ms·

It seems like cost should at least be mentioned. It may not be the sort of thing your average SF tech worker can relate to, but for many Americans the choice b

by Crito 12y ago

It seems like cost should at least be mentioned. It may not be the sort of thing your average SF tech worker can relate to, but for many Americans the choice between a $10-$20 mixed drink and a $2 double shot of a well liquor (with more ethanol than the mixed drink) is no choice at all.

jghn 12y ago
Not sure I agree. At least around where I live (Boston) the older style ("Dark Ages" in the parlance of TFA) bars are also serving $10-$20 mixed drinks, they're just not as good. For instance, a Dark Ages bar you'll be paying $15+ for a bird bathed style "martini" which is simply chilled vodka (martinis are not vodka, and they should have a measurable amount of vermouth) or you're paying the same for a proper 3-4 oz sized craft cocktail. This article wasn't talking about cocktails vs slugging shots of straight liquor, rather it was talking about how wretched the state of mixed drinks themselves became.
- Crito 12y ago
  If mixed drink sales are poor (for instance, because many consumers cannot justify the price), then there isn't much motivation for the bar to hire professional bartenders rather than college kids, or even create a proper cocktail menu. Extreme cocktail pricing made it a niche market with few businesses willing to participate in it in earnest.
  - jghn 12y ago
    Except that the trend away from quality cocktail making long predated the pricey mixed drink trend. I don't disagree with your premise but I still don't think it has anything to do with the situation described in the article
flyinghamster 12y ago
A Manhattan made with high-grade ingredients is sublime, but DIY is far more cost-effective than having someone else do it for you. Plus, there's lots of room for experimentation (maybe try different types/amounts of bitters, using rye rather than bourbon, or adding a dash of absinthe, or different mix ratios for the main ingredients).
HeyLaughingBoy 12y ago
<boggle> Is this the kind of thing I'm missing out on by living outside a dinky little town out in the country? $20 for a mixed drink is insane. Who buys this crap?

by Crito 12y ago

jghn 12y ago

Not sure I agree. At least around where I live (Boston) the older style ("Dark Ages" in the parlance of TFA) bars are also serving $10-$20 mixed drinks, they're just not as good. For instance, a Dark Ages bar you'll be paying $15+ for a bird bathed style "martini" which is simply chilled vodka (martinis are not vodka, and they should have a measurable amount of vermouth) or you're paying the same for a proper 3-4 oz sized craft cocktail. This article wasn't talking about cocktails vs slugging shots of straight liquor, rather it was talking about how wretched the state of mixed drinks themselves became.

Crito 12y ago
If mixed drink sales are poor (for instance, because many consumers cannot justify the price), then there isn't much motivation for the bar to hire professional bartenders rather than college kids, or even create a proper cocktail menu. Extreme cocktail pricing made it a niche market with few businesses willing to participate in it in earnest.
- jghn 12y ago
  Except that the trend away from quality cocktail making long predated the pricey mixed drink trend. I don't disagree with your premise but I still don't think it has anything to do with the situation described in the article

flyinghamster 12y ago

A Manhattan made with high-grade ingredients is sublime, but DIY is far more cost-effective than having someone else do it for you. Plus, there's lots of room for experimentation (maybe try different types/amounts of bitters, using rye rather than bourbon, or adding a dash of absinthe, or different mix ratios for the main ingredients).

HeyLaughingBoy 12y ago

<boggle> Is this the kind of thing I'm missing out on by living outside a dinky little town out in the country? $20 for a mixed drink is insane. Who buys this crap?