If you live in the greater NYC area, perhaps you’ve had this discussion with friends. You walk into an upscale bar and at the bottom of the menu, you see a fine print sentence scrawled out in gothic style calligraphic handwriting, “Our cocktail menu is curated by our in-house mixologist,” or a lovely sentiment with similar phrasing. A friend will inevitably roll their eyes and inquire as to the origin of the word mixologist, then begin making bold generalizations regarding mixologists and bartenders, claiming they are essentially the same profession, differing only in name and levels of pretentiousness.

This has probably been a topic of discussion only if you have a vested interest in the bar industry, or you frequent bars that employ mixologists. But such a conversation (if one were to take place, this is all hypothetical…obviously) brings up some interesting points. What is a mixologist and why does it command a title superior to that of bar-keep? They both work behind a bar, they both often go to special schools to study their trade, then they pour, mix and make drinks to support themselves. No brainer? Not quite.

The job of a bartender has to be one of the hardest out there. Without listing why here are a few reasons: long shifts, pushy people, drink & dashes, yelling, standing on your feet for hours without sufficient breaks. But here’s the kicker, a bartender is mixing pre-established recipes. The word bartender is actually defined as a person who mixes and serves drinks at a bar. They may know about the wine that accompanies signature dishes or a beer that pairs best with a certain steak but they are not there to make your palate dance with enthusiasm or to bring out the whispers of ginger in a certain item on the menu. That, my friends, is a mixologist’s job.

Bartenders are paid to tend bar, to make sure your glass is re-filled and to mix up a mojito (a bartender’s arch-nemesis) on occasion. A mixologist(defined as a person skilled in making cocktails)is trained in spirits and how to taste them, treating it as an art form aiming to please the palette, not personality. They are usually employed by a bar or restaurant that’s looking to convey a particular message then tailor a personally crafted cocktail menu to contribute to the desired ambiance. Mixologists invent drinks and play with ingredients, perfecting them until they’ve achieved the right percentages of each. They add bitters and juices and other eccentric ingredients to drinks they’ve developed. A bit different from from mixing up a martini.

“I find the ‘mixologist’ description unnecessary. I can quickly see based on the bottles behind your bar, your menu, your volume of customers and your skill, what kind of place I’m in, and whether this is your summer job or your lifelong passion,” said Kathleen Reynolds, Long Island City resident and cocktail enthusiast. “If we’re going to get fancy with vocabulary, we need a few new titles, because outstanding pub bartenders like the legendary Doug Quinn or up-and-coming Aiden MacKenzie are outstanding in their own right. They may not make original cocktail bitters out of unicorn tears, but they know their loyal customers and often patrons’ favorite drinks await them as soon as they step into the bar.”

Perhaps what it comes down to is the subjectivity of the concept. This is not meant to offend bartenders as some have much more responsibility than others. The point is, mixology IS a profession, populated by an industry that thrives on innovation and creativity. And when all’s said and done, if you’re a bartender doing more than your share of mixing, maybe you should re-think your title.