With an ever-increasing demand for quality libations and improved service environments, It has become commonplace to refer to our current era as the Second Golden Age of Cocktails. We are harkening a time when the professional bartender enjoyed a quasi-elite status, and who was recognized as a craftsman with a respectable skill set and passion for his/her trade. That passion continues to be revived as consumers continue to awaken from the Dark Ages of commercial cocktails. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize some critical differences between the First and Second Golden Ages in order to ensure a successful progression into the future of our industry.

The most obvious difference is the technology that affects everything from the way we wash glasses to the way trends are instantly communicated around the world. Technology has revolutionized every aspect of the bar – POS systems, ice makers, recipe storage and access, ergonomically improved tools, and security systems just to name a few! While it cannot be argued that advancements such as these drastically increase the efficiency (i.e. profitability) of a venue, the net effect of technology can be seen as somewhat paradoxical.

As technology speeds things up, people become less patient – hence creating the vicious FASTER, FASTER cycle. It is difficult to maintain quality control in this environment. I can deliver a great Manhattan that my great grandfather would have enjoyed, but the truth is that I am not serving my great grandfather. The psychological context of the cocktail has evolved (or should I say ‘de-volved’) alongside the very technological advancement that has revived it. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – Sir Isaac Newton.

Another downside to technological ‘advancement’ has been the death of the apprenticeship. There used to be an appreciation for the fact that professional bartending took years to master – first the apprentice, then the journeyman, then the master. A combination of the Dark Age of Cocktails, which required very little skill from those behind a bar, and the disappearance of our apprenticeship culture makes the hiring and training processes very different from those of the First Golden Age. The First Golden Age apprentice felt privileged to learn the ropes through a slow, thorough process. Learning the art of bar prep (mise en place), without the expectation of a substantial tip-out, was part of that process. The stark contrast of today is the Second Golden Age new-hire with no experience, and who expects to be working prime shifts immediately.

Many contextual changes have altered the essence of our industry: A cultural loss of patience, the economic impracticalities of the apprenticeship, and the epidemic sense of entitlement shared by customers and employees alike. My question is this: How do we bring back the old, in the context of the new?

My management team is currently discussing the possibility of night-shifters tipping out the day ‘prep’ shifters as a token of gratitude for facilitating the busier time. While I understand the need to provide profitable shifts to employees, I am torn about whether this feeds into the entitlement factor. There was a time that I worked three jobs, picking up the leftover shifts at all three, because that was what was available. I lived on peanut butter and ramen. I worked hard and got better at my trade, slowly earning the right to more profitable shifts at more respectable venues. I did not squander my income on the other side of the bar; Nothing irritates me more than a bartender who complains that he/she didn’t make any money, and who then proceeds to belly up and order a round of shots.

Opinions on this issue, or others facing the modern context of our trade?