Why can’t mixologists be more like bartenders?

In the three years I worked at the Michelin three star restaurant Per Se in New York, I only had a couple guests ever request a Long Island Ice Tea. These diners were about to embark on the most memorable (if not expensive) meal of their lives and yet they ordered a cocktail famous for its amnesiac qualities. Yet, it never occurred to me to roll my eyes or whisper to my fellow bartenders about the idiots on table two who just ordered L.I.T.’s. at Per Se. Instead I did what a bartender is supposed to do… I made their drinks, with a smile and without judgement.

Not that I have anything against mixologist. Some of my best friends are mixologists. Come to think of it, I’m a mixologist! The problem is that the amount of professional arrogance in the mixology community is staggering. It’s not enough to be a talented, passionate know-it-all anymore. Today’s consumers have choices when it comes to craft cocktail lounges. As an in-demand beverage consultant, I strongly urge my clients to let me train their employees on spirits education, mixology and above all, Michelin customer service standards. The biggest mistake new bar owners make is spending all their time and money on atmosphere, the smarter ones focus on a great cocktail program, but the key to longevity in the customer service industry is… wait for it... CUSTOMER SERVICE!!

I recently went into a well-established local cocktail lounge in NYC (no, not that one) and sat at the bar. As I sat there happily chatting away, waiting the obligatory 15 minutes to get my perfectly tuned craft cocktail, a young lady stepped up to the bar and ordered a Cosmopolitan. I winced as I braced myself for the response. The mixologist, who knew me by reputation, gave me a sly look and said to his guest “If you want a Cosmo, I suggest you go out the front door, go to the end of the block until you see the dive bar on the corner. Maybe they’ll make you a Cosmo”.

I would like to say that I was shocked to my core, sadly though I’d heard it before. Sometimes the admonishment is directed toward vodka drinks, sometimes towards grenadine and most often toward blue cocktails, whatever the offense the message always comes across loud and clear: ‘We don’t serve your kind here!’

Mixologists are not in the business of educating consumers (I know many mixologist who actively disagree). We should not be forcing our vast knowledge down our guest’s throats. Just because you know how a spirit was distilled or how long it was aged and with what kind of oak or botanical, doesn't mean that all your guests want to know as well. Of course if the guest is actively asking questions or trying to engage you about your spirits knowledge, go for it... they want to be impressed.

The whole "Cosmo" incident reminded me of that pompous chef who refuses to do substitutions, not because he physically cannot, but solely because he assumes the guest has no culinary prowess and so he refuses to compromise his vision. In my experience, that kind of hubris is found only in people with massive egos or huge insecurities. Both are ugly and have no place in our industry.

Take those Long Island Ice Teas for example... I didn't make them extra strong, I didn't use sub-par ingredients, in short I didn't “punish” the guest for having the audacity to order something that I didn't want to make. Instead, I used premium spirits, fresh ingredients and balanced the acids and sugars. It was the “best tasting L.I.T. they’d ever had” hence the second round and third round, make a better cocktail and triple your check average! Chef Thomas Keller once said, “We (in the service industry) are in the business of creating memories”. Bartenders more than most.

Another example is the legendary Tommy Rowles, a bartender at the Carlyle Hotel for over 53 years. If you asked him his favorite cocktail to make, he’d tell you straight out: “a Heineken”. The man doesn't know from mixology, but he knows how to make his guests happy. The only time Tommy grunted at a cocktail request is if you order a Pousse Cafe and that's only because he can never remember the order of the floating liqueurs.

The really sad part is that everyone I know in this business has a similar Cosmo story and yet no one is ever guilty of having done it themselves. So the next time a customer leans over the bar and orders that ‘Mudslide with extra maraschino cherries’ reject your instinct to rebuke and instead tap into your inner bartender. Consider it a personal challenge and make them the best damn Mudslide they've ever had… even if your blender is still broken!