AND THE SURVEY SAYS...

I received a survey email from a bartending newsletter, asking me some questions about my passion for mixing drinks as a career. As I was responding to his email it occurred to me that the responses go a long way towards explaining some of my thinking processes on why I ditched a long career in telecom to pursue this as a new direction in life.

My thoughts (in bold) as follows:

Why do you care about craft cocktails & mixology?

Originally it began as a fascination - and then obsession - with finding the best martinis on my travels. This became the concept for a book entitled CHASING MARTINIS, which is still not yet finished. But my interest peaked when I realized that to be a true authority on the martini that I ought to be a trained bartender and not just a consumer. I've since completed a hundred-hour education in Mixology, learning 200 different drinks and the necessary techniques for each one.

What was originally a passion is now an avocation.
- Are you trying to make more money at work?

I am changing my career to be a full-time bartender/mixologist and authority on the creation of the perfect martini.

- Are you trying to get promoted or grow your career?

Not specifically.

- Do you just really care about the art of crafting great cocktails?

Absolutely. It has become an important part of my drive to find better ways to make drinks, better combinations - or the perfect combinations - of a crafted cocktail. Naturally, since everyone's palate is different, this is "on the tongue" of the beholder.

...Or maybe you're just bartending for now while you work towards a different career?

No. This is my newfound career. I spent 32 years in telecommunications and lost my passion for it years ago. I am excited about bartending and fascinated on a daily basis by the new things I learn and can teach.

For me, it's the third one. I love the "culinary" art of great cocktails and like to experiment with flavors and techniques to see what awesome thing I can come up with next.

Exactly. It's about taking an existing thing and tweaking it, or coming up with your own unique and fun combination of ingredients. I truly believe we're going to see the same route for "Mixologists" as we've seen with chefs. To me a Mixologist is a bartender who can craft new drink combinations and invent better ways of serving the old ones. It's reflected in my websites and email as A Bartender's Tour, riffing on the late and every much missed Anthony Bourdain's A Cook's Tour.

Food for thought? (Pun intended.)

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