Thursday, June 10, 2010

10 International Drink Trends 2010

From the amazing and wonderful world of Food & Wine magazine Cocktails 2010 comes the 10 Drink Trends of 2010!

1. bespoke glassware
Glasses have become as one-of-a-kind as the cocktails in them.  At the Nimb hotel bar in Copenhagen their are special flutes inspired by the tulips in the city's Tivoli Gardens.  At the Artesian Bar in the Langham Hotel in London has a "fat cocktail" glass that holds a pint of liquid.

2.  drinks as herb gardens
Mixologists are feeling the more herb sprigs in a drink the better!  Bartenders are also "smacking" herbs which means slapping them between their palms over a drink to release essential oils and the the more drama the better the experience of course. 

3.  super-spicy cocktails
Chiles are the newest ingredients in cocktails.  Fresh chiles that are muddled into a drink or added as a garnish.  Bartenders are also using cayenne pepper, chile pastes and hot sauces mixed into the cocktails.

4.  colder-than-ice spirits
Tokyo's elite Bar High Five and other mixologists are using spirits at colder than ice temperatures.  This changes the viscosity of the drink andd adds texture.  Now some bar refrigerators have below-freezing zones.

5.  new rising-star spirits
There is a centuries-old Dutch liquor thats replacing vodka in certain drinks.  Some bartenders are finding more sophisticated tequilas like the mezcals which is the tequila's smoky cousin.  And there are also some distilleries that are making small-batch pisco, Peru's national liquor.

6.  tiki's comeback
Bartenders are sourcing some excellent rums from specific Caribbean islands and South American countries and this means Tiki is back! 

7.  avant-garde bar tools
Some mixologists are using atomizers filled with bitters or ann intense spirit to flavor the glass or to garnish a drink.  Some are also using cream whippers and nitrous oxide chargers to create flavored foams that top drinks.  Yum!

8.  bitters in any flavor
There has been a trend in the last few years where exotically flavored bitters has exploded.  For example, celery bitters or Bittermans Xocolatl Mole Bitters.  Melbourne's bar Der Raum makes versions 19th-century bitters.

9.  micro-batch mixers
Now drink specialists are not only making syrups and bitters for their own drinks their selling them to the public.  The Slanted Door in San Francisco offers her almond-flavored syrup for sale.

10.  the return of liqueurs
There is a renewed interest in old-school spirits like pimento dram.  These range from elderflower liqueur to fruit-flavored ones, like apricot.

Stay tuned for more updates and trends for all of your party needs...also visit us at Tailgateville.com

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