Anyone
who's attempted to create a cocktail phenomenon knows the difficulty of
balancing the flavors of widely disparate ingredients. The margin between
sublime and repugnant is narrow and often measured in drops. The more attempts
you make, the more appreciation you're bound to develop for those who've tried
and succeeded.
October 2006 Archives
I started bartending in
college in the early '70s, which if you do the math makes me old. The sole
benefit of being over fifty seems to be the perspective it affords. When people
today speak about "old school," they're talking about Jack Robertiello's and my
alma mater. As a card carrying alum of this often referred to institution,
allow me to say that when it comes to life behind bars, few things about the
"old school" were better then than they are now. In fact, the world of
bartending 30 years ago bears scant resemblance to the ultra-efficient,
premium-laden, creatively inspired beverage programs of today.
There's a good possibility
that I'm extremely odd. But I assure you that I'm no germaphobe. Guys rarely
are. Drop a hunk of steak on the bathroom floor, we'll still eat it. Heck,
we'll pick our teeth with our fingernails regardless of where those fingers
have been recently. Suffice to say that when it comes to germs and me, I'm not
a prissy, fussbudget.