A cocktail has a life of its own.
The best bartenders know it and they know what works best for them.
A cocktail is not just a drink.
It’s a way to relax and have fun.
“What you’re really saying is that what works is what is good for you,” says David Mancuso, the director of research at Australian Beverage Trends.
“There’s a lot of information out there on the internet, but you can find a lot on social media, but there’s a lack of research into what is actually the best cocktail.”
The real cocktail is back and the world needs to embrace it, says Dr David Mascuso.
“What’s great about it is it’s so different to what we have in our modern world.”
Dr Masciso is a consultant in the field of consumer insights and marketing, which is the latest in a string of innovations aimed at helping businesses improve their customer service.
His favourite example is the new cocktail bar at the Old Town, where bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts gather to share knowledge, create a safe space for conversation and drink together.
The concept of the bar has also been embraced by the National Council of Australian Industry (NCAI) and the National Cocktail Party (NCP).
In the United States, the industry is expanding and the number of cocktail bars is increasing, says David McEwen, president of NCAI.
He’s hopeful that this cocktail revival will continue.
A drink that works for one person may not work for another.
There are so many cocktails, and they all work differently for different people, says Mr McEwan.
“We’re going to see a lot more of cocktail culture, and I think that will help to really create a world of cocktail experiences,” he says.
What’s good for one drink might not be a good for another drink.
“People love to make cocktails.
They’re really fun.
But people need to know how to make them in a way that’s appropriate for their needs and preferences,” Dr Mascoso says.
“It can be a little bit of an art.”
The real cocktail, like any other drink, is about experience, says McEwens.
People enjoy the same cocktail for different reasons, says Professor Peter Jones from Sydney University’s Business School.
“You have people who really love to drink wine, but they want to enjoy cocktails as well,” he explains.
In Sydney, it’s also the time for socialising, and with a large amount of people coming to bars for social events, there’s often a cocktail at the bar to share.
Dr Jones agrees, saying: “There will always be a cocktail bar, but in the future it’ll be a more social bar.”
This cocktail bar trend is not unique to Sydney, says Ms McEwa.
“I’ve seen a lot across the state, and that’s certainly a trend that’s being driven by the people in Sydney,” she says.
“It’s not just the city, it really is the culture.
There’s a cocktail scene in the south-east of the state as well.
It’s just a big part of the culture.”
For people like Dr Mancoso, it might be a matter of just a few minutes’ walk from the Old Cocktail Bar, or at least from a small, family-friendly bar.
When you’re out with your friends, what do you need?
Dr McEws says that’s where the real cocktail comes into play.
“If you want to have a cocktail, and you want it to be as good as it possibly can be, and it’s something you can do in a relaxed setting and be really comfortable with, that’s when you’ll find that it’s a good cocktail.
But, as I’ve mentioned, you can have it at the club.
And if you’re going out with friends, and the bartender says it’s not a good one for them, then you can say, ‘That’s the wrong one for me’.” The bar isn’t the only thing that’s important, of course.
And the bartender isn’t just there to say ‘Yes, we’ve got a good drink for that’, but to make sure it’s right for everyone involved.
“Sometimes the bartender is really the real expert and the cocktail doesn’t work for you and you need a different one, and if you don’t have the right drink, then the bartender doesn’t know what to do with you,” Dr McEwi says.
This is just a taste of the things you’ll be able to expect from a cocktail lounge in the near future, says the bar’s founder, John Wollcott.
They’ve been around for 25 years and it hasn’t changed much.
John Wollott says he has seen many bars and pubs close over the years