The summary: 

The point of this mini manifesto is to set the stage for more posts on things I consider cool, and in keeping with the Tessin Rinpoche aesthetic.  To keep it interesting, I will try to focus on things that are not currently particularly popular.  And I will try to be a tiny bit disciplined about logic, reason, and research. 

Is this whole endeavor sort of silly and presumptuous?  Sure.  But the serious goodness of TR’s cocktails aside, the whole blog is an exercise in silliness, so you won’t find a lot of apologies here. 

Lively/unserious commentary and debate always welcome.

Sometimes – unfortunately not often enough – it’s possible for one thing to simultaneously possess/embody:

1. Style
2. Tradition (in the best sense of the word)
3. Function
4. General conscientiousness (e.g., to be healthy, thrifty, locally-made, green – in the environmental sense…. not necessarily all of these at once… 1 or 2 may be enough). 

I try to keep a sharp eye out for anything that fits this description.  When something fits into all of these categories, it’s only a matter of time (though admittedly, sometimes a very long time) until it becomes popular in a more mainstream sense.

I’d say home mixology itself is a good example.  It has some inherent style (if you think drinks look pretty and that there’s graciousness in the act of serving them).  It certainly has tradition.  It is very functional – customized drinks for yourself and your favorite people, in the comfort of your (or their) home!  And it’s even thrifty.  No wonder the hobby is enjoying a resurgence.

For the purposes of brevity and ease of communication, I call anything and everything that I believe possesses all of these qualities, whether it’s currently popular or not: “cool.”  In my book, this is very high praise.

If something is EE-cool, the good news is that it doesn’t really matter to me whether it’s actually popular or not.  If it isn’t popular, who cares?  I think it’s cool in its own right, and if/when it’s “discovered,” I’ll feel I was ahead of the time.  If it is popular, who cares?  I still think it’s cool in it’s own right, it will probably stay popular for a while, and eventually it will probably become popular again (see previous point). 

(In case you’re wondering, Bertessa and I usually, but do not always, agree on what’s cool.  In general, he thinks anything very popular/branded becomes, almost by definition, uncool… whereas I don’t hold this against something.  Example: Louis Vuitton Damier canvas.  I, on the other hand, think he gives function too much weight relative to aesthetic appeal.  Sometimes function is enough to justify something, but it doesn’t make it cool.  Example: Crocs.)

A few months ago, I wrote about potpourri, which I think is cool.  But there are other examples, which have enjoyed varying degrees of popular resurgence (currently or previously).  Whether we own these things or not, I’m a big fan of all of all of the things the below.  Not everyone is.  But as explained, it doesn’t really matter to me. 

 Basic examples, in no particular order: 

Dutch bicycles

 Obviously beautiful, useful for getting around, healthy – if you ride carefully – and environmentally responsible.  Sadly, not too affordable in the USA.

Awesome.  Almost enough to motivate me to dress up and ride to work…

 …or maybe we can leave that to Bertessa.

Barbour coats

Stylish (especially if you’re tromping around the grounds of a Scottish castle, in mind or body), a wardrobe classic for outdoor hobbies since the 1910s, warm, waterproof, long-lasting, and relatively thrifty – esp. considering the long-lasting part.  

The classic – waxed cotton 

Great vintage poster, circa 1920s?

 Props to Barbour for having the good sense to feature a Border Terrier on their homepage.

But we will not be outdone, even if it requires resorting to poor-quality Blackberry photos from last winter.

(And few Tessin posts are complete without fitting in at least a couple pet photos.)

 Dahlia models her very own Barbour, with some snowmen in Central Park.

For the record, clothes for dogs don’t qualify as cool.  They’re just cute.

Dahlia on the move.

Picardie glasses

So nice to look at, traditionally used in many charming cafes and restaurants, stackable, very easy to hold, very difficult to break, very inexpensive. 

 So great!

 Wine in a Picardie glass at an outdoor cafe – so cool.

EE pointed me to Maria Ricapito’s article in the NY Times about bar carts, which she saw on Eddie Ross’s excellent blog (he is featured in the article).

Eddie Ross’s bar cart, from his blog.

I’ve shaken a lot of martinis, and despite being crowded with a shaker and gin, that cart does not have what it takes – namely a work surface.  Plus, what happens to that glassware when you or a guest kicks the cart, throws your dog a tennis ball, or worse, if a small child comes over?  Eddie may well understand these limitations and have a plan for them, but I’m inclined to think it is more for show.  With due respect, this is not a mixologist’s cart – this is a poser cart.

The article’s basic point is that bar carts have had a resurgence recently, which can’t be denied.  What I question is whether bar carts really serve, or should serve, any of the reasons the article identified for the resurgence.  I identify these as:

1. Guests can make their own drinks – how Mad Men retro!
2. Having the liquor visually present encourages having a drink.
3. Carts look so good that the host is justified in limiting the drink options.
4. Carts in the living room remove the drink mess from the kitchen (so it can stop interfering with meal prep).

I take issue with all of these, because they place the style of the drink above the enjoyability of the drink (see the Theory) and the social responsibilities of a host.  Let’s go in order (and then probably throw in a bit more):

1.  Guests can make their own drinks

Unless the guest is very good friends with the host, or is explicitly asked to mix drinks by the host, a guest who barges over to the bar and pours a drink is not particularly polite.  How is the guest to know drinks are being offered?  How should the guest know if a particular bottle is being saved for a special occasion?

I’ve been a guest, and I’ve been a host, and guests are rarely comfortable mixing their own drinks.  Actually, most people aren’t very comfortable mixing drinks at all, but I hope this blog helps people get over that.  Offering a guest a drink is a gracious act, whereas simply pointing to the bar is likely to cause anxiety and indecision.  The result is that people will pour/mix the simplest thing available.  Given the choice between mixing a drink and pouring already-open wine, people pour the wine.

Fine, so the host says, as graciously as possible, ”make a drink, there’s my lovely bar cart.”  Then the guest is not being rude by barging over, but the host(ess) could probably do better.  (Unless, ahem, the guest is me; I’ll admit I enjoy mixing drinks for a party in almost anyone’s home.)  I try to avoid gratuitous references to Mad Men, because as a general rule, I do not think it portrays the best version of American cocktail culture.  But, for the sake of argument, even on Mad Men - Don offers the drinks when guests come over.  Don does not say, “would you like a drink? The bar’s over there.”  Knox Harrington does say that in The Big Lebowski, and the Dude identifies him as “a friend with a cleft asshole.”  The Dude has it right.

2. Having liquor omnivisible is good

This point is more debatable, and depends a great deal on the specifics of the home, bar cart, and entertaining style.  Still, the premise is generally suspect.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having cocktail after work, but there is something wrong with ex-Domino editor Deborah Needleman’s suggestion that, “The idea of walking over and fixing myself or my husband a drink after a long day is so visually appealing.”  Yes a drink can, and should, be visually appealing, but you shouldn’t need liquor stored in the living room to convince you to have a drink at the end of the day…  Nor should you drink cocktails out of visual vanity.  Do you need your coffee maker in the living room to offer people coffee?  Home mixology is meant to provide great drinks, which people want because they are great drinks.  It is not, and should not be, more complicated than that.

Additionally, many of the carts have a lower shelf designed for glassware – a fairly serious safety hazard to even closely-supervised and well-behaved children and pets.  Whoa, didn’t think Tessa has kids?  You’re right, I don’t, but I’d say it is being a poor host to try and entertain seriously in a home that is hostile to children for even short visits.

Beyond all that, I obviously like drinking, but sometimes everyone needs a break.  Some guests are on a very prolonged break from alcohol (or are too youg for it).  And the sight of a bar cart is rarely an appropriate part of a breakfast mileau.  If the bar cart truly wheels in and out, great, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to make it a permanent living room fixture.

3. A pretty cart justifies limited drink options

Apparently, a bar cart is “a signifier of graciousness, good breeding, conviviality and sophistication.”  I don’t think a bar cart is the opposite, but I think if you’re seeking to invest in this kind of signifier, maybe just buy good art.  The bar cart itself is neither here nor there.

When I went to Employees Only during the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, I heard the wise advice that dictating what someone drinks is an “act of violence” upon that poor soul.  We all like different things, and drinks can be very, very different.  Sure, you want to encourage a general atmosphere, but you should not be serving sweet champagne drinks only.  It’s upsetting to those of us who hate sweet champagne drinks.

If you want to “curate” a balanced selection of cocktails for your party, then great.  If you want to tell people to just bring what they want, also great.  Or, just as good, DON’T OFFER DRINKS!  Cocktails are not mandatory unless you’re having a cocktail party.  Do I like cocktails added to almost any event?  Obviously, but believing that you are being a gracious, sophisticated host by serving a severely limited selection of poorly-chosen cocktails is just plain wrong.

What this boils down to is: don’t be a poser.  If you don’t actually live a life that needs a cocktail cart, don’t try to force the issue for the sake of style.

4. The cart is a good place to make drinks

Have you ever made a drink?  Any drink?  Most carts are small with almost zero work surface.  Pay attention, and you’ll notice in Mad Men that the little trays and carts in people’s offices do not render mixed drinks – they render liquor neat or on the rocks.  Occasionally seltzer may make it in.  This is not mixology.  And yes, you be specific, gracious, and polite in offering someone a whiskey.  If that is the limit of your drink-making in a given setting, then yes, a cart is ideal.

But for anything beyond the most basic of drinks, the tools alone take up too much space: knife, cutting board, mixer, ice, strainer, spoon, jigger, and we haven’t even gotten to the non-alcohol ingredients (limes take up lots of space and are really uncool when off-cart rolling around the party).  Then start cutting the limes; they’re a mess.  Ok, Ok, what about martinis?  You could shake a simple martini.  Maybe true, if it were the only drink you served, but you still need a bucket to dump the used ice in.  The biggest problem with taking the mixology out of the kitchen is the lack of a sink.  Shakers don’t need to be washed between every drink - rinsing is probably fine - but it’s hard to rinse at a cart in your living room.

Carts can be effective storage – and when I had a cart, that’s what it was for – but I challenge you to consider whether something else may be better.  Don’t automatically think you’re “a pretty cool dude if you have a cocktail cart.”

Summary

Carts can be effective storage, and can be a lovely support to certain drinking habits such as:

• occasional scotch on the rocks
• displaying a few prized items
• limited storage
• access to booze if your home is so large that traveling from the smoking room to the butler’s pantry is tiresome

Ultimately, however, carts cannot provide the functions suggested by the Times article.  I think Steven Sclaroff (quoted in the article) has the best insights, “I need way more room for bottles et al than a cart generally provides. If you like liquor, they’re scrunchy…. They can be adorable objects, but even I stop drinking before I would need the liquor rolled up to me.”

My current mixology cabinet.  Finding a larger, safer space – a closet, a cabinet, an armoire - hopefully somewhat near to a sink (or realistically equiped to function without one), is generally superior to a dusty bar cart.

I’ve gotten requests to help others start their home Mixology Stations, and that is just what this post will attempt to do.  Luckily I’ve been asked to opine on this topic previously and another time the in-laws asked what was needed for a fun Christmas.  The answer was about the same…

Rude interruption from the readership rabble: “Tess, you’re a dork, why not just call it a bar?”

Bite me.

A bar is more complicated, and sounds a bit trashy to bring into one’s home.  More importantly, though, this blog is about mixology, not say, beer and wine.  I’m not saying I’m never going to write about beer or wine, but I don’t mix beer and wine.  I think we would all agree that beer and/or wine would be a part of any bar.

Alright then, on with it.

Tools

There are some basics that you have to have.  I wouldn’t buy anything too gimmicky, but I’m not sure you can get by without the following:

• shaker
• jigger
• stirrer
• strainer

Glassware

Drink from your morning latte’s crumpled Solo cup if it fits the circs.  If you’re going for the more traditional style or registering for your wedding, start with at least four of each:

• high ball glasses
• martini glasses
• tumblers

Liquor

“I only like X!”  Then only buy X.  Why fight it?  But if you want to be able to host with the basics, some basics are required.  All of these are placed here with the idea of MIXING drinks (remember, this is building a Mixology Station), so if you get all high and mighty about what is best on its own, then buy that for serving on its own.  If you’re a fiend for labels and want multiple high-end whatever, then by all means, get more of that whatever.  I won’t object anytime you add another bottle to the cart.  Basics:

• Gin – I keep Sapphire and Hendricks and think gin is basically the best base liquor
• Whiskey – you need at least one, even if you don’t drink it, regardless of what I said before.  They should be (in order of importance):
  • Bourbon – don’t spend a ton, but make it good.  I recommend Buffalo Trace
  • Scotch – something in the middle range if you’re not into scotch already
  • Rye – whatever you can find.  It’s needed for Manhattans
• Tequila

Am I really leaving off vodka?  Damn straight I am!  Unless it is infused, it does nothing for mixing flavors.  If you want to stock it, go for it, but buy something really cheap for mixing, as people truly can’t tell the difference.  I also left off rum.  Rum is hard.  Poor rum, go marry a Coke.

Liqueurs and Such

SHOCKER: The real key to mixology is not the liquor, but the random stuff you have to put in it.  This becomes more subjective, but the list below is ordered with necessities at the top and things I prefer descending below:

• Cointreau – no way around it, this is critical
• Vermouth – sweet (red/Italian) and dry (white/French)
• Bitters – keep at least Angostura.  Look for specialty flavors like Fee Brothers or Regan for Orange/Lemon/Peach, etc.
• St. Germain’s Elderflower liqueur – just makes mixology too easy
• Campari – I love the stuff, turns a drink red, people accuse me of having a girly drink, and then I give them a taste…
• Absinthe – I’m using LeTournement and think it adds great flavors
• Domaine de Canton’s Ginger liqueur – great way to spice things up

This is a starter list.  Recipes will call for all kinds of junk, but you can pretty much cheat using the first three items in this list.

Other Things You’ll Need

• Citrus – mainly limes, but some lemon too
• Olives – they can be be in vermouth in a jar in the fridge indefinitely
• Onions – get the ones in sweet vermouth; I’ll write many odes to them in posts to come
• Fruit juices – unsweetened cranberry is #1, after that it just depends
• Any fruit you can put in the freezer – blueberries and cranberries are particularly useful
• Mint – you can freeze this too
• Sparkling water – feel free to get a siphon
• Tonic – particularly in the summer

Wait, I don’t have this much space, you’re not a dork, you’re a nut!

If you go with the first two items in each list, you’ll be fine.  A lot of where and how to store things comes down to aesthetics, and there’s nothing wrong with picking your bottles to enhance your decor.  Plus, you should use the fridge.  I keep the gin, plus the citrus, olives, etc in the old icebox.  My own bar cart is pictured at the beginning of the post, but I also think a minimalist setup like the below is sweet.  Make your own, since this is expensive:

Ultimately, your Mixology Station should match your style.  If it limits your menu, so be it.  Just be sure you limit it to drinks you like.

Ingredients, Stations, Mix!

So, you’ll find a lot of focus on cocktails.  This is because I really like mixing cocktails and playing with flavors.  It sounds weird to call mixing drinks a hobby, but it is one, and it provides joy to me and those around me.  It seems like this endeavor requires a Theory of the Cocktail – some organizing force guiding my drink-making.

I haven’t honed my theory yet, but I have a start.  If you come by TR often, you’ll get to taste its development.  I do think people should drink Locally, Socially, and Seasonally.  I would even take LSS down to a micro level: drink what is appropriate to the temperature in the room, the humidity, the food you are eating (or not eating), and the company you are keeping.  This means one should not always drink the same thing.  I also know some things my theory isn’t: I am not overly focused on brands and I don’t care if a drink is “cool” or “what I should drink.”

While drinkers should not be asking “what should I drink?”, they should be asking “what are you having?”  Asking “what are you having” allows us to gain experiences with new flavors and combinations; how else can we know what we like?.  Don’t be afraid to pour out a bad idea – it’s just a drink.  Part of the fun in mixology instead of cooking is that the sunk cost is much lower.

Of course, there’s a lot to my living room beyond drinking.  So you can expect to hear about other topics from time to time, and from other contributors a bit.  A prominent example may well be style and design because under the LSS theory, your drink should complement and enhance the existing (stylish) milieu.

Anyway, enough with all that.

Welcome, what are you having?

Bertessa