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FROM THE EDITOR cOnTRIbuTORs Is the Cocktail Trend Waning? The proliferation of ultra-creative cocktails appears to be slowing as customers are turning their attention to high-quality spirits served relatively unadorned. Is it a revolution? Maybe not, but it PHOTO: CATHY TWIGG-BLUMEL does present an interesting developing trend. The original cocktail was created to mask the harshness and impurities of the spirit it contained. In 1740 Admiral Edward Vernon, as a way of combating mass drunkenness on British Navy ships, decreed that the daily ration of rum should be cut with water, fruit juice and sugar. He reasoned that the water would lessen the impact of the spirit and the fruit juice and sugar would smooth its taste (as well as prevent scurvy). During the 1920s, cocktails became very popular since they were an effective way to make raw Prohibition-era spirits, such as bathtub gin, more palatable. Some lemon juice, some sugar syrup and even industrial alcohol was drinkable. Fast forward to today. The mixology revolution has completely changed the landscape. Serious cocktail bars have proliferated, every restaurant offers a cocktail list, the mixologist has been elevated to stardom, right next to the chef. It's an exciting time. But with much less fanfare, another revolution has been taking place. In the past few decades, the quality and diversity of spirits available has exploded. Think back. Remember when vodka was represented by three or four brands and that stuff in the plastic jugs? Now there are more than 300 premium brands on the market. The same is true of whiskey, gin, rum and, especially, tequila. At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition this year, we saw more than 1,400 different spirits brands entered. Many of them are exceptional examples of their genre—meticulously-made, handcrafted creations. These superb products don't need to be buried under a pile of additives and mixers to be appreciated. The emerging trend in influential bars is top-quality spirits served straight up or just with ice. At Neat, Aidan Demarest's cutting edge bar in Glendale, California, hundreds of premium spirits are available to try. Often flights are poured to compare brands, accompanied by a chaser with complementary flavors. Excellent cocktails are offered as well, but the emphasis is on top-drawer spirits. It would be foolish to use a 40-year-old single malt in a whisky sour, and these days many premium spirits brands achieve the same level of complexity and depth. They don't deserve to be smothered with fruit juice and sugar. Sometimes it's better to let the character of a superior spirit take center stage. Michael Cervin has been writing about wine for over a decade and he is the author of California Wine Country. Notable publications include Sommelier Journal, Decanter, The Hollywood Reporter, Fine Wine & Liquor (China), Palate Press and others. He is the restaurant critic and contributing travel writer for the Santa Barbara News-Press. See more at www.MichaelCervin.com. Susan Sabo is a full-time photographer who describes her job as "bossing people around and taking pretty pictures. When not working, she's " usually found playing with her collection of Polaroid cameras and reigning over a pack that includes three small wild dogs and her husband, Mr. Susan, in Long Beach, CA. Christine Tomlinson is a Napa Valley photographer who specializes in portraits, head-shots and commercial work. She works throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and has her own commercial studio in the Tannery Buildings of Downtown Napa. She has been in love with photography her whole life, receiving degrees in commercial photography, communication and art. Her work has been featured extensively on the Dean & DeLuca website and in private residences throughout Napa Valley. See more at www.christinetomlinson.com. Randy Wong fell in love with cocktails through the classic tiki drinks of Trader Vic and Donn Beach. He previously worked for Ken Oringer and Todd Maul as bartender at Clio in Boston, and has collaborated with Brother Cleve, Jeff "Beachbum" Berry and John Gertsen. He also writes for Honolulu magazine. 10 / the tasting panel / september 2013 TP0913_001-33.indd 10 8/22/13 9:16 PM