Cocktail menus have evolved dramatically over the past 10 to 15 years, shifting from a focus on classic drinks to innovative creations that often combine five or more ingredients. While the older menus featured benchmark cocktails with a few judicious twists, the contemporary scene is filled with obscure and unique ingredients. This shift has introduced a vast array of flavors and experimental techniques; however, the complexity sometimes leads to unpredictable results. Drinks can either be delightful or disappointingly bland, reflecting the high stakes of modern mixology.
If there's a classic, it'll have undergone a Shakespearean sea change. As for any original cocktails, they certainly are that.
Some of these creations turn out to be truly delicious, and without a push toward the experimental, we would never have this spectacularly broad palette of ingredients.
Balancing that many full-flavored ingredients has a high risk of failure. And, with that many variables in play in each drink, there's no way of predicting whether my $20 is being advanced for something heady and delightful or something that tastes like water mopped.
Nowadays, though, I look at a menu and the dozen-odd drinks will all be new to me, which takes some doing.
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