the genius: Michael Lazar
Co-author
Left Coast Libations
San Francisco Bay Area
http://www.leftcoastlibations.com/
photo: ©Jenn Farrington jennfarrington.com
the inspiration: I'm inspired by the general level of improvement in mixology skills among bartenders. Ten years ago, ordering a properly made manhattan, even at better bars and restaurants, meant explicitly asking for it to be stirred, please. We could depend on a bar having decent bourbon — thank you, Maker's Mark — but as a rule everyone was shaking the shit out of every cocktail they made, a la James Bond. I've had it with sending back frothy manhattans. Today, I'm most pleased to say that many bartenders know when to stir and when to shake. That's a big change. I think that's a sign that the precepts of the high-end cocktail movement are moving into the mainstream.
Next we need to get folks to stop using those awful cherries. Oh, don't get me started on cherries!
