Return of a spirits culture brings a few new twists

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When Prohibition ended in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt quipped, "What America needs now is a drink."

Today, facing the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression, it's safe to say many Americans could certainly use a drink or two.

Fortunately, there's a growing cocktail culture out there ready to sing "Happy Days Are Here Again." And these are happy days for a new generation of bartenders and mixologists. Seventy-five years after hooch became legal again, many drink pros insist the cocktail is only now regaining its stride. Savvy tipplers across the country are calling for drinks as finely crafted as their food.

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Today's drinkers are thirsty not only for the classics first popularized a century or so ago, but also for new interpretations that bring fresh, local and seasonal ingredients together with artisan booze and, often, house-made bitters and infusions. These are drinks to be enjoyed out on the town and at home; all you need are some simple tools and an assortment of spirits, liqueurs and seasonings. A well-stocked refrigerator can help, too.

"People have an expectation of quality," said Charles Joly of The Drawing Room. "How we spend money is particularly important now. If I spend $12 on something, it won't be a vodka and Red Bull."

This rising interest in so-called craft cocktail is affecting restaurants, bars and lounges in ways both sweeping and subtle. The National Restaurant Association surveyed 1,600 professional chefs, who ranked "micro-distilled/artisan liquor, culinary cocktails and organic wine" among the top 20 culinary trends for 2009.

What's behind it? A growing consumer interest in "the culinary arts and the foodie movement" that extends to cocktails and alcohol, the association reported.

Consumers view alcoholic beverages as "affordable indulgence" for the holidays, reports The Nielsen Co., a market research firm.

The cocktail is hitting home, literally, as the economy continues to sour. Rye, given up for dead only a few years ago, is surging in popularity as drinkers rediscover its unique flavor. Vodka's iron grip is broken; gin in all its aromatic glory is in. What's great is that this is happening not just in restaurant dining rooms and tap rooms but in living rooms, too.

"We're taking a second look at home entertainment," said Bridget Albert, author along with Mary Barranco of "Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails for Every Season" (Agate Surrey, $17.95).

"The happy hour has returned to our home, which is fantastic," she said. "Why not take some extra time and care at your cocktail party with a signature cocktail for your friends?"

Home mixologists looking to throw such a party can turn to Albert and the pros for advice.

Albert writes in her book, "My only rule is that cocktails must be balanced with freshness."

It's a theme she returns to often in an interview.

"Use proper tools and seasonal ingredients, fresh ingredients from the grocer or farmers market," said Albert, who is a master mixologist with Southern Wine and Spirits of Illinois. "Keep it very simple and fresh, use premium spirits. If you could change only one thing, make your own sour mix."

Toby Maloney of The Violet Hour also points to top ingredients and clean, simple presentations.

"When you have good ingredients, you don't need to throw in frozen strawberries and bad apricot liqueur," he said.

Don't forget bitters, either. These taste-shapers are made from aromatic herbs, barks, flowers, roots, plants and seeds.