The cacophony of spinning blades is usually the sign of an inferior cocktail — but bartenders are now seeing the gadget’s potential
Once a derided device of the past, the blender is slowly finding its way back into cocktail bars around the globe.
The blender was formerly synonymous with chain restaurants that favour sickly sweet syrups and pre-mixes with inferior alcohol over fresh fruit and quality spirits. Daiquiris, Margaritas and Piña Coladas were almost ruined by this culture. Most quality cocktail bars banned the high-powered noise-maker — not because of its potential, but because of what was expected of it.
However, the modern, creative bartender is beginning a rehabilitation of the blender. Drinks considered far too refined for the spinning blades are now being elevated by this technique. The blender is in vogue. Here are a few blended gems from my cocktail pages.
—by Justin Taylor
