The acclaimed Portland, Ore.-based bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler recently posted some musings about the state of bartending in the Information Age on his blog. Contemporary bartenders, he argues, prioritize knowledge and showmanship over skill. Before the proliferation of the internet, earning social capital as a bartender meant mastering the pure skills of the trade. Now, he says, bartenders care more about the nitty-gritty of the booze that they use, learning about offbeat distilling vessels or unheard of ingredients.
Today on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether bartending has tipped too far in the direction of knowledge and information and away from skill. Are so-called “lab bars” that create mind-blowing drinks not training their staff in classic bartending skills? Does that style of bar have any future, or is it a fad?
Zach is drinking: Sylvain Martinez “Goutte d’O” Chenin Blanc
Joanna is drinking: An underwhelming Dirty Martini
Adam is drinking: Freezer Martini
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The article The VinePair Podcast: Examining a Potential Bartender Schism appeared first on VinePair.