You heard it here first. The term ‘bartender’ is now obsolete. At the same time, the snooty label ‘mixologist’ may have become politically incorrect. Cocktail creators (some, at least) now prefer to be called ‘agents of hospitality’. And if you ask, they’ll gladly tell you why…
The stereotype ‘snooty mixologist’ who ruined the term for
all serious bartenders, according to Jay Sanders…
The controversy has been fizzing away, quietly but persistently, like the after-pour on a whiskey and soda, for going-on 200 years…
Identity crisis
I’ve always thought the folks who create and serve beverages at restaurants and pubs suffered a sort of shard identity crisis. There are so many different names for what boil down to the generic ‘bar-tender’ the issue has remained eternally unresolved. And as a recent Food & Wine ‘think piece’ re-veals. those who bear the identity are the most conflicted amid the ‘crisis’.
Some history…
The confusion and controversy surrounding what to call what most folks refer to as a bartender has a surprisingly long and gnarled history…
According to The Oxford Cmpanion to Spirits and Cocktails by David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum, mixology is, “the act of mixing cocktails and other drinks and encompasses a set of techniques in-cluding shaking, stirring, and muddling.”
The term suggests rich, historic flavours supported by scholarly roots, with overtones of stimulating variety and nuanced notes of well-reasoned creativity. Altogether, a modern and science-based field of practice which should require at least Master’s degree. But F&W reveals, “[I]ts origin dates to 1856, when Charles G. Leland, a humorist for Knickerbocker Magazine, referred to a hotel barman as ‘a mix-ologist of tipulars’.”
“The quip was meant to lampoon the stereotypical self-important bartender, but the term caught on as a sign of respect and could be found in common use by 1870.”
Also in common use around the same time were ‘barman’ and ‘publican’ (Britain), ‘barkeep’ and ‘tap-ster’ (common American), and specialized terms such as ‘sommelier’ and ‘steward’ (when dealing with fine wines).
Ask the experts…
Contemporary bartenders, apparently, differ in their opinions as to what the term ‘mixologist’ means. And what it should imply. The key variables in play are creativity and ‘scope of work’.
“For me, a mixologist is someone who comes up with cocktails in isolation,” says Andre Sykes, the beverage manager of Detroit City Distillery. “I’m not a mixologist. Mixology is only part of what I do.” Sykes sees his job as managing the overall hospitality experience provided by a drinking venue.
“At one point, I think [mixologist] was an important word,” says Izzy Tulloch, the bar manager at Milady’s in New York City. “It almost helped break the stigma of choosing bartending as a career.”
“I think ‘mixology’ was better suited to when our [current] obsession with the bar world was just getting started a decade or two ago,” says Kristine Gutierrez, the general manager of Mister Paradise on New York City’s Lower East Side. “The bar industry wasn’t as important back then.”
Gutierrez suggests the term, “helped validate people who were trying to build importance around the bartender role and impress guests who were less familiar with cocktails.”
‘Minority report’
But not all cocktail artists agree ‘mixologist’ has outlived its usefulness.
Jay Sanders, the owner of Drastic Measures and Wild Child in Shawnee, Kansas, says, “When someone asks me if I’m a mixologist, I take it as a compliment.” But, at the same time, he insists he doesn’t need a fancier job title to make himself feel like he’s doing something more impactful than just slinging drinks…
“I call myself an agent of hospitality,” says Andre Sykes, “which encompasses all aspects of the guest experience and my making sure that they enjoy their time in my care.”
My take
I have a different view than any and all of the folks interviewed for the F&W story. And I have my own good reasons for backing my choice for a new officially unofficial, but unofficially official name for resto beverage creators.
It was there all the time, staring us in the face… Why not simply espouse the classic, authentic, ele-gant Italian word: Barista? (Hint: It’s not – nor was it ever – just meant to describe espresso pushers! In fact, Seattle coffee snobs allegedly appropriated it from its original and proper position in the overall hospitality realm…)
Wikipedia, in its impartial and majestic wisdom, defines ‘barista’ thus: “The word ‘barista‘ comes from Italian, where it means a male or female bartender who typically works behind a counter, ‘serving hot drinks (such as espresso), cold alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks. The native plural in Italian is ‘baristi’ for masculine (literally “barmen’; ‘bartenders’) or ‘bariste’ for feminine (literally ‘barmaids’), while in English and Spanish [the collective term used] is ‘barista’.”
So… What do you think baristas should be called?
~ Maggie J.