Have you recently ordered a Pink Lady? A Grasshopper? A Blue Hawaii? A Harvey Wallbanger? These were among the most popular cocktails of the 1970s. Most are vibrantly colored and designed to mask the base alcohols with lots of sweet liqueurs and flavors such as mint, orange juice, and coconut.
Like many things in popular culture, some trends come and go as fads, others last for years before fizzling, and still others become classics with real staying power.
At Downtime Cocktails, we like to keep our eyes on what’s trending in the world of cocktails—we like to see what’s coming into vogue as well as what’s going out. Here are a few trends that seem to be taking hold in the cocktail community.
- Simple Is Better
In the past year or so, minimalism has taken hold in the world of mixology. This trend focuses on the quality of ingredients rather than the quantity – and it has renewed enthusiasm for the classic three-ingredient cocktail. Like other recent trends, such as hyper-seasonal cocktails, demand for minimalist cocktails has followed the rise in demand for local, organic, and sustainable ingredients. In using fewer elements, simplifying garnishes and emphasizing more “whole foods,” bars and restaurants also drastically reduce food waste.
Have you recently ordered a Pink Lady? A Grasshopper? A Blue Hawaii? A Harvey Wallbanger? These were among the most popular cocktails of the 1970s. Most are vibrantly colored and designed to mask the base alcohols with lots of sweet liqueurs and flavors such as mint, orange juice, and coconut.
Like many things in popular culture, some trends come and go as fads, others last for years before fizzling, and still others become classics with real staying power.
At Downtime Cocktails, we like to keep our eyes on what’s trending in the world of cocktails—we like to see what’s coming into vogue as well as what’s going out. Here are a few trends that seem to be taking hold in the cocktail community.
- Simple Is Better
In the past year or so, minimalism has taken hold in the world of mixology. This trend focuses on the quality of ingredients rather than the quantity – and it has renewed enthusiasm for the classic three-ingredient cocktail. Like other recent trends, such as hyper-seasonal cocktails, demand for minimalist cocktails has followed the rise in demand for local, organic, and sustainable ingredients. In using fewer elements, simplifying garnishes and emphasizing more “whole foods,” bars and restaurants also drastically reduce food waste.
We’ve certainly come a long way since the days of the Grasshopper and the Harvey Wallbanger, but there’s always a chance we’ll see those classics from the ’70s make a comeback someday. If and when they do, we’ll be sure to give ’em a nod!
