Mixology - It's Flexibility that Counts

Negroni

Like most creative people, bartenders hesitate to divulge secrets. . . and relish in the thought that so many people would love to know how to do what they do.  But like cooking, many recipes are adaptable - and adapted - from some other basic formula.

One "basic" cocktail is the Americano, an equal combination of sweet vermouth and Campari, with a dash of Angostura added.

A Professor Negroni walks into a bar (no, this is not a joke) and asks the bartender to make his daily  Americano a bit more interesting.  So the bartender adds a third component (gin), and the Negroni was born.

Recently, bartenders have begun to swap rye whiskey for the gin in a Negroni, leading to what some call a "Flaming Heart."

And if you don't like Campari and leave it out, you get almost shockingly close to a. . .[wait for it] . . Manhattan.

Mixology isn't so much about secret recipes, or even the wonderful folklore that goes with classic cocktails.  It's about being open to substitutions, changes and experimenting with different components.
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Caipirinha

Swap gin for the usual vodka in a Bloody Mary, and you get a Red Snapper.  You see?  And if you tinker around enough, you'll even find out that some of your experiments have "made it big" years before, as classic cocktails.
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Swap tequila for rum in a daiquiri, and you come close to a Margarita.  Swap rum for bourbon in a Mint Julep, and you come pretty close to a Mojito.  Swap cachaca for rum in a Mojito, and you come pretty close to a Caipirinha.

And swap scotch for blended whiskey or bourbon in a Manhattan, and you end up with a Rob Roy!


It's all about flexibility.