PUNCH - Rescuing the Bocce Ball

Photo by Lizzie Munro

It’s impossible to say for certain what the precise elements are that make for a great cocktail. You never really know what mix of ingredients, name and backstory will resonate with people to elevate a drink from just another assemblage of ingredients to something enduringly memorable. Take the Bocce Ball, for instance. It’s just one among thousands of recipes in the 1970s cocktail tome Jones’ Complete Barguide that have been passed over for decades. But, perhaps due to its alliterative, sporty name, or its unassuming, ubiquitous ingredients—simply amaretto liqueur, orange juice and soda water—the drink stood out to Max Green.

VinePair - What It Takes to Run a World-Class Non-Alcoholic Beverage Program

https://vinepair.com/articles/non-alcoholic-beverage-program-operations/

Illustration by Danielle Grinberg

Beyond accessibility simply being a core tenet of hospitality, non-alcoholic drinks are big business. While spirits sales have been trending downward due to a cluster of factors including GLP-1s, inflation, and greater conversations surrounding alcohol’s health risks, the non-alcoholic drinks sector has been growing steadily in recent years. And my own experience validates this trend as well.

PUNCH - Who Ordered the Bonsai Margarita?

photo by Alia Ikhumen

Riffs are the stock-in-trade of cocktail menus. Thanks to centuries of creativity, bars have at their disposal a back catalog of hundreds, if not thousands, of cocktails that the drinking public might be familiar with and upon which to apply an added layer of creativity. This is how we got drinks like the Final Ward, Naked & Famous and Paper Plane—each some permutation of a Last Word.

Queerency - The Business of Drag: Julie Yard Says to Not Wait for Permission

https://www.queerency.com/julie-yard-says-to-not-wait-for-permission/

Julie Yard is a drag performer who was at the center of a Drag Story Hour controversy a few years ago. Bit there’s much more to this Julliard-trained musician and queen. 

We chatted with her about her experience as a queer teenager, her first time in drag, and why people should pay attention to drag even if it’s not happening in a major city like New York or Los Angeles. 

PUNCH - Dave Arnold Has Reentered the Chat

Photo: Heami Lee

Arnold’s most recent project, Bar Contra, a collaboration with chefs Fabián von Hauske Valtierra and Jeremiah Stone, opened its doors this summer. The cocktail menu feels like both a culmination and refinement of Arnold’s approach. The drinks that appear on his menu inventively leverage the tools and ingredients he popularized behind the bar, like centrifuges and carbonation rigs alongside additives like acid powders and glycerin—but against a cocktail landscape rampant with overengineered, tech-driven drinks, his intentional approach feels refreshingly straightforward. The Sagittarius B2, for instance, a cosmic concoction of rum, raspberries and orgeat, features nothing more than those three elements, bolstered by characteristically Dave Arnold methods: fruit juice clarified with enzymes and a centrifuge and orgeat clarified with a 5-ton hydraulic press—the only way to clarify it enough to work in this particular drink.

We checked in with Arnold to hear how Bar Contra differs from his past projects, how he thinks the cocktail landscape has changed in the last decade and whether anything is really new in the bar world anymore.

New York Magazine - The Best Gifts for Cocktail Enthusiasts, According to Bartenders

I’ve spent many years imbedded in the bar industry and have been using my home kitchen both as a bar to make drinks for friends but also as a cocktail R&D lab, so I’ve been exposed to a wide range of tools, books, servingware, and other accoutrements — and have good judgment when it comes to the right kind of items to gift versus more workaday tools like jiggers and muddlers that people can just buy for themselves. I try to find gifts that reveal something about my love and understanding of the recipient and is something they didn’t know they needed.

For this list, I included some of my favorite items to give and also checked in with a handful of bar- and beverage-industry colleagues to uncover some more wonderful gift ideas. I have found that making cocktails at home opens up a world of gift giving, and bar carts can always use the enhancement of a thoughtful present.

Fast Company - What does it mean when one of the largest spirits companies turns away from its DEI goals?

On August 21, conservative activist Robby Starbuck announced via social media that Brown-Forman, the spirits conglomerate that includes brands such as Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Herradura tequila, would be ending its DEI goals and removing the company from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. 

In the post, Starbuck takes credit for the move, suggesting that Brown-Forman took this step preemptively to avoid exposure.

It’s unclear what was at risk of being revealed since publicly traded companies tend to share their DEI goals on their websites and annual reports, and HRC’s Corporate Equality Index is widely publicized. However, amid the recent anti-DEI backlash, does Brown-Forman’s move indicate corporate America’s fear of right-wing boycotts or is there more to this move than meets the eye?

New York Magazine - How to Stock a Bar Cart

On my first day bartending at PDT, the James Beard Award–winning neo-speakeasy, I knew next to nothing about bartending. I didn’t know a Sazerac from a Saratoga, and I certainly was not savvy in all the intricacies surrounding the tools of the trade — like shakers and jiggers. Eventually, I went from someone who was happy to use whatever instruments were handy to someone who literally brought in their own kit to their shift and would insufferably opine about the benefits of a particular Japanese-made bar spoon or which strainer had the best coils to ensure properly sized ice chips.

After a few years behind the bar at PDT, I went on to serve as the bar director for the Momofuku restaurant group. When considering bar tools for a commercial establishment known for its aesthetic, I had to strike a balance between functionality, style, and cost. These tools would be used hundreds of times per day and would be subject to the high heat of our commercial dishwasher. This is all to say I know a thing or two about bar tools and how to pick the right ones for the right situation.

New York Magazine - The Best Mixing Glasses, According to Bartenders

To shake a drink requires a specialized tool, namely, a cocktail shaker. For the task of stirring, bartenders who don’t opt for the trusty pint glass sometimes use a specialized vessel called a mixing glass. Mixing glasses tend to be some of the more ornate items you might see behind the bar, with shimmering etched sides or even a footed base.

Plate - So You Think Robots Are Coming for Your Job? They Probably Aren't.

“Automation has transformed industries like manufacturing, logistics, and hospitality. A big part of that transformation has been subtle, or unseen: kitchen display systems to help orchestrate operations, touchscreen ordering, and yes, dishwashers. However, the past few years have seen a shift to technologies that promise (or threaten) to further transform the industry with AI-powered robots replacing key kitchen and front of house positions while working alongside humans. 

How do we understand these advancements against the backdrop of an industry known for high rates of injury, low pay, poor job security, and high turnover? And how do we differentiate technologies that truly transform—and improve—quality of life for workers from those that might be gimmicks?”

New York Magazine - The Best Cocktail Shakers, According to Bartenders

It’s critically important, then, to find a well-designed shaker that you feel comfortable using. If a shaker is too heavy, doesn’t seal right, or is too hard to open, it can be a huge impediment to the quality of your drinks, so it’s important to keep those factors into consideration when choosing a set for yourself. The best shakers are made entirely from metal, usually stainless steel. Shaking sets that rely on a pint glass are too heavy and do not seal well and are therefore not recommended. Furthermore, high-quality shaking sets are usually weighted, giving them a bit more balance and maneuverability.

Queerency - The Business of Drag: Maxxx Pleasure Is Your Drag King Rockstar

Maxxx Pleasure is an award-winning Brooklyn-based drag king. He’s performed at the legendary drag festival Bushwig, as well as at Sasha Velour’s Nightgowns and with drag collective Switch n’ Play. He’s also the star of the short documentary film Maxxx as well as host of his own YouTube channel, where he discusses queer culture and tips for drag performers.

We caught up to chat about how he got started doing drag, balancing drag and a full-time job, and his advice for new performers.

New York Magazine - The Best Cocktail Jiggers, According to Bartenders

As someone who’s spent the better part of his life mixing drinks, one of the clearest demarcations I find between a fantastic drink and a merely mediocre drink is accurate measuring. Visit any cocktail bar known for the quality and inventiveness of their drinks and you will see everyone behind the bar relying on jiggers, vessels specifically designed to measure out precise — and small — quantities of liquid. A set of good jiggers is an absolute must for any seasoned bartender, and they are doubly essential for the amateur drink-slinger making cocktails at home.

Queerency - The Business of Drag: SadBrunch is All About Drag Excellence

“SADBrunch is a drag collective based out of Baltimore, Maryland. They’re known for their extensive roster of drag artists and perform all across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Queerency contributor John deBary caught up with co-founders Marcus and Evon to hear about how the collective got started, its business model, and their advice for new performers.”

Queerency - The Business of Drag: Biblegirl Means Business

“Biblegirl is a multi-hyphenate drag performer and merchandising entrepreneur. On social media she’s a unique presence, embodying a specific early-internet MySpace edgelord aesthetic. Her e-commerce website Dragqueenmerch.com is the leading destination to find licensed apparel, collectibles, and fan merchandise of over 400 LGBTQIA+ drag performers, celebrity queens & indie artists, like Juno Birch, Bianca Del Rio, Trixie Mattel, Luxx Noir London, and more. 

Queerency spoke with her from her Los Angeles home to chat about how she got started doing drag, what motivated her to branch out into merch, and her uncanny connection to Trixie Mattel.”

Plate - So Your Staff Wants to Unionize, Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing

“Only 1.4 percent of restaurant and food service workers belong to a union, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the national average hovers around 10 percent. Meanwhile, turnover rate for restaurant staff fluctuates around 75 percent, meaning only about one-quarter of restaurant staff stay at the same job for more than a year. Additionally, the national mean annual wage for restaurant cooks and servers is roughly $36,000, about $24,000 less than the national mean wage for all workers. These are not indicators of a thriving workforce. Meanwhile, restaurant industry revenue for March 2024 was $93.7 billion.”

Juicy Pink Box - Drink What You Desire: Flower Powers

“In honor of the launch of Juicy Pink Box, let’s explore our innate desire for independence. I invite you to try the Flower Powers cocktail.

I created the Flower Powers cocktail when I worked at the legendary neo-speakeasy PDT. It’s a bracing springtime drink that combines unexpected ingredients, bucks a few conventional rules of drink making, and manages to be simultaneously a spirit-forward drink and a highly refreshing tipple. 

It loosely resembles a completely scrambled and re-mixed whiskey sour — and for me, it’s a reminder of my early days behind the bar, when I was still developing my voice as a drink creator and learning how to express my unique point of view.” 

PUNCH - Is the N/A Bottle Shop in Trouble?

“It was impossible for those who follow the nonalcoholic drinks industry (me) to not wonder if this was an early sign of a zero-proof bubble bursting. What does it mean when the leading retailer in the nonalcoholic category suddenly evaporates? For owners of independent N/A bottle shops, it was not cause for alarm, but Boisson’s sudden closures certainly underscore some of the unique challenges facing a still-fledgling industry.”

PUNCH - It’s OK to Say “Mocktail”

“I used to be one of the word’s detractors. I considered myself something of an innovator and felt that the word “mocktail” was an antiquated holdover from a time when the best nonalcoholic cocktail you could find was a Shirley Temple. But what the word “mocktail” does have going for it is the fact that everyone seems to know what it means. If you say the word to a random person on the street, there’s a very good chance that they’ll understand you. They’ll know that you’re talking about a mixed drink that resembles an alcohol-containing cocktail but is completely alcohol-free. Would you have the same success with “spirit-free” or “zero-proof”? Maybe if they had a roommate who regularly attended Tales of the Cocktail. Meanwhile, calling them “virgin” ... is weird. And “nonalcoholic cocktail” is a seven-syllable mouthful that stands in grotesque contrast with the efficient two-syllable term at our disposal.”

PUNCH - To Build a Better N/A Cocktail, Break the Rules

“Bartenders often approach recipe development with questions like, “What if we did a Slivovitz Singapore Sling, or a chestnut fat-washed Negroni?” This easy language, this information-rich shorthand is made possible by decades, if not centuries, of bartenders putting in work, night after night, to build out a robust lineage for almost all of the drinks that get shaken, stirred and poured into glasses the world over.

There is one glaring caveat to this backstory of cocktails: Almost all of the recipes contain alcohol. For the majority of cocktail drinkers, this is fine. But for as long as people have been drinking, people have also been not drinking, yet it’s only in the past five to 10 years that the mixology world has begun to pay significant attention to the nonalcoholic side of things. Walk into a cocktail bar in 2013 and you’d be shocked to encounter even one spirit-free cocktail; now, it’s almost shocking not to see at least a handful of zero-ABV drinks sprinkled throughout the brandy and bourbon drinks. Despite this, we’re nowhere near that complex, interconnected tapestry of alcohol-based recipes.”