SHAKING UP THE COCKTAIL SCENE
Three bartenders share signature creations on the eve of Invasion Cocktail festival
Wine consumption is relatively stable in Quebec, but the spirits category continues to grow. It’s not the quantity of booze, but rather the growth of artisanal alcohols that has pushed the premium category forward. One of the principal reasons for this growth is cocktails.
I admit to being late to the trend. Up until now, my definition of a cocktail was adding ice and soda to my Campari. But as I have started covering more spirits in this column, I have been testing out the local cocktail scene more and more.
The drinks themselves are often delicious, but I have also gained a new respect for bartending. While I am sure a few still act as free psychiatrists, listening to clients complain about their lives, the modern-day bartender is a hybrid of showman and chef.
I have come to know a few of them, and part of their day is spent inventing new cocktails. Many of the world’s top bartenders have earned their reputations in competitions where their creativity, showmanship and ability to work under pressure are tested.
If you are interested in investigating cocktails, you have the ideal opportunity with the fourth edition of Invasion Cocktail. Starting Wednesday and running to May 16, this annual event takes place simultaneously in Montreal and Quebec City, celebrating the art of the cocktail with some of the cities’ most talented bartenders.
For details about participating bars, visit invasioncocktail.com.
In honour of the event, I asked three bartenders to demonstrate some signature drinks. I’m a fan of rum, so I asked them to use it as the principal spirit. Videos of their demonstrations are available with this story on the Gazette’s website. They are worth the visit, as the bartenders explain the inspirations behind the drinks and show off their techniques.
I also had a chance to chat about what brought them to the profession. First: are they “bartenders” or, in what has become a more common term, “mixologists"?
Sam Dalcourt, a 37-year-old from Repentigny and spokesperson for Invasion Cocktail, replied that he has always considered himself a bartender’s bartender.
“I guess that’s because I was around when the term ‘mixologist’ wasn’t even on people’s tongues yet,” he said.
Gabrielle Panaccio, the 27-year-old co-owner of Lab, comptoir à cocktails, explained: “I prefer being called a bartender. I have known mixologists that can create sublime drinks, but when it comes to service, they don’t realize that there is an element of showmanship involved, and of course getting drinks done fast.”
Émilie Loiselle, the 28-year-old head bartender at Les Mauvais Garçons, also prefers being called a bartender.
“My main job is with the customer, and it’s about that bar experience more than the cocktail. When I create cocktails outside of the bar, then I guess you can call me a mixologist.”
For all three, creating new drinks is part of the game, though Dalcourt admitted that “I do less of that now. I prefer leaving it to the new blood, like bartenders who compete internationally, read and research every day.”
How long does it take to create a cocktail? Loiselle explained: “Right now I’m in the middle of a big competition, so creating cocktails takes most of my time. How long? It can take minutes or it can take weeks!”
From what I remember of my time patrolling the Montreal bar scene, bartenders were always up for a shooter. So what does a top-end bartender prefer to slam back when things get rocking? All three replied the same: whiskey.
Here are three rum-based cocktails for you to try at home.