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Modern bartending branded “absurd”
Modern bartending “has a touch of absurdity about it”, according to Midori global brand ambassador Manuel Terron.
Terron was highlighting the trend among the bartending community to make their own bitters, syrups and cordials.
Speaking to the drinks business, Terron said: “Everybody in the bartending world has regressed, they have gone back to the good old days of the 1800’s.
“In some respects that is great and we are seeing a return to classic cocktail-making.
“However, back then they had next to nothing to mix with. They had no flavoured vodkas, they would have had a simple, classic gin, maybe a vermouth and they had to make their own syrups.
“Now people are starting to do that again, which I think has a touch of absurdity to it.
“We have such a plethora of flavours and products available these days that you can create any drink or flavour you want without having to tinker away and try to recreate the past.
“I respect the fact that people are now much more knowledgeable about syrups and bitters and that’s great. But the sheer amount of different bitters out there now is absurd. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
Terron went on to highlight the key challenge he faces in convincing bartenders of the merits of Midori, a bright green melon-flavoured liqueur.
“In general, bartenders do not respect your typical Midori drinker and this is a fault of the bartending community,” he said. “There has been so much misinformation about the brand and how it’s made.
“Midori still has that reputation of being a ‘disco drink’, all sweet and cheap. To a certain extent this is true and it is still our target market. But the challenge is to change this perception among bartenders and tell them this is a quality drink with good ingredients.
“Once a brand hits the top, as Midori did in the late 70’s and early 80’s, it’s amazing how quickly people in the industry will turn against it. It’s sad because Midori was designed for the cocktail industry.
“We are now trying to position Midori as a more sophisticated drink for older drinkers and emphasising how it is still relevant to them. People will remember drinking it years ago, and we want to ask them why they’ve stopped.”