and Spirits THE ART of the Cocktail

Crafting a cocktail is an art, a science and a journey, all in one.

| by Josh Veal

As West Michigan’s food and beverage scene continues to grow, more bartenders are diving deep into the creation of exciting and innovative cocktails—learning how to take these mixed drinks to new heights by researching the classics, exploring flavor pairings and working with local ingredients.

The cultural collective has yet to produce a better name for these experts than “mixologists,” and while cocktails do involve a bit of science implied by that term, there’s also a human element that brings the craft closer to art, or even cooking. And that should be encouraging, because it means you don’t need a PhD to make a delicious beverage of your own—just top-notch ingredients and a palate.

So, let’s take a look at how those incredible cocktails come together at the bar, and how you can get started crafting your own libations at home.

My personal cocktail repertoire tops out at the three-ingredient negroni, so we talked with a local pro for his expertise. While working in the music industry and doing photography, bartender Josiah Gentry fell in love with creating cocktails at The Winchester. “It was a perfect combination of everything I love. Human interaction, building an experience for people, and the creative side. There’s such a visual element to it.”

Now a top bartender at Eastern Kille Distillery, Gentry has years of experience, and he’s gained a special appreciation for local distilleries. Aside from the amazing work culture that Eastern Kille has created—leading to long careers for their employees—Gentry also loves how involved he gets to be in the process from start to finish. Rather than ordering a hodgepodge of ingredients from out of state, the bartenders are at the source of the spirits and liqueurs and know “all of the bones of the cocktail,” since they also get to create their own flavored syrups and infusions. “It gives you a cutting edge.”

Eastern Kille even runs a Bartender Takeover Series, which allows employees to come up with truly personal and creative themed cocktail menus. Not to mention the fact employees are helping craft new liqueurs, such as the manager of hospitality’s take on a génépy (the most famous of which is Chartreuse), made with hand-foraged ingredients. Or Gentry’s take on Fernet, a recipe he’s been working on for years.

When it comes time to actually create a cocktail, Gentry suggests always starting with the classics. Whatever drink you concoct, it’s bound to be a variation on an existing drink, so you might as well do it intentionally. Would you rather step into the kitchen, throw a bunch of ingredients in a pot, and accidentally “invent” chili? Or would you rather know you’re making chili from the start and use that foundational template to innovate upon?

“A term that bartenders here use all the time is Mr. Potato Head,” Gentry said. “If you really dissect a recipe that’s specific to a bar, you can almost always find its roots, whether it’s a sour riff, daquiri riff, old fashioned riff, etc. So that’s usually a great jumping off point.”

From there, Gentry typically aims for a certain style or effect. Will the drink be refreshing, bracing, herbaceous, bright, boozy, smoky, sour, sweet? Once you’ve made that decision, think to the ingredients you know and how they could get you there. “I usually start with a single flavor that I really want to highlight, whether that’s in a simple syrup, liqueur, bitters.”

Obviously, becoming familiar with ingredients takes time and, uh, let’s call it “research,” but if you’re reading this, you likely know at least a few drinks you like. Try making one of your favorite cocktails at home first as practice, and that can help give the confidence and familiarity to branch out.

There’s help out there too. Gentry strongly suggests the Flavor Bible , which gives a comprehensive matrix of flavors that will pair well with the main one you’ve chosen to highlight.