A recent article in the New York Times indicates blender drinks are popular again and apparently bartenders are disgusted.
Drinks like Strawberry Daiquiris and Pina Coladas. The Mudslide and the Outstanding Alexander (whatever that is).
"What?" you might be saying. "Those went OUT of STYLE?"
Well, duh. Of course. Everybody knows that.
(?)
Anyway, the articled reads:
In the wake of that era's lawless abandon, Mr. Cate said, ''the whole world of exotic cocktails ended up having this bad reputation.'' What went wrong, he and others say, is that the bartenders who were scooping rum raisin ice cream into their drinks forgot that there was a craft to this business.
''If you're going to make a blended drink, don't take any shortcuts,'' Mr. Maloney said. ''You're going to need good ingredients. You're going to make simple syrup, you're going to need to squeeze your juices fresh, you're going to have to use bitters. It takes the same attention to detail, if not more.''
There are entire places of businesses opening up to specifically serve blended drinks.
In a technique called flash blending, a three-to-five-second pulse with cracked ice chills the drink quickly and efficiently. The ice can be strained out, Floridita-style, or the chunks and shards can be left in, which is typical of tropical cocktails.
The article elaborates how today's bartenders don't like using blenders. The machines are more work, take extra effort, etc. etc.
It goes on, though, to give specific instructions for blending the perfect drink. It gives recipes, too.
So, when you get together with your KC friends this summer, you might want to break out the blender...and be ahead of a trend sure to sweep the nation. This, "the blender's back" trend. Because, of course, everyone knows, the blender drinks went out of style a LONG TIME AGO!!! Although, I must admit, I'm not quite sure when. :-)