Molecular Mixology was a hot discussion topic on different forums, where bartenders, chefs, and anyone interested in the F&B industry asked what it was all about. Is it going to be the new way of making drinks, or is it just a fad that is not worth the time and extra investment? It can even be called Molecular Mixology.
In the last few years, all hype about the MOM has slowly disappeared and is now regarded as a fad. Many mixologists have moved on or are not involved in exploring the molecular mixology ways of creating drinks; of course, there are people still interested in it, but as a majority, the interest is not there. So why do we need another blog post regarding this topic if all the interest has already passed?
I believe Molecular Mixology has a place behind the bar, any bar for that matter, including the one at home. We are all used to drinks and cocktails as we know them. Still, MOM Is about creating new and presenting already-known drinks in entirely different ways, triggering people’s surprise and curiosity about the kind of drink offered to them.
Making drinks is not about the drink itself but about the experience, the fun time people have, and the lasting impressions they will have after they leave your premises.
I first became interested in molecular gastronomy around 2006 when I initially came across Ferran Adriá and Heston Blumenthal’s videos on YouTube and talked to a chef working at the Fat Duck restaurant. It didn’t take a while before I got hooked on all the fantastic things they and some other chefs were doing, so naturally, I wanted to bring everything behind the bar.
There was one problem: not much information was available, no websites were dedicated to MOM, and no YouTube videos where you could follow other people. The first video I saw was Jamie Boudreau making caviar with canola oil and gelatin; there were also some videos from the El Bulli in Spanish and one with the Cointreau caviar pearls without explaining how it was done. Everything was about experimentation, mistakes, doing it repeatedly, and more of the same until you get it done.
Most recipes and photos under the Molecular Mixology category are from my early learning and experimentation of how to do airs, foams, caviar, etc., and do not necessarily focus on creating new drinks. Photos are not great, but I was more concerned about learning to put everything together as a drink before. One thing I remember from that time, though, is I was having a blast, coming home after a busy day at work, making drinks all day, and spending 2-3 hours after that trying to learn how in the world to make Reverse Spherification or where to get the hydrocolloids from.
One last thing about the term Molecular Mixology, which I don’t think is the proper name. Personally, I think the word molecular implies science and lab work, and it should stay there. Still, for the lack of a better word, I will use it in the following posts to describe the different techniques available to bartenders.
