The Culinary Approach
Fresh Flavors and Proper Portions are Essential to the Modern Blended Cocktail

It is not an accurate statement to say that blended cocktails have waned in popularity on-premise. The truth is that it’s all about the concept. “Every bar has to make an analysis of what their theme is,” says Tony Abou-Ganim, the spirits educator and cocktail creator known as The Modern Mixologist. “If a blended drink works for your concept, you should embrace it. Even Ernest Hemingway liked his Daiquiris blended. “Don’t be put off by the blender.”

Funky Fresh
While handcrafted cocktails continue to be the order of the day in lounges where patrons find the whir of a blender off-putting, the same current culinary approach to cocktails is the key to making modern magic with blended drinks, Abou-Ganim believes. Whether a mixer base is used or not, fresh fruit is the crux of giving blended and frozen drinks their due. “In the right hands, the blender is a great tool,” says Abou-Ganim, who crafted the Funky Monkey, one of the most popular frozen drinks poolside at Bellagio in Las Vegas. The concoction features  fresh banana, coconut milk and roasted coconut, among other ingredients. “Take the culinary approach, whether you hand-shake the drink or blend it,” A bou-Ganim says. “Using fresh ingredients in a blender is a little tricky. I usually use the fruit that the chef doesn’t want to use because it’s so ripe.” For Abou-Ganim, when striving to present the quality of flavor in blended drinks that has made handcrafted cocktails gain such favor, Latin drinks provide the most opportunity to wow patrons. “I’m a big proponent of Latin cocktails — anything from the Mojito to Pisco Sours to Caipirinhas to a style of drinks that utilize the blender, called Patidas,” he says. “Patidas feature the Brazilian spirit cachaça as the base and utilize a plethora of fresh fruits, along with condensed milk, coconut milk and other ingredients. It’s a straightforward drink, but it’s taking the artificial mixes that have dominated the blending world and replacing them with fresh, seasonal fruits. “Once you understand the basic Patida recipe, you can use any combination of fruit you have available. I don’t try to fight with Mother Nature. I use what’s in season and when the season’s done, I move on to something else.”

The Right Hands
Putting a blender in the right hands means not just having a bartender with a great, fresh fruit recipe but also a bartender who knows how to use the machine in the first place. It’s not rocket science, but it’s also very easy to abuse. “There’s a lack of proficiency in using blenders,” says Arturo Sighinolfi, spirits educator and master mixologist with distributor Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida. “You’ll see a frozen drink somewhere, and after a minute the frozen part will go to the top, with a layer of liquid on the bottom,” says Sighinolfi, who has created blended drinks for Chili’s. “You should always used crushed ice. If you use big chunks, you ruin the blades of the blender. And use the proper amount.” It’s all about balance, and the balancing act just requires a little care. “Measuring is important,” Abou-Ganim says. “If you use too much ice, it dilutes all the ingredients.” Sighinolfi also advises operators to make sure bartenders are trained in portion control, because often the blending of drinks presents a big opportunity for liquor waste and loss of control over costs — with bartenders pouring willy-nilly into the blender to make a batch of multiple drinks. Just as with any cocktail, Sighinolfi advises using a jigger to measure the liquor even when making blended drinks.