Bartenders may be biased, but when you ask them the question at the top of the page, the answer is no. Maybe Group director Stefano Catino believes technology has upgraded the way we drink. 

“Why shouldn’t bartenders use technology to make drinks better? Why come to the bar if we can’t make the drink better than you can at home?” he says. 

And he should know – his Sydney bar, Maybe Sammy, has made the World’s 50 Best Bars list since it opened in 2019.

Catino says the bartending world went through a shift in the last decade, embracing kitchen techniques such as molecular gastronomy. He uses a negroni as an example: there’s the classic iteration, or you can mix up the ingredients, such as subbing the Campari for Aperol or using tequila instead of gin. A classic negroni with fat-washed pineapple adds a layer of silkiness to the cocktail. 

But while there’s a lot of work that goes into these cocktails, Catino believes it’s important not to overwhelm customers when they’re looking at a menu. “We want to make it as easy as possible for guests to understand,” he says. “If it’s too complicated, the general consumer may go for something simpler that they are familiar with.”

Whatever the techniques used, Catino believes the most important thing about a cocktail is how it tastes.

“The product has to be good no matter what the technique is,” he says. “Always make the drink for your guests, never for your ego.” 

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The award-winning Black Pearl is a Melbourne institution. Bar manager Lachy Boyle says that applications such as fat-washing, smoking and cryo-infusion aren’t what’s new – it’s that bartenders are now pushing the boundaries of how these techniques are applied.

“These preparation techniques are often used to enhance a particular aspect of a spirit, or to allow the spirit to work harmoniously with other elements. A cocktail is literally a sum of its parts, and understanding which parts need enhancing or altering will make or break a good cocktail,” he says. “Fat-washing mostly has a direct effect on viscosity and therefore mouthfeel, however coconut fat washing also adds flavour. Smoking a drink has a massive impact on the aroma of a cocktail, which will impact the flavour. Cocktails are a delicate balance, and techniques such as these play a role in finding or exploiting that balance.”
Boyle believes that ultimately, customers want considered and delicious drinks. 

“Balancing a cocktail is undoubtedly an art form, and not all art is for everybody,” he admits. “Sometimes complicated is good, and sometimes it can be too much. Ultimately if all elements of a cocktail are considered and designed to work with each other, the drink will be delicious. Like most things, it’s too much when it’s trying too hard.”

While these techniques started as a fad, Boyle believes they will become the norm.

“Just as fresh fruit was revolutionary in its time, it is now so integral to cocktails that it is assumed rather than specifically mentioned. These techniques will soon be in every bartender’s repertoire,” he says.

But not all bars want to get fancy. At the newly-opened Baptist Street Rec. Club in Sydney, the drinks list shies away from too many techniques. House Made Hospitality director Jason Williams wanted a cocktail list for the Club that was easy and approachable.

“We can get caught up in modern techniques and avant-garde presentations, sometimes forgetting the basic principles of a great cocktail experience,” he says.
“We made a conscious decision to create a cocktail menu at Baptist Street Rec. Club that asks little of our guests – just glance, recognise, choose and enjoy. No overthinking, no second-guessing. Bartenders should always ask themselves – would you recommend the cocktail to your Mum?”

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