In this wide-ranging conversation with cocktail expert and bar mentor Jim Meehan (@mixography), author of The Bartender's Pantry, some of the topics we discuss include:
How ingredient sourcing and processing ties into the exercise of integrity--not just in sourcing the highest "quality" ingredients, but also exploring how your purchasing power plays into our larger agricultural and economic systems.
The way that Jim and his illustrator, Bart Sasso, used procedural graphics to create a four-dimensional rendering of the ingredient prep recipes. I've never seen illustrations as clever as these in a cocktail or a cookbook, and I think you'll love them.
Why the process of being a good cocktail generalist actually forces you to become a micro-specialist in many different facets of cooking and mixology.
The importance of taking ingredients and recipes seriously while also preserving the magic of fun and playfulness in cocktails.
The fascinating, delicious gray area that opens up when you realize that the ingredients you're transforming in the kitchen are also transforming YOU
And much, much more.
