[imagesource: Becca Wright/Stone’s Throw]

There is a pointed difference between a mixed drink and a craft cocktail.

In a nutshell, the first is plain, while the second is elevated.

But there is actually a whole history that has allowed the craft cocktail to evolve in the world of drinkable merry-making.

In a discussion with Tasting Table, Jessica Sanders distinguishes the craft cocktail as a blend of “quality spirits, fresh juices, and good techniques”. That’s really just scratching the surface of the artisanal iceberg, though, if you will.

The craft cocktail has a history that predates even the legalisation of alcohol itself, you see.

In 1920, the US began the reformation, a 13-year-long ban on importing and exporting alcoholic beverages. This forced many citizens to get creative, resorting to buying and selling their own alcohol despite the challenges and the risks.

The problem then was that the counterfeit booze didn’t taste all that good, so underground bartenders began using herbs and fresh ingredients to make the moonshine a little more sippable.

This was the pivotal point for modern-day mixology and a moment that has helped define the global craft cocktail game as we know it today.

When Prohibition ended in 1933, bartenders and mixologists had a whole world to explore, and so the craft cocktail evolved past mixed drinks and traditional cocktail recipes.

Swapping ingredients, combining new flavours, and experimenting with different mixers was the new way to go.

Nowadays, where almost anything goes, craft cocktails are about more than just taste:

As Sanders said, craft cocktails are all about quality — from the ingredients and techniques used to the presentation. Each element behind the craft warrants a higher price that is all worth it for the innovative, unique, and adventurous flavors that each craft cocktail presents.

With the luxury of quality, comes great responsibility.

Fitch & Leedes is well aware that when it comes to cocktail making, one deserves nothing but the best in the mixology game.

That’s why the brand’s superb range of authentic mixers is made with quadruple filtered water for ultimate purity to meet the highest standards in terms of quality and taste.

Something tells me Jessica Sanders and all serious craft cocktail makers out there would agree.

 

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Delicately carbonated, superbly balanced, and infused with the world’s finest flavours, Fitch & Leedes takes you back to an era when things were still made with the utmost care and craftsmanship. The mixers speak of the romance and integrity of a bygone age.

Start there, head in your own direction, and you’ll be well on your way to cocktail crafting greatness.

[source:tastingtable]