In the past decade, bartenders have made great strides in their abilities to create great drinks. However, there are many gaps on drink menus that still need to be filled. One area that needs work is the low- or non-alcoholic category.
It may seem counter intuitive for bartenders to master the art of non-alcoholic drinks, but from a business and customer service point of view it is as important as cocktails. The problem is that the creativity is lacking. This is where classic soda fountain drinks and last weekend's San Francisco Jerk Off come into play.
The Jerk Off was the brainchild of Russell Davis, prize-winning bartender and creator of the drinks list at the city's Ice Cream Bar & Soda Fountain (more on this in CLASS soon - Ed). The name is a cheeky take on the "soda jerk" and "bake off". One of the goals was to make it a fun event, as bartending should always have an element of fun at its core. With a name like the Jerk Off we were off to a good start.
One of the requirements of the competition was to make a low- or non-alcoholic drink as a way to inspire bartenders to think outside the cocktail glass. As a concept we thought this was great, however from a sponsorship point of view it presented some difficulties. The key one being that non-alcoholic drinks don't exactly promote the sale of alcohol. (In the end we managed to secure a high number of alcohol brand supporters). It is counter-intuitive but we believe that there is a greater purpose in promoting these soda fountain style drinks.
The first is that from a business angle, serving more drinks is a good thing. With drinking and driving laws getting stricter and the economy stalled, going out and staying at the bar is becoming less attractive. "Nursing" a single drink for a long period of time is the bane of the bar business and bartenders. This is where low-alcohol drinks come into play. Instead of nursing a single strong drink a guest can enjoy a couple of drinks. It's better for the business and good for the bartender.
From a brand perspective there is an opportunity to promote responsible consumption in a greater capacity than merely providing lip service. Responsible drinking doesn't have to mean abstaining, and many spirits, like bitters and liqueurs, can be incorporated into low-alcohol drinks. The key is to get bartenders to embrace this idea and then create outstanding drinks that guests want to order. The Jerk Off was the first step.
The first Jerk Off soda fountain competition was held as one of the last events of San Francisco Cocktail Week, and was hosted at Tempest bar on Natoma Street, South of Mission in conjunction with Ice Cream Bar & Soda Fountain. Continuing the fun core our judges were called the 'Circle of Jerks' and we offered $5 'Reacharounds' - that is, beer and a shot.
At stake was a $500 prize and the contest proved that soda style drinks do indeed have a future behind the bar. Like other bartending competitions, the Jerk Off competitors came prepared with tinctures, bitters, glassware and in one case their own ice. The drinks were complex and really showed what can be done when you are not limited to a back-bar.
The winner of the first Jerk Off was Dillon Lockwood (The Ice Cream Bar, San Francisco & Soda Fountain). He accomplished his victory by creating a classic milkshake-style drink the balanced flavours and textures perfectly.
There is a bright future for soda drinks. The competing soda jerks are the first wave of people driving the soda trend, much like bartenders did a decade ago and it will be interesting to see where they take us.
Darcy O'Neil is the author or Fix the Pumps & manages the website ArtofDrink.com
