Cocktail innovation will continue, says Conigliaro

Despite the widespread repetition of old trends in the cocktail industry, innovation will continue, according to renowned mixologist Tony Conigliaro.

According to Tony Conigliaro, innovation in cocktails such at that seen at 69 Colebrook Row will continue in the face of classic cocktails

Speaking to The Spirits Business, Tony Conigliaro, creator of famed molecular mixology bar 69 Colebrook Row, in London, bartenders will continue to innovate by the blurring of boundaries not only between food and drink, but also between cocktails and other cultural areas such as music, art and literature.

“It’s good to work with narratives outside of our industry and then incorporate them into your drinks – this is how you innovate and keep the industry fresh and exciting,” he said. “Innovation will not stop if bartenders keep doing this.”

Conigliaro’s claims come as some critics claim the renaissance of classic cocktails across the world means bartenders are not seeking to innovate and create new classic cocktails.

Simone Caporale, bartender at the Artesian, at The Langham Hotel, recently voted World’s Best Bar during Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards 2014, also asserted his confidence in bartenders’ abilities to innovate.

“I think innovation never stops,” he said. “It will always continue to evolve and it’s our job as bartenders to help it blossom. Innovations gives new life to things which have been done before.”

However, Jon Hughes, bar manager at Edinburgh’s Bramble, said that innovation in cocktails might be a rare occurrence, but that reinvention is “no bad thing”.

“It’s difficult to do something that so consciously rejects the cocktails of the past or avoids incorporating these styles,” he said. “But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it’s possible to unlearn some of these to make way for innovation.”

“It’s always useful to know where you have come from when thinking creatively about drinks.”

Tim Philips, owner of Sydney bar Bulletin Place and former Diageo Reserve World Class winner, echoes this thought, claiming that “in reality, nothing is really new.

“Innovation is collating different influences from outside and inside our industry and putting them into a drink in a unique way,” he said. “Every good idea is generally inspired by someone else’s good idea.”