BarFly is a column born with the aim of creating a deeper and more widespread knowledge of mixology. Barflies (literal translation of “mosconi da bar“) are cocktail and spirits enthusiasts who, without being industry professionals, move from bar to bar, counter to counter, drinking without hesitation. In their habitual yet passionate nature, they get to try entire menus, historic recipes, and notice the service differences among various establishments. The typical barfly moves rather systematically and organisedly. They travel and taste, invest in above-average cocktail choices, know the professionals, and like to have their go-to spots. There is a 1987 film directed by Barbet Schroeder and written by Charles Bukowski that bears this name, Barfly. The protagonist, without even needing to specify, is a ragged writer living his love story with a prostitute amidst alcohol, excess, quarrels, seedy environments, and unfulfilled aspirations.
Never like in this historical period has there been so much talk about mixology, cocktails, and food-drink pairings.
Despite the growing trend and the increasing number of enthusiasts, the possibility of accessing a certain type of information and education in the field remains accessible to few. Referring to Italy, before other countries, one must contend with a somewhat cumbersome and deeply rooted competitor in the social fabric: wine. As Italians, we are lovers, enthusiasts, collectors; we travel miles and miles in search of excellent vintages and vast cellars. One cannot claim that the same level of interest or attachment exists towards the world of spirits. Our geography embraced grapes before cereals, ensuring that even the smallest patch of vineyard could generate a return.
Italy was born in part as an agricultural country where, disregarding altitudes or weather conditions, it was often chosen to cultivate grapes for ease, abundance of harvest, and multiple uses. Similarly to how we Italians have always been surrounded by grape clusters, Mexicans have been surrounded by agave. It’s no coincidence that the production of mezcal and tequila is so widespread that every family and household owns its own more than artisanal micro-lot of production. The United States has always been a major producer of cereals, destined to serve as a base for pure alcohol from wheat or barley. The popularity and appreciation towards a distilled spirit like gin can be traced back to its introduction in England at the end of the 17th century. Easy and cheap to produce, gin immediately won over the lower classes and became a product sold everywhere and to everyone (including children).
In this intrinsic fragmentation of the industry, there is a further aggravating factor. What in the restaurant industry is a place towards which the user develops a certain feeling of anticipation and curiosity – the restaurant – does not exist in mixology.
The cocktail bar remains fixed in a condition that is predominantly playful and spectacularised.
Except for a few enthusiasts, individuals who have lived abroad for years, or industry professionals, mixology exists in a faint aura of magic that has enveloped the world of cuisine in recent decades. This change has occurred simultaneously with an evolution of the bartender profession, which has begun to stray from being sedentary and stationary behind the counter. Bartenders are now traveling, competing for awards and titles, and gaining international recognition. “The modern bartender is no longer confined to the bar,” said Jim Meehan in 2016 during the P(our) symposium. “Today, you can be a bartender without being behind the counter all the time.”
Here, it will be a space where you can tell stories from the mixology world, in Italy and abroad, highlighting those who have believed in this sector (and still do) and have built a career as well as a lifestyle out of it. Who knows, you might even feel like going to a cocktail bar to socialize – even before drinking – and let yourself be guided… just like it happens in the best restaurants.
