I love the way so many drinks follow a standard recipe. For example, there’s only one way to make a Sazerac (rye, Peychaud’s Bitters, simple syrup, absinthe rinse, lemon peel), and anything made differently is not technically a Sazerac. Similarly, there’s not a lot of wiggle room with Manhattans or Mint Juleps. Even where variants exist, savvy bars put a modifier in place (like Peach Mint Julep) or even change the drink’s name outright (like the Brooklyn, a variant on the Manhattan). Unless a bar is doing something really out there, when you order a Vodka Martini, it’s a pretty safe bet you’re getting a standard recipe, and that’s a good thing. In fact, one of the best ways to assess a bar is by their attentiveness in creating these classics.
***Important note: Margaritas and Old Fashioneds are the exceptions since I don’t think I’ve ever found two bars with the same recipe for either drink. Mojitos are also exempt since we’re all still fighting about how best to make one. I digress.
Formulas offer comfort and consistency, but they also serve a deeper purpose.
Whether we’re talking about drinks or religious rituals, repetition brings up memories of other times we’ve engaged in the same actions, almost as if we step out of time for a moment and can travel freely into those past feelings. Following a formula also helps you enter into a shared tradition with all those who have said the same prayer, sung the same song, or —yes, really— made the same drink. Religious scholars call this phenomenon “sacred time,” and you enter it whenever you engage in a ritual which has deeper significance to you or your community.
When I use a legendary bartender’s recipe, I’m not only mixing a drink; I’m connecting for a moment with Jerry Thomas or Dale DeGroff or Ivy Mix.
When I say the Lord’s Prayer, I’m not only repeating words important to my faith; I’m connecting with other Christians around the world and throughout time, and I’m also connecting with the God those words honor.
When taken seriously, rituals take us outside ourselves and connect us with something deeper, no matter how mundane the ritual might appear to those observing.