Submitted by Dave Lincicome, Leonard's Syrups

Trademarked by Glastender Inc. in 1982, the Cocktail Life Cycle principles continue to be relevant four decades after being published. Even though cocktail popularity may change with the times (remember the 1990's Appletini takeover?), the steps taken to craft and serve cocktails remain nearly unchanged since the early 1900s.

Now forty years later, Glastender renewed its foundational approach to bar design with a new logo and a more refined process applicable to nearly every imaginable classic and modern cocktail. The Cocktail Life Cycle reads like a step-by-step instruction to making and serving cocktails, which at its most basic level, is really what the process is all about.

There are seven assembly steps and three disassembly steps involved with crafting and serving cocktails. The assembly steps are as follows; select the glass, add ice, add liquor (base) ingredients, add mixer (balance) ingredients, blend/stir/shake/pour, garnish the cocktail, and record the sale. After the customer has finished their cocktail, the disassembly process begins; dispose of dry waste, dispose of wet waste, and wash glassware and hands, please!

With the steps taken to craft and serve cocktails accounted for, bar equipment can be logically

organized to limit the steps required to make the cocktail. Thinking of workflow behind the bar as being left to right (like reading a book), glass storage is positioned first, furthest to the left, followed by the ice bin. The ice bin is generally considered the center of the station, so ice bin accessories are available to keep liquor and mixer bottles within close reach. While many drinks can be combined at the ice bin, some cocktails require blenders and specialty bar tools. Models such as mixology units and blender stations keep the underbar organized and are typically located to the right of the ice bin. Garnishing a cocktail is an important final step to many cocktails, and consideration needs to be given to whether the garnish is shelf stable or requires ice chilling or refrigeration to maintain freshness.

The disassembly steps of the Cocktail Life Cycle require the placement of trash cans, wet waste sinks or strainers, glasswashers, and sinks to wash hands. The disassembly process should be as well thought through as the assembly process, and care should be taken to organize equipment to minimize the steps needed behind the bar.

Bar design can be intimidating for even seasoned foodservice equipment professionals. Integrate

Glastender's Cocktail Life Cycle process into your next bar design and your clients will thank you.