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There’s a reckoning that has to happen in the cocktail world beyond the very just criticism of who works at them & who cocktail bars are for, intersecting race, gender, and class. We also hold up symbols of white supremacy, which are intricately tied to the history of cocktails.
For one, Tiki drinks are delicious and a much needed escape, but who escapes? Definitely not Pacific Islanders and other indigenous cultures being referenced in the garish and fabricated images meant to represent them. https://www.eater.com/2019/10/7/20895319/tiki-tropical-drinks-colonialism-appropriation-lost-lake-pina-colada
How about David Embury, a person I’ve frequently referenced, and who is a hero of the classic cocktail re-emergence, who is a noted racist. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-bigot-who-wrote-a-cocktail-bible?ref=scroll
Then there’s Charles Baker, Jr. whose exocticism and colonialist mentality are hard to read around. https://www.liquor.com/articles/masters-of-mixology-charles-h-baker/
And, lately, I’ve been questioning my endorsement of the Rickey which was named after a Confederate officer and Southern Democrat, who was later accused of disavowing gin with a racist epitet. I don’t always know where the line should be drawn.
If we accept democracy at the hands of racist slave owners, why would we question a recipe from people who write from an era rampant with racism and sexism (an era we have hardly escaped)? The truth is I don’t know the answers, apart from acknowledging the truth.
I keep searching and there are different inflection points, lines drawn, and reasonable disagreements. Not disagreements about whether racism is permissible. It’s not. But how do we handle the cultural product of racist and colonialist authors and our own casual endorsement.
I’d love to hear thoughts on how people deal with this and where they draw the line. I’m also thankful for the many writers and thinkers who have tackled this issue before.
