There is More to Life than 2-1 Cocktails
Who buys a car and never changes the seat position? What about the steering wheel or the radio station? The mirrors? Who leaves everything stock from the factory? Cocktails come in all shapes and sizes, and so do we. So why do we use the standard furthermore boring cocktail recipes that are out there? Why do we keep making the cocktails in cocktail books that are the same from book to book?
I can't tell you how many times you see a 2-1 Martini followed by a 2-1 Manhattan on the next page. Then you get to the sours, and they are all the same too—"two-three quarters-half." These are one size fits all cocktails by design. At this point, I could make an entire compilation recipe book from the books on my shelf that list 2-1 Martinis as the preferred ratio. Here is the 2-1 Martini from Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions, oh, and here is the 2-1 Martini in Regarding Cocktails. Have you tried the 60-30 from A Spot at the Bar, they list it in metric, so you know its good. Make sure you don't miss the 2-1 in Drink What You Want by John deBary. On the topic of Martinis, deBary says, "In my years of bartending, unless someone specified that they wanted it dirty, no matter what they specified in terms of "dry," I would literally make them the drink according to this recipe." He actually says that. He admits to giving people something other than what they ordered in a book titled Drink What You Want. Maybe the title should be: You'll Drink What I Give You. My favorite part is when he tacks on "none of them were ever sent back" like that validates his actions. When I get a cocktail that isn't made the way I ordered it, I don't go through the trouble of sending it back—I don't come back.
One reason for such pedestrian ratios is that they are easy to keep track of in a bar for inventory purposes. When it comes time to add it all up and figure out how much money the house brought in, having drink recipes that calculate quickly saves a bunch of time. Another reason is the training speed. The service industry is a transient occupation. New people are coming in all the time, and they need to quickly learn how to make a bunch of drinks the same way everyone else makes them at the bar so they can get them out quickly. This does mean that the bar is always focused on the next order and not the current one, yours. That seems to be more like a 1-2 punch to hospitality.
I think it is telling that Big Cocktail believes we all want the same thing, and we always want it the same way. They give us menus full of choices, but the options are shaken and stirred illusions—no substitutions, please.
A significant problem with these "golden ratio" or "Mr. Potato Head" cocktails are the ingredients themselves. Bartenders spend so much time talking about spirits' intricacies—the differences between brands, ages, and proof. All that goes right out the door so they can fit into a "secret ratio." The result might be okay, but I certainly want more than than just okay. If you follow the link above, Jamie Boudreau gives us my favorite definition of mixology, "It's a ratio that I want everyone to remember because it allows you to interchange drinks, and make really great drinks, without really trying hard."
Currently, we can't go to the bar, and I say good. I think most people out there are out of cocktail practice, and when the bars finally open for real, you can be in tip-top cocktail shape. That means you have time to figure out what you like and stop relying on recipes created for the masses. Take this time to learn what you like and how to ask for it. Don't feel bad to make the bartender do a little math when you ask for a 7-1 Martini.
Try a Manhattan with 5 parts whiskey to 1 part vermouth. I don't know about you, but I like my Manhattan to taste like whiskey. Try different brands and try mixing them! I like two different vermouths in a Negroni and two sometimes three different whiskeys in a Manhattan. Spend some time with a ratio calculator and keep notes about the ones you like and don't.
In the past, I have referenced the idea of tailored cocktails and finding a bartender who has time to get the fit right for you. A tailored pair of pants will fit you and you alone. There is no need to order cocktails "off the rack" if you know your measurements. I assure you if you don't have time to figure out what you like, the bartender doesn't either.
Maybe you are a 2-1 drinker because that is what you like. Perhaps, you are one of the lucky ones that fit into the standard ratios. That is great! Just make sure you know that there are infinite options out there. Does your 2-1 work with cask strength Bourbons? Navy strength gins? What about 80 proof versus 100 proof? Does your ratio change if you are having a drink up or on the rocks?
As with anything, if you don't make a choice, someone else will make it for you.