Craft Cocktail Renaissance
1980–2010
The revival of classic cocktail craft. A new generation of bartenders rediscovered pre-Prohibition recipes, championed fresh ingredients, and elevated bartending back to an art form.
Key Events
- 1987: Dale DeGroff becomes head bartender at the Rainbow Room, NYC
- 1996: Sasha Petraske opens Milk & Honey, pioneering the speakeasy revival
- 2000s: David Wondrich and Gary Regan publish influential cocktail histories
- 2004: Audrey Saunders opens Pegu Club
- 2005: Death & Co opens in New York
- 2007: PDT (Please Don't Tell) opens behind a phone booth
Key Figures
Dale DeGroff (King Cocktail), Sasha Petraske (Milk & Honey), Audrey Saunders (Pegu Club), Gary Regan, David Wondrich, Jim Meehan (PDT), Julie Reiner
Cultural Context
The farm-to-table food movement extended to the bar. Bartenders began treating cocktails as culinary creations, sourcing fresh ingredients, and studying pre-Prohibition recipes. The 'speakeasy' aesthetic emerged.
