Cocktail College Episode 200 Special: 30+ Years of Craft Cocktail Culture
Aug 7, 2025
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott, known as The Restaurant Guys, have been pivotal in shaping America’s craft cocktail scene for over 30 years. They discuss the transition from artificial mixers to fresh ingredients, highlighting pivotal moments like cocktail classes at the Rainbow Room. The duo reflects on the rise of innovative flavors, the impact of iconic bars, and the importance of quality mixers. They also emphasize the significance of education in bartending and share personal anecdotes that illustrate the evolution of cocktail culture through changing social dynamics.
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Dale DeGroff's Foundational Influence
- Dale DeGroff showed cocktails could be as interesting and complex as wine.
- Francis and Mark learned from him and built their program around that lesson.
Fresh Juice Over Sour Mix
- In 1993 most bars used no fresh juice and vermouth bottles were stale.
- Francis and Mark switched to fresh juice and reintroduced proper bitters and vermouth.
Second-Generation Icons: Pegu & Milk And Honey
- Pegu Club and Milk and Honey perfected hospitality and trained a generation of bartenders.
- Their styles shaped the modern high-end cocktail bar.
