Mix it up

Pint + Jigger owner Dave Newman is among participating panelists OLIVIER KONING PHOTO

Six leaders of the local beverage industry will come together for a panel discussion on The Art of Mixology at The Modern Honolulu’s next Study Hall lecture at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in The Study.

Panelists include Davin Alexander of Morimoto Waikiki, Joey Gottesman of Young’s Market Company, Joey Joyce of Lucky Belly, Ja-son Maxwell of The Study, Dave Newman of Pint + Jigger and Kyle Reutner of Ko Hana Rum.

The panel will offer attendees a chance to ask questions – as well as sample complimentary cocktails – and will cover the origins of mixology, the local craft cocktail scene, and current and future trends. Panelists also will share their own philosophies and what they’re working on.

In recent years, mixology has become an increasingly popular trend – and Hawaii, the panelists say, is at the forefront.

Moreover, mixology courses are becoming increasingly popular among those who want to work as bartenders. A variety of courses can be found at https://theartofshaking.com/ (or similar portals) for aspiring bar professionals, including those related to bartending skills, cocktail creation, and much more.

“We literally have world-class bartender talent in Hawaii, which is amazing considering that we are a very small market,” New-man says. “That is pretty incredible, and I don’t think people realize how lucky we are right now in Hawaii.

“Craft cocktails are following on the heels of farm-to-table and the mindset that where your food comes from and how it’s processed is really important,” he explains. “If you are going to put that set of values on what you eat, it doesn’t make sense to then have a margarita made with bottled sour mix made from high fructose corn syrup when you could easily have fresh lemon and lime juice.”

“All of a sudden, people are not happy with frozen pina coladas or whatever,” Joyce agrees. “They want to try things that are given the same care that their food is.”

The goal of the panel is to provide an opportunity for people to learn about craft cocktails in a welcoming environment.

“It’s just to try to spread the joy (of mixology) to

other people,” Maxwell says. “That is basically it – just having more and more people learn about it and understand.”

As Joyce sums it up: “At my bar, one of my big goals is always to make (cocktails) approachable to people. I don’t ever want it to be an elitist thing that people are nervous about or afraid to come in and not know stuff. I want to create an atmosphere where people can learn.”

The event is free and open to the public. For more information on this and other Study Hall events, visit themodern-honolulu.com/studyhall.