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 Message 595 of 22774 in Behind the Bar
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Subject: Re: bartender or mixologist?
From: Jesse
Posted: Wed Sep 18. 2002, 15:38 UTC
Followup to: "Re: bartender or mixologist?"  by DrinkBoy  (Wed Sep 18. 2002, 14:25 UTC)
Perhaps it sounds too "scientific". Geologist... Meteorologist… 
> Psychologist… is it bothering bartenders to be lumped into that 
> crowd?

Actually, I think that it doesn't sound scientific enough. Look at the 
etymology of words like Mixology- Biology, Geology, Etymology.  They're all 
combinations of a prefix in a classic language, Greek or Latin, with the Latin 
suffix -ology meaning "to study." Mixology unfortunately sounds stupid forced 
into the pantheon of other -ology words to me.

> [T]here can be many different "labels" 
> applied to describe the various jobs involved, but at the top of the 
> food-chain (no pun intended) would be the souse chef and "chef" 
> (a.k.a. Executive Chef)...the chef is the one who is ultimately responsible 
> for the entire kitchen, and the food that comes out of it. The chef owns 
> the "vision" of the menu. 
> In my own mind, I view the term "bartender" as being roughly similar 
> with "line-cook". 

> But what if your obligations extend above this? What if your role is 
> more visionary, more creative, and more individualistic then simply 
> being a drink herder? 
> Mixologist is a term that is attempting to provide some support here. 
> But while the differentiation between line-cook, souse chef, and chef 
> is one that denotes a certain "chain of command", the term Mixologist 
> is more representative of a personal level of ability, then it is of 
> position.

> -Robert
>  www.DrinkBoy.com

This makes perfect sense.  To call a bartender a mixologist unfairly elevates 
him to a status he doesn't deserve.  
However, being skeptical of modern buzzwords, the term Mixologist smacks of 
fancying up the name of a job for the sake of self-esteem or what ever.  Think 
along the lines of the following dialog:

"I heard you got a new job as a trashman."
"No way!  I'm a public sanitation maintenance technician."

Get the drift?


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