![]() While certain stories do place its start with American oil workers, they probably weren't drinking them here in America with any degree of regularity, and definitely not during the 1920s, which, you know, happened to be Prohibition. Taffer's origin story of the Screwdriver seems a bit shaky as well. If you're paying cash for drinks every round, then you should tip every time you get cashed out," says Joaquin Meza of El Rancho Grande in Providence.Īs for Taffer's choice of the cocktail that everyone should know, he's just as shocked: "The Screwdriver? Really?" They do have similar-sounding names though. Mezcal and mescaline are in no way related, in case you're missing the point here. "The mezcal thing hit close to home immediately because all of us who work in the industry are constantly fighting an uphill battle against inaccuracies about what the category is." "It was just insulting on several levels," adds Misty Kalkofen, a veteran bartender in Boston, who now works for Del Maguey mezcal. I have gotten drunk on many an agave spirit, and while it makes me the greatest type of drunk I can imagine, it does not and will not make you hallucinate." However, agave is actually a member of the lily family, whereas mescaline comes from a cactus. Because spirits made out of agave are technically called mezcal. "This jerk represents, theoretically, bar professionals everywhere, and he makes such an insane error about a huge category?" says Ivy Mix of Leyenda in Brooklyn, winner of the 2015 American Bartender of the Year award at Tales of the Cocktail's Spirited Awards. The question has since been removed from the post and a correction was added. So tequila can have a hallucinogenic component, you might be talking to someone who's not there. "I'm not sure if there's a definition of one gets you angry or not, but tequila is inherently made from mezcal, which mescaline, the hallucinogenic drug is made from. Asked if different kinds of alcohol actually affects people differently, he expanded upon the origins of the spirit: The one that has rankled most readers, and for good reason, was an answer he gave about the provenance of mezcal. (A representative for Taffer declined MUNCHIES' request for comment.) The interview, an ostensibly lighthearted Q&A about drinking tips and bar etiquette, is so rife with inaccuracies, questionable advice, and shaky cocktail knowledge that you could quibble with almost every answer he gave-and true to form, critics online have done just that. So just what did Taffer screw up so badly? It's hard to figure out where to start. Since it was opened last night, it's grown to 3,000-plus members, the vast majority of whom have piled on Taffer for his so-called "idiocy." (And, as any internet-driven controversy goes, it's now attracted a counter-protest of voices saying the page is mean-spirited, juvenile, and bullying, and contrary to the spirit of hospitality.) In the meantime, a Facebook group called Bartenders Against Jon Taffer has emerged. Fuck no…" tweeted David Wondrich, the unofficial poet laureate of the spirits world. How did he get to where he is without knowing much at all about the industry?" added another.Ĭomplaints on Twitter certainly aren't very newsworthy, but when they're coming from many of the bar world's actual experts, not just someone who plays one on TV, it's worth taking note. "Please check your facts before opening your mouth," wrote one bartender. Search through the reactions to the piece on Twitter, and a predictable pattern emerges. Perpetuating myths and misinformation not only makes bartenders' jobs harder, but encourages bad behavior among the rest of us. For those on the outside, it may seem like inside-baseball quibbling, but, for better or worse, Taffer is one of the most visible representatives of an industry most of us patronize, and yet few understand. An interview with Taffer that ran on the Huffington Post earlier this week has a sizable chunk of the bar and spirits community calling him out. But the perpetually red-jowled Taffer may have finally barked out one set of questionable marching orders too many. In fact, you might say yelling is the primary appeal of the show. If you're unfamiliar with the Spike TV series, think Kitchen Nightmares for bars, but replace Gordon Ramsay's somewhat redeeming vestiges of Brit charm and actual talent with overstuffed Long Island boorishness. ![]() Over the course of four seasons and one-hundred-plus episodes, Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer has screamed at more than his fair share of bartenders and operators.
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