Akademik

n.

The application of the principles of molecular chemistry to the mixing of alcoholic drinks.

—molecular mixologist n.

At David Burke's Primehouse, a weeks-old steakhouse in Chicago, the house vodka martini is garnished with a lollipop — a lollipop made from "reduced olive brine, olive flavoring and salt crystallized in isomalt" that is stuffed with blue cheese, according to its creator, Eben Klemm. The restaurant's house manhattan is made with leather-infused bourbon, sweet vermouth and a bitters-spiked maraschino purée, dropped into the drink as a liquid that coalesces into a "gumdrop" when it hits the side of the glass.

Mr. Klemm, director of cocktail development for B. R. Guest, which owns Primehouse, is one of a handful of freethinking bartenders who have taken to the idea of employing the techniques of avant-garde cooking to their work behind the bar, a trend that's being called "molecular mixology."

—Peter Meehan, "Two Parts Vodka, a Twist of Science," The New York Times, May 10, 2006

Jamie Boudreau has added another swizzle stick to his cap. In addition to being the bar manager at Lumiere and an expert in his field, he can now call himself a "molecular mixologist."

On the heels of "molecular gastronomy" — a discipline pioneered in the 1980s by French food scientist Herve This and made famous by groundbreaking Spanish chef Ferran Adria — comes this new brand of innovation, in which chemistry and physics help determine what makes a brilliant cocktail. Part of the challenge lies in pairing components with a similar genetic makeup that may not have traditionally gone together; the other part is juxtaposing various temperatures and disparate textures to create startling combinations.

The first Molecular Mixology Class took place at the Ritz Hotel in Paris last October, with eight famous bartenders gathering around food scientist This himself for instruction.

— Kate Zimmerman, "Bar manager turns drink mixing into rocket science," The Vancouver Sun, April 20, 2006

The mixologist cites another trend as being molecular mixology — which translated means mixing different guises of one flavour for intensity. Think chargrilled lemon margarita, which also includes the zest of the fruit and natural juice.

— "It's all in the mix," New Zealand Herald, July 6, 2005