The Modern Era

Cocktail culture went global. Mezcal stopped being a curiosity and became essential. The low-ABV movement (championed by Audrey Saunders' Old Cuban and a wave of vermouth-forward drinks) made it possible to have a great cocktail without getting drunk. Asian, Latin American, and African ingredients entered the canon. Drinks like the Naked and Famous, Division Bell, Kingston Negroni, and Smoked Margarita represent a cocktail world more cross-cultural and more confident than any previous era.