What Is The Point Of A Clarified Cocktail?

Imagine ordering a Bloody Mary (the queen of brunch drinks) from a trendy cocktail bar, only to be presented with a tall glass of clear liquid garnished with the normal olives and celery stick. What's even more strange is, when you take a sip, the drink has the signature flavors of tomato juice, vodka, celery salt, and maybe a sprinkle of Old Bay (a common pantry spice and Bloody Mary upgrade). Your bartender has likely made you a clarified cocktail. Clarifying drinks basically involves removing the impurities and solids from a cocktail, including the "red" in tomato juice. This growing practice is not only for aesthetic purposes, but can create a better-tasting drink. The Takeout spoke to Erika Copeland, the bar director at Restaurant Olivia in Denver, Colorado, who enlightened us on why exactly anyone would want to go through the steps of clarifying a cocktail.

"Clarification enhances texture, flavor, and balance," Copeland explained. "[The practice] removes harsh tannins and rough textures, creating a velvety mouthfeel ... it eliminates bitterness, and extends shelf life by removing organic material." As for aesthetics, Copeland explained that how a drink looks definitely matters, saying, "Crystal-clear cocktails elevate the drinking experience."

Ordering a clarified cocktail could, however, result in having major flashbacks to the Tab Clear days (a '90s era discontinued soda that we don't miss). Imagine a crystal-clear pina colada, espresso martini, milk punch, or daiquiri — these are just some cocktails that can trick your eyes and tastebuds when they are clarified.

Erika Copeland informed us that clarifying cocktails is actually nothing new in the world of boozy beverages, saying, "Bartenders have clarified cocktails since at least the 18th century. British bartenders mastered milk washing early on, using it to create milk punch, a cocktail that gained popularity for its long shelf life." Copeland's team at Restaurant Olivia have built on this early method, and have mastered additional practices to create the same effects in their drinks. Copeland explained, "[With] milk washing, milk curdles when exposed to acid, trapping unwanted solids. This method not only clarifies the drink but also creates a silky texture."

Copeland told us that at Olivia they also sometimes uses other substances or even a centrifuge to clarify cocktails. The other clarification subtances used include gelatin and agar agar, which, she explained, "are natural clarifiers that attract particles, which we remove through freezing or filtration." As far as the centrifuge, she explained: "Centrifugation ... is a modern technique that spins liquids at high speeds to separate solids, ensuring absolute clarity and precision."

Clarification is ultimately a way to step up your cocktail game, but according to Copeland it requires time, patience, and a deep understanding of how flavors interact. When done right, she suggests, "It produces elegant, sophisticated cocktails that redefine the drinking experience." While the current cocktail menu at Restaurant Olivia doesn't specify which drinks are clarified, you can count on the libations being gorgeous, exceptionally smooth, and memorable, if not crystal-clear.