You may fancy yourself as someone who knows a good deal about cocktails. However, what about flaming drinks? While these drinks aren’t as common in bars as in the past, you may still see them pop up. In fact, there’s a few different reasons as to why these drinks still have an appeal…
Flaming Drinks: Understand The Appeal
The history
Flaming drinks combine two main historical uses for alcohol into one mixture. For centuries, humans have consumed alcohol as a drink. We’ve also used it as a fire starter for a similar amount of time. Therefore, while we don’t know when exactly flaming drinks began appearing, it was only a matter of time before people began trying to combine the two.
However, most historians trace their founding to sometime between 1600 to the 1860’s. Many popular food dishes during this era made use of flaming alcohol as an ingredient, like Bananas Foster and steaming puddings. Eventually, this technique trickled down into bars and saloons, leading to the drinks we know today.
The methodology
Flaming drinks can be made in a couple of different ways. Usually, the more-common method is having the bartender make the drink as usual, with a higher proof liquor. Then, the bartender will set the drink alight with a lighter or something similar. However, some drinks might require a thin layer of alcohol on top to burn properly.
Of course, the main appeal of these drinks is the flame. But does it really do anything? For some drinks, the flame can really create some interesting flavor profiles you can’t find elsewhere. For others, while it may not change the flavors, it adds a bit of spectacle to an otherwise “simple” drink.
The dangers
Still, flaming drinks aren’t without their dangers. Mixing any kind of flame with alcohol can cause things to get out of control, especially if the drink spills or overflows. In fact, many bars have been closed because they failed to follow proper fire codes and put patrons in danger because they didn’t take enough precautions.
Plus, the act of drinking can also be dangerous. The heat from the flame can make glasses too hot to handle, and even potentially break. Plus, if the flame are still burning, they can cause serious burns if you try and drink them. Therefore, you have to be extra careful when you yourself are interested in trying one of these mixes.
