Making a List and Checking It Twice

I like lists for the same reason I like maps and charts and graphs; they simplify things. Lists make the complex digestible. They allow us to navigate chaos. Imagine a wine list without categories, no distinction between what was white or red, no indication as to what was sparkling. Such disarray would find customers in revolt. No one would stand for it. This is why I find it peculiar that spirit lists are so often neglected or, worse yet, non-existent.

A primary strength of lists is their ability to make the hidden accessible. We don’t expect our customers to root around our cellar to find the wine they want to have with dinner, so why make them guess what’s behind our bar? Sure, the patrons sitting at the bar can squint in the dim light and point to an otherwise unfamiliar bottle, but what of the guests sitting at tables?

What if we took things a step further? What if we not only had a spirits list, but held it to as high a standard as a wine list? We’d make sure there were no spelling errors. We’d make sure we didn’t put a Mezcal in the Tequila section. We’d be sure to that “Brandy” had its own distinct section no matter how small (because, for some unknown reason, people tend to forget it altogether). If we did those things, we’d be so damn proud that we’d post our spirits list online, right alongside (or as part of) our wine and cocktail lists.

Some will offer up excuses, reasons why they believe such extra work to be unnecessary. Some contrarian might say it’s a burden to keep updated. It’s no more a pain than keeping a wine list up-to-date. While it’s our obligation to inform, designing a carefully curated and thoughtful spirits list is also a privilege.