Kara Newman

What’s so amazing about bar carts? The novelty and inherent theatricality of it all, sure. The opportunity to personalize a drink at your table, instead of sending instructions back to the bar – yes, that too. But perhaps the most astonishing aspect? It prompts diners to put. the phone. down. From my perch across the room, I’m spying on a table at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés where, in its New York and Las Vegas outposts, tableside martini service is part of the steakhouse’s opulent appeal. A group of four has ordered a round of martinis from the cart; for the first drink made, everyone instinctively whips out their phone to capture the initial dramatic swoop of dry-ice smoke, faithfully documenting every dash, splash, and pour.

For decades, the bloody mary pretty much had the tomato cocktail on lock. If you wanted something savory, spicy, vegetal – a bloody was your brunchtime go-to. Today, tomato-based drinks span well beyond the bloody – and beyond brunch, too. From legions of tomato water ’tinis to savory spins on negronis, margaritas, and beyond, expect to find drinks everywhere this summer paying homage to the beloved tomate. The key drivers behind the trend: rising affection for savory drinks (thanks, dirty martini), tighter connections between kitchen and bar, and an emphasis on seasonality. ‘If you think tomato drinks sound weird, just remember it’s a fruit.

Martinis remain one of the most popular cocktails of the moment – pristine and dry or filthy-dirty-hazy, vodka or gin, olive or twist, there’s one on every menu. But the iconic drink sure does pack a punch. In a moment where many – particularly younger consumers – are drinking less, even the classic martini is seeing some changes. Enter the “long” martini, which lengthens the basic martini build with soda water, tonic, etc., and serves it over ice. The end result: a less-strong, less austere version of the drink. “I don’t think the martini is going anywhere,” says Kevin Denton Rex, director of The Spirits Authority, a research organization that gathers data from bartenders. But the “long” martini drives “sessionability, that low-alcohol moment.