No longer considered an easy job, the modern bartender is someone held in high esteem for their ability to give a performance while creating a drink that will keep the customers coming back for more. Now often regarded on the same level as a chef, a mixologist has to do many more things than just remember a few popular drink mixes.
Bartenders today are masters of creation. Knowing what goes well together and what each element adds to a drink is very important when creating something new. Every customer will have a different taste in mind and if they want something new then the bartender first needs to start with what they like.
While the craft beer market has exploded in the last decade, so has the market for mixed drinks. In the same way many people prefer certain beers to accent their summer or fall seasons, mixed drinks can do the same thing. Different flavors are very commonly associated with certain seasons, and by using these flavors, bartenders can capture a taste that truly resembles rings home with their customers.
Not only can a cocktail set the mood for your seasonal tastes, but mixed drinks can also set the mood or a special occasion or event. With the truly limitless possible combinations of mixed drinks there is always something that can either help you wind down after a long day of work or that can give you that second wind on a night out with the friends.
This just goes to show that modern mixology is about more than pouring a few different mixes over ice. It is about capturing the mood that the customers desire.