Cocktail bar "lightbox"

I went to a very nice cocktail bar last night.

The mixologist tooks things very seriously. He used something a bit like a lightbox to illuminate the drinks from underneath for ultimate precision. Is there a word for this device?

Also, I tried some Okinawan rum which to my palette had a slightly sickly taste - a bit like Chinese baijiu. Is it supposed to taste like that?

Are you sure the light was for precision and not to make the drink look more impressive while he was mixing it? Or maybe for him to look more impressive? As far as I know mixologists use standard measurements. Most bartenders I've seen barely look at what they're mixing.

Edited by: sashac001 to avoid over-generalization.

mixologist

I couldn't make it up if I tried. Alas.

It's a bartender. 'Mixologist' reminds me of 'barista'. Too much goodness, retch...

Anyway, the baijius I've had didn't taste sickly (I'm assuming you mean slightly sour, acidic?). They taste pretty much like drinks in Europe made from wheat, sorghum or potatoes.

Is Okinawan Rum real rum?

"Mixologist" dates at least to the mid 19th Century. It's pretty much American.

Does anybody use it? As in 'hey mixologist, a strawberry margarita, please'?

Sounds very strange to my ears.

It's reasonably common in UK publications such as Time Out, the Guardian etc to mean a cocktail waiter. The reason is probably because it's rather clumsy to keep writing the word "cocktail".

I see mixologist used a lot and it generally refers to a bartender who works at a cocktail bar and in particular a bartender who invents their own cocktails.

I can see the reasoning behind but it is a bit of a ridiculous term.

It's reasonably common in UK publications such as Time Out, the Guardian etc

I've been reading the Guardian for 34 years and don't recall coming across the term - I must read more attentively henceforth.