Mastering Mixology

Malted Vinyl on the art of the cocktail

What makes a good cocktail? What makes a great cocktail?

The team at Malted Vinyl in Petoskey knows a thing or two about the fine art of preparing a killer drink. Since opening its doors in 2023, the business has attracted patrons for not only its hi-fi, Japan-inspired “listening lounge” concept, but also the creative and delicious drinks served for those indulging in its well-rounded collection of records.

It should surprise no one that ingredient selection, balance, and freshness make all the difference in creating a top-notch cocktail. So says co-owner Missy Leverett, who always strives to give people a reason to return.

“A great cocktail makes you want to have another,” she says. “You’re going to remember it; you’re going to say, ‘That was a great drink, I want to go back there.’ The memorability of the experience is the number one difference between good and great.”

Balance and Presentation

Cocktails start with a spirit that provides the foundation of the drink, followed by ingredients that exist to support and augment that spirit, Leverett says. Key to the final product is balancing the sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.

“Once you’ve built the foundation with a spirit, the real artistry begins,” Leverett says. “Supporting ingredients don’t just add flavor, they add dimension, texture, and personality.”

Leverett says sweetness (from syrup, honey, a liqueur, etc.) softens alcohol, rounds rough edges, and gives a cocktail body. Acidity (citrus, etc.) helps a cocktail “feel alive.” Bitterness (bitters, vermouths, etc.) is often the smallest ingredient by volume but very important for complexity.

Not all cocktails have all components, of course. It just depends on the desired end result.

“A dry martini doesn’t have sweetener in it, and negronis are another one; very light on the sweetener and heavy on the bitters,” she says. “It all depends on the experience you’re trying to give.”

There is plenty of science to crafting a killer drink, but Leverett says good mixologists—especially those with experience—also just learn by trial and error as they mix their own cocktails and try those at other establishments.

Malted Vinyl also prides itself on a variety of non-alcoholic/zero proof cocktails. They’re in demand, Leverett says, and it’s a big mistake to think of them as an afterthought. It’s important to put time, energy, and creativity into them, she says, because they’re “no longer just mocktails.”

“The best zero-proof cocktails aren’t trying to fool you into thinking they contain alcohol. They’re complete, intentional drinks that deliver the same level of balance, complexity, and satisfaction as an outstanding classic cocktail,” she says.

Alcoholic or otherwise, equally important to taste are all of the other components of the drink.

“What does it look like to you? What does it smell like?” Leverett says. “Your first interactions with a great cocktail are going to be with your eyes, then with your nose, then with your mouth and your taste buds. Your total sensorial experience matters.”

Ingredients are Key

Malted Vinyl’s cocktail bar is more akin to a chef’s kitchen than a standard bar. This means hearty ingredients, prep time, and local sourcing (when possible).

“We try to be seasonally based, much like a kitchen,” Leverett says. “We really have a lot of fun.”

Local cherries (fresh and cocktail) are frequently in play, whole or in house-made concentrates, foams, or syrups. So are vegetables and herbs, cream, eggs, and so much more. Not everything is local, obviously, but everything is selected with intention.

“We even make house-made dehydrated pineapple garnishes because they preserve the fruit’s natural sweetness while adding aroma, texture, and a finishing touch that’s as flavorful as it is beautiful,” Leverett says.

As with many other things, creativity and experimentation are always leading to new ingredients and new cocktails.

“Alex is very culinary-focused, and he’s always playing with the trends,” Leverett says of one of her bartenders. “This year he started experimenting with rice water, partially because it has a great mouth feel, and it also gives you a great depth. It’s just a way to get that richness and sweet earthiness that you can’t necessarily get elsewhere.”

What the non-alcoholic ingredients are is important, of course, but the condition they’re in is arguably even more critical, Leverett says. Whenever possible, their team seeks out fresh, unprocessed ingredients.

“You’ll hear me talk a lot about freshness…vibrant ingredients make vibrant cocktails, and nothing has a bigger impact than freshness,” she says. “A cocktail made with freshly squeezed lime or lemon simply tastes more alive than one made from bottled juice…you taste it and it almost tastes like you’re biting into the fruit as opposed to being reminiscent of the fruit.”

This is another excuse to lean on the bounty of fresh ingredients whenever possible.

“It all goes back to shopping the farmer’s market, shopping local,” Leverett says “We do a lot with ciders, but last year we pulled cider off our menu early because it was getting very hard to source. You can source the highly pasteurized stuff, but that’s a different experience. That fresh pressed cider that everybody will go to the apple orchard for, that gives you that richness, that freshness. But the more you process it, the more the flavor changes.”

Malted Vinyl also puts a lot of attention into its library of alcohol, whether it be for the base spirit or complimentary additions. They love to reach for local booze whenever possible, as the region has more craft distillers, wineries, and breweries than ever before. If it’s local, you can bet it’s been thoughtfully curated.

They have dozens of individual spirits that add depth and personality to their drinks.

“There are hundreds of different types of sweet vermouths, and we play with them in our recipes to really make sure they’re hitting in the way we need them to,” she says. “The same with amaros. We do so many different types of amaros to keep it interesting. Some are earthy, some are bitter, and they all bring something different to the table.”

Find Malted Vinyl at 316 E. Mitchell St. in Petoskey. maltedvinyl.com

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