200: Cheers to 200 with Dale DeGroff, King Cocktail (Stonington, CT)

It's hard to imagine, but there was a time when it was often difficult to find a well-made cocktail with fresh juices, technique, and attention to detail. That was until Dale DeGroff and his talents and techniques at tending bar became well known, most notably at New York City's Rainbow Room in the 80s. It sparked a book deal for a now classic primer, The Craft of the Cocktail, and subsequently Dale Degroff, aka, King Cocktail, has been credited with reinventing the bartending profession, setting off a cocktail revival that continues to this day. He has a new revised edition of the 2002 classic called The New Craft of the Cocktail, so I sat down with the King to learn where we've been and where we're going now in bar culture. We're in danger of losing a lot of it all over the country with the closings so far in 2020, but remembering how and when can keep the creativity -- and cocktails -- flowing.