Craving a new cooking show that'll get your tastebuds tittering and your mind soothed with savory shots of food porn? You've seen Nailed It, Iron Chef, The Greatest British Baking Show, and plenty of other delectable Netlfix offerings. So, maybe it's time for a cocktail?
Drink Masters is the latest cooking competition show from the streaming giant, and with a collection of creative mixologists, it brings all the oohs, ahs, and awe we thirst for in great reality TV.
Sure, on its surface, this show is about contenders making crazy concoctions to appease a panel of experts in all things spirits and liquor. But beyond the competition, Drink Masters offers audiences all around the world a glimpse into the astonishing showmanship that's going on in some of North America's coolest cocktail lounges. Even if you're a regular visitor to chic speakeasies, your jaw will drop over these cool creations. And if you — like me — are a bit of a home mixologist, this show will provide plenty of inspiration alongside its swooning shots of playful pours.
What's Drink Masters about?
12 mixologists compete for the title of Drink Master and a prize of $100,000. Their arena is a gorgeous bar, with a full kitchen setup, and plenty of posh backdrops that ooze with the atmosphere of a hip but exclusive night spot. In each episode, they will be challenged not only to create a tasty drink but also to stage it in a way that befits such grand surroundings.
Their challenges range from creating dessert drinks to tempting taste pairings, and fantastical flights. But before you think, "I could do that," consider that they're given 90 minutes to make a margarita in episode 1. You know what that means: Going classic or simple will get you 86ed from this competition. As such, the mixologists pull out all the stops, along with smokers, and unconventional ingredients — like the polarizing fruit durian — to make cocktails that are works of sippable art.
The Drink Master judges are heralded bar owners and tastemakers, Julie Reiner and Frankie Solarik, who'll bring in some famous friends to play guest judges for episodes that explore cocktail making's history, highlights, and future. These experts give context to terminology and emerging movements — like the rise in mocktails — so that even those of us who are favoring margaritas in a can over shaking up our own can follow along.
But the MVP of Season 1 is definitely Drink Masters' host Tone Bell.
Tone Bell is pitch-perfect as Drink Master's mirthful MC.
Cooking shows and comedians can go together like peanut butter and jelly. What would Nailed It be without Nicole Byers' contagious laughter and playful repartee with judges and bakers alike? But for every Byers, I can name two to three comedians who seem to begrudge the job of pairing silliness with sweets. (Looking at you Is It Cake's Mikey Day, Crime Scene Kitchen's Joel McHale, and Great British Baking Show's Matt Lucas.) When a comedian serves up snark as a side dish to the earnest efforts of contestants, it can leave us with a bad taste in our mouths. But Bell is absolutely delighted to be there, and so is a delight himself!
In the show's opening, he not only lays down the premise of the new competition series, but also notes, "And of course, I get to sample these amazing creations and give my own two cents." With this brief moment, Drink Masters sets up that Bell won't be here to crack wise and caper. He'll bring verve and his opinion to the judges' panel. In this way, the show aligns him with the contestants, because their failure means his suffering an unsavory drink. But it also makes him our audience surrogate, an everyman of sorts, who gets to taste these curious cocktails and then tell us in terms we readily understand how they turned out. From the jump, Bell is our guide into this heady world of highfalutin mixology, inviting us in with a smile, a to-die-for sense of style, and a welcoming sense of humor.
Let's talk about that style. Bedecked in bespoke suits that often burst with eye-catching color, Bell is a dashing gentleman as he escorts us through the challenges. He's invariably dressed like he's stepping out to a hot spot to see and be seen, and so he gives elegance, exuberance, and visual splendor to each ep. But beyond the eye candy of a handsome man in a hot suit, Bell has a party-friendly persona that easily encourages the judges and mixologists to converse with him about life and cocktails. And in exchange, he shares insights that are unique and fun.
For instance, in the first challenge, a contestant set down a cocktail she called "The Fellowship," in a clear nod to The Lord of the Rings. Bell lifted the glass stein the beautiful beverage was presented in, and proclaimed, "I love this glass. I love this whole presentation because it makes me feel like I'm going to a happy hour in Narnia. You know what I mean?"
The other judges and the guest chuckled in appreciation, and so did I because I knew exactly what he meant. Succinctly, Bell brought us into the experience of being transported by a truly splendid cocktail. And from that point, I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop at just one (episode of Drink Masters).
Drink Masters is collaborative and competitive in a great-watch way.
Personally, my favorite competition shows are the ones where the contenders treat each other with compassion, recognizing they are part of a shared community. (Think Face Off, Making It, or Forged in Fire.) I've grown weary of the "I didn't come here to make friends" drama. I yearn for competitors whose strategy is never to sabotage but to overcome their inner saboteur.
Now, I can't promise every mixologist in Drink Masters is endlessly operating out of a communal concern. But it helps that team challenges inherently include drama and the need for actual compromise and collaboration. However, I was touched to see how they aid each other, check in on each other, and cry for each other when someone is sent home after each elimination challenge.
While I won't spoil who makes it to the final three, I will say it was a heartwarming thrill to see the contestants — even in this last grasp for a fortune — help each other out. Because of course when the reality TV ends, you're back to reality. And these mixologists can come out of their speakeasy stadium the hero or the villain, even if they're not the winner. While a certain bar owner soured for me over the course of the competition — making snippy comments about milk punches always winning only to turn around and make a milk punch in the following ep! — no one here gets a damning "villain edit." And as such, there's tension but never an off-putting taint to the show's creativity-wins vibe.
Drink Masters contenders get personal.
It's almost a comedic cliche that in cooking shows, competitors from Chopped to GBBO to Kitchen Nightmares justify their dishes with a backstory meant to enhance the experience. In Drink Masters, if you made a drinking contest out of taking a shot every time someone cited their grandmothers as a taste inspiration, you'd be in trouble in a binge-watch! Playing to the sympathy of the judges is part of the game, of course. But Drink Masters probes beyond this treacly territory to radiant self-expression.
Montreal-based mixologist Tao Zrafi expresses his world travels through his cocktails, while Bronx-raised LP took the judges on a journey to her hometown with a drink and plantain pairing meant to recall her snack-seeking trips to the corner bodega. Others reflect their heritage with new spins on classic cocktails, while still others throw every idea at the glass to see what sticks, like swipes of chocolate, a pineapple bird, and edible gold.
Over the course of 10 episodes, Drink Masters offers viewers a crash course on cocktail culture. And at thirty-something minutes an ep, the first season flies by with fiery challenges, charming quips from its charismatic host, compelling contestants, and drool-inducing cocktails. So, if you're looking for a new show to cozy up with, might we suggest pairing this stunner with whatever beverage you can mix up.
Drink Masters is now streaming on Netflix.
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