The drinks are on her

Lauren Clark is the founder of the blog DrinkBoston.com. (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff)

A lot has changed in the Boston bar world since we last checked in with Lauren Clark, founder of the popular cocktail and bar scene blog DrinkBoston.com. For one thing, the past year has seen the closing of the beloved B-Side Lounge, the bar that "essentially revived classic cocktails in the Boston area," she says. But on the positive side, the concept of quality cocktails, and classic bartending techniques, has expanded exponentially. We spoke with Clark about the city's best barkeeps and what buzzy trends she sees for 2009.

Most welcome trend you've seen recently? Unquestionably the best trend is the revival of serious mixology. Another good one is the growing availability of both quality cocktails and craft beer in restaurants. It's not just about the wine list anymore.

Any predictions about what's going to take off in 2009? One of them is ice. Bars like Drink and Craigie on Main are sort of customizing their ice to the drinks. They have these things called Kold-Draft ice machines that make these big dense square cubes. You can use them on their own in a rocks glass and it will make the drink cold, but it melts slowly. Or you can chip at them and make them into shards. It's probably a little too geeky, so it's not gonna filter out to all bars, but any bars, especially new ones that open, that want to be taken seriously in the cocktail world will think about doing something other than the sort of soda pop ice that's been the standard for decades.

Who are some of the bartenders and bars doing the best stuff right now? Drink, Eastern Standard, Craigie on Main, Green Street, Deep Ellum, Chez Henri, Rendezvous, the Marliave, the Independent . . . you can get an expertly made drink with fresh ingredients at any of these places. A couple of bartenders who deserve more attention are Scott Holliday, who used to work at Chez Henri and now works at Rendezvous. He's non-showy, thoughtful, and knows lots of classic cocktails. You can simply name a base spirit . . . and he'll make you something delicious. I also like Rob Kraemer of Chez Henri. He's a good mixologist and a gentleman. Both these guys are on the quiet, intense side and are worth taking the time to get to know.

New Year's resolutions for people trying to break their bad drinking habits? Go to the bars that I mentioned. Anywhere that squeezes its own juice is gonna be a revelation to someone that's not used to that type of thing. Go to a place where a bartender knows what he or she is doing and order just a gin martini, or a classic Manhattan. You'll get it made right, and you'll understand, 'Oh, this is what these things are supposed to taste like!'