The growing trend for molecular mixology in high-end bars is growing into a global phenomenon, and also moving into the mainstream press.

Last week Time magazine explored the story of the trend which began with food, and which is spreading rapidly into the cocktail market.

Chemistry isn’t a word that most people associate with cocktails. But more bartenders are applying the science of molecular gastronomy to the search for a better drink, mixing alcohol with such stuff as liquid nitrogen, alginates and chlorides. — (Via Time)

And courtesy of molecular mixology…

#1 Cointreau caviar

#2 The apparently-nicer-than-it-sounds whiskyburger

Today Starbucks launches a major new strategy, which it trailed last week as “something big“. After years of focusing on the espresso market, and after months of allowing itself to be caught in a distinctly unpremium battle with emerging competitors such McDonalds, today it returns to the drip business, and to its roots, with Pike Place Roast — named after its first store in Seattle.

Starbucks has spent the last few months sharpening its focus on the basics — a strategy Schultz is pushing as part of the company’s efforts to reinvigorate its U.S. business, which has suffered amid a soft economy and growing competition from rivals ranging from McDonald’s Corp. and Dunkin’ Donuts to Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Caribou Coffee and small, independent coffee shops. — (Via BusinessWeek)

Happily, it also takes note of something that we mentioned on our blog in January (see Starbucks with no clothes), as part of the new initative the brand also plans to tastefully flash its boobs…

To promote the new brew, Starbucks will spend at least two months serving all its coffee and espresso drinks in white cups with a version of its original brown mermaid logo. It’s been touched up to make the her long, wavy hair cover her bare breasts — a move aimed at pre-empting complaints it’s received in the past from people who find it too racy. — (Via BusinessWeek)

The premiumization of the water category continues apace.

Today Evian launched an interestingly bold initiative, a Shop Evian website for all your e-commerce water needs. The brand has leveraged the design relationship that it forged with Christian Lacroix last year, to create a distinct luxury positioning somewhat similar to Bombay Sapphire gin

Evian has always been an affordable luxury and the brand intends to further reach its consumer base by making its products more easily accessible through this online shopping portal… ShopEvian.com allows consumers to purchase products from the world’s most luxurious bottled water from the luxury of their own home and answers consumer demand for a public forum to purchase many of the brand’s more exclusive items. — (Via PR Newswire)

Discover “pure luxury for your home” at the Shop Evian website

The repositioning of Evian as a premium brand is surprisingly credible, for a water brand, and certainly in comparison to some competitors…

Bottled water reaches $40 a bottle in Claridges, London (Via ABC News)

A Japanese manufacturer Vie Luce just launched a super-premium water brand, Fillico Beverly Hills, retails for $100+ a bottle in the US (Via VieLuce)

And - also from Japan - Fine (pronounced Fin-ay) - in collaboration with Karim Rashid, a very Zen approach (Via Fine Japon)

Against this trend, a growing sense - nowhere stronger than in the UK - that bottled water “borders on the morally unacceptable” (Via Agence France Press)

Over the last few years, much has been written about the molecular gastronomy trend; in which scientific innovation has reimagined the cooking process. The most famous molecular gastronomy restaurants in the world are The Fat Duck, and El Bulli.

More recently, we have seen a rising trend in molecular mixology in key influential bars across Europe and the US.

The trend is now going mainstream…

Cointreau has just announced a molecular mixology initiative, beginning with the launch of Cointreau caviar. (Via PRNewswire)

And, Bacardi is hoping to reinvent the mojito using similar techniques - (Via YouTube) And - (Via Wallpaper)

Molecular mixology is too new to have its own Wikipedia entry, but look for that to change - quickly.