There’s a particular kind of headline that’s been doing laps around the internet, and you’ve definitely seen it — probably while scrolling at 11:47 p.m. with one hand halfway into a bag of kettle chips. “Forget the Margarita, This Fermented Ant Broth Is the Only Cocktail That Matters This Summer.” Or maybe: “Move Over, Champagne — Himalayan Goat Mead Is the Future of Celebrating.”

You click. You’re curious. You’re briefly convinced. Then you forget all about it — and return to your dirty martini with a side of realism.

It’s the golden age of “Forget Everything You Know” content, and frankly, we’re forgetting too much. The formula is familiar by now: take something everyone loves — a Negroni, say, or tequila — and pit it against a lesser-known, esoteric cousin with a cool backstory and, ideally, a limited export license. Give it a quirky name. Add a quote from a bartender in Berlin. Stir in a few words like “redefining” and “mind-blowing.” Garnish with a shaky prediction about the drink “taking over summer 2025.”

But let’s be clear: no one is forgetting the Negroni.

We’re not here to slam discovery. We love the left-field stuff — the pét-nats with personality, the bitters made from rainforest bark, the obscure Greek spirits with unpronounceable names. It’s all part of the joy of drinking well and widely. But let’s stop pretending every new flavor has to come at the cost of a classic.

We don’t need to forget bourbon just because someone figured out how to distill chestnuts in the French Alps. We can be excited about a wild-foraged vermouth without exiling dry Martinis to the dustbin of history.

The thing is, the internet is allergic to nuance. “Also try this” doesn’t drive traffic. “This might be worth a sip if you’re into weird amari and disappointment” doesn’t perform. So instead, we get all-caps headlines begging us to abandon entire beverage categories for an underfunded startup whose claim to fame is that it uses mushroom stems instead of juniper berries.

It’s not just drinks, of course. It’s everything. “Forget the gym — try this plank-free, breath-based anti-exercise.” “Forget bread — cloud toast is here.” “Forget democracy — this Norwegian goat-led council system is trending.” But in the drinks world, the gap between hype and habit is especially stark. Because while the stories are intoxicating, the liquid still needs to land on your palate. And more often than not, that dramatic “new summer drink” is something you try once, talk about twice, and then quietly nudge to the back of your bar cart next to that unopened bottle of blue curaçao.

Which isn’t to say innovation is bad — far from it. The spirits and cocktail world thrives on experimentation. New ideas keep things alive. But let’s retire the “forget this, worship that” rhetoric. Let’s normalize liking both. Loving the old and tasting the new. Shaking up a Negroni and a celery leaf-infused aquavit sour on the same night. You are allowed to enjoy a classic and still flirt with something strange and new.

So no, we’re not forgetting gin. We’re not forgetting mezcal. We’re not forgetting water. But we might try that distillate made from smoked watermelon seeds and sea buckthorn, if only for the story. Just don’t ask us to pledge allegiance — not yet.