What You Need to Know Before Mixing Cocktails
What You Should Know Before You Start Making Cocktails
Everyone wants to believe that they are capable of creating a perfect cocktail. What could be easier than dumping some ingredients into a mixer and stirring it up before emptying the mixture out? Wrong! The greatest tasting cocktail requires a variety of skills and knowledge; there is a reason why bartenders are required to undergo extensive training. Here are some of the most important. Throughout this chapter, we’ll provide you with a quick lesson on drink mixing so that you can prepare the ideal cocktail every time.
Quality is paramount.
When it comes to equipping your home bar, don’t skimp! The quality of your ingredients has a direct influence on the overall quality of your cocktail recipe. Not that you should run out and get the most costly products available, but we do advise you to stay away from that $5 bottle of gin! Cheap liquors not only taste bad on their own, but their flavor also has an impact on the final flavor of your drink when mixed with other ingredients.
Quality does not simply pertain to alcoholic beverages. Cocktails are made using a variety of different components, such as juices, fruits, and sodas, in addition to alcohol. Always make an effort to select goods that are both fresh and of excellent quality. Choose brand name over store brand, fresh fruits over frozen, and freshly squeezed fruit juices over concentrates when making food choices. A recipe that asks for a certain brand of item that you may not regard to be a “quality” ingredient may be the lone exception to this guideline. As an illustration, consider a recipe that asks for “Tang” instead of orange juice as an example of this.
We recognize that you may not always be able to get the finest of the best, but we encourage you to obtain the best that you can afford.
Temperature and Its Importance in Sports
Few people are aware of the extent to which temperature may alter the taste of a drink. You should always make sure that the temperature of your drink matches the temperature of your glass – it does make a difference! A cold drink should be served in a glass that has been cooled. What is the significance of this?
A cold glass can keep a cold drink colder for a longer period of time without the need for ice, which may dilute a drink needlessly. Glasses for cold beverages may be chilled by placing them in the freezer or by filling them with ice and emptying them before pouring your beverage.
When it comes to heated beverages, glass temperature is equally as crucial as it is when it comes to cold drinks. If you are serving a warm or hot beverage, make sure that your glass is warm as well as the beverage. Warming glasses may be accomplished by placing the glass over an open flame and slowly warming it, or by using the warmth of your hands to warm the glass. Also available is a specific sort of glass that is designed to retain heat from hot beverages.
To Garnish or Not to Garnish? That is the question.
However, even though garnishes are visually appealing, you are not required to use them for every drink! An major function played by the garnish in the drink – for example, a lime that contributes to the overall taste of your cocktail – necessitates the use of that lime in the recipe. For recipes that do not call for garnishes, on the other hand, they aren’t always essential.
Measure, measure, and more measurement!
The most common pet peeve of those who drink in bars is when a bartender “cheats” them out of the booze in their cocktail. While this may happen from time to time, the reality of the matter is that the taste of cocktails is reliant on the proportions of the various ingredients used!
If you alter an ingredient in a cocktail by even a little quantity, a sweet drink may become tart, a fruit drink can become bitter, and a wonderful drink can become filthy! Make use of your bar equipment to ensure that each and every cocktail you prepare is accurately measured and correctly blended.
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What is the significance of Ice in cocktail?
Ice is not required in all cocktails, but it is used in a large number of them, which indicates that ice plays a big part in the final product of the majority of cocktails. Non-filtered water ice is preferable to unfiltered water ice (if you don’t have any on hand, purchase a bag of ice from the shop!) but the kind of ice you choose is also important. Ice cubes, cracked ice, shaved ice, and block ice are some of the several forms of ice. If a recipe specifies that a certain kind of ice be used, pay close attention to the instructions and, wherever feasible, use that form of ice instead.
Preparing Your Own Home Bar
We’ve previously discussed the necessity of utilizing high-quality components in your drinks, but there’s more to stocking a bar than just great ingredients. In order to have a well-stocked home bar, the following items should be present:
– A basic set of cocktail mixing utensils, such as shakers and stirrers.
Standard liquors such as gin, Tequila, vodka, dark and light rums, Bourbon, Brandy, Irish whiskey, Canadian whiskey, Rye Whiskey, and Scotch are all available.
A selection of standard liqueurs and cordials, including: Amaretto, Kahlua, Vermouth, Irish cream liqueur, orange liqueur, and crème de cacao are available.
– A variety of juices
– A variety of mixers.
– A variety of drinks.
• Garnishes like as olives, cinnamon, cocktail onions, mint leaves, and cherries are all excellent choices.
Take note that the goods that you have on hand in your home bar will differ based on the sort of beverages that you like sipping on. Keeping a diversified and abundant supply of ingredients on hand will be necessary if you want to experiment with a broad range of cocktails, such as those featured in this book, is something you should consider doing.
Myths about Mixing Cocktails
While we’ve covered some of the most useful cocktail mixing tactics, we haven’t yet addressed some of the most popular bartending misconceptions.
These myths are widely held ideas that have little or no basis in fact.
Mixing drinks is a difficult task.
The notion that making drinks is difficult is widely held. However, when you have the correct equipment, the right ingredients, and a recipe to follow, creating cocktails is about as simple as it gets! Anyone can make their own cocktails if they have the necessary equipment, just as anyone can bake a packaged cake mix.
If you like vodka, you’ll like all of the vodka cocktails.
Another popular misconception is that if you like a main component, you will enjoy a drink. This is absolutely not the case. Different cocktails are made to provide a variety of tastes and flavor combinations. So, just because you like one component, doesn’t mean you’ll like the entire flavor of the drink when the other ingredients are combined.
Drinks and the “good thing” should not be mixed.
This is an urban legend that is repeated time and time again. People feel that if an ingredient is pricey, it should not be used in a mixed drink since the taste would be lost. This just isn’t the case. The majority of people believe this misconception because using the “good stuff” in cocktails in a bar is just not cost feasible. The reality is, the higher the quality of your components, the better your drink will taste. Use it if you can afford it.
Vodka
Vodka is one of the most widely available spirits in the home bar. Not only is vodka a reasonably priced spirit, but it’s also a highly flexible one that may be flavored in a variety of ways. We’ll look at 10 must-try cocktail ideas that incorporate your favorite vodkas .
You’ll learn how to make the following vodka drinks in this chapter:
Appletini Caramel
Lemonade with Coconut and Strawberry
Whiskey Foxtrot Tango
Harvey Wallbanger is a fictional character created by Harvey Wallbanger
Ketel, Jan Collins Dutch Lemonade with Bloody Mary
Sidecar for Gentlemen
Watermelon Moscow Mule Caipiroska
Appletini Caramel
The caramel appletini is generally thought of as a “girly” cocktail, but this delectable taste combination is a must-try for every caramel apple enthusiast!
However, it’s a delectable combo!
Ingredients:
– Ciroc Apple Vodka (1.25 oz.) (you may use your favorite apple vodka instead)
– butterscotch schnapps, 0.75 oz.
– apple cider (0.75 oz.)
– 3 apple slices (we like tart apples like Granny Smith)
– 1 chewy caramel candy piece
Instructions:
Use your beloved shaker to combine the Ciroc Apple vodka, apple cider, and butterscotch schnapps in a shaker filled with crushed ice. In a martini glass, strain your drink. One apple slice should be cut and perched on the edge of your glass while the other slices are added to your drink.
You’re ready to drink after you’ve placed your caramel in your glass.
Lemonade with Coconut and Strawberry
This delightful drink with coconut and strawberry lemonade is a firm favorite among cocktail connoisseurs. This taste will appeal to those who like flavored lemonade.
Ingredients:
– Ciroc Coconut 1.5 oz. (or your favorite coconut-flavored vodka)
– lemon juice (1 oz.)
– honey water combination (0.75 oz.) (.375 oz honey and.375 oz water whisked together)
-three strawberries
– Sucrose
– club soda, 3 oz.
Instructions:
To begin, “muddle” the strawberries. Muddling is the process of smashing strawberries with a little sugar to make a mushy sweet mixture at the bottom of your glass. Muddling should be done by softly pushing down and gently twisting; it should not be mashed or torn. It’s normally simple to muddle fruit in your glass to save time and dishes, but if you’re using a ‘V’ shaped glass, you may need to muddle the fruit in a separate container.
Add your berries, Ciroc Coconut, lemon juice, and honey syrup to your shaker after they’ve been mixed. Add a few cubes of ice — the kind of ice doesn’t matter since you’ll be straining your drink. Shake your components together to combine them. Pour the drink into your glass using a strainer.
Pour your club soda on top of your drink and garnish with a strawberry slice around the edge of your glass.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
The Foxtrot Whiskey Tango, popularly known as the FWT, is a simple yet tasty cocktail combination.
Ingredients:
– Ciroc Coconut 1.5 oz. (or your favorite coconut vodka)
– pineapple juice (3 oz.)
1 lime –
Begin by filling your shaker with ice (this drink will be strained, so use whatever ice you have on hand). In a shaker, combine the coconut vodka, pineapple juice, and a hefty squeeze of fresh lime juice. Shake well before straining into a martini glass! A spiral of lime peel may be used as a garnish, although it is not required.
Harvey Wallbanger
The Harvey Wallbanger is a popular and frequent cocktail among vodka drinkers, therefore understanding how to create it is essential! This drink, which combines hazelnut and orange flavors, isn’t for everyone.
Ingredients:
Vodka, 1.25 oz (use your favorite brand, the best you can buy)
Bailey’s liqueur with hazelnut flavor, 0.25 oz.
orange juice, 3 oz.
a single orange slice
Begin by filling a glass halfway with bigger ice cubes. Allow a few minutes for your glass to cool before adding the vodka and orange juice. To combine the vodka and orange juice, use a cocktail stirrer. Stir in the hazelnut liqueur after it has been swirled for a few minutes. To finish, place an orange slice on the edge of your glass as a garnish.
Collins, Jan
The Jan Collins is a citrus-flavored vodka-based drink that isn’t as well-known as the John Collins. This is the drink for you if you’re looking for something simple and zesty.
– 0.75 ounces vodka of your choice – 0.25 ounces orange liqueur – 0.5 ounces club soda
0.75 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
– Simple syrup, 0.25 oz.
– 1 orange round (an orange slice in the shape of a round)
Start by filling your shaker halfway with ice (the kind of ice doesn’t matter since we’ll be straining this drink). Shake well to blend the vodka, fresh lemon juice, orange liqueur, and simple syrup in your shaker. After you’ve mixed your cocktail, pour it into a glass and top with club soda!
To finish, place an orange slice on the edge of your glass as a garnish.
Mary’s Blood
The bloody Mary is a classic drink for individuals who want to start their day with a beverage…or who need a little hair of the dog! This tomato juice cocktail has a bite to it, but it’s a popular choice among many.
1.5 ounces vodka (your favorite brand, the finest you can buy) – 3 ounces tomato juice – 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
– 0.5 teaspoon salt – 0.5 teaspoon horseradish – 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper – 0.25 ounces fresh lemon juice
– 1 stalk celery
Instructions:
In an ice-filled shaker, combine the vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, horseradish, black pepper, and lemon juice (big cubes are ideal since they will be needed later). To mix your ingredients, shake vigorously and pour into a glass packed with big ice cubes. You’re ready to drink now that you’ve garnished your glass with a celery stalk!
Lemonade from the Netherlands
Dutch lemonade is a delicious beverage made with only lemon and vodka. It’s ideal for individuals who want to keep things simple. This two-ingredient drink is perfect for hot summer days.
Citroen flavored vodka (your favorite brand, the finest you can purchase) 1.5 ounces
– 3 oz. lemonade (freshly squeezed)
– 1 twist of lemon rind
Use a cocktail stirrer to completely mix your vodka and lemonade in a glass full of big ice cubes. Finish with a twist of lemon peel for garnish, and you’re ready to drink!
Sidecar for Gentlemen
The gentlemen’s sidecar is a mixed drink that includes both vodka and cognac.
This cocktail isn’t for everyone because of its unusual and intense taste, but if you’re looking for something to boost your bravery, this is the drink for you!
1 oz. vodka (your favorite brand, the finest you can purchase) Ingredients:
– Hennessy cognac, 0.5 oz.
– 1 oz. grapefruit juice, ruby red
– Simple syrup (0.5 oz.)
– 1 egg white (0.25 oz.)
– fragrant bitters, 3 dashes
– Grapefruit peel Begin by filling a shaker halfway with crushed ice. In a shaker, combine the vodka, cognac, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and egg whites. Sugar the rim of your glass. To incorporate your components, give your shaker a good shake. In your sugar-rimmed glass, double strain your shaker. Squeeze your grapefruit peel over the surface of your cocktail to disperse the oils. Remove the grapefruit peel from your drink and add three dashes of bitters to the top!
Mule from Moscow
The Moscow mule is a delicious vodka and ginger beer beverage that is becoming more popular these days. If you don’t like ginger, this isn’t the drink for you; but, if you like the fiery kick of ginger, you should absolutely try it!
Ingredients:
– 1 oz. vodka (your preferred brand, the finest available)
– 1 tbsp fresh lime juice – 1 tsp simple syrup
– 4 oz. ginger beer (not to be confused with ginger ale!)
– 1 fresh mint sprig
– 1 candied ginger slice (optional)
Instructions:
Large cubed ice should be used to fill your glass. In a tumbler, combine the vodka, simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer. Stir your drink thoroughly with a stirrer and garnish with a piece of fresh mint on top. If you want to utilize candied ginger in your cocktail, you may toss it in or place it on the edge of the glass.
