Mixing drinks is an art form that can be mastered if you pay attention to a few important details. Remember to always use fresh, cold ingredients and chilled glasses.
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1. Start with immaculate glassware. Hand washing and drying with a clean, lint-free towel gives the most sparkling results.
2. Use the highest-quality liquor you can afford without going into premium brands that are best sipped alone.
3. Use fresh lemons, limes and other fruit for mixing and garnishes.
4. Use bottled water for mixing and making ice if your tap water doesn't taste good. Or buy ice from a source that uses better water.
5. Choose the correct size and shape glass for each drink. We all know a martini or a cosmopolitan goes in a stemmed cocktail glass - but there's also the tall, 8- to 10-oz. highball glass for drinks such as whiskey-and-soda; the squat, stemless 8- to 10-oz. old-fashioned glass for drinks such as the old-fashioned and the 2-oz. shot glass for sipping premium liquors.
6. Chill glasses well, either by placing in the refrigerator until cold or by filling glasses with crushed ice while mixing the drink.
7. Don't splash more alcohol into a drink than the formula calls for - it may throw off the taste, you'll run out of liquor sooner and your guests' well-being won't benefit by it.
Add a little lemon juice to the water when washing glasses, to help keep spotting to a minimum. Dry glasses as soon as you wash them. Blend, Shake, Layer or Stir.
1. Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker or mixer in this order: fruit juices, then liquor, then other ingredients.
2. Shake or stir the drink, then strain it into a cocktail glass to serve "straight up."
3. Add ice, then liquor, then mixer when using a blender. The alcohol melts the ice, making it easier to blend.
4. Shake 4 to 5 times when using crushed ice and 8 to 10 times when using cracked ice.
Always use a jigger to measure liquor. Avoid over shaking; it melts the ice too much and waters down your drinks. Frozen drinks should be just thin enough to run out of the blender. Add ice if a frozen drink is too thin or mixer if it's too thick. Always put the ice into the glass first. Stock more ice than you think you need - cracked or cubed for stirred or shaken drinks; crushed or shaved for frozen drinks. Garnish and Serve.
1. Skewer half an orange slice with a maraschino cherry to make a flag.
2. Cut fruit slices about 1/4-inch thick with a slit cut toward the center so the slice can rest on the rim of the glass.
3. Make a twist by slicing only the colo red part of the rind of a lemon, lime or orange. There's a special zester available from cookware and bar suppliers that makes this cut easily.
4. Rub the twist over the rim of the before dropping it into the drink.
5. Pour drinks as soon as you make them.
Use fresh fruit and juices in fruit drinks whenever possible. Keep fruit and juices in the refrigerator.
When consuming alcohol, always use moderation. Never drink and drive. Frozen drinks When making a frozen drink, it is easier to blend if you add the liquor, then the mixer, and finally the ice. The drink comes out of the blender smoother than if the ice was to be placed in first. Drinks for Any Occasion At your next party, welcome your guests with festive drinks to set the mood. Whether you're looking for sophisticated classics or retro fun, mixed drinks and cocktails are easy to prepare. And many drinks are quite forgiving: Alcohol amounts can be adjusted for personal preference or, with practice, eyeballed for quick mixing.
Serve alcohol responsibly. Offer food with your drinks and provide nonalcoholic alternatives. Always be aware of how much your guests are drinking. Call a cab for those who have consumed too much. Occasion drink, mix it up!
Shake or stir 2 1/2 oz. (75 ml) gin and 1/2 oz. (15 ml) dry vermouth with ice. Strain and garnish with a lemon twist or olive.
Shake 1 1/4 oz. (40 ml) vodka,
1/4 oz. (10 ml) lime juice, 1/4 oz.
(10 ml) triple sec and 1/4 oz. (10 ml) cranberry juice with ice. Strain and garnish with a lime wedge.
1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) whiskey, 3/4 oz.
(20 ml) sweet vermouth and optional dash of bitters with ice. Strain and garnish with a cherry.
Shake together 2 oz. (60 ml) whiskey, juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar. Strain and garnish with a lemon slice. Beach Party Margarita Rub rim of glass with lime peel and dip in coarse salt. Shake 1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) tequila, 1 oz. (30 ml) lime juice and 1/2 oz. (15 ml) triple sec with ice. Strain into a glass.
1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) light rum, 1 tsp. powdered sugar and juice of 1 lime with ice. Strain.
Blend together 3 oz. (90 ml) light rum, 2 oz. (60 ml) coconut milk, 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 g) crushed pineapple and 2 cups (10 oz/275 g) ice. Serve with a straw.
Stir together 2 oz. (60 ml) tequila and 4 oz. (120 ml) orange juice. Stir in ice, then slowly drizzle in grenadine.
1/2 oz. Baileys Irish Cream
1/2 oz. Frangelico
1/2 oz. Amaretto
1/2 oz. Kahlua
1/2 oz. Cruzan Rum
1/2 oz. Tia Maria
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
Top with coffee, fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Pour 6 oz. (180 ml) champagne in a flute. Add 1/2 oz. (15 ml) creme de cassis.
Stir 3/4 oz. (20 ml) Campari, 3/4 oz. (20 ml) gin and 3/4 oz. (20 ml) sweet vermouth with ice. Strain.
Core a fresh Pineapple
1/2 oz. Creme of Coconut
2 oz. Cruzan Rum
Add Ice & Blend
Stir together 1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) vodka, 3 oz. (90 ml) tomato juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 drops hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), and pinch of salt and pepper. Add ice and garnish with a celery stick.
Fill flutes halfway with chilled orange juice, then top with chilled champagne.
Pour 2 oz. (60 ml) strawberry schnapps and 1/2 oz. (15 ml) grenadine over ice into a glass. Top with orange juice. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.
Stir together 2 oz. (60 ml) pineapple juice, 2 oz. (60 ml) white wine and
1/2 tsp. powdered sugar. Stir in ice and 2 oz. (60 ml) club soda. Garnish with orange and lemon slices.
Fill a cup with 6 to 8 oz. (180 to 240 ml) boiling water. Stir in 2 oz. (60 ml) whiskey and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Garnish with a lemon slice.
Stir together 6 oz. (180 ml) hot coffee, 1 1/2 oz. (45 ml) whiskey and 1/2 tsp. brown sugar in cup. Top with fresh whipped cream.
1 oz. Irish Whisky
1/2 oz. Honey
1 Tab of Butter
Add to a cup of Hot Tea and top with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinamon.
Stir together 2 oz. (60 ml) cranberry juice and 1 tbsp. lime juice in a glass. Add ice and top with club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Pour 6 oz. (180 ml) orange juice and
4 oz. (120 ml) tonic water over ice. Garnish with a lime slice.
Stir together juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp. powdered sugar and 2 tbsp. raspberry syrup in a glass. Add ice and top with club soda. Garnish with lemon and orange slices.
Also read:
How To Choose Champagne