COCKTAILS

Cocktails are mixed drinks that have become popular since the first quarter of the 20th century and all bars offer

a list of selected cocktails. However, people have been drinking mixed drinks since the inception; no one could

really establish the origin of the term ‘Cocktail’. It is claimed that the first recipe for a cocktail was lemon juice

and powdered mixers, appreciated by Emperor Commodus in the second century AD.

One of many popular notions on the birth of the word cocktail is that during the American War of Independence,

in 1779, an innkeeper, Betsy Flanagan of Virginia prepared of chicken she stole from a neighbor who was pro

British. She then served the French soldiers with mixed drinks decorated with the feathers from the birds. Her

merry French guests toasted her with the words Vive le cocktail. Since then the word cocktail was used to mean

the mixed drinks. This is of course one of the stories.

The word cocktail was first described in an American magazine Balance as ‘a mixture of spirits, sugar water and

bitters’ in 1806

The cocktail gained ground and popularity in the USA, especially during the Prohibition period. The production,

transportation and sale of alcoholic beverage were banned in the USA from 1920 to 1933 due to the pressure

from religious and political thinkers.

A cocktail is normally a short drink of 3 ½ -4 fluid ounces-anything larger being called a ‘mixed drink’ or a
‘long drink’
Classification of cocktails

It is estimated that there are over 10 thousand mixed drinks and cocktails in use.

Iced drinks can be roughly divided into four groups

1. Aperitif: These stimulate the Appetite. They must therefore be appealing to the eye. Broadly
speaking, these drinks are usually made from wines mixed with spirit.

2. Cocktail: This the largest group of all, and consists of all short shaken mixed drinks. They should
contain a spirit base, coloring and flavouring ingredient or other modifying agent

3. Long drinks: These are served in tall tumblers such as High Balls ,or Collins glass

4. Stimulants: Instead of going to the doctor, if one has a hangover the bartender will prescribe
cocktails or mixed drinks. They are also described as ‘Pick me ups’.

Components of Cocktail:
Cocktails have the following components:

Base: The major alcoholic drink used in the preparation of a cocktail is called base, which is usually a spirit.
Most cocktails are built around spirits. If a cocktail has two or more alcoholic drinks the quantity of the base
generally will be more than the other. If two alcoholic drinks are used in same quantity, then the one with the
higher that is the sprit is considered as the base. If a cocktail has equal quantities of different spirits then any one
of the spirit can be taken as the base.

Modifier: These are complimentary ingredients added to modify or enhance the flavours. Spirits, aromatized,
wines beer, fruit juices, soda, cream, liqueurs, water etc.
Flavouring, Colouring and Sweetening Ingredient: A drink might have very small quantities (few drops) of one
or more flavouring and sweetening ingredients to make it different from other drinks. A cocktail can be made
without these ingredients.

Garnish: Many drinks have garnish. They are part of the product. It should be remembered that some drinks do
not have standard garnish and it is advisable to serve without any garnish, instead of trying out different
garnishes and spoiling the real flavour and value of the drink.
METHODS OF MAKING COCKTAIL

Cocktails are made in any of these following methods according to the type of modifier ingredients

Building: It is made by pouring the ingredients one by one in the glass in which it is to be served. If ice is
required, it is placed first before adding the ingredients.

Stirring: refers to mixing of the ingredients with ice by stirring quickly in a mixing glass with a stirrer and then
straining to an appropriate glass. It is done very quickly to minimize the dilution.

Shaking: It is the mixing of ingredients thoroughly with ice by shaking them in Cocktail shaker and straining
into appropriate glasses. Effervescent drinks should never be shaken.
Blending: This method is used for combining fruits, solid foods, ice etc in a electric bender. Any drink that can
be shaken can be blended. It is a suitable method for making large quantity of mixed drinks.

Layering: This method is used when the ingredients used are of different colour flavour and density. One
ingredient is floated over the other by pouring gently over the back of the spoon into straight-sided glass.
POINTS TO NOTE WHILE MAKING COCKTAILS AND MIXED DRINKS
· Make sure that there is a good supply of ice

· Do not reuse ice.

· Do not touch the ice with hands. Always use scoop or tongs.

· Serve cocktails in chilled glasses

· To avoid spillage, do not fill glasses to the brim

· Do not overfill thee cocktail shaker.

· Effervescent drinks must never be shaken. It should be stirred in at last.

· Do not use the liquidizer for effervescent drinks.

· Do not leave the prepared cocktail for a long time as they will separate

· To extract more juice from citrus fruits, Soak them in hot water

· To shake use short and snappy action

· Check the freshness of eggs before adding

· Always place ice first in the mixing glass or shaker followed by nonalcoholic beverage and then
non alcoholic beverages.

· To extract more juice from citrus fruits, Soak them in hot water

· To shake use short and snappy action

· Check the freshness of eggs before adding

· Always place ice first in the mixing glass or shaker followed by nonalcoholic beverage and then
non alcoholic beverages.
Cocktail Garnishes
A garnish is an item that decorates and flavours food and drinks. In bar the garnish most used are fruit and some
herbs. The fruit must always be fresh and washed.

The common garnishes are:

Lemons: lemon skins impart lovely citrus flavour to drinks. It is best presented as twists of lemon peel.

Lime: A lime gives 16 wedges or slices. Wedges are used to moisten the rim of the glass to adhere salt or sugar.
Slices are lime wheels used as decoration for cocktails.

Orange: Orange slices or wedges are used much the same way as lime is used in cocktails with a base of orange
juice.

Maraschino cherries: These cherries are specially prepared for cocktail decorative purposes.

Olives: Olives go well with neat drinks like vodka and gin

Pineapple: Pineapple spears or wheels go as garnishes for tropical drinks, where pineapple juice is used.

Mint leaves: they are ideal for decorative purposes specially when a contrast in colour is desired

Parsley: Parsley shoots are used in some rinks more as a decorative item.
Popular styles of
Mixed Drinks
S.No. Style Description Method/Glassware

Ice, Sprit, lemon, sugar,

1 Collins syrup, soda Build/shake; Collins

Ice, Sprit or wine,

Syrup, Soda/ginger ale/
2 Coolers Any carbonated drink Build; Collins/highball

Ice, sprit, fresh lime

3 Rickey soda Build; highball/old fashioned

Sprit Sugar, bitters,

cherry, and orange for
Garnish Sugar, bitters,
ice whisky. It is simply
Whiskey over the ice
without any mixer. It is
It is sweetened,
flavoured, and
garnished. Sugar cube
is moistened with
splash of soda or Water
and bitters and then
muddled with bar
Spoon, filled with ices,
quantity of spirit added
And stirred quickly.
Old- Garnished with cherry,
4 fashioned Orange Peel, or lemon Build; old-fashioned

Bourbon, fresh mint,

sugar, shaved ice It is a
popular American drink.
Sprigs of Mint are
placed in a frosted
glass with a spoonful of
sugar and muddled
with the base of the bar
spoon. Measure of
bourbon whiskey is
added and the glass is
filled with plenty of ice.
5 Mint julep Gin, vermouth, garnish. Build; highball

6 Martini Gin, vermouth, garnish Stir; cocktail glass

It is the most famous of
all cocktails. The Drink
was first made in 1860
in New York And the
original recipe had gin,
vermouth Maraschino
and bitters. It was
modified to 2 parts of
gin to 1 part of
 vermouth in the Early
1900s and in the 1940s
it was made Using 4
parts of gin to 1 part of
vermouth And now it is
9 parts of gin to 1 part
of Vermouth.

Chilled drink made with

7 Daiquiris rum, lime and sugar Shake; cocktail glass

Sprit, lemon,
Grenadine, crushed
ice, soda Is optional;
8 Daisies garnished with fruit Shake; mug, goblet

Sprit, egg, milk, sugar,

9 Egg noggs nutmeg Shake; mug

Short drink made by

pouring the ingredients
One by one over the
ice and decorated with
Fruits, Served with
10 Fixes straws Build; goblet

Spirits citrus juice,

sugar, soda, egg, ice
11 Fizz cube Shake; highball

Same as egg noggs

without mild and egg
white;Spirits or fortified
wine, sugar, egg yolk,
nutmeg
 
12 Flips Shake; goblet

Spirit and/or liqueurs

and crushed ice.
Served With short
13 Frappes straw Build/shake; 6-12oz glass

Spirits, carbonated
water, and ice cube It is
simple and quickly
14 Highball prepared drink Build; highball

15 Mist Spirit, crushed ice old-fashioned/rocks

16 Pousse- Syrups, Liqueurs, and Layering; straight sided

Caf e spirits of various glass
densities are gently
layered one over the
other by gently Pouring
 over the back of the
spoon. Each Ingredient
is floated over the other

Rum, hot or cold water,

citrus fruit juice, sugar
17 Punches And fruits Shake; Collins/goblet

Smaller version of mint

juleps, made from any
Spirit, sprigs of mint,
18 Smashes sugar crushed ices. Build; old-fashioned/ Rocks

Spirits, liqueur, citrus

juice, soda ice cube
19 Sling garnish Shake/build; Collins/ Highball

Spirits, citrus fruit juice,

20 Sours syrup, egg white Shake; cocktail

21 Spritzer Wine, Soda, ice cube Build; highball/goblet

It is a hot-weathered
drink of gin or wine
22 Cup base Build/stir; highball/bowl

It is a sweetened drink
made with spirits, wine,
And other alcoholic
23 Sangarees drinks Stir; old fashioned

Spirits, sugar citrus

juice crushed ice soda
24 Swizzle and Bitters are optional Stir; highball

It may be either hot or

cold and served as
25 Toddy refresher Stir; goblet/old
 

WHISKY COCKTAILS:-
SCOTCH
MIST 1 measure Scotch
(Bourbon whisky Crushed ice Fill an Old-Fashioned glass with crushed ice and
Mist, Rye Lemon twist Short pour whiskey over ice. Decorate with lemon and
Mist, etc.) straws add straws

ROUND THE 1 measure banana Put banana liqueur and whiskey in mixing glass •
WORLD liqueur I measure with plenty of ice. Add Cointreau and undiluted
Scotch whisky Dash orange squash. Stir and strain into cocktail glass.
Cointreau Dash Add orange and serve
 orange squash
Orange slice Ice

1 measure Scotch
whisky 1 measure
sweet vermouth 1
dash Angostura Put ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and
THISTLE bitters strain into cocktail glass

1   measure
American rye
whiskey 2  
teaspoons sugar 1 Shake ingredients with ice until sugar is dissolved.
WHISKEY measure lemon Strain into Sour glass. Garnish with slice of orange
SOUR juice and a cherry

Variations are: GIN

SOUR,DAQUIRI, SCOTCH
SOUR,BOURBON SOUR, RUM
SOUR
1   measure
American rye
whiskey 2  
teaspoons sugar 1 Collins is a Sour served on the rocks in a Collins
WHISKEY measure lemon glass, filled with soda. Garnish as a Sour but add
COLLINS juice straws »

2 measures
American rye
whiskey 1 measure Pour into shaker and stir until well chilled. Strain ?
MANHATTAN sweet vermouth into Cocktail glass –

In an Old Fashioned glass saturate either one lump

of sugar, or one heaped teaspoon sugar, with «
2 measures rye Angostura and add a dash of water. Muddle, add
OLD whiskey Angostura whiskey. Fill glass with ice. Stir. Garnish with slice
FASHIONED bitters Sugar of orange and a cherry.
 
Gin Cocktails:-
Shake with ice. Serve in a
Highball glass, garnish
I measure gin ^ measure cherry with orange slice and a
SINGAPORE SLING brandy 1 fl oz lemon juice Soda cherry

2 measures gin Dash grenadine Shake and strain into a

PINK LADY Half white of egg Cocktail glass”‘

1   measure gin Dash lime juice 2  

dashes creme de menthe Dash Shake and serve Cocktail
FALLEN ANGEL Angostura blttbrs glass with ice

1 measure gin 1 measure fresh Shake and strain into a

ORANGE BLOSSOM orange juice Cocktail glass
 1   measure gin 2   teaspoons
castor sugar 1 measure fresh
TOM COLLINS lemon juice
1   measure gin 2   drops
PINK GIN Angostura bitters Iced water
BRANDY COCKTAILS
I measure cognac 1 measure cream 1
ALEXANDER measure crdme de caCao
2 measures cognac 1 measure
SIDECAR Cointreau 1 measure lemon juice
I measure cognac 1 measure
BETWEEN THE Cointreau 1 measure white rum \ 1
SHEETS measure lemon juice
1 measure cognac 1 measure orange
OLYMPIC Curacao Orange juice
B&B 1/2 measure cognac 1/2 measure
Shake, strain into a
Cocktail glass
In Spirit glass swill round
Angostura bitters and then
tip out. Fill glass with ice
and pour over gin. Serve
with iced water according
to taste
Shake well and strain into
Cocktail glass
Shake well and pour into
Highball glass with ice
Shake well and pour into an
Old Fashioned glass with ice
Shake well and serve with ice
in Highball glass. Garnish with
orange
Serve straight up in a Liqueur
 Benedictine glass

1/2 measure white creme de menthe Shake well, until icy, icy cold
STINGER 2 measures cognac and serve in a Cocktail glass
 

RUM COCKTAILS
1 measure rum 1 measure Shake all together and
brandy I measure Cointreau Dash strain into an Old
BETWEEN THE SHEETS lemon juice Fashioned glass

1 measure white rum I measure Shake well and strain into

coconut cream 1 bottle pineapple a Collins glass and
PINACOLADA juice garnish. Add straws

1 measure white rum 1 dash Shake together and serve

Pemod 1   measure lemon juice in Old Fashioned glass
SHANGHAI 2   dashes Grenadine with ice

Pour white rum and

lemon juice into Collins
glass with ice and lemon
I measure white rum I measure slice. Top up with Pepsi
CUBA LIBRE lemon juice 1 bottle Pepsi Cola Cola
 
VODKA COCKTAILS
serve in Old Fashioned glass
if ‘on rocks’, otherwise serve
in Collins glass To make
‘spicy* tomato juice add salt,
pepper, Worcester Sauce.
Flavour can be improved by
adding any of the following:
Dash Tabasco Basil Leaves
juice of one quarter lemon
Pepper from pepper mill
Garnish can be varied -stick of
1 measure vodka I bottle tomato celery, carrot stick, wedge of
BLOODY MARY juice lemon

Shake vodka and blue

2 measures vodka 1 measure Curacao and pour onto ice in
blue Curasao Lemonade 1 a Collins glass, add lemonade
BLUE LAGOON measure fresh cream and float cream on top

1 measure vodka 1measure Serve on rocks, stir the

BLACK RUSSIAN kahlua, ice content
 Amaretto and
1 measure vodka 1/2 measure orange juice. Pour into Collins
Amaretto Bottle orange juice glass with ice and add a dash
QUIET SUNDAY Dash of Grenadine of grenadine

1 measure vodka 1 measure Shake vigorously and „ serve

WHITE SPIDER white creme de menthe very cold in a • -Cocktail glass
 

TEQUILA COCKTAILS
1   measure tequila 2   dashes Serve with ice in Collins glass,
SUNRISE Grenadine 1 bottle orange with straws

1 measure tequila 1 almost full Shake well, strain and serve in

measure lemon juice 1 measure a Cocktail glass, rimmed with
MARGARITA Cointreau salt

1 measure tequila 1 measure Serve in Old Fashioned glass

BRAVE BULL Kahlua with partly crushed ice

Mix and pour into Old

1 measure tequila 3 fl oz Fashioned glass with ice.
MOCKINGBIRD grapefruit juice Dash lime juice Garnish with a cherry
 
OTHER COCKTAILS:-
Pour gin and dry vermouth into
shaker. Stir until chilled. Garnish
2 measures with stoned or stuffed olive on a
DRY MARTINI (GIN AND gin ‘A measure of dry stick, or a twist of lemon. Serve
FRENCH) vermouth in Cocktail glass

SWEET MARTINI (GIN AND Substitute sweet Garnish with red Maraschino
ITALIAN) vermouth for dry cherry

Substitute vodka for Garnish with olive or twist of

VODKA MARTINI gin lemon

A Fizz is a Collins served off the

1measure American rocks, topped with soda from
rye whiskey 2 syphon, and the only garnish is
teaspoons sugar ,1 a cherry; Served in Old fahion
FIZZES measure lemon juice glass

1/2 sugar cube Place sugar cubes soaked in

Angostura bitters Angostura in saucer shaped
Chilled, Champagne glass. Pour in well
champagne/sparkling chilled champagne, float brandy
CHAMPAGNE/SPARKLING wine/ babycham 1 on top. Garnish with slice of
WINE COCKTAIL teaspoon brandy orange, or cherry
Basic types of Cocktails and Mixed Drinks

Cobblers: Very refreshing cocktail, directly prepared in the glass, without a shake and with crushed ice. This
low alcohol content drink is accompanied by chopped fruit and served with a straw or a spoon.

Collins: The perfect cocktail for summer. As they are served with lots of ice, sugar, lemon and soda, they are
very refreshing. Collins cocktails are made with hard liquor, lemon juice, soda and sugar. Sometimes the
schnapps is substituted by vodka, gin, whiskey, rum or tequila.

Coolers: Long and quite pleasant sips cocktail, with low alcohol content, that uses ice cubes instead of crushed
ice. Moreover, they tend to be decorated by an spirally cutted orange or lemon peel.

Crustas: Cocktails served in a coup with a sweetened glass, prepared in shakes. The most common example is
the Margarita.
Cups: Cocktails prepared with white wine, siders and liquors. They are served with cutted fresh fruit -stored in
the freezer for two or three hours- and in big containers, even if they are drunk in small cups.

Egg nogs: Cocktails where the spirit or fermented drink is the basis, accompanied by milk, eggs and nutmeg in
the preparation process. It can be served cold or warm.

Fizzes: Sparkling cocktails, with long sips, prepared with lemon juice, sugar and egg white, in combination with
gin or any other spirit drink, supplemented with soda.
Flips: Creamy cocktails made with rum, sherry, marsala, sugar and egg yolk. They are usually served warm and
accompanied by cinnamon and nutmeg.

Frozen: Half-frozen or ice-cocktails where the beverage has been mixed with a plentiful piece of crushed ice.

Grogs: Warm drink made with hot sugary water, mixed with liquor -usually rum but also with kirsch and
cognac- that usually carries aromatizers like lemon.

Juleps: Refreshing drinks recognizable by the mint aroma, mixed in the preparation with Kentucky Bourbon,
sugar, and thick crushed ice. Juleps are also prepared with scotch, rum and even brandy.

Pousse-café: Directly prepared in the glass, after pouring the heavier liquids -normally sweeter and thicker- and
taking care not to mix them. Its highlight is the fring that each combined liquid have.

Sangría: A wine punch, made with red wine, sugar, chopped fresh fruit -normally pineapple, pears, apples and
peaches- and sparkling water

Sours: Cocktails made with lots of lemon and sugar mixed withu bourbon or any other whiskey.

BUCK -are long drinks made with liquor and a small amount of lemon juice and ginger ale. Like a Collins, a
buck can be with any kind of liquor. Originally however, gin is the best. Bucks are excellent hot weather drinks.

Crustas: Cocktails served in a coup with a sweetened glass, prepared in shakes. The most common example is
the Margarita.

Egg nogs: Cocktails where the spirit or fermented drink is the basis, accompanied by milk, eggs and nutmeg in
the preparation process. It can be served cold or warm.

Frozen: Half-frozen or ice-cocktails where the beverage has been mixed with a plentiful piece of crushed ice.

Grogs: Warm drink made with hot sugary water, mixed with liquor -usually rum but also with kirsch and
cognac- that usually carries aromatizers like lemon.
How to make cocktails: follow these 10 golden rules

1. Start with the classics. In Haruki Murakami’s novel Norwegian Wood, the character of Nagasawa only reads
books that are more than 40 years old; if it’s still in print after all that time, it’s probably worth reading. A
similar principle applies to cocktails. There are modem classics, true, but they are mostly indebted to the classic
classics, which are classics for good reason. They are built on simple principles that, once learned, will lend
structure to your own experiments.
2. Alcohol is the most important ingredient. It should go without saying, but so many people persist in the
belief that a cocktail should be a liquid pudding or a naughty milkshake that it is worth repeating. A proper
cocktail should not disguise its booziness; it should celebrate it. As a rule of thumb, a cocktail is 50ml of the
“base” spirit (that’s a double shot), plus a couple of other bits and bobs. Use a generous hand with spirits, and a
stingy hand with bits and bobs. It’s easy to make a cocktail more sweet or sour or dilute; it’s harder to make it
unsweet or unsour and undilute. A lot of bartenders pour the alcohol into the shaker last for this reason – if you
mess up with the cheaper ingredients, you haven’t wasted the good stuff.

3. Ice is the second most important ingredient. Do not even think about throwing a cocktail party unless the
contents of your freezer could sink the Titanic. Do not ever ask, as English publicans often do: “Ice with your
G&T?” There is a certain kind of person who still sees ice either as overly fussy or a way of cheating them out
of drink. But when ice is freely available in your own home and you have already purchased the liquor, there is
no excuse. Ice serves a dual purpose in cocktails, chilling the drink as well as providing a little (but not too
much) dilution. Use insufficient ice and it will melt much more quickly, resulting in insufficient chilling and too
much dilution. The ice should always poke above the alcohol line in the shaker and in the glass. How much ice
do I need? More.

4. Mixers? Where we’re going, we won’t need mixers. How many times have you heard someone say: “Nah,
we’ve got a bottle of rum, but we haven’t got any mixers …” But cocktails should be comprised of ordinary
fresh ingredients. Alcohol, other kinds of alcohol, ice, lemons, limes, sugar … maybe some eggs or berries or
mint … and preferably not Diet Coke or concentrated orange juice. Study the labels of pre-made sodas and
syrups carefully before you introduce them to your best bourbon. Do you really want saccharin, xanthan gum
and E numbers in there?

5. Keep it simple. You do not need a whole tray of liqueurs; you do not need an orchard of fruits; you do not
need some obscure variety of pisco; you certainly do not need all of these things at the same time. “Many a
cocktail has been hoist on the petard of its own casual plurality,” as cocktail writer Charles H Baker once wrote.
Use ingredients that you understand, generally no more than two or three a drink. Think of your core cocktails
like scrambled eggs or spaghetti sauce (something you might make each week and perfect over many years),
rather than lobster thermidor or game pie (something you might make once and never know if you got quite
right).
6. A cocktail should be balanced. Aim for a harmonious blend of flavours, so neither sweetness nor sourness
nor bitterness dominates. The question is less whether it tastes good on first sip – it’s easy to make something
that makes you go: “Hot damn!” The question is more whether it still tastes good on the last sip: it’s harder to
make something that makes you go: “Hot damn! Same again!” Your taste buds are your guide; keep tasting at all
stages of preparation.

7. A cocktail is supposed to look nice. You don’t have to be an obsessive about it, but you should take time and
care over presentation. It’s part of the ritual. A little lemon-zest twist here, a frosted glass there – it makes
whoever you’re making the cocktail for feel special. Even if it’s yourself, it’s 1am, and no one came to your
birthday.
8. Only shake cocktails with fruit juice in them. It’s a simple but more or less binding rule. Certain
international superspies occasionally break it, *cough James Bond with his “special Martini”, cough*. However,
it will serve the rest of us well. When you break it down, there are essentially two kinds of cocktail: aromatic
cocktails, which contain only alcoholic ingredients; and sour cocktails, which contain citrus fruit (or
occasionally other fruits, cream, egg, coffee etc). The former (which are often dry, boozy and occasionally
bitter) should be stirred with ice, which results in even dilution and a smoother texture. The latter (which are
often tangy, fruity and occasionally creamy) require shaking, which results in more amalgamation, more dilution
and a slightly altered texture. Both can be diluted with water, soda, tea, champagne and so on, to form a third
category: long drinks. Pretty much all else is variation.

9. All the pieces matter. Every single component you add to the cocktail makes a difference. David A Embury,
the great amateur cocktail-maker, insisted that no drink was better than its worst ingredient. That, to me, is a
denial of the basic point of making a cocktail – your labour and ingenuity adds value – but you see the principle.
The brand of rum you buy makes a difference; the particular limes you choose make a difference; the time of
year you buy your limes makes a difference. There are fewer variables in making a daiquiri than in, say, cooking
meatballs, so what you put into the glass matters (and how much, and what kind of glass). On the other hand, see
rule 10.

10. But they also don’t matter. By which I mean you are making cocktails, not safety-speccing an Airbus, so
who really gives a damn? The main task in hand when drinking cocktails is to have a fun time. If you’re out of
bourbon and use scotch, no one will die. If you get the proportions slightly wrong, use more orange next time –
you don’t learn unless you make mistakes. If you can only afford supermarket gin, who cares? It’s still gin.
There is nothing more boring than someone who is boring about things that aren’t boring. On the other hand, see
rule nine.
Cocktail Equipment

A chef, a doctor, a plumber and baker are no good without the proper equipment. It is fine to have the right
ingredients but without the proper tools to prepare the cocktail you are really just making drink!

Here is a list of essential equipment for making all but the most complex cocktails:

JIGGER
The jigger is an essential piece of cocktail making equipment. It is a double sided cup/double sided shot glass
and used to measure and pour liquid when making drinks or other recipes.

It comes in a variety of sizes, the most common one having two cups with one being 15ml and the other being
30ml.

SHAKER
 A cocktail shaker is a device used to mix
beverages (usually alcoholic) by shaking. When ice is placed into the shaker this allows for quicker cooling of
the drink before serving.

A shaken cocktail is made by putting the desired ingredients in the cocktail shaker. Then it is shaken vigorously
for around 5 to 10 seconds, depending upon the mix ability of the ingredients and the desired temperature.

There are at least three varieties of cocktail shakers:

The Boston Shaker: A two-piece shaker consisting of a metal bottom and glass or plastic mixing glass. The
mixing container and the bottom are inserted into each other for shaking or used separately for stirring or
muddling.

The Cobbler Shaker: A three-piece cocktail shaker that has tapers at the top and ends with a built-in strainer
and includes a cap. The cap can often be used as a measure for spirits or other liquids.

The French Shaker: A two-piece shaker consisting of a metal bottom and a metal cap.
STRAINER

A Cocktail Strainer is a metal bar accessory used to remove ice from a mixed drink as it is poured into the
serving glass. A type of sieve the strainer is placed over the mouth of the glass or shaker in which the beverage
was prepared; small holes in the device allow only liquids to pass as the beverage is poured. There are two
common types of strainers.

The Hawthorne Strainer is a disc (called the “rim”) with a handle an two or more stabilizing prongs. A metal
spring fixed around the edge of the rim rolls inward to fit inside the glass. The rim of the strainer does not need
to touch the rim of the glass, as the spring inside filters out the ice.

The Julep Strainer is shaped like a bowl with a handle, and will fit tightly into a mixing glass or shaker when
inserted at the proper angle. Liquid passes through holes or slits in the bowl.
MUDDLER

A muddler is a bartender’s tool, used like a pestle to mash or muddle-fruits, herbs and/or spices in the bottom of
a glass to release their flavour.

The muddler comes in either wood or metal.

BLENDER

No bar is complete without a blender. Many cocktails require the use of blender to mix ingredients, like fruit,
with ice and the alcohol. A blender is a kitchen appliance used to mix, puree or emulsify food and other
substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender jar with a rotating metal blade at the bottom, powered by
an electric motor in the base. Some powerful models can also crush ice.
Glassware

Though often over looked as equipment the right glass for the right cocktail is also just as important as the liquid
used to make the cocktail.

Glassware helps as a bit of “theatre” to cocktail making process. Over years certain cocktails have called for a
certain type of glass, however in a lot of instances glassware is interchangeable.

It is a misconception that you need to have 100’s of cocktail glasses. If you have the following 6 styles you have
enough for the most common cocktails.

The Shot Glass

A Shot glass is a small glass designed to hold or measure spirits or liquor, which is either drunk straight from the
glass (“a shot”) or poured into a cocktail. It is used for serving shots, shooters or slammers.

The Tumbler
The Old Fashioned glass, lowball glass or rocks glass is a short tumbler used for serving an alcoholic beverage
such as whisky, with ice cubes (“on the rocks”). It is also used to serve certain cocktails such as the Old
Fashioned, from which it receives its name.

Old Fashioned glasses typically have a wide brim, thus releasing the flavours of the drink. They also typically
have a thick base (or tunc), so that the non liquid ingredients of a cocktails can be muddled (mashed using a
muddler) before the main ingredients are added.

The Highball Glass

The Highball glass, a glass tumbler, contains 240 to 350 ml. It is used to serve highball cocktails and other
mixed drinks. Most commonly used to serve a mixer and ice.

A highball glass is taller than an Old Fashioned glass.

The Heatproof Glass

As the name suggests, it is designed to be the glass for hot cocktails and drinks like the Irish Coffee. The
example here is one of the many different styles.

The Hurricane Glass

A Hurricane glass is a glass tumbler which typically will contain 600ml. It is used to serve mixed drinks,
particularly the Hurricane from which it is named originating at Pat O’briens Bar in New Orleans.

Other drinks served in this glass include the Singapore Sling, June Bug, Pina Colada and Blue Hawaii.

It is shaped similarly to a vase or a hurricane lamp and is typically taller and wider than a highball glass.

The Martini Glass

Martini glasses have a wide brim and narrow to a point at the base of the bowl. They are part of the large family
of cocktail glasses, and they are often used to serve a wide variety of beverages. Martini glasses are undeniably
one of the most well known types of cocktail glasses, as a result of their distinctive shape.

The Martini glass shape derives from the fact that all cocktails are served chilled and contain an aromatic
element.
Thus, the stem allows the drinker to hold the glass without affecting the temperature of the drink. The wide bowl

places the surface of the drink directly under the drinkers’ nose, ensuring that the aromatic element has the
desired effect.

Abbreviations and regular terms

ABV: Alcohol By Volume. The percentage of alcohol by

volume (ABV) indicates the strength of an alcoholic
beverage and is shown on the bottles label.

Bitters: A potent herbal essence added to drinks in tiny

amounts for its distinctive flavour.

Blending: A cocktail making technique which involves combining

ingredients using a blender.

Building: A cocktail making technique which involves pouring the

liquid ingredients into a glass one at a time.

Coconut cream/Milk: Ingredients derived from fresh coconut, used in cooking

as well as cocktails

Cordial: Non alcoholic fruit concentrate or syrup which is usually

diluted with water before drunk.

Frosting: A cocktail garnishing technique which involves

decorating the rim of the glass with salt, sugar, cocoa
powder or grated nutmeg.

Fruit juice: A drink made from fruit concentrate and water or from
juice the has been freshly extracted from fruit.

Ginger Ale: A sweet non alcoholic ginger flavoured carbonated

drink.

Layering: A cocktail making technique which involves the careful

pouring of liqueurs of different densities on top of one
another in a small narrow glass to make an attractive
multilayered drink.
Maraschino: A non alcoholic cherry flavoured syrup.

Muddling: A cocktail making technique which involves using a

barspoon or muddler to mash the ingredients such as
fruit and herbs in the bottom if a glass to release their
 flavour.
Orange flower water: A flavouring made from orange blossom.

Orgeat: A milky non alcoholic almond flavoured syrup

Shooter: A drink that is served in a shot glass and downed in one

Simple Syrup: Also known as sugar syrup, this non alcoholic syrup
made from sugar.
Conversion Chart

CONVERSION CHART
(Measures have been rounded up or down slightly to make measuring easier)

IMPERIAL METRIC
½ oz. 10-12.5 ml
¾ oz. 15-20 ml
1 oz. 25-30 ml
Popular Cocktail Recipes

We have listed some of the most popular “Australian Cocktails” Below each recipe is a link Please click on the
link to view a demonstration.

Vodka Based Cocktails

Tequila Based Cocktails
Whiskey Based Cocktails
Rum Based Cocktails
Gin Based Cocktails
Bourbon Based Cocktails

Cream Liqueur Based Cocktails

TEN TIPS TO SERVE THE BEST COCKTAILS
If you’re one of those people that delight in tasting a good cocktail, or someone who always
has a cocktail shaker in one hand, take note, because today we’re giving you 10 tips to
impress your guests and turn into an authentic barman.

1. Don’t use the ice in the Cocktail shaker more than once. If not, when shaking, you’ll dilute
the Cocktail. You can use the mixing glass a maximum of two times, always when using ice
fabricated by an ITV machine, with crisp and compact ice cubes. This applies when making
the same cocktail, in case of making a different option always change the ice.

2. Ensure that the glass is big enough to contain the cocktail you’ve prepared. Glasses are
glasses, not bath tubs.

3. Never shake fizzy drinks, if you do, you’ll have a bomb with a delayed fuse on your hands.
4. If the cocktails contain fruit juice, add sugar straight after, mix the content as to combine it
with the juice, then you may add the other ingredients: eggs, creams and liquors. Then you
can add the ice: five or six ice cubes will be enough. Be careful, don’t mix more than three
mixes each time, don’t flood the main body content.

5. When you use the mixing glass, it must be full of ice and you need to swill the ice cubes
around with a spoon for 15 to 20 seconds, this will cool the glass and the ice cubes will not
start jumping around once you add liquid. After swilling the ice around, use a cocktail
strainer to remove all the water content. Incorporate the liquors in order of lower to higher
density.

6. Shake with elegance and remember: up and down, forward and backwards for
approximately 10 to 25 seconds, depending on the Cocktail you’re making. You will notice
the cold temperature of the metal, which will indicate that it’s ready. To mix appropriately,
don’t fill the shaker or the cocktail glass.
7. When serving Cocktails, fill them in scale, from less to more, filling them again in the
opposite direction, from more to less: that way the Cocktails will be equal, both visually and
in flavour and temperature.

8. Serve the cocktails immediately: leaving the cocktail shaker on the table and serving as
you go, as seen in many films, doesn’t work. When left in the shaker, the cocktail become
diluted and the ingredients won’t be mixed correctly.

9. Once the Cocktails are prepared, serve them on a tray covered with a cloth to avoid them
spilling, and with much balance, serve them to your guests. Serving rules say always serve
women first and from their right hand side.
10. If you have space in your freezer, you’ll be able to store your cocktail glasses there (don’t
do this if they’re made of very fine crystal, they can break), this way, when serving, your
glasses will already be chilled. Leave space for a bottle of Gin and another of Vodka: your
Martinis will be spectacular.

 Ah! And last but not least, only serve your guests cocktails that you have tried and practised
previously. Remember, you should always be your best critic.
Types of Liquor used in cocktails:
Any great cocktail mix starts with its star ingredient - the liquor. This is one of the biggest
determiners for your guests while they browse your cocktail menu.

Before selecting what mixes you want to keep on hand, it's important to make sure your bar is
fully stocked with at least each type of alcohol from the 6 essential base liquors. Having one
of each allows you to cater to a range of tastes and create the classic cocktails customers
expect to be able to order at your bar.
Vodka

Distilled from: Potatoes or neutral grains like rye, corn, and wheat, or potatoes

Flavor: Neutral alcohol or ethanol taste

Cocktail Uses: Screwdriver, Bloody Mary

Tequila

Distilled from: Agave plant native to hot, arid regions of the Americas

Flavor: Has a semi-sweet, spicy taste

Cocktail Uses: Margarita, Long Island Tea

Gin

Distilled from: Neutral grains such as corn, rye, barley, or wheat, with the addition of juniper
berries and botanicals

Flavor: Dry and slighlty herbal taste

Cocktail Uses: Dry Martini, Gin & Tonic

Rum

Distilled from: Pure sugar cane or molasses also known as black treacle

Flavor: Sweet, toasted sugar taste that varies by style

Cocktail Uses: Daiquiri, Mojito, Piña Colada

Whiskey

Distilled from: Malted grains such as rye, wheat, barley, or corn

Flavor: Malted grain taste with roasted, oak undertones

Cocktail Uses: Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Irish Coffee

Brandy

Distilled from: Mostly grapes but also apricots, cherries, or peaches

Flavor: Sweet, fruity wine 

Cocktail Uses: Brandy Sour, Sazerac, Sangria

Choosing Classic Cocktails

Once you have your bar stocked with liquor, it's time to pick cocktail mixes that complement
your selection of alcohol! With so many options, it's best to keep in mind what type of flavors
you want to offer. Thanks to the mix however, your bartender won't have to spend a lot of
time muddling or creating the drink from scratch.

Your staff can simply pour out the mix, add the alcohol, and then garnish the drink in
an atractive cocktail glass with ease. That way guests get their great-tasting order quickly,
leaving them with the memory of a positve experience.

With so many mixes available, it can be hard to choose. Here are some of the top options
available though for some of the most ordered drinks. Keeping any of these on hand can help
your bar staff handle a rush of orders and cut down wait time for these bar favorites!
Margarita Mix

An iconic bar drink, and one of the most ordered on bar menus across America, this cocktail
is a classic. Keep a mix on hand in your establishment to satisfy fans of tequila.

How to make a margarita:

 4 oz. margarita mix

 1 1/2 oz. tequila

 1 1/2 oz. water

 Rim a glass with salt and pour "on the rocks"

Bloody Mary Mix

A delicious and full bodied cocktail bursting with unique flavor different, bloody marys have
a huge fan base. Vodka lovers are sure to be happy when they see it on your menu.

How to make a bloody mary: 

 4 parts bloody mary mix

 1 part vodka

 Pour over ice and stir

 Garnish with celery stalk, lime, or cucumber slice

Sweet & Sour Mix

This all-time favorite mix creates a cocktail with complex flavors. Combined with your

choice liquor the end result is a delicious cocktail layered with sour, sweet, and strong
flavors.

How to make a classic sour cocktail:

 4 oz. of sweet & sour mix

 1 1/2 oz. of bourbon, whiskey, vodka, or brandy

 Rim a glass with salt

 Pour over ice and garnish with a lemon

Martini Mix

Popular enough to have a glass named after it, martinis are standard bar fare. Shaken or
stirred, they're a refreshing cocktail drink that's withstood the trends of time.

How to make a cosmopolitan martini:

 2 oz. cosmopolitan mix

 2 oz. vodka

 Shake vigorously in an ice filled shaker

 Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon

Blended Mix

A variety of fruity drinks have the option of coming as blended cocktails. In warm seasons,
guests can't get enough of refreshing blended maragritas, daiquiris, or pina coladas.

How to make a pina colada:

 4 oz. pina colada mix

 1 oz. rum

 1 1/2 cups ice

 Blend for 10 seconds, pour, and garnish

Seasonal Mix

Showcasing herbal or fruit flavors seasonally is a great way to excite customers and keep
your cocktail menu fresh. For example, offer mojitos in the summertime featuring freshly
picked mint.

How to make a mojito:

 3 oz. mojito mix

 1 1/2 oz. white rum

 Pour over ice and top with club soda or seltzer

 Garnish with sprig of spearmint and lime

CONCLUSION:

Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters -- it

is vulgarly called a bittered sling and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion,

inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is

said, also to be of great use to a Democratic candidate: because, a person having swallowed a

glass of it, is ready to swallow anything else.

Something had to be done to disguise both taste and color, a task which fruit juice, ginger,

soda water, mint leaves, olives, oranges and lemon slices, and similar garbage performed

admirably

Cocktails became less popular in the late 1960s and through the 1970s, until resurging in the

1980s with vodka often substituting the original gin in drinks such as the martini. Traditional

cocktails began to make a comeback in the 2000s, and by the mid-2000s there was a

renaissance of cocktail culture in a style typically referred to as mixology that draws on

traditional cocktails for inspiration but utilizes novel ingredients and often complex flavors.