Master the art of mixing cocktails like a pro at home with these invaluable tips. Start with classic recipes today!
Whether you are a cocktail enthusiast or a novice, you can have lots of fun mixing professional cocktails at home. But if you want to blend ingredients like an expert to make professional-standard cocktails, you will want to check out the following invaluable tips.
Get to Know Your Ingredients
Firstly, become very familiar with typical cocktail ingredients. That includes things like fruits as well as different liquors.
Knowing what each ingredient tastes and smells like is vital for making excellent cocktails. Various spirits have different flavor profiles, and the more familiar you are with them, the better your blends will be.
So, spend some time online researching cocktail ingredients and familiarizing yourself with which flavor profiles work well together.
Use a Jigger Tool or Pour Spout
When crafting your cocktails, precision is key. Therefore, mastering the standard liquor pour by using a jigger tool or pour spout is imperative.
These tools provide accurate measurements to ensure each of your cocktails maintains the intended taste and balance.
Muddle Properly
Muddling refers to the process of mushing fruit, herbs, or sugar together to infuse their flavors properly into cocktails.
If you are working with fresh fruits or herbs, such as mint leaves or limes, muddling the ingredients correctly is an essential step.
Over-muddling may result in overly bitter flavors which detract from the cocktail’s overall taste. So, just press enough to release the ingredients’ flavors.
Know When to Stir or Shake
James Bond may prefer his drinks to be shaken and not stirred, but to make professional-standard cocktails, you need to know how to both shake and stir correctly and when it is best to use either method.
Generally, you should only shake cocktails that include cream liqueurs, egg, fruit juices, simple syrup, sour mix, or dairy products.
If your recipe does not include those ingredients, you should almost always stir it instead.
Chill Your Glassware
Just as with serving beer or wine, the glass’s temperature plays a crucial role in how your cocktail tastes.
By chilling your glass ahead of time, you will keep your drink colder for longer while simultaneously enhancing its flavor profile.
Garnish Properly
Lastly, while garnishes enhance the drink’s presentation and subtly add to its flavor profile, ensure the garnish you use is not overpowering.
Remember: less is more when it comes to adding garnishes.
And choose your garnish carefully to ensure it accompanies the cocktail’s main flavor or theme.
Cocktails You Could Make at Home
Armed with professional know-how, the best tools, and the right ingredients, you can begin your journey of mixing cocktails.
You might like to start by trying these three popular ones.
A Classic Margarita
For a classic Margarita cocktail, you will need:
- Two ounces of tequila.
- One ounce of lime juice.
- One ounce of orange liqueur.
- A pinch of salt for the rim.
Start by rimming your glass with salt. To do this, wet the rim with a lime wedge and dip it into some coarse sea salt.
Then, in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour your tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and orange liqueur.
Shake it vigorously for about 20 seconds to get it nice and chilled. Then, strain into your prepped glass filled with fresh ice.
A Refreshing Mojito
The Mojito is a light and refreshing cocktail that requires:
- Two ounces of white rum.
- One ounce of fresh lime juice.
- Two teaspoons of sugar.
- Six fresh mint leaves.
- Soda water.
Muddle the mint leaves and sugar in a highball glass until they break down, to release their flavors.
Add the rum followed by the lime juice over crushed ice.
Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Then, top off with soda water.
A Wonderful Whiskey Sour
For a good Whiskey Sour, you will need:
- Two ounces of bourbon whiskey.
- Three-quarters of an ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Half an ounce simple syrup.
- A cherry for garnish.
Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for around 20 seconds, until the outer part of the shaker becomes frosty.
Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top it off with your cherry garnish. Voila!