Every mixed drink you make at the bar is a mixed drink. As you are “mixing a cocktail,” Although the terms “mixed drink” and “cocktail” are sometimes used interchangeably, they do not have the same connotation.
Any beverage that has two or more ingredients is referred to as a mixed drink. While it is common to presume that a mixed drink contains alcohol? This isn’t always the case. Shirley Temple and Arnold Palmer, both popular nonalcoholic cocktails, are technically mixed drinks. A cocktail is a mixed drink traditionally characterized as a concoction of bourbon, gin, and other spirits.
Tools required for making cocktail
Let us start with the tools you will need to make cocktails. Cocktails are, of course, blended (alcoholic) drinks that are typically colourful and garnished with unusual garnishes.
The first and most critical equipment you’ll need is a cocktail shaker. If you do not have a cocktail shaker, any jar with a sealable cap that holds at least 500ml / 18 Oz. will suffice. To measure the cocktail ingredients, you’ll need a measure (also known as a jigger). You should always use premium tonic water for making a cocktail.
Types of cocktail
Cocktails are divided into two types: fragrant and sour and are always made with premium tonic water. Two types of cocktails can be made with these three ingredients: aromatic and sour.
- Bitters, vermouth, or spirits are used as modifiers in aromatic cocktails, such as the Old Fashioned, which employs bitters as a modifier for the base whiskey.
- Sour drinks contain fruit juices as modifiers, such as a Whisky Sour, which contains lemon juice, syrup, and egg white in addition to the whisky base.
Know about cocktail equipment
There is much additional cocktail bar equipment, but you do not need to mix drinks. Check out Cocktail Glass Guide for more information on the many styles of cocktail glasses. Most likely, you already own a pair of these glasses. You can also make your drinks in whichever glass you like. When it comes to cocktail mixing, there are no hard and fast rules, but you should always use premium tonic water.
Anyone can make cocktails.
Even if the bar is in your kitchen, all of the fun and excitement you receive from cooking may be found there as well.
- Consider your friends’ reactions when you pull out your cocktail shaker.
- Consider how much money you’ll save if you can avoid the bar’s martinis.
- Consider the flavour combinations you could make and the different cocktails you could try.
- Learning a few bartending skills has many advantages, and you will have fun doing it.
Liquor vs. Liqueur: What’s the Difference?
The most common alcoholic beverages seen in bars are distilled spirits. Vodkas, tequilas, whiskies, and other distilled spirits, as well as all flavoured liqueurs, fall within this category. You will encounter various distilled spirits as you learn more about cocktails, including crucial bottles seen in a bar.
Firstly it is critical to comprehend the distinction between liquor and a liqueur. Again, there is a double meaning here: liqueurs are a form of liquor, but liquors aren’t all liqueurs.
- Liquors are distilled spirits, which means that any alcoholic beverage that has been distilled qualifies as liquor. This comprises both sweetened liqueurs and the six base distilled spirits. It is liquor if it has been through a still and comes out with high alcohol content.
- Liqueurs are distilled spirits that have been sweetened. It’s a type of liquor, and it’s from here that many cocktails receive their distinctive characteristics.
The base, modifier, and flavouring/colouring ingredients in a cocktail
All cocktail components can be classified into one of three groups:
- The foundation is usually single alcohol built around the cocktail, such as vodka, whiskey, or rum.
- The modifier is an element that is added to the base to give the drink the flavour and smoothness that is desired. It will soften the sharpness of the spirit’s burn.
- Common modifiers are vermouth, gentler spirits like Fernet Branca, fruit juices, or components like eggs or cream that give the cocktail a smooth texture.
- Finally, special flavouring or colouring additives can be added. Bitters and syrups like Grenada are examples of this.