A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients, at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit. Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol.A cocktail today usually contains one or more kinds of spirit and one or more mixers, such as soda or fruit juice. Additional ingredients may be ice, sugar, honey, milk, cream, and various herbs.
Cocktail Mixing Methods
Build over ice
This is the simplest method of making a cocktail,
it simply involves placing ice in the glass & pouring the ingredients over the top. It can also help create colourful effects.
The hardest thing to do well when blending cocktails is to correctly measure the ice. The beginners method to get the correct amount & limit wastage until you become confident with the amount of ice that should go into the blender is to fill your glass with ice, then pour the ice from the glass into the blender.
it simply involves placing ice in the glass & pouring the ingredients over the top. It can also help create colourful effects.
Blender
The hardest thing to do well when blending cocktails is to correctly measure the ice. The beginners method to get the correct amount & limit wastage until you become confident with the amount of ice that should go into the blender is to fill your glass with ice, then pour the ice from the glass into the blender.When pouring ingredients from a blender gently tap the side of the blender continuously this firstly gives you consistency & a smooth transition into the glass.
Stir
Used most commonly in cocktails containing gin to avoid bruising the gin. This is my most elegant form of cocktail mixology. The reason for stirring a cocktail is to get an evenly balanced flavour. It is also used commonly as a way of mixing flavours when the drink contains a fizzy substance, example Champagne or soft drink.
In cocktails such as the Old fashion the goal is to slowly infuse the aromatic flavour of bitters with Bourbon, water melted from ice & sugar.
Normally stirred cocktails will be strained. Double straining is also recommended for martini style cocktails.
Shake & Strain
The goal of shaking a cocktail is similar to that of stirring a cocktail except is much more effective when using liqueurs. A Liqueur is much heavier in density than a spirit due to their high sugar content.
Shaking a cocktail is also a groovy look for any stylish bar. The technique is simple, pour ingredients over ice into the mixing glass, put metal tin over the top & shake. Always shake with glass pointed up & hand firmly over the mixing glass.
To separate tap the top of the metal tin firmly on flat side, put hawthorn strainer on top of tin & strain into glass.
