Cocktails - The basics

What is a Cocktail?

Drinks akin to cocktails first appeared sometime during the 16th century, but cocktails, as we know and use the term, was first introduced by American bartenders in the 1920ies.
The reason the cocktail made it big in the happy '20ies, was the prohibition, when producing and imbibing of alcohol was made illegal. As good as all spirits available was of a rather dubious quality and tasted accordingly. Thus, the bartenders, accommodating as always, started to mix the spirits with various fruit juices and other flavorings to make it more palatable. Later, the cocktail lost its popularity most places, the United States being the main exception.

The last few years, however, the cocktail has reclaimed lost ground everywhere, especially in southern Europe and other places that are full of tourists. Cocktails usually consist of three different 'classes' of ingredients.

• The first, the base, is most often some sort of spirit, like vodka, whiskey, or tequila. Occasionally, such as in many punches, some sort of wine is being used as a base.

• The second, the main flavoring, is added to bring out the aroma of the base and to modify its taste. The main flavoring is often such as Vermouth, various fruit juices, wine, or even eggs or cream.

• The third, the special flavoring, is added to enhance the taste of the base, and often also adds the color to the cocktail. Common special flavorings include Grenadine, Blue Curacao, and others.
Most cocktails are also decorated in some way, usually with fruit slices, orange peel, cocktail sticks, mint twigs, etc. (see section below).
Equipment

Many different contraptions are manufactured for the making of cocktails. Some of these are useful, some can be definitely nice to have, and still others are totally and utterly useless. It is up to you to decide exactly what your cocktail equipment should be, but some things are essential.
First out of the essentials is the cocktail shaker. There are two basic types of shakers available. A European cocktail shaker is usually made out of metal, or glass with a metal top. It is, basically, a container which holds about half a liter, fitted with a top which closes tightly around the upper edges of the container. This top also has a smaller top, usually fitted with a built-in strainer, through which the shaken cocktail is poured. American shakers, however, consist of two cones about the same size. One is often often made of glass, and the other is metallic. These cones are held together to form a closed container, and the shaken cocktail is poured from either one. Most American shakers do not have built-in strainers, so if you use an American shaker, using a separate strainer is a good idea.

Measures, also known as jiggers, are also essential. Jiggers are most often made of metal, but glass jiggers are common, as well. The standard measurements of a jigger can vary widely, depending on where you are. In the recipes in the following articles, I will use a standard jigger of 30ml (appx. 1 fl oz).

In addition to the equipment mentioned above, you will find that things like these are nice to have, as well: Ice bucket, jugs, electric blender, bowls, etc. You should also have access to ordinary kitchenware, such as knives, corkscrews, chopping board, etc. You will also need stirrers (also known as swizzle sticks), straws, toothpicks, serviettes and cloths.
Glasses

Cocktail glasses come in four different basic types:

• First, there are the glasses known as rocks glasses, also known as tumblers. These glasses are usually short and broad glasses, with straight or slightly sloping sides. They normally hold about 125ml and are used for spirits with ice, fruit juices and short drinks.

• Second, there is the highball glass. These glasses are usually of medium width, and are tall with straight or slightly sloping sides. They normally hold between 200 and 300ml and are used for long drinks with ice.

• Third, the champagne glasses, are of two different kind. The most common, the champagne flute, is a tall and narrow glass with a stem. Champagne flutes have thin-glassed sides, and the long, tapering sides can curve both inward and outward. A champagne flute holds approximately 150ml. The second type of champagne glass is the less-known champagne saucer. The champagne saucer is a broad and shallow glass with a stem. The broadness and shallowness of the glass make the champagne loose its fizz quickly, and the glass is therefore less popular than it once was. It is still, however, in use, and such cocktails as the Margarita use exclusively such glasses.

• Fourth is the group known as cocktail glasses. These are the classic cocktail glasses; stemmed and with sharply sloping sides, making it Y-shaped when seen from the side. The classic cocktail glass holds about 90ml and is best suited for short, strong drinks.
In addition to these glasses, some drinks, such as the Pina Colada, have special glasses. Unless you are really serious about mixing your cocktails, you don't really need to buy such glasses. Use glasses you already have instead. There are also other glasses available that will work just fine with cocktails. Use your imagination, but remember that plastic glasses (or shakers, jugs, mixing glasses, or other such equipment for that matter) should NEVER be used with cocktails, as it will make the cocktail taste of plastic. A cocktail is supposed to have a refreshing taste, not to taste like the inside of a used plastic bag.

Mixing a Cocktail

Not all cocktails are made in the same manner. Just as the ingredients may vary, there are several ways in which to mix a cocktail. The most frequently used methods are the following:

• Shaking: The cocktail is mixed by hand in a cocktail shaker. The shaker is first filled three quarters with ice, preferably cubes, as crushed ice will tend to melt and dilute the cocktail. The ingredients are then poured on top of the ice, in order of alcohol content (highest first). When shaking a cocktail, hold the shaker in both hands, one hand on the top and the other supporting the base of the shaker, and shake vigorously. When water has begun condensing on the outside of the shaker, the cocktail is sufficiently chilled, and the cocktail should immediately be strained into the glass. In general, shaking creates a colder cocktail than stirring does, but also a more cloudy one.

• Stirring: The cocktail is stirred with a glass or metal rod in a mixing glass, before the cocktail is strained into a glass. As with shaking, crushed ice should not be used, and water condensing on the outside shows that the cocktail is finished.

• Blending: An electric blender is used to mix fruit juices, alcohol, fruit, etc. Blending is an excellent way of mixing ingredients which do not blend easily in any other way. Blend the cocktail till it has reached a smooth consistency. If the recipe requires ice, add crushed ice last, but be careful not to add too much, as the cocktail may be watered down. Blending is a much disputed method of mixing a cocktail, and in general, blending should be avoided unless the recipe demands it.

• Building: When building a cocktail, the ingredients are poured into the glass in which the cocktail will be served. Usually, the ingredients are floated on top of each other, but occasionally, a swizzle stick is put in the glass, allowing the ingredients to be mixed.

Decorating Cocktails

Almost all cocktails are decorated in one way or another, most often with some kind of fruit, but no matter the exact decoration, cocktail sticks are almost always invaluable. Cocktail sticks come in two types; Wooden and plastic. Wooden sticks are most often used, and are suited for just about any kind of cocktail, but they cannot be reused. Plastic sticks, however, should be carefully used, as they tend to give the cocktail a slightly artificial appearance. Unlike wooden sticks, plastic ones can be reused, but should be carefully washed and boiled first.

Cocktail sticks are, whatever the type, used for spearing slices of fruit, cherries, and just about anything else you care to decorate your cocktails with. Straws are also essential and go well with highballs. Straws should not be reused. The traditional cocktail garnish is, however, the red Maraschino cherries. These are used in just about any kind of cocktail, and are now also available in green, yellow and blue. In addition to this, slices of fruit, strips of orange or lemon peel, mint twigs, etc. can also be used.

One often used method of decorating cocktails is that which is called frosting. Frosting leaves an edge of sugar, salt, cocoa, or any other fine powder, on the rim of the glass. There are several ways to frost glasses, and one of the most frequently used of them is this: Rub the rim of the glass with a slice of orange or lemon, then submerge the rim in sugar or salt (or any other powder), just so that it lines the top of the rim. Other methods use egg white or other substances for 'gluing' the powder to the glass. For a more colorful frosting, use small drops of food coloring in the powder. With some cocktails, such as the Margarita, frosting is a 'standard' decoration.

The Top 20 Things To Make You Look Like a Pro

These are qualities bartenders pick up naturally with years of experience.

1. Check your stock. That’s the first thing an experienced bartender does when they walk behind a bar. After all you can’t make anything if you don’t have anything. Look at the ice level, juice levels; if they are low then fill them. Do you have backups? You don’t want to stop in the middle of the night making backups. Every new bar I walk into I do this and bartenders will ask me, Have you worked this bar before?

2. Use both hands. Experienced bartenders are practically ambidextrous. They constantly use both hands at the same time all the time. Never have an arm dangling at your side while the other one is doing something.

3. Have scratched up tools. If you’re an experienced bartender, your tools should look used. Scratch up your wine tool, bottle opener, lighter, and anything else in your pocket if you’re a rookie.

4. Keep your head up as much as possible, ears open, and eyes constantly scanning drink levels, servers/guests, suspicious activity, etc. Bartenders tend to keep their heads down because they are always doing something. You have to be aware of everything going on around you, so get that head up as much as you can. If the bar has mirrors, use them to your advantage. You can check things out while you’re turned doing something else. It’s like having eyes in the back of your head. You need them. Also, there will be new things for your ears to listen for like the sound of the phone ringing or the little chit popping up out of a printer giving you the servers order.

5. Know how to make powdered sour mix properly. Most American bars have powdered sour mix and the proper way to make it is to fill a gallon container half with hot water. Dump in the powder, screw a lid on and shake for about 10 seconds dissolving the powder. Next add cold water very slowly (so it doesn’t foam up), put the lid on again and shake again. Refrigerate. You’re done. If you make it incorrectly the powder won’t dissolve and you’ll be busted. The directions are always on the bag if you forget.

6. Don’t make one drink at a time unless you have an order for only one drink. When making drinks, line up all your glassware on the bar mat then ice them down (ice them down means fill them with ice, if they require it). Let’s say, you have an order for a Piña Colada, Cosmopolitan, Vodka Tonic, Screwdriver, Corona, Bud Draft, and a Kahlúa & Coffee from a server. On the bar mat you will set the Piña Colada glass, then a martini glass, then two highballs, and a coffee mug. You will then add ice to the martini glass so it can chill while you are making the other drinks. Then you would continue to ice down the two highballs. From this point you will make the drinks in the order I listed (I listed them in making order to make it easier on you right now). Make the Piña Colada, pour it in the glass, grab a shaker tin and make the Cosmo, dump the ice out of the Martini glass and strain the Cosmo. Grab the well bottle of vodka in your left hand and a bottle of Kahlúa in your right and pour the Kahlúa in the coffee cup and the vodka in both of the highballs at the same time. Squirt the tonic, pour the OJ and add the coffee (top with whipped cream or let the server add it when she returns so that it doesn’t melt too quickly). Now grab the Corona, and pour the draft beer.
See, if you had poured the draft beer first then the head would’ve gone down by the time you finished making the order. If you had made the coffee first, it would’ve cooled. Also, when you set your glasses up like this, if you forget what you are making, 9 times out of 10, you can turn and glance at the type of glassware you’ve lined up and instantly remember what you are making.

7. Don’t fill your drinks to the rim. Inexperienced bartenders, lazy bartenders, and bartenders that have never learned properly fill their drinks to the brim. Don’t do this. Always allow 1/4”-1/2” breathing/travel/ and melting room at the top. If you’re still not convinced then walk into any bookstore and look at any drink recipe book with photos. The exceptions are if you are using real whipped cream and when you shake a drink with sour or juice, the frothy part can go to the rim.

8. Know how to handle money. Experienced bartenders have excellent cash handling techniques. They handle money probably as much as a bank teller. Watch the way bank tellers shuffle the bills from hand to hand. One hand is pulling and the other is pushing. Practice counting, stacking, and arranging bills and coins until it feels natural.
Also, let’s say that a guest orders a beer and hands you a $20 bill. When it’s handed to you, look at it, look back up at the guest and say, Out of twenty. This confirms the amount given to you. If you don’t say what the amount is then they can always say, Hey, I gave you a $50 bill. Trust me, they’ll try it. Every experienced bartender does this. Also if they give you a $100 to pay a tab that’s something small like $22.50, always count back their change in front of them as opposed to laying the whole thing down so they can’t yell at you a few minutes later that you shorted them $20. Again, trust me, they’ll try it. You can also fan it out pointing to the bills and then saying the amount of change.
Some bartenders like to keep all of their money facing one way all nice and orderly in their drawer. That’s cool, and if I’m sharing a drawer with a bartender that was on shift before me and likes the drawer neat, then I respect them and keep the drawer neat. But, personally, I couldn't care less about having all the bills facing the same way. Money is money. However, before I turn it all in at the end of the night it’s put in order.

9. Behind you. Behind. Behind. Behind you. Behind. Behind you. When working with another bartender and you step behind them to get something you always say softly, but loud enough for them to hear, Behind. Anytime you get in a bartenders space you have to let them know. I’ve seen people get bloody noses, knocked down and knocked out from an elbow because they didn’t warn the other person that they were in their space. You can also lightly touch them on the shoulder. You just must let them know you’re there.

10. Keep the half & half closed. Experienced bartenders will keep the pour flap closed when pouring half & half. Open the half and half carton then close it. When you make a White Russian for example, just squeeze the carton over the glass and you will have better control with its flow. It’s hard to control the flow of half & half when you try to pour with the flap open and will cause too many messes.

11. Know how to do a reverse grip pour. Once you get a good strong feel for holding spirit bottles, this is the next move you should learn to look like a pro.

12. Know the common verbiage when doing inventory. When you participate in inventory, all you need to know is that you measure the bottle in points. Each bottle has 10 points. Look at the bottle as if it’s divided up in 10 parts (this will help with the odd shaped bottles). So, if your manager asks you about the Bacardi bottle and it’s half full, then it’s called .5 (point five). If a bottle is full, you don’t say .10, you just say it’s one or a full bottle.

13.Clean as you go. All good bartenders clean as they go. If you make a Mudslide Martini, then understand that cleaning the shaker is part of making that drink. Personally, I don’t even take a guests money until after I rinse the shakers because they need to see that it’s part of what it takes to make the drink. Some cleaning behind the bar can wait until you catch up. Just know that the top priority is anything a guest can see.

14. Know the proper way to rim a drink. Most bartenders, dunk the rim of a glass into the spongy section of a rimmer, and then dunk into some sugar or salt. When the salt or sugar is on the rim, it falls into the drink. What you want is the salt or sugar to be on the outside edge of the rim. So you’ll have to tilt the glass and rotate it around. You can also wet the outside edge with a piece of lemon or lime wedge.

15. Know the brandy snifter tricks. When pouring into a snifter, lay a snifter on it’s side in the air then pour the spirit to the rim. This will give a proper pour. If the guest requests the spirit to be heated and your bar doesn’t carry a brandy warmers, then all you need is a rocks glass and hot water. Preheat the brandy snifter by filling it 1/4 of the way with hot water (the kind at a coffee station) then fill a rocks glass half with hot water as well. Dump out the hot water in the snifter and pour in the Cognac and set the bowl inside the rocks glass. It’s also nice to present it on a saucer with a cocktail napkin. You may have to experiment with the glassware at your bar to test which glass the snifter fits in best.

16. Know the juice container trick. You can make juice flow quickly out of a store-n-pour/juice container by sticking a drinking straw into the spout. It creates an air hole. It’s just science.

17. Know how to pronounce these words:
Apéritif (uh-pair-a-TEEF)
Amaretto Di Saronno (dee-sa-ROW-no)
Angostura Bitters (ang-uh-STOOR-uh)
Blue Curacao (CURE-uh-sow, sow rhymes with cow)
Cabernet Sauvignon (cab-er-NAY soh-vihn-YAWN)
Cachaca (ka-SHA-suh)
Caipirinha (ki-purr-REEN-ya)
Chambord (Sham-BOARD)
Chardonnay (shar-doh-NAY)
Cointreau (KWAN-trow)
Courvoisier (core-VAH-see-A)
Crème de cassis (ka-CEASE)
Crème de cocao (ka-KAY-o, or ka KAH-o)
Crème de noyeaux (noy-Yoh)
Dom Pérignon (dom-pay-ree-NYON)
Drambuie (dram-BOO-ee)
Galliano (gall-lee-YAH-no)
Glenfiddich (gle-FID-ickkkkkkk)
Glenlivit (glen-LIVE-it)
Glenmorangie (glen-MORang-ee, rhymes with orangy)
Grand Marnier (GRAN mahr-nYAY)
Maraschino (mare-es-SKEE-no)
Mescal (mehs-KAL)
Mojito (mo-HEE-toe)
Pinot Noir (PEE-no NWAR)
Riesling (REEZ-ling)
Rumple Minze (ROOM-pull MINTS)
Sambuca (sam-BOO-ka)
Sommelier (sum-ul-YAY)
Worcestershire (WOOS-tuhr-sheer)

18. Know how to bounce cut a bottle. Let’s say for example, that you have glasses lined up with ice and several of them need the same spirit from the same bottle you are holding. When you finish pouring in one, bounce the bottle down then up and the flow will stop, for 1-2 seconds. During this time aim the bottle over the next glass. So the order goes: pour, bounce, aim at the next glass, pour, bounce, aim at the next glass, etc. The old way is to pour, stop the flow by turning the bottle right side up, pour in the next glass, stop the flow by turning the bottle right side up, etc. Try it at home first. It works the best when using a reverse grip.

19. Know at least three ways to strain a drink. Experienced bartenders know many ways to strain a drink.
0. Know how to close the bar. Any experienced bartender can walk into a bar the next day and know instantly if the bartender the night before has experience tending bar based on how things look. A good sign is that many things are turned upside down. Basically, tools, juice containers, blender parts, draft beer trays, bar mats, soda gun nozzle & holder, fruit tray and any other items have been washed, rinsed and turned upside down in an orderly fashion in a drain area. The juice container holders are normally rinsed then turned over at a draining angle in the well where they normally sit at the well. Sometimes bars keep their fruit for two days so they might be covered in the cooler. Personally, I throw all fruit away every night. There is sometimes something soaking in water overnight like pourers that have been on liqueur bottles. The register area will be organized and nothing anywhere behind or in front of the bar should feel sticky. Also, if you ran out of something then good bartenders will leave a note on the register for the next bartender letting them know, so everyone can stay on the same page

Hints and Tips for Bartenders

Recently, for some weird reason, people have been led to believe that if you aren’t hand-making classic or modern creations, muddling, flipping bottles, or have extensive knowledge on wine then you’re not a real bartender. Excuse me? This is incorrect.

When people ask me what to write for their objective on their resumes, I always tell them to say, To provide an excellent experience for guests at your establishment. And how does a bartender provide an excellent experience? It depends. If you’re working in a dive on the waterfront selling mostly beer and whiskey shots to oil riggers and you greet them with a smile, remember their names (or at least what they drink), make their drinks fast, and they leave feeling good--then you have provided an excellent experience for those guests.




Every bar is different and you’ll have to act a different way in each bar. What you do at a Honky Tonk will totally be different from a hotel bar down the street. In some bars, you’ll have many different types of guests and through their personality and body language you will learn how they want to be treated. A guest at the end of the bar reading the newspaper does not want you to interrupt them and tell them a joke. They want a clean place to sit and a full drink.




I could make a long do and don’t list, but there’s no need. Because you only have to combine The Golden Rule with The Platinum Rule and everything will fall into place.

The Golden Rule: treat others as you want to be treated.
The Platinum Rule: treat others as they want to be treated.
This doesn’t just apply to guests; this goes for all your co-workers, your boss, and anyone else for that matter.

In this line of business you’re dealing with humans. To know what makes these creatures tick is to your advantage. Entire books have been written on the basics of human nature and they all boil down to one sentence:everybody, everywhere, always, wants to feel good about themselves.





The Top 10 Bartender Qualities


1. Personality.
2. Good grooming.
3. Great memory.
4. Knowledge of liquor, beer, wines, cocktails, and your local area.
5. Good money handling skills with average math skills.
6. Responsible and dependable team player.
7. Fast and efficient.
8. Something unique.
9. Physical strength.
10. A people person with good eye contact and a firm handshake.



The Top 10 Questions To Ask On Your First Day


If you ask these questions then the bartender you’re working with will think that you’ve worked at a bar before. How else would you know to ask? (Besides reading this.)

1. Start opening cabinets and coolers familiarizing yourself where things are kept and ask questions like, Do we stock at the end of the night? Where are the kegs kept? and anything else you think of as you are looking inside. All experienced bartenders will do this.

2. Where are the restrooms for the guests? Where are the restrooms for the employees?

3. What bottled beers do we serve?

4 .Do we run tabs and if we do what’s the procedure? Do we hold guests' credit card? Do you have many walk-outs?

5. Where are the backup mixers kept?

6. Can you run me through the glassware? (Meaning that every bar uses different glassware so you have to go over it. You should ask something like, What are we using for a highball? The bartender will then touch or point to the rest of the glassware naming its use.)

7. What do we charge for a double? (Some places just double the price, however many places add like $1.50 or $2.00. It’s different everywhere so that’s that‘s why you have to ask.)

8. If there is no coffee machine at the bar ask about where you get the coffee for a coffee drink.

9. Do the servers cut the fruit or do we?

10. What liquors are we using for our house Cosmos? Sex on the Beach? Long Island Iced Teas here? Are there any standard drinks we make differently? Are our Martinis 2 ounces? I just want to be consistent with everybody because I know how different places can make drinks a little different…blah blah blah.


Note: Bring a pocket-sized spiral notebook and write down everything you need to know. You’ll be given a number. Write it down. You’ll use the # in the POS system. The system only knows you as a #. Write down every step of the POS procedure shown to you. Just so you know, it will not seem weird or make you seem like an inexperienced bartender by writing everything down. It’s actually smart. Experienced bartenders know that the cash register is the #1 thing behind the bar that will slow you down on a busy night. It will kick your butt. You must master it. Memorize where the keys are so that you can whiz through. Find out where the backup button or delete button is right away.

Fact
Know that experienced bartenders can walk behind practically any bar and bartend. The only training required is the POS and to be shown where things are kept.