You may want to prepare cocktails at home, when you have dinner guests coming over, have some leftover gin in the cabinet, or just want to unwind with a drink.
But the question is, how do you start? What matters most is the caliber of the ingredients and the tools you are utilizing. It is a strange and complicated world out there, particularly for a beginner.
There is nothing to worry about!
Let's get started!
Mixology 101
Mixing beverages involves considerably more than merely tossing everything together, though many drinks may be made that way in a pinch. A good rule of thumb is "shaken, not stirred," with the exception of hot beverages. (It was a hard lesson to learn.)
Composition
If you do not want you and your guests completely wasted, stick to a rule of thumb where alcohol makes up no more than 30% of the ingredients. Furthermore, if you drink too much, the distinct flavors of the various spirits may soon start to overpower one another, which might have disastrous results.
There are a few exceptions, but generally speaking, you want to allow the flavor of the base liquor to come through.
In this section, we will go through all of the tools you will need to make a cocktail.
A Boston shaker is a good choice because it has two components: a shaking tin and a mixing glass. Martinis and other drinks that require stirring benefit from using a mixing glass since it makes it easier to watch your movements.
Bar Spoons come in a variety of varieties, each with subtle variations, but for a beginner, it does not really make much difference which one you choose as long as it is long and twisted in shape. You can measure out a small amount with the spoon and it will make stirring easier.
An excellent tool for bruising herbs and lightly smashing fruit and berries is a little wooden muddler. Although it is not compulsory equipment because you may use other kitchen utensils instead, if you do decide to use one, ensure it is not coated or lacquered because the coating will eventually wear off and wind up in your drink. Additionally, try to avoid tools with teeth because they excessively crush herbs.
Hand juicer
If you have other tools at home that can accomplish the task, you do not need a hand juicer, but if you want a quick and simple way to extract fresh fruit for a couple of cocktails, I suggest obtaining a Mexican elbow. It completes the task quickly and effectively.
When creating a cocktail, strainers come in handy if you do not want any fruit or tiny pieces of ice to float around in the finished product.
Mixing Techniques
The following are the top three mixing methods.
A time-tested technique for cocktails with numerous ingredients is simple stirring. Some claim that since there is no ice involved (more on that in a moment), stirred cocktails retain more alcohol . If you are combining substances that are quite light, stirring is primarily necessary. Actually, martinis should be stirred rather than shaken.
Then, and here is the twist, pour the mixture together into a new glass filled with fresh ice. The ice that has been pounded within the shaker should not be used. That is merely rubbish.
Enhancement Methods
The following tactics are important to be aware of for those who want to add a flair to their drinks.
Muddling is the practice of smushing or twisting an extra ingredient (e.g., berries, mint) into the bottom of a glass and for the love of God, do not pound it into smithereen-sized pieces. The flavor of the muddled ingredient gradually comes through as the consumer eats the cocktail. It is critical to put ice on top of the muddled ingredient to prevent an unattractive drift to the top.
Garnishing
Layering is the process of doing exactly what the name suggests. Thicker liqueurs can be slid into a glass one at a time using a spoon. This method is also excellent for mixing grenadine into a cocktail.
Flaming is the act of lighting a small quantity of alcohol on fire shortly before the beverage is given. Nonetheless, we would strongly advise against attempting this without the supervision of an expert mixologist.