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Be prepared for your next gathering with family and friends by learning how to create a few cocktails to wow the crowd. Our guide, How to Make Mixed Drinks, reveals the basics from stocking your bar to measuring, mixing and garnishing alcoholic beverages. You'll also find links to several popular drinks from martinis to margaritas.
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Mixed Drink Tips
- Save money by purchasing liquor that you can combine to make several different drinks.
- Buy mixers like sodas, syrups and mixes to create a variety of drinks with basic liquors.
- Measure liquor accurately using a jigger or by perfecting the free pour technique.
- Swirl a bar spoon in the glass to properly stir and chill drinks without diluting the liquor.
- Use a cocktail shaker to mix ingredients or chill the drink by shaking with ice.
- Improve a drink's presentation by rimming the glass or by adding the proper garnish.
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Introduction
- Whether you want to become the mixologist for your next cocktail party or simply want to create a new beverage to enjoy with your evening meal, compile a well-stocked bar and hone your bartending skills to ensure you're prepared. Once you've mastered the basic pouring, stirring, shaking and presentation techniques, you'll be able to experiment with your own special concoctions.
Stock the Bar
- You won't be able to mix a variety of your favorite drinks unless you have an assortment of bar basics on hand. Instead of buying expensive liquor you may not use, however, purchase bottles as you need them since they'll keep on hand indefinitely without spoiling.All Recipes: Bar Basics Get the most for your money with liquor and mixers that you can use to make several different drinks.
Liquor
- Vodka: Essential for sophisticated drinks like martinis and vodka tonics.Martha Stewart: Stocking a Home Bar (April 2007)
- Gin: Can be used in a variety of drinks like Tom Collins or Long Island Iced Teas, as well as a substitute for vodka in cocktails like martinis.AOL Food: Stocking the Ultimate Home Bar: Gin
- Tequila: Ideal for Margaritas, Tequila Sunrises or simply straight up with a lime.Esquire: The Amateur Mixologist: Great Presents for the At-Home Bartender (December 22, 2008)
- Rum: A necessary ingredient in tropical cocktails like Mojitos, Daiquiris and Pina ColadasAll Recipes: Classic Rum Cocktails
- Whisky: Used in popular mixed drinks like Manhattans and Whisky Sours.All Recipes: Classic Whiskey Cocktails You can also stock Bourbon, an American whisky made of 51 percent corn.Martha Stewart: Stocking a Home Bar (April 2007)
- Additional Essentials: Also consider stocking specialty liquors like Vermouth, Angostura Bitters and Cointreau that you can combine with the basics to create cocktails like Martinis, Manhattans and Margaritas.Martha Stewart: Stocking a Home Bar (April 2007)
Mixers
- Sodas: They're essential for drinks like Rum and Cokes and can add fizz to drinks like Singapore Slings. Keep varieties like cola, lemon lime soda, tonic water, club soda and ginger ale on hand.Syrup Magazine: How to Stock a Home Bar
- Fruit and Vegetable Juices: If you want to mix drinks like a Bloody Mary or a Screwdriver, you'll need mixers like tomato, orange, pineapple, cranberry and grapefruit juice.About.com: Essential Mixers
- Grenadine: Create layered cocktails like Tequila Sunrises or non-alcoholic drinks like Shirley Temples.All Recipes: Bar Basics
- Simple Syrup: You can use this to sweeten a variety of mixed drinks. Discover how to make a batch with Mahalo's Guide, How to Make Simple Syrup.
- Sauces: Check your kitchen cabinet for sauces like Worcestershire and Tabasco to add spice to savory mixed drinks.About.com: Essential Mixers
- Bar Mixes: Mixes make it easy to make popular cocktails without "fresh" ingredients. Look for some like Sour, Margarita and Bloody Mary Mix. Some are available in liquid or powder versions.Syrup Magazine: How to Stock a Home Bar
Garnishes
- Fruits: Enhance the presentation and flavor of drinks by placing a piece of fresh fruit on the glass rim or by adding chunks of fruit or veggies inside the glass or on a toothpick. Try items like lemons, limes, oranges and cherries.Good Housekeeping: The Well-Stocked Bar
- Vegetables: Also keep fresh garnishes like olives, cocktail onions, celery, herbs, green onions, cucumbers and radishes on hand for savory drinks.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Garnishes for Salty, Savory or Straight Up
- Toppings: Buy items like coarse sugar and salt, coconut, finely ground coffee beans or cocoa powder to rim glasses or sprinkle atop cocktails.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Frosting
Essential Equipment
- Kitchen Tools: Gather your blender and juicer to mix frozen cocktails or ream citrus fruits for their fresh juice. You might also need items like a paring knife, vegetable peeler, corkscrew, cutting board and bottle opener to perform simple tasks.About.com: Essential Bar Tools Real Simple: The Essential Bar (November 2002)
- Jigger: Get accurate liquor measurements with this cup that features two different measuring cups (like a one-ounce measure on one side and a one and a half ounce measure on the flipside) in one unit.Real Simple: The Essential Bar (November 2002)
- Bar Spoon: Use this special spoon with its long handle to stir tall drinks, layer cocktails and retrieve garnishes from jars.About.com: Essential Bar Tools
- Speed Pourer: If you're making a lot of cocktails or wish to master the "free pour" method of measuring liquor, top liquor bottles with a speed pourer that helps you control of the amount of liquor you're dispensing.About.com: How to Use a Speed Pourer
- Cocktail Shaker: Use one to combine ingredients or chill them by shaking with ice. Opt for a Boston Shaker that uses a pint glass and a metal canister or a Cobbler Shaker that features a fitted top and built-in strainer.Food and Wine: Cocktail Clinic: Essential Bar Tools (2007)
- Cocktail Strainer: Place this tool (also known as a Hawthorne Strainer) over the glass and let its spring catch the ice and other items like muddled herbs or fruits after shaking.Jacob Grier: Stocking Your Home Bar
- Muddler: If you often make drinks like Mojitos that feature "crushed" herbs or fruits at the bottom of the glass, this tool that resembles a small baseball bat will help you mash the items with ease.Food and Wine: Cocktail Clinic: Essential Bar Tools (2007)
- Glasses: Buy glasses that you'll use for more that one type of mixed drink like martini-shaped cocktail glasses, tall highball (or "Collins") glasses and short old-fashioned (or "rocks") glasses. You can also add specialty glasses like Margarita glasses and shooters, if desired.Bols Cocktails: Glasses Chicago Free Press: Tips on Selecting the Right Glasses and Supplies (July 18, 2007)
- Party Essentials: If you're hosting a gathering, you'll need serving items like cocktail napkins, stir sticks, straws and coasters.Good Housekeeping: The Well-Stocked Bar
Practice Basic Techniques
- Look like a pro behind the bar by not only pouring the alcohol, but also mixing and garnishing the drinks with flair. Consider the following methods to improve each cocktail's taste and presentation.
Measuring Liquor
- Simply pour liquor into a jigger to measure accurately. Models feature ends of different sizes, but the most common features a one ounce and a one and a half ounce measure.Amazon.com: Stainless Steel Jigger
- With a speed pourer spout on the liquor bottle, pour and count to three, which should dispense a one and one half ounce shot.About.com: How to Use a Speed Pourer
- If you're pouring liquor into a glass with ice, you can also use the "two finger method" to pour one ounce by holding your index and middle fingers against the bottom of the glass and pouring until the level reaches the top of your finger.YouTube: Bartending Tips: How to Measure Alcohol (Time: 2:36)
Stirring Mixed Drinks
- Add ice to a cocktail tumbler or tall glass until it's half full.About.com: How to Stir a Cocktail
- -Use ice cubes instead of crushed ice since crushed ice will melt quickly, diluting the liquor.Bar None Drinks: Stirring
- -You can even stir the ingredients together in a glass without ice and then pour the cocktail into a chilled glass if you don't want them diluted at all.Bar None Drinks: Stirring
- Use a bar spoon and swirl the shaft slowly for about 30 seconds.About.com: How to Stir a Cocktail
- Strain the drink into a chilled glass or one filled with ice before serving.About.com: How to Stir a Cocktail
Shaking and Straining Mixed Drinks
- Fill the shaker with ice cubes and the drink's ingredients.Bon Appetit: How to Shake a Cocktail
- Put the cover securely on the shaker.
- -If you're using a "Boston Shaker," keep the tumbler from sticking to the glass by placing the tumbler on the glass at an angle so it will be easy to remove.Chow: How to Use a Cocktail Shaker (Time: 0:23)
- Shake the cocktail while counting slowly to 10.About.com: How to Shake Cocktails
- Pour the mixed drink into a glass before serving.Bon Appetit: How to Shake a Cocktail
- -To strain the drink, simply pour it through the strainer top if you're using a "Cobbler Shaker" or place a strainer over the tumbler of a "Boston Shaker" as you pour the drink.YouTube: How to Shake a Cocktail (Time: 6:31)
- YouTube Video: How to Shake a Cocktail (Time: 6:31)
Layering Mixed Drinks
- Create a pretty, layered cocktail by pouring the heaviest liquor into the glass first.The House Hotel: Layering Cocktails
- Place a bar spoon upside down inside the glass above the first layer of liquor.The House Hotel: Layering Cocktails
- Pour the next layer very slowly over the back of the spoon so it "floats" atop the first layer.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Layered Drinks
- Continue layering the different liquors, until you finish with the lightest ingredient.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Layered Drinks
- Don't stir the drink before serving since it will disrupt the layers.About.com: How to Float or Layer a Drink
- Videojug: How to Make a Bob Marley Cocktail (Time: 1:09)
Chilling the Glass
- Store the glass in the freezer for a few hours before you mix the drink.About.com: How to Chill Glassware
- You can also sit the glass in a bucket filled with ice for about 30 minutes.About.com: How to Chill Glassware
- For a quick chill, fill the glass with ice and soda water and let it sit for 30 seconds before pouring out the contents and filling the glass with your cocktail.Chow: How to Chill a Glass (Time: 0:24)
- YouTube Video: How to Chill a Glass: CHOW (Time: 0:24)
Rimming the Glass
- Moisten the rim of the glass by running a piece of lemon or lime around the rim.About.com: How to Rim a Glass You can also use one of the drink's ingredients, like a flavored liqueur, to moisten the edge of the glass.About.com: How to Rim a Glass
- Invert the glass and press the rim onto a plate of salt, sugar, cocoa powder, fine coconut or whatever garnish will complement the flavor of the drink.Chow: How to Rim a Cocktail Glass (Time: 0:39)
- Gently shake off any excess garnish.About.com: How to Rim a Glass
Garnishing Ideas
- Slide citrus wedges onto the rim of the glass to complement fruity cocktails.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Fruity Drinks
- Place a fruit kabob or wedges inside tropical drinks.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Fruity Drinks
- Slide a curled lemon peel into the drink for color and flavor.Fine Living: Glasses and Garnishes
- Float vegetable slices, place olives on toothpicks or insert spears of veggies like celery or asparagus into savory mixed drinks.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Garnishes for Salty, Savory or Straight Up
- Sprinkle tidbits atop the drink like toasted nuts, coconut or cocoa powder.All Recipes: Cocktail and Mocktail Garnishes: Garnishes for Salty, Savory or Straight Up
- Swirl sauce inside the glasses for flavor and visual punch, like chocolate syrup inside the glass with a chocolate martini.Fine Living: Glasses and Garnishes
Master Popular Mixed Drink Recipes
- Put your barware and bartending skills to good use by mixing some classic (and delicious) cocktails. Mahalo is a great source of popular drink recipes and how to videos, including the following:
- Amaretto Sour
- Black Russian:
- Bloody Mary:
- Cosmopolitan:
- Harvey Wallbanger:
- Lemon Drop:
- Long Island Iced Tea:
- Mai Tai:
- Manhattan:
- Margarita:
- Martinis:
- Mimosa:
- Mint Julep:
- Mojito:
- Pina Colada:
- Sex on the Beach:
- Singapore Sling:
- Tequila Sunrise:
- Tom Collins:
- Whiskey Sour:
- White Russian:
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