How to Make Epic Cocktails
When creating your own cocktail, please keep this golden formula in mind:
- 2 parts strong (spirit)
- ¾ parts sour (citrus)
- ¾ parts sweet (sweetener)
Usually, this formula produces a balanced cocktail and delicious. Once you have all the ingredients in your shaker, try taste this combination before you shake with ice to make sure you are happy with its flavor and balance. If you plan to top it with sparkling wine or soda, increase the amount of sugar to account the degree of dryness of the carbonation.
- VODKA: You can’t go wrong here. Vodka is polyamorous; it’s sort of like the chicken of the cocktail world. It works with almost any fruit or vegetable it encounters, so use it to practice.
- RUM: Another spirit with plenty of wiggle room. Berries, mint, mango, grapes, passion fruit, coconut, banana, guava and pineapple are all good complements.
- GIN: Pairs with melon, cucumber, fennel, mint, kumquat, berries,apple, lemongrass, currants, rosemary, shiso, thyme and sugar snap peas.
- SHERRY: Goes well with apple, strawberry, fig, pear, apricot and grapes.
- TEQUILA: A great spirit for more savory ingredients, including carrot, tomato, basil, cilantro, celery , beet, peppers and mint. Or pair with sweet or tart ingredients such as berries, watermelon,rhubarb, mango and passion fruit.
- WHISKEY: Goes well with mint, berries, peach, cherry, apricot, plum, fig, and apple.
SHAKE LONG AND HARD
Shaking is not just about mixing ingredients together, it cools them down completely, it’s just as important, it melts some ice, and water helps the cocktail open up and express its flavor. A professional bartender always likes powerful shake. (The same principle is applied to stirring)
TAKE ICE SERIOUSLY
Do not use the ice that has been stored in your freezer for months, as it’ll make your cocktail taste like everything else that’s been in your freezer for months. You should get a high-quality trays for uniform, well-formed ice cubes.
BITTERS ARE YOUR FRIEND.
Sometimes bitters is called the “salt and pepper” of the culinary world as it is important flavoring agents that transform a drink. For novice you could start with orange and Angostura bitters that will create well-balanced cocktails.
Following are some best cocktail recipes for you to practice.
Cocktail Recipes
(a) Americano Highball
This Italian highball is a classic that gets its edge from the bitterness of Campari, best for burnch drink.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
- 1½ ounces Campari
- Club soda
Instructions
- Mix the sweet vermouth and Campari into a highball glass filled with ice cubes.
- Top with the club soda and gently stir with a bar spoon.
- Garnish with the orange twist.
(b) Bourbon Smash
Ingredients
- 3 lemon wedges
- 5 mint leaves
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces bourbon
Instructions
- We start with muddle the lemon wedges and mint In the bottom of a shaker, with the simple syrup.
- Add the bourbon and shake with ice until chilled. Double-strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a rocks glass that filled with ice cubes.
- Garnish with the mint sprig
(c) Sloe & Low
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces gin
- ½ ounce sloe gin
- 1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
- ¾ ounce lemon juice
- ½ ounce berry syrup
- Crushed ice
Instructions
- Shake the ingredients gins, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, and syrup with ice until chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with berries on a pick on top.
(d) Peach Keen Caesar
Ingredients
- 1 ounce 100% blue agave tequila
- 1 ounce peach nectar
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- ¼ barspoon chili hot sauce
- 4 ounces (120 mL) Mott’s Clamato Cocktail
- 3 grinds fresh cracked salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare a highball glass and rim with fresh salt and pepper with toasted citrus zest
- Fill the glass with ice cubes.
- Add all listed ingredients.
- Stir the cocktail until mixed well.
- Garnish with peach slices dusted with fresh cracked salt and black pepper.
(e) Moscow Mule
The classic formula to make this drink is with vodka, but the beauty of the mule is that you can change its formula to works with others spirit. You can replace vodka with black rum, tequila or gin to make a delicious variation to taste. You also can try whiskey or scotch and yet change the lime juice to lemon juice.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka (recommend Stoli)
- ¾ ounce ginger syrup
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- Club soda
Instructions
- Put the ingredients (vodka, ginger syrup, and lime juice) into shaker and shake with ice until chilled.
- Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass which is filled with ice cubes
- Fill club soda to the top.
- To make the garnish, spear the candied ginger and the lime wheel with a toothpick and perch on the rim of the glass.