Cocktails at home: advice from famous bartenders

Many people think that it is very difficult to make a cocktail at home that is not inferior in taste to cocktails made by the hands of a professional bartender. The tips from celebrity bartenders in this article will help you more confidently prepare almost any cocktail at home.

Feel free to experiment with flavored syrups and tinctures

Tea is often used to make a cocktail, especially a punch. Brew strong tea, then mix with sugar in a 1:1 ratio.

Add tea directly to alcohol in small amounts, especially dark oolong or black tea, as too much will make the drink too tart.

A syrup or tincture is best used in cocktails based on fortified wines, such as vermouth.

This also applies to spices with a strong aroma, such as cloves and cardamom, so they should be added in much smaller quantities than, say, coriander or cinnamon.

Learn to make a base for a sour cocktail

By mixing two measures of lemon and lime juice and the same amount of simple syrup, you get a Sour Mix cocktail.

Real punch is easy

To make liquid caramel, place the zest of four lemons and the juice of one orange in a ceramic container, add 220 g of sugar and leave overnight.

Shake in the morning so that the contents turn into a suspension or suspension.

Keep the container in a warm place until the next morning. In no case do not put the suspension in a cold place – sugar should absorb the aroma of essential oils.

Leave the suspension to infuse in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.

Punch can be made from this base by adding port wine, whiskey, lemon juice and water. It prepares within a few minutes.

Try a new recipe once a week

Once a week, experiment with different syrups, extracts or tinctures.

Go to the market and buy some fresh fruit or herbs to add to your smoothie.

Grow herbs on your windowsill

A window sill vegetable garden is low maintenance and does not require much soil or space.

A bunch of basil or mint costs the same as a pack of seeds that will take several years to grow. Basil is a wonderful ingredient: adding it to any sour drink will give you a completely different drink.

Rosemary will give the cocktail softness, and lemon verbena will give it a non-trivial flavor.

Marigolds have a slight anise scent and can be substituted for fennel or other herbs that are difficult to grow.

Buy in bulk those components that are not perishable products

Buy a few bottles of soda, tonic, and ginger beer in bulk. They will allow you to whip up some cocktail in haste.

Use your personal supplies of alcohol

Examine what is stored in your refrigerator, kitchen cabinet or cellar. From their contents, you can always make some interesting combinations.

Even if you have nothing but a bottle of vodka, you can mix it with pepper to make the base for an invigorating Bloody Mary or a relaxing martini.

Organize a minibar

Choose a place to put a few bottles of gin and tonic, as well as various additives and spices.

Invite guests to make cocktails to their taste.

Use leftover wine

Instead of pouring out the wine you didn’t drink the day before, pour it into a bowl of fruit, add some sugar, and maybe a little brandy.

Place in the refrigerator until the next day. Add some soda water and enjoy during lunch!

Don’t be afraid to follow your fantasies and improvise.

Add some ice to a glass with a mixture of alcoholic beverages and shake it vigorously several times, covering it with your hand and being careful not to spill the contents.

It can be anything: whiskey (like Wild Turkey), aged rum (like Havana Club), brandy (particularly Metaxa, Ouzo), liqueurs (say Maraschino, Cointreau) or liqueurs (Angostura), and also a mixture of spices.

You will not have to regret the result, no matter what you choose from the above.

Use special measuring cups

Use the dashes on the glass to measure all the ingredients correctly.

For example, to make a Cuba Libre cocktail, pour lime juice into a glass up to the first mark, a mixture of tinctures or rum up to the second mark, add ice and Cola.

Find out the secret ingredients of real bartenders

For example, St.-Germain liqueur has gained no less popularity among bartenders than ketchup among cooks.

The bottles into which it is poured are so beautiful that they will become a worthy decoration for the interior of your home. This drink has a very pleasant and refined aroma.

Master the basic recipes before you start experimenting

It is very important to start with mastering classic cocktails. Especially those whose recipes have not changed for many decades and even centuries.

For example, for a Cosmopolitan cocktail, citrus vodka, Cointreau, fresh limes and cranberry juice are required ingredients.

Learn how to cook it this way, and then you can try adding other ingredients.

Don’t Forget Fine Wines

There are a number of cocktails that use wine as an ingredient, as well as the popular sangria and punches.

Relevance: 28.11.2015

Tags: Tips and life hacks