Drinks & Mixology:
An introduction

Is it a Cocktail or a Mixed Drink?

Every drink that you mix up in a bar is a mixed drink. That's pretty clear. While the words mixed drink and cocktail are often interchanged, technically, the two do not have the same meaning.

A mixed drink is any beverage that combines two or more ingredients. These drinks are often simply poured over ice, for example, a John Collins or a Rum and Coke. Though it's often assumed that a mixed drink contains alcohol, this is not always the case. Popular nonalcoholic drinks like the Shirley Temple and Arnold Palmer are technically mixed drinks as well.


A cocktail is a mixed drink that is traditionally defined as a combination of liquor(s), a sweetener, bitters, and water (diluted ice). By this definition, a brandy cocktail is a pure and classic example of a cocktail, but the martini is also considered a cocktail even though it contains no sweetener. And so, the actual, modern definition of a cocktail is broader than it was in the first days of the bar. In general, cocktails are many of the fancier mixed drinks that require a little more work to construct. It's a subjective definition and one that you shouldn't worry too much about.


To sum it up: A cocktail is a mixed drink, but a mixed drink may not always be considered a cocktail.

There are two categories of cocktails: aromatic and sour

Aromatic type cocktails are those which use bitters, vermouth, or spirits as modifiers, such as the Old Fashioned, which uses bitters as a modifier for the base whisky.


Sour type cocktails are those which use fruit juices as modifiers, such as a Whisky Sour, which adds lemon juice as a modifier, as well as syrup and egg white, to the whisky base.

Basic principle for sour cocktails: the 3-2-1 rule.
• Here’s a good guide to one fundamental rule of drink mixing: You need to include a spirit, something bitter, and something sweet to achieve a balanced drink. When you’re mixing up a sour cocktail, one useful rule of thumb is to aim for 3 parts spirits, 2 parts bitter, and 1 part sweet.