How to Follow a Drink Recipe

The components of a cocktail: the base, the modifier, and flavouring/colouring. All cocktail ingredients can be sorted into three categories:

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• The base is generally a single spirit on which the cocktail is based, such as vodka, whisky, or rum.

• The modifier is the ingredient which is added to the base to give the drink the desired flavour and smoothness. It helps to round off the sharp burn of the spirit. Typical modifiers are vermouth, softer spirits like Fernet Branca, fruit juices, or ingredients like eggs or cream which lend a smooth quality to the cocktail.

• Finally, special ingredients can be added for flavouring or colouring. These include ingredients like bitters, or syrups like Grenadine or Orgeat syrup.


What’s in a cocktail recipe
• When making mixed drinks, first add ice, then liquor and then your mixers.

• The average pour of alcohol is 1.5 ounces (or a “jigger”), but depending on your mixers and audience, it can go anywhere from 1 to 2.

KEEP IN MIND: As a general rule, stir clear (or translucent) drinks; shake opaque ones.

• If you’re serving a drink on the rocks, larger cubes of ice are often appreciated, as they melt more slowly than shaved ice, diluting the drink less.

• Get to know the spirits you’re using; not all gins (or vodkas or whiskeys) are created equal, and some might do better with certain blends than others. For example, when making a sweeter cocktail like the Old-Fashioned or the Manhattan, you’ll want a stronger whiskey to give the drink backbone.

Below (charts) are some classic drink recipes