Ask the Bartender
53 questions, answered without filler. Click any to read the full answer.
Beginner (1)
Technique (11)
What's the difference between shaking and stirring a cocktail?Shaking chills faster, dilutes more, aerates the drink, and produces a cloudier texture. Stirring chills more slowly, dilutes less…
How do you shake a cocktail properly?Fill the shaker two-thirds with cubed ice, seal, and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds with vigorous movement. Strain immediately; d…
What does 'double strain' mean?Double straining means pouring the cocktail through both a Hawthorne strainer (the wire-coiled one fitted in the shaker) and a sep…
Why do you stir a Manhattan instead of shake it?Stirring chills the cocktail slowly without aerating it, producing the clear, silky texture expected of a spirit-forward drink. Sh…
How do you muddle without crushing herbs too much?For herbs, use gentle pressure and a twist — five to seven seconds maximum, just enough to release the oils. For fruit and sugar, …
What is 'dilution' in cocktails and why does it matter?Dilution is the water added to a cocktail by ice melt during shaking or stirring. A typical cocktail is 20 to 30 percent water by …
How do you make simple syrup?Combine equal parts white sugar and water by volume in a saucepan, stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves, cool, and store i…
What does it mean to 'express' a citrus peel?Expressing a peel means squeezing it over the cocktail to release the citrus oils onto the surface, where they add aroma. Hold the…
How long should you shake a cocktail?12 to 15 seconds of vigorous shaking for standard citrus cocktails. 8 to 10 seconds is too short (under-dilution); 20-plus seconds…
What's a 'dry shake'?A dry shake is the first step in shaking egg-white cocktails: shake the egg white plus the other ingredients with NO ice for about…
How do you flame a citrus peel?Hold a wide strip of orange or lemon peel over the cocktail, skin-side down, with a lit match between the peel and the drink. Sque…
Equipment (2)
Do I need a cocktail shaker?Only for cocktails that contain citrus, dairy, egg, or fresh fruit — those need the aeration and harder chill that shaking provide…
What's a jigger?A jigger is a small double-ended metal measuring cup used to portion spirits and modifiers in cocktails. The two ends are typicall…
Glassware (5)
What glass should I use for a Negroni?A rocks glass (old-fashioned glass, double old-fashioned, or lowball — all the same thing) with one large ice cube. Coupe glasses …
Do I need a copper mug for a Moscow Mule?No — a copper mug is the traditional vessel for marketing and presentation, but a highball glass or rocks glass works equally well…
What's a coupe glass?A coupe is a stemmed wide-bowled cocktail glass, less narrow than a martini glass, typically holding 5 to 7 ounces. It's the canon…
Is a Nick and Nora glass the same as a coupe?Similar but not identical. Both are stemmed, both serve cocktails up. The Nick and Nora is bell-shaped (curves inward at the top);…
What's the difference between a rocks glass and a highball glass?A rocks glass is short and wide (8 to 12 oz), for spirit-forward drinks over ice. A highball is tall and narrow (10 to 16 oz), for…
Spirits (11)
What's the best whiskey for an Old Fashioned?Use a 100-proof or higher bourbon or rye that can stand up to dilution — Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey 101, Rittenhouse Rye, or Old O…
What's the difference between London Dry and Plymouth gin?London Dry gin is a category — juniper-forward, dry, made anywhere in the world. Plymouth gin is a specific brand and protected ge…
What gin should I use for an authentic Negroni?Any decent London Dry — Tanqueray, Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, or Sipsmith all work. The bitter Campari and sweet vermouth dominat…
Can I use cheap vodka in cocktails?For cocktails that mix vodka with strong-flavored ingredients (Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary, Espresso Martini), yes. For Martinis, whe…
What's mezcal and how is it different from tequila?Mezcal is a Mexican agave spirit produced from any of 30-plus agave varieties, traditionally smoked in earthen pits. Tequila is a …
What does 'agave-forward' tequila mean?Agave-forward tequila is made from 100 percent blue Weber agave (no added sugars or grain neutral spirit) and has the vegetal, sli…
What cocktails can I make with just a bottle of bourbon?Old Fashioned (with sugar, bitters, orange peel), Mint Julep (with mint, sugar, crushed ice), Whiskey Sour (with lemon and sugar),…
What cocktails can I make with just a bottle of vodka?Moscow Mule (with lime and ginger beer), Vodka Martini (with dry vermouth), Bloody Mary (with tomato juice and seasonings), and Vo…
What cocktails can I make with tequila?Margarita (with Cointreau and lime), Paloma (with grapefruit soda), Tequila Sunrise (with orange juice and grenadine), and tequila…
What cocktails work well with mezcal?Mezcal Margarita (smokier version of the classic), Naked and Famous (equal parts mezcal, Aperol, yellow Chartreuse, lime), Oaxaca …
What cocktails can I make with amaro?Black Manhattan (rye, amaro, bitters), Paper Plane (bourbon, Aperol, amaro, lemon), Hanky Panky (gin, sweet vermouth, Fernet-Branc…
Substitutions (3)
What cocktails can I make with just gin and vermouth?Gin and dry vermouth make a classic Martini; gin and sweet vermouth make a Martinez or a Gin and It. Both are stirred and served u…
Can I make a Negroni without Campari?Yes — substitute Aperol for a lighter, sweeter, less bitter drink, or use a different red Italian bitter like Cynar (vegetal) or L…
Can I substitute bourbon for rye in a Manhattan?Yes — a bourbon Manhattan is a legitimate variation, just sweeter and softer than the rye original. Many modern bartenders prefer …
Comparisons (1)
Pairings (2)
What cocktails can I make with bourbon and Cointreau?The Brown Derby (bourbon, grapefruit, honey) and the Bourbon Sidecar (bourbon, Cointreau, lemon) both work. Bourbon also subs into…
What cocktails use vodka and lime juice?The Moscow Mule (vodka, lime, ginger beer), Vodka Gimlet (vodka, lime, sugar), and Cosmopolitan (vodka, lime, Cointreau, cranberry…
Ingredients (2)
What's the difference between fresh and bottled lime juice in cocktails?Massive — fresh-squeezed lime juice is bright, acidic, slightly sweet, with citrus oils. Bottled lime juice (Rose's, ReaLime, etc.…
Can I use store-bought sour mix?Not if you want the cocktail to be good. Bottled sour mix is high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, and yellow food coloring — it …
Troubleshooting (5)
Why is my Old Fashioned bitter?Too many dashes of bitters, or too long a stir without enough sugar to balance them. Two to three dashes Angostura is standard; mo…
Why is my cocktail watery?Over-dilution. The most common causes: crushed ice instead of cubed (way too much surface area), too long a shake or stir, ice cub…
Why does my cocktail taste like nothing but alcohol?Under-dilution, wrong proportions, or both. Most likely you've under-stirred or under-shaken (the ice hasn't melted enough), used …
How do I keep ice from melting too fast in a cocktail?Use one large ice cube (2-inch square or larger) instead of multiple small cubes, freeze water in an insulated tray, and serve dri…
Why do my cocktails taste different than at a bar?Five common reasons: better bartender ice, fresh citrus that bars squeeze that day, properly chilled glassware, accurate jigger po…
Storage (2)
Is vermouth supposed to be refrigerated?Yes — vermouth is a fortified wine and oxidizes once opened. Refrigerate after opening and use within 30 to 60 days for best flavo…
How do I know if my vermouth has gone bad?Smell and taste it. Fresh vermouth smells bright, slightly floral, slightly bitter; oxidized vermouth smells sharp, vinegary, and …
History (5)
Who invented the Espresso Martini?Dick Bradsell invented the Espresso Martini in the mid-1980s at Fred's Club in Soho, London. A model — Bradsell only ever said 'a …
What is the IBA cocktail list?The IBA (International Bartenders Association) maintains a list of official cocktails grouped into three categories — The Unforget…
What's an 'aperitivo'?An aperitivo is an Italian pre-dinner drink (and accompanying small snacks) intended to stimulate the appetite before a meal. The …
What's the difference between a digestif and an aperitif?An aperitif is a pre-dinner drink that stimulates the appetite (typically lighter, slightly bitter, lower-ABV). A digestif is a po…
Is the Cosmopolitan a real cocktail?Yes — the Cosmopolitan is a legitimate modern classic, on the IBA Contemporary Classics list, popularized at Dale DeGroff's bar at…
Practical (3)
How much alcohol is in one cocktail?A standard cocktail contains roughly the alcohol of 1.5 to 2 standard US drinks. A typical 2-oz spirit cocktail (Martini, Negroni,…
Can I make cocktails ahead of time for a party?Stirred spirit-forward cocktails batch beautifully; shaken citrus cocktails do not. Pre-batch Manhattans, Negronis, and Old Fashio…
What cocktails work for a crowd?Pre-batched stirred cocktails (Negroni, Manhattan, Old Fashioned) or large-format punches. Negroni Sbagliato is especially crowd-f…
Or skip the reading.
Photograph your liquor cabinet and let Cabinet Cocktails tell you what you can actually make tonight.
🍸 Scan My Cabinet