I enjoy drinking fancy cocktails just as much as everyone else. I can spend hours at the bar, watching the bartenders work, absorbing the carefully curated ambience, and watching people. The energy in a well-run bar or restaurant is something I love. It almost makes me wish that I was still working.
These days, I drink more cocktails at my house than out. It’s partly because I am an older homebody who doesn’t like to wear shoes or hard pants. But it’s also that I can make drinks at home in a relaxed atmosphere and save money. If you are just starting out, you might feel that your drinks don’t taste very good or that you have no idea what to make. Here are some tips that will help you feel comfortable and troubleshoot any common problems.
You don’t need to be complicated
When I say complicated, I’m referring to the fact that it involves steps or ingredients that I wouldn’t normally bother with. For example, shaking a cocktail using egg whites for that beautiful foamy top or mixing a recipe with more than five ingredients. Complexity doesn’t always mean better. Some of the best classic cocktails are simple, but delicious. It doesn’t take a lot to make a great drink when you use good ingredients. Manhattans are made with only three ingredients, and they can be served in the same glass. The same goes for an Old Fashioned or a Negroni. When you start making drinks at home, choose something simple and focus on the ingredients.
Balance is key
Many customers have told me that they don’t like the taste of their drinks when they make them at home. This is due to a number of factors.
Even a simple change in bitters or vermouth brand can make a huge difference to the final taste. Each ingredient adds a unique nuance to the final drink. This doesn’t mean that one ingredient is better than another, but it does mean that you will get a different drink when you switch out the ingredients.
This bartender makes the same drinks repeatedly. After a few attempts, the bike rider is no longer wobbly or shaky. It is elegant to not overthink.
balance is the thing that can make drinks taste better at a bar. Bartenders must be able to balance the sweet (sugar, liqueur or citrus juice) with the bitter (alcohol). The bartender can taste the drink (using a straw) to determine if they need more bitters, or lemon juice. Balance is subjective, and it takes some practice to get right. You may find that what you consider a perfect cocktail is too sweet for me. Trust your taste, and don’t hesitate to add more sugar or bitters or sourness to the drink to suit you. This recipe is just the starting point. Adjust it to your taste.
If you are tasting a drink and it doesn’t taste right, you can add a bit more sugar, a squeeze of lemon or lime, or some dilution.
The water is your friend
The water is an important ingredient in any cocktail. When you shake or stir with ice (or pour over ice), it’s considered “added”. All of these actions add dilution by melting the ice. In a cocktail, dilution has two main purposes. It helps to balance the drink by balancing out its ingredients (similarly to bitters). The flavors are also “opened” by adding water. Just a few drops will lower the alcohol level and allow us to taste each ingredient and drink better. Every drink needs some water.
If the first taste seems to be lacking or too strong, let the drink sit on ice in the glass for an additional minute. Or you can put it back into the mixing glass and stir it for a couple of seconds.
Start by looking for recipes you like, then start thinking about and stocking up your bar. Invite a few of your friends over once you feel more confident. You can impress your friends with your new skills, and you’ll also be able to show them off.
