Cocktail making techniques

Build over ice: This is the simplest method of making a cocktail, it simply involves placing ice in the glass & pouring the ingredients over the top. It can also help create colourful effects.


Blender: The hardest thing to do well when blending cocktails is to correctly measure the ice. The beginners method to get the correct amount and limit wastage until you become confident with the amount of ice that should go into the blender is to fill your glass with ice, then pour the ice from the glass into the blender. When pouring ingredients from a blender gently tap the side of the blender continuously this firstly gives you consistency & a smooth transition into the glass. If pouring 2 drinks from the 1 blend only fill the glasses ½ way to ensure consistency.


Stir: Used most commonly in cocktails containing gin to avoid bruising the gin. This is my most elegant form of cocktail mixology. The reason for stirring a cocktail is to get an evenly balanced flavour. It is also used commonly as a way of mixing flavours when the drink contains a fizzy substance, example Champagne or soft drink. In cocktails such as the Old fashion the goal is to slowly infuse the aromatic flavour of bitters with Bourbon, water melted from ice & sugar. Normally stirred cocktails will be strained. Double straining is also recommended for martini style cocktails.


Shake and Strain: The goal of shaking a cocktail is similar to that of stirring a cocktail except is much more effective when using liqueurs. A Liqueur is much heavier in density than a spirit due to their high sugar content. Shaking a cocktail is also a groovy look for any stylish bar. The technique is simple, pour ingredients over ice into the mixing glass, put metal tin over the top and shake. Always shake with glass pointed up & hand firmly over the mixing glass.


Muddle Shake and Strain: Over the last 5 years cocktail muddling has become the most popular way of mixing cocktails by mixologists in all the world trendy bar scenes. The reason is that it extracts the full flavour of fresh fruit, herbs & spices. Allowing Cocktails to take on new culinary styles. To Muddle a cocktail ingredients is simply to crush the ingredients to extract their flavour. In many fruits such as limes there are huge amounts of flavour in the fruits skin that is essential to the flavour of drinks such as the Mojito & Caipiroska. Although most drinks & muddles with sugar it is not essential. The reason that we then shake & strain the cocktail is to remove all the excess pieces of fruit & herbs as it is their wonderful flavours that we aim to acquire. It is also very important when making martini style cocktails to double strain.


Throwing: This is the latest London bar trend. It is normally used with Martini’s to aerate the drink enhancing the flavour of the Gin. The technique simply involves long pouring the ingredients of a cocktail between two mixing glasses. The same technique used in India to make chai tea. To separate tap the top of the metal tin firmly on flat side, put hawthorn strainer on top of tin and strain into glass.


Text sourced from Earthbar.