Bar guide

Basics

What comes before any recipe: measuring, chilling, mixing and serving. Read it once, and come back whenever a drink does not turn out the way it should.

Measures

Term	Equals	In practice
Milliliter (ml)	the standard unit in the recipes	Every recipe on the site is written in ml, as on the IBA spec sheets. Measuring in ml with a jigger is what makes the drink come out the same every time.
Ounce (oz)	1 oz ≈ 30 ml	The unit used in American recipes. The US fluid ounce is 29.57 ml, but behind the bar it is rounded to 30 ml. So 2 oz becomes 60 ml, 3/4 oz becomes 22.5 ml and 1/2 oz becomes 15 ml.
Dose (Brazil)	50 ml	A dose, the measure of spirit poured in Brazilian bars, is 50 ml. Do not confuse it with the 60 ml (2 oz) measure that is the base of many classic recipes, or with the American shot of 1.5 oz (about 45 ml).
Jigger	usually 30/60 ml or 25/50 ml	A two-sided measure, one side larger and one smaller. Many models have inside marks for 15, 22.5 and 45 ml. Fill it to the brim or to the mark and tip it in one motion.
Dash	≈ 1 ml	One sharp flick of the bitters bottle, turned upside down. The volume changes with the bottle and with how full it is, but it stays close to 1 ml. Two or three dashes are enough to change a drink.
Drop	≈ 0.05 ml	A dropper measure, used for saline solution, tinctures and highly concentrated bitters. It is much smaller than a dash: do not swap one for the other.
Bar spoon	≈ 5 ml	The bowl of a bar spoon, filled, holds roughly one teaspoon. Use it to measure small amounts of syrup, liqueur or sugar. The size varies from model to model: measure yours once with water to learn how much it holds.
Splash	≈ 5 to 10 ml	A short pour, made without a jigger, almost always of soda water or juice. It is not an exact measure: it is there to add a note, not to change the volume of the drink.
Part	a ratio, with no fixed volume	A recipe written in parts gives the ratio between the ingredients. In 2 parts gin to 1 part vermouth, the part can be 30 ml, a jigger or a cup, as long as the same measure is used for everything. It is the easiest way to scale a recipe up to a pitcher.
Top with	whatever it takes to fill the glass, usually 60 to 120 ml	To fill the glass with the final ingredient, almost always a carbonated one: soda water, tonic water, a soft drink or sparkling wine. It goes in last, slowly, and the drink gets only a gentle stir so it keeps its fizz.

Techniques

Shaken

When to use it
When the recipe calls for citrus juice, a thick syrup, cream, milk, egg or fruit. Shaking blends ingredients of different densities, chills fast, dilutes and works in air, which makes the drink lighter and gives it a fine foam.

Chill the serving glass in the freezer or with ice and water.
Measure the ingredients into the smaller tin, starting with the cheapest (citrus and syrup) and finishing with the spirit. If you get a measure wrong, you lose less.
Fill with solid ice cubes, fit the larger tin over it and hit it with your palm to seal.
Shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds, with a wide motion, until the metal is very cold and frosted on the outside.
Single strain: open the shaker, fit the Hawthorne strainer and pour. This is the strain for drinks served over fresh ice.
Double strain: also pass the drink through the fine strainer, held over the glass. Use it for drinks served without ice, to hold back ice shards, pulp and bits of herb.

Common mistake. Shaking weakly or with too little ice: the drink comes out lukewarm, watery and with no texture. Another mistake is serving the drink over the same ice it was shaken with. That ice is already broken and melts fast.

Daiquiri · Margarita · Whiskey Sour · Cosmopolitan

Stirred

When to use it
When every ingredient is alcoholic and clear: spirit, vermouth, liqueur and bitters. Stirring chills and dilutes without working in air, and the drink stays clear and silky.

Chill the mixing glass and the serving glass.
Measure the ingredients into the mixing glass and fill with ice cubes to above the level of the liquid.
Rest the back of the bar spoon against the wall of the glass and turn it with your fingers for 20 to 30 seconds, without rattling or breaking the ice.
Taste with a clean spoon. If it is still warm or too strong, stir a little longer.
Single strain: use the julep strainer or the Hawthorne and pour into the chilled glass or over fresh ice.
A double strain is only needed when there are ice shards, herbs or spices in the mixing glass.

Common mistake. Stirring in a hurry, rattling the spoon around and breaking the ice, or stopping too soon. Without enough dilution the drink is warm and harsh. With broken ice, it turns watery.

Dry Martini · Manhattan · Boulevardier · Hanky Panky

Built

When to use it
When the drink is simple and served over ice in the glass it is made in, especially if it takes a soft drink, soda water or sparkling wine, which cannot be shaken.

Fill the glass with ice to the rim. A glass full of ice dilutes less than a glass with little ice.
Add the non-carbonated ingredients, measured with the jigger.
Top with the carbonated ingredient last, pouring slowly down the side of the glass.
Give it a single stir from the bottom up with the bar spoon, to mix without losing the fizz.
Finish with the garnish.

Common mistake. Using too little ice and stirring too much after the carbonated ingredient goes in. The drink warms up, dilutes fast and goes flat.

Negroni · Americano · Cuba Libre · Moscow Mule

Muddled

When to use it
When you need to draw juice, oils or aroma out of fruit, herbs or sugar right in the glass or the tin.

Cut the fruit into pieces. With lime, remove the white core from the center, which adds bitterness.
Put the fruit and the sugar (or the syrup) in the bottom of the glass or tin.
Press with the muddler and twist your wrist. Citrus needs firm pressure to release the juice, without grinding the peel.
Herbs go in afterward and get only a light press, just enough to release the aroma.
Add the spirit and the ice, then stir with the bar spoon or shake, as the recipe says.

Common mistake. Crushing the mint until the leaves tear, or grinding the lime peel. Both release bitterness. Herbs are pressed, not ground.

Caipirinha · Mojito · Mint Julep

Blended

When to use it
For frozen drinks and for recipes with fresh fruit, fruit pulp or cream of coconut, which need a smooth, even texture.

Add the liquids and the fruit first, then the ice.
Use crushed ice or small cubes and measure the amount: about one full serving glass per drink.
For a frozen drink, blend on high speed only until smooth, usually 15 to 20 seconds.
For the flash blend used in tiki drinks, about 5 seconds is enough, just to mix and break up the ice.
Serve right away, in a chilled glass.

Common mistake. Using too much ice or blending for too long. Too much ice mutes the flavor. Too long warms the mix and the drink turns to water.

Piña Colada · Zombie · Missionary's Downfall · Don's Special Daiquiri

Layered

When to use it
When the effect depends on liquids kept separate, one on top of the other: layered shots, or a float of wine, dark rum or cream on top of the drink.

Order the ingredients by density. The sweetest goes on the bottom. The strongest and least sweet goes on top.
Pour the first layer straight into the glass.
Rest the tip of the bar spoon against the inside wall of the glass, with the back of the bowl facing up, just above the liquid.
Pour the next layer very slowly over the back of the spoon, letting it run down the wall of the glass.
Repeat for each layer and serve without stirring.

Common mistake. Pouring fast or getting the density order wrong. The layers mix and there is no fixing it.

B-52 · New York Sour · Irish Coffee · Tequila Sunrise

Thrown

When to use it
When you want to chill, dilute and lightly aerate, without the foam and cloudiness that shaking brings. It works well with tomato juice, vermouths and fortified wines.

Put the ingredients and the ice in one tin and hold the ice back with a strainer.
Hold the tin with the ice up high and the empty tin below it, close together.
Pour the liquid from one tin into the other, moving the two apart little by little to draw out a long stream.
Return the liquid to the tin with the ice and repeat four to six times.
Pour into the serving glass.
Simple version (rolling): pass everything, ice included, from one tin to the other a few times, with no height between them. It is the traditional way to mix a Bloody Mary without thinning out the tomato juice.

Common mistake. Starting with the tins too far apart and spilling. Start close and only widen the gap once the stream is steady. Practice with water first.

Bloody Mary · Dry Martini · Adonis

Swizzle

When to use it
For tall drinks with crushed ice, built in the glass. Swizzling chills very fast and leaves the glass coated in a layer of frost on the outside.

Put the ingredients in a highball glass.
Fill the glass about three-quarters full with crushed ice.
Sink the swizzle stick or the bar spoon to the bottom and spin the handle between your palms, moving it up and down.
Stop when the glass fogs up and frost starts to form on the outside.
Top with more crushed ice, mounding it up, and garnish.

Common mistake. Using cubed ice or holding the glass with your whole hand. Cubes do not chill enough, and a warm hand keeps the glass from frosting on the outside. Hold it by the rim or the base.

Chartreuse Swizzle · Queen's Park Swizzle · Rum Swizzle

Dry shake (with egg white)

When to use it
For drinks with egg white or aquafaba. Shaking first without ice emulsifies the protein and builds a dense, stable foam.

Crack the egg over the empty tin, apart from the other ingredients. If shell or yolk falls in, you do not lose the drink.
Add the remaining ingredients, without ice, and close the shaker tight. Without the cold, the shaker seals less firmly and can come apart: hold it tight with both hands.
Shake without ice for 10 to 15 seconds.
Open, fill with ice and shake again, hard, for another 10 to 15 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled glass and wait a few seconds for the foam to rise.
Variation (reverse dry shake): shake with ice first, strain, discard the ice and shake again without ice. The foam comes out even firmer.

Common mistake. Skipping the shake without ice or using an old egg. The foam comes out thin and smells of egg. Use a fresh egg and, if you like, drop bitters on the foam to cover the smell.

Whiskey Sour · Pisco Sour · Clover Club · Ramos Fizz

Flamed peel

When to use it
To finish the drink with the aroma of toasted citrus oil. It is a finishing touch, not a mixing technique. It became known through Dale DeGroff's Cosmopolitan and works well on a Negroni or an Old Fashioned. Only do it sober, with the bar top clean and dry.

SAFETY WARNING: alcohol and fire cause serious burns. Move open bottles, napkins, straws and cloths out of the way. Tie back hair and secure sleeves. Keep a damp cloth within reach to smother the flame. Never pour liquor from the bottle onto a lit flame.
Cut a disc of orange peel the size of a large coin, with little white pith.
Light a match or lighter and hold the flame about 10 cm from the drink, slightly above and to the side of the glass.
Gently warm the outer side of the peel for one or two seconds.
Hold the peel between your thumb and index finger, with the outer side facing the flame, and squeeze in one quick motion. The oils pass through the fire and land on the drink.
Put out the flame, rub the peel around the rim of the glass and drop it into the drink or discard it.

Common mistake. Flaming near open bottles or someone's face, and lighting spirit inside the glass. An alcohol flame is nearly invisible in a bright room, and the glass heats up and can crack. Never drink a flaming drink while it is lit, and fire with spirits is only for people with training.

Cosmopolitan · Negroni · Old Fashioned

Tools

Tool	What it is for	Tip
Boston shaker	Two pieces that fit together: a large tin and a smaller tin (or a glass). It is the workhorse shaker in bars, because it opens fast, holds plenty of ice and is easy to wash.	Fit the smaller tin in at a slight angle and hit it with your palm to seal. To open, hit the side with the heel of your hand, at the point where the two tins start to separate.
Cobbler shaker	Three pieces: the body, a lid with a built-in strainer and a small cap. Good for starting out at home, because you do not need a separate strainer.	Metal contracts in the cold and the lid can lock on. Do not press it on too hard when closing and, if it sticks, twist the lid instead of pulling.
Mixing glass	A thick-walled glass with a pouring lip, used for stirred drinks.	Chill it before use: keep it in the freezer, or fill it with ice and water, then dump it. If you do not have one, the large tin of a Boston shaker does the same job.
Bar spoon	A spoon with a long, twisted handle. It stirs drinks, measures small amounts and helps build layers.	Hold it like a pencil, between your thumb and first two fingers, and let the handle turn between them. The back of the spoon stays against the wall of the glass the whole time.
Jigger	Measures the liquids. It is the tool that does the most to improve a beginner's drinks.	Hold the jigger next to the tin, level with its rim, fill it to the brim and tip it in one motion. Check with water how much each side holds, and each inside mark.
Hawthorne and julep strainers	The Hawthorne has a spring that fits the mouth of the tin and holds back ice and solids. It is the standard for shaken drinks. The julep is a perforated bowl that sits inside the mixing glass, used for stirred drinks.	On the Hawthorne, push the tab forward with your index finger to close the spring against the tin and hold back more ice shards. With the julep, set it at an angle inside the mixing glass and hold it in place with your index finger as you pour.
Fine strainer	A small conical sieve with fine mesh, used for the double strain. It holds back ice shards, pulp, seeds and bits of herb.	Hold it over the glass and tap the side lightly if the mesh clogs. Wash it right after use, before the pulp dries.
Muddler	Presses fruit, herbs and sugar to release juice and aroma.	Choose unvarnished wood, stainless steel or hard plastic. A flat end works for everything. A toothed end works on fruit but tears mint.
Citrus juicer	Extracts lime and orange juice to order. The hinged hand press is the fastest model behind the bar.	In a hand press, the cut side of the fruit faces the holes. Juice close to the time you need it and pass the juice through a strainer.
Knife, peeler and zester	A small, sharp knife for fruit and garnishes, a peeler for wide peels and a zester for thin strips and zest.	Keep a cutting board just for the bar. Take the peel with as little white pith as possible, since the pith is bitter.
Pour spout	A metal or plastic spout that fits in the bottle and keeps the flow steady. It adds speed and allows free pouring by count.	Tip the bottle in one motion, almost vertical, so the flow settles. Wash the spouts often and cap the bottles at the end of service, especially liqueur and syrup bottles, which crystallize and attract insects.
Tongs	Pick up ice, fruit and garnishes without using your hands. It is a matter of hygiene and of finish.	Keep one pair for ice and another, finer pair for garnishes. Never pick up a garnish with your fingers in front of the guest.

Glassware

Coupe 150–210 ml

Shaken or stirred drinks served without ice. The wide mouth brings out the aroma, and the stem keeps your hand from warming the drink. Chill the glass before serving and always hold it by the stem.

Daiquiri · Sidecar · Manhattan · Clover Club

Martini glass (V-shaped) 150–250 ml

The classic conical glass for the Dry Martini and modern martinis, always without ice. It spills easily: do not fill it to the rim, and serve it well chilled.

Dry Martini · Cosmopolitan · Espresso Martini · Vesper

Rocks glass (old fashioned) 250–350 ml

A short, heavy-bottomed glass for strong drinks served over ice, built in the glass itself or strained over fresh ice. It is also the glass for the Caipirinha.

Old Fashioned · Negroni · Caipirinha · Whiskey Sour

Highball glass (or collins) 300–400 ml

Long drinks with plenty of ice and a carbonated ingredient or juice. The narrow shape helps hold the carbonation. The collins is the slightly taller, narrower version.

Mojito · Cuba Libre · John Collins · Paloma

Flute 150–200 ml

Sparkling wine drinks, served without ice. The tall, narrow glass keeps the bubbles longer. Add the other ingredients first, then top with the sparkling wine slowly.

Bellini · Mimosa · French 75 · Champagne Cocktail

Wine glass 350–600 ml

Spritzes and other sparkling wine aperitifs served with a lot of ice. The wide bowl holds the ice and the fruit wheel and lets the aroma open up.

Spritz · Kir · Pisco Sour

Hurricane glass 400–600 ml

A tall, curved glass with a short stem for large tropical drinks, blended or made with a lot of ice and juice. It calls for a generous garnish.

Piña Colada · Singapore Sling

Copper mug 350–500 ml

The Moscow Mule mug. The metal conducts cold and feels icy in the hand and on the lips. Choose mugs that are lined on the inside (stainless steel or nickel), suitable for acidic drinks.

Moscow Mule

Julep cup (metal) 300–400 ml

A metal cup for juleps and cobblers with crushed ice. A layer of frost forms on the outside when the drink is stirred well. Hold it by the rim or the base so you do not melt the frost.

Mint Julep · Sherry Cobbler

Irish coffee glass 200–250 ml

A heat-resistant glass with a handle or a stem, for hot drinks. Warm it with hot water before building the drink.

Irish Coffee · Hot Toddy

Shot glass 30–60 ml

Straight shots and layered shots, drunk in one go or in two sips. It also works as a makeshift measure, as long as you check how much yours holds.

B-52

Tiki mug 350–600 ml

A decorated ceramic mug for tropical drinks with crushed ice. Ceramic holds the cold well and hides the color of the drink, so the garnish carries the presentation.

IBA Tiki · Zombie

Margarita glass 250–350 ml

A two-tiered glass with a very wide mouth, made for the salt rim. Use it for the Margarita, without ice or frozen.

Margarita

Clay cup 200–350 ml

The clay pot used to serve the Canchanchara in Cuba. Clay keeps the drink cool. Soaking the cup in cold water before serving helps keep the drink cold.

Canchanchara

Ice

Cubes	The workhorse ice, 2.5 to 3 cm on each side. Use it for shaking, stirring and serving. It has to be hard and dry, straight out of the freezer. Wet or hollow ice melts fast and leaves the drink watery.
Large cube or sphere	A cube of about 5 cm or a sphere that fills most of a rocks glass. It has little surface area relative to its volume, melts slowly and keeps the drink strong for longer. Use it in spirit-forward drinks served over ice, such as the Old Fashioned and the Negroni.
Crushed	Ice broken into small, irregular pieces. It chills very fast and dilutes a lot, which balances strong, sweet drinks such as the Mint Julep, the Mai-Tai, the Bramble and swizzles. At home, crush cubes inside a clean cloth with a muddler or pulse them in the blender, and pour off any water that forms.
Flake or pebble	Small, uniform nuggets or flakes, made by machine. This is the ice for tiki drinks, juleps and cobblers in professional bars, more uniform than crushed ice. At home, substitute crushed ice without the fine powder.
Mixing ice and serving ice	The ice that goes in the shaker or the mixing glass chills and dilutes the drink and is then discarded. The glass always gets fresh ice, which melts more slowly. Dilution is an ingredient: in a well-shaken or well-stirred drink, close to a quarter of the final volume is water from the ice. So use plenty of ice, shake for the full time and do not reuse shaken ice.

Cocktail families

spirit + citrus + sugar

Sours

Starting point
60 : 30 : 20 ml of spirit, citrus juice and simple syrup (starting point)

The most important family for learning balance. The citrus brings acidity, the sugar rounds it out and the spirit gives the drink its backbone. Start from the ratio and adjust: sharper citrus calls for more syrup, a sweeter spirit calls for less. Sours are always shaken with ice. With egg white, they gain foam and texture.

Daiquiri · Whiskey Sour · Pisco Sour · Bee's Knees

spirit + citrus + liqueur

Daisies

Starting point
50 : 20 : 20 ml of spirit, orange liqueur and citrus juice (starting point)

A daisy is a sour in which a liqueur, almost always orange, does the job of the sugar or shares the job with it. Because the liqueur also contains alcohol, the drink comes out drier and stronger than a regular sour. If it is too tart, correct it with a bar spoon of syrup. Margarita, incidentally, is the Spanish word for daisy.

Margarita · Sidecar · White Lady · Cosmopolitan

spirit + carbonated mixer, over ice

Highballs

Starting point
1 : 2 to 1 : 3, or 50 ml of spirit to 100 to 150 ml of mixer

Spirit and a carbonated mixer in a highball glass full of ice. It looks simple, but it comes down to the details: a well-chilled glass and mixer, plenty of ice and a single stir so the carbonation is not lost. A citrus wedge or peel finishes the drink.

Cuba Libre · Moscow Mule · Dark 'n' Stormy · Paloma · Horse's Neck

spirit + citrus + sugar + soda water

Collinses and fizzes

Starting point
45 : 30 : 15 ml of spirit, lemon juice and syrup, plus 60 ml of soda water

These are sours lengthened with soda water. The Collins goes in a highball glass with ice. The fizz is shaken, served without ice in a smaller glass and topped with a splash of soda water. With egg white, the fizz gets the tall foam that reaches its extreme in the Ramos Fizz. Soda water never goes in the shaker: it goes in at the end.

John Collins · Gin Fizz · Ramos Fizz

spirit + vermouth, liqueur or sugar + bitters

Stirred aromatic drinks

Starting point
2 : 1 plus 2 dashes of bitters (Manhattan), 1 : 1 : 1 (Negroni), 6 : 1 (Dry Martini)

Strong drinks made only of alcoholic ingredients, in which the spirit is seasoned with vermouth, liqueur, sugar or bitters. The Old Fashioned is the oldest model: spirit, sugar, bitters and the water from the ice. The Manhattan and the Martini swap the sugar for vermouth, and the Negroni splits the glass into three equal parts. They are stirred, in the mixing glass or in the serving glass itself, and never shaken. They need good dilution and a well-chilled glass.

Old Fashioned · Manhattan · Negroni · Dry Martini

sparkling wine + bitter aperitif or liqueur + soda water

Sparkling wine aperitifs (spritz)

Starting point
3 : 2 : 1, or 90 ml of sparkling wine, 60 ml of bitter aperitif and 30 ml of soda water

Light, low-ABV drinks made to whet the appetite. The sparkling wine gives body and fizz, the bitter aperitif or the fruit gives the flavor and the soda water lengthens the drink. The spritz is built in a wine glass with ice. The Bellini and the Mimosa go in a flute, without ice. In all of them, the ingredients go in well chilled and the drink gets only a gentle stir.

Spritz · Bellini · Mimosa · French 75 · Champagne Cocktail

spirit or fortified wine + egg + sugar (flip); spirit + liqueur + cream (cream drinks)

Flips and cream drinks

Starting point
30 : 30 : 30 ml of spirit, liqueur and fresh cream. For a flip, 60 ml of base, 1 yolk or whole egg and 10 to 15 ml of syrup

Dessert drinks with a velvety texture. The flip takes a whole egg or a yolk, shaken with spirit or fortified wine and sugar. Cream drinks swap the egg for fresh cream and liqueur. Shake hard with plenty of ice, double strain and finish with freshly grated nutmeg. Brazilian batidas made with sweetened condensed milk or coconut milk are close relatives.

Alexander · Grasshopper · Porto Flip

spirit + sugar + fresh herb + crushed ice (the smash also takes citrus)

Juleps and smashes

Starting point
60 ml of spirit, 10 to 15 ml of syrup and 8 to 10 mint leaves. For a smash, add 20 to 25 ml of lemon juice

The julep is spirit, sugar and mint over a lot of crushed ice, served in a metal cup that frosts over on the outside. The smash is a julep with citrus, shaken and served over ice. In both, the herb is pressed gently, never torn, and a bouquet of mint goes next to the straw so the aroma arrives before the sip.

Mint Julep · Gin Basil Smash · Mojito · Whiskey Smash

rum (one or more) + citrus + syrups and liqueurs + juices or spices

Tiki and tropical drinks

Starting point
60 : 30 : 30 ml of rum, lime juice and sweeteners combined (syrups and liqueurs), as in the Mai-Tai

Rum drinks with several layers of flavor: more than one rum in the same glass, fresh citrus, syrups such as orgeat and grenadine, spices and fruit juices. The old Caribbean punch rhyme sums up the logic: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. They call for crushed ice, a quick shake or the blender, and a generous garnish.

Mai Tai · Zombie · Piña Colada · Jungle Bird · Planter's Punch

spirit + sugar or honey + hot liquid (water, coffee or tea)

Hot drinks

Starting point
50 ml of spirit, 120 ml of hot liquid and 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar or honey

Spirit lengthened with hot water, coffee or tea, sweetened with sugar or honey and scented with citrus or spice. Warm the glass with hot water before building the drink, and serve in a glass with a handle or a stem. In the Irish Coffee, the lightly whipped cream floats on the coffee without mixing in. In Brazil, quentão, made with cachaça and ginger, and vinho quente, the mulled wine of the June festivals (festas juninas), belong to the same family.

Irish Coffee · Hot Toddy · Quentão · Vinho Quente

Garnishes

Twist (peel)	A strip of citrus peel, cut with little white pith. Squeeze the peel over the drink with the outer side facing the glass, to spray the oils onto the surface. Then run it around the rim and drop it into the drink or discard it.
Wheel and half-wheel	A thin slice of citrus, whole or cut in half. It decorates and adds aroma, but barely changes the flavor. Cut it close to serving time, 3 to 5 mm thick, and remove the seeds.
Wedge	A piece of lime or orange cut lengthwise. Unlike the wheel, it is there for the drinker to squeeze and adjust the acidity. It sits on the rim or goes inside the glass, as in the Cuba Libre.
Salt or sugar rim	Run a lime wedge around the outside of the rim only, then roll the glass in salt or sugar spread on a plate. Tap lightly to knock off the excess, and do not let any fall inside the glass. Rimming only half the glass gives the drinker a choice. Use fleur de sel or ground coarse salt, because fine table salt is too salty.
Herbs (mint, basil, rosemary)	Use fresh, firm sprigs. Before it goes in the glass, wake up the mint: slap the sprig once against the back of your hand to release the aroma. Place it next to the straw, so the nose reaches the herb with every sip.
Cherry and olive	The cocktail cherry (maraschino or amarena) goes with whiskey and vermouth drinks, such as the Manhattan. The brined green olive goes in the Dry Martini. Drain before using, so no syrup or brine gets into the drink, and serve on a pick.
Nutmeg and grated spices	Grate it fresh over the finished drink, using a fine grater. Nutmeg is the classic finish for flips and cream drinks, such as the Alexander and the Porto Flip. Cinnamon works well in tiki drinks and hot drinks. Use only a little: it is aroma, not seasoning.
Coffee beans	Three roasted coffee beans on the foam are the garnish for the Espresso Martini. Place them carefully in the center right after pouring, while the foam is firm. The custom comes from Italian sambuca served with three beans, which stand for health, wealth and happiness.

Syrups and preparations

Simple syrup (1:1)

Makes ≈ 320 ml · up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator

200 g white sugar
200 ml water

Heat the water without letting it boil, turn off the heat, add the sugar and stir until the liquid is clear. Let it cool and store in a clean bottle with a cap, in the refrigerator. It can also be made cold: sugar and water in a bottle, shaken until dissolved. Write the date on the label.

Rich syrup (2:1)

Makes ≈ 450 ml · up to 2 months in the refrigerator

400 g sugar (white or demerara)
200 ml water

Heat the water over low heat, add the sugar a little at a time and stir until it dissolves completely, without boiling. Cool and bottle. It is sweeter and fuller-bodied than 1:1: use about two-thirds of the amount of simple syrup a recipe calls for. Made with demerara, it goes well with rum and whiskey.

Honey syrup (honey mix 2:1)

Makes ≈ 240 ml · 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator

200 g honey
100 ml hot water, not boiling

Stir the honey into the hot water until smooth. Cool and bottle. Undiluted honey hardens on contact with ice and does not mix. Diluted, it goes into the shaker like any other syrup. It is the sweetener in the Bee's Knees and the Penicillin.

Ginger syrup

Makes ≈ 350 ml · up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator

150 g fresh ginger
200 ml water
200 g sugar

Wash the ginger, cut it into pieces (no need to peel) and blend it with the water. Strain through a fine strainer or a clean cloth, squeezing well. Add the sugar to the liquid and stir until it dissolves. If needed, warm it over low heat, without boiling, so it does not lose its bite. Bottle, and shake before using.

Homemade grenadine (pomegranate)

Makes ≈ 400 ml · up to 1 month in the refrigerator

250 ml pure pomegranate juice, unsweetened
250 g sugar
5 ml orange flower water (optional)

Heat the juice over low heat, without boiling, add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Turn off the heat, let it cool and add the orange flower water. Bottle. To use fresh fruit, pulse the pomegranate seeds in the blender and strain through a fine strainer before measuring the juice.

Basic orgeat (almond syrup)

Makes ≈ 500 ml · up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator

200 g raw blanched almonds
400 ml hot water
300 g sugar
5 ml orange flower water

Blend the almonds with the hot water until you have a thick milk. Let it rest for 1 hour, then strain through a clean cloth, squeezing well. Put this milk over low heat with the sugar and stir just until it dissolves, without boiling. Cool, add the orange flower water and bottle. It separates in the refrigerator: shake before using.

Invert sugar (invert syrup)

Makes ≈ 450 ml · up to 6 months in the refrigerator, in a tightly sealed jar

500 g white sugar, granulated or fine
250 ml water
1 g citric acid (or 10 ml strained lemon or lime juice)

Combine everything in the pan while it is still cold and set it over low heat, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and keep it at a gentle boil until the thermometer reads 114 °C (237 °F). Without a thermometer, that takes about 20 to 30 minutes, until it has the consistency of thin honey. Do not let it darken. Cool and store in a clean, tightly sealed jar. It does not crystallize and dissolves easily in cold drinks, so it works well in batidas and Caipirinhas. It sweetens more than simple syrup: start by using a little less.

Fresh sour mix

Makes ≈ 600 ml · up to 2 days in the refrigerator (the juice loses its freshness fast)

150 ml lemon juice
150 ml lime juice
300 ml simple syrup (1:1)

Juice the lemons and limes, strain the juice through a fine strainer and mix it with the cooled syrup. Store in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator and shake before using. It is equal parts juice and syrup: 60 ml of sour mix to 60 ml of spirit makes a quick sour. Taste and adjust, because the acidity of the fruit varies.