Step-by-Step guide to making a great drink along with some great cocktail mixing tips.
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Recently, I got in to trying and making different cocktails. Trying and experiencing new flavors, mixes and liquors has been really enlightening and has helped me better understand my own personal taste.
Contrary to what some other people may say, making new cocktails is typically a pretty straightforward endeavor. With most drinks it’s simply a matter of measuring out the ingredients, throwing them all in a glass and giving it a stir or shake (depending on the cocktail you’re making). Making cocktails is EVEN EASIER when you have the proper tools. Thankfully, my mom recently gifted me a complete bartender tool kit for my birthday. The kit I received was the Mixology Bartender Kit and Cocktail Shaker Set for Drink Mixing by Rocksly.
This set includes all of the great tools you need! It includes:
- Cobbler shaker
- Strainer
- 15/30 ml (1/2 ounce and 1 ounce) double jigger
- 20/40 ml (2/3 ounce and 1 1/3 ounce) double jigger
- Bar Spoon
- Ice Tongs
- Bottle Opener
- Muddler
- 2 Bottle Toppers/Pourers
- Wooden Bar Stand
- Cocktail Book with 18 different recipes
In addition to having the right tools, it’s great to also have a couple insider tips and tricks to pair with your tools to become the best bartender on the block. Even in my short tenure as a cocktail connoisseur, I’ve already come across some great tips and tricks for making a great cocktail that have helped me tremendously. Here are some great things to know when mixing your first cocktail.
1. Measure, Measure, Measure
When making a cocktail for the first time, find a recipe online with specific measurements and stick to them. While not all recipes are perfect, this will give you a great baseline for what the cocktail SHOULD (hopefully…) taste like. Once you have that idea, you can feel free to add, remove, and alter whatever ingredients and steps you want to make the drink your own.
2. Ice
Ice is so important when it comes to cocktails. Nothing is worse than a lukewarm liquor that is supposed to be ice-cold. Always use ice when serving or mixing cocktails unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Ice improves the drinkability of the cocktail and makes it much more enjoyable.
Another ice tip, when making a cocktail that is served in an ice filled glass, use as big of ice cubes as you can. Bigger ice cubes melt much slower than smaller cubes and crushed ice. This keeps the cocktail from getting watered down too quickly. Also, larger cubes give off a better esthetic than small or crushed ice which can better help you impress your friends or family.
3. Mix … and mix a little more
My last tip is to ensure that you are properly mixing your cocktails unless otherwise specified. It can be a bit disappointing to get a big gulp of the pure grenadine or straight bourbon sitting at the bottom of your glass when you finish your drink. Most cocktail recipes instruct you to either stir or shake your cocktail to properly mix all of the ingredients together. This will ensure that you’re getting that great taste from top to bottom of your glass.
Now to the recipe! One of the first cocktails I made using my brand new kit was a Bourbon Old Fashioned. Originally being from Wisconsin, I’ve always been familiar with old fashioned cocktails as Wisconsinites love the classic Brandy Old Fashioned! In addition, I’ve also sampled several different kinds of whiskey old fashioned cocktails and since I’ve been on a bit of a whiskey kick lately I decided to try my hand at creating the best Bourbon Old Fashioned. I started by finding a recipe for one online but then made some changes to arrive at the recipe I have below.
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces of Bourbon
- 5 dashes Orange Angostura Bitters (normal Angostura bitters works great too!)
- 1.5 ounces Simple Syrup
- 1 orange
- Ice
Steps
- Put one half of an orange slice into the bottom of a lowball glass. Using a muddler, muddle the orange 4 or 5 times. If you don’t have a muddler, use a spoon or fork and gently press on the orange 3 or 4 times to release the juice from the orange slice.
- Once the orange is muddled, fill your lowball glass up with ice.
- Add orange angostura bitters
- Top off with simple syrup
- Stir to combine the ingredients
- Optional: Garnish with an orange slice or rind.
- Enjoy!
Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment or question!
-Cam
