Shaken & Stirred - Cocktail & Mocktail - Introduction 2

aceventura2 (34)in #cocktail • 6 years ago (edited)

In my last post of Shaken & Stirred - Introduction I had informed some notes on how to prepare yourself in case you are planning to come up with a social gathering at your home and where you intend to be a good connoisseur.

If you are trying to blag bartender testimonies, it is advisable to choose your weapons carefully. Choose a handful of crucial resources that appear uncommon and interesting (nonetheless omit whatever you don’t understand how to use).

Alcoholic beverages

If you’re stocking your own bar, keep it simple. There’s no sense tempting your drinkers with exotic flavors that you don’t understand how to use. Start out with the 6 base spirits:

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Vodka
London dry gin
Rum (white, medium and dark)
Tequila (silver, then gold)
Whiskey
Brandy

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Match up these with a handful of staple liqueurs - triple sec, amaretto, something coffee-flavoured (like Kahlua) and vermouth.

Also, ice. Seriously, if you run out in that case the party’s over.

Tip: If you can’t manage a full countertop of premium spirits, you can get away with mid-range vodka, gin and rum. Splashing away on tequila is vital for smooth drinks, and make sure you end up picking a versatile whiskey if you can only have one. We’d propose Bloom gin, Russian Standard vodka and Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey (pronounced “bur-buhn”).

Mixers

When it comes to mixers, more is more. Start with your sodas; cola and diet cola, tonic water, ginger ale and club soda. If you’re not sure how much of these you’ll drink, buy individual bottles or cans so you don’t risk an entire litre going flat for one beverage.

You should also grab some Grenadine, fruit juice (orange, cranberry and pineapple are good), aromatic bitters and sour mix, and learn to make your own simple syrup*

Quick Tip : How to simply make simple syrup :

Pour equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan. Remember, the sugar dissolves into the water, so 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water will not equal 2 cups of simple syrup. It's more like 1 ½ cups simple syrup once dissolved. Adjust your measurements as needed.
Heat the ingredients until dissolved. Stir the simple syrup and place the saucepan over medium heat. By the time the edges start to simmer, the liquid should be completely clear, not cloudy. Immediately remove from the heat source.
Store the simple syrup in an airtight container, in the fridge, until ready to use (Basic simple syrup can stay fresh up to 4 weeks).

Garnishes

Beautiful garnishes are the secret to making a stunning cocktail, but the quality of your drink really has to back it up. At an amateur level, stick to citrus segments, berries and gently crushed mint leaves. Mix up the presentation with quarters, peel twists or folded slices pierced with a cocktail stick, on top of ice.