Preparing cocktails is fun, whether you are doing it as a job or at home. However, if you are a beginner, it’s very easy to make mistakes and keep on wondering why your cocktail does not taste like the one your bartender prepares. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most flavorful cocktails at home.
Use The Right Equipment
You can forgo buying some bartending equipment and use what you have at home when making cocktails. For example, you can decide not to buy a strainer and use a sieve. Although that would work, it doesn’t feel or appear right. If you happen to have guests at some point and they see what you are using, they won’t be impressed. It’s always good to get the right tools for the job, as they ensure everything is done properly and make you feel like a professional bartender. Some of the tools you should never lack include a shaker, strainer, mixing glass, bar spoon, mixing glass, and a muddler.
Not All Cocktails Are Supposed to Be Shaken
Some cocktails are supposed to be shaken, while others should be stirred. How do you know whether you should shake or stir your cocktail? It’s simple. If your cocktail contains fruit juices, sour mix, cream liqueurs, dairy, simple syrup, or eggs, then you should shake it.
If your cocktails contain very light mixtures or distilled spirit mixtures only, then you should stir them.
Use Chilled Glasses
Ask every professional bartender, and they will tell you to chill your glasses in a fridge or freezer and remove them just before pouring the cocktail. Chilled glasses keep cocktails cool for a long time. These glasses also have frost, which makes them aesthetically appealing.
The best way to chill cocktail glasses is to place them in a freezer for around 30 minutes to two hours. If that’s not possible, you can place them in the refrigerator for one to four hours. If none of the two options can’t work, you can use the technique many bartenders use, which is filling the glass with crushed ice then dumping the ice after its sits for a few minutes, just before pouring the cocktail in it.
Be Careful on The Measurements
If you look at the Espresso Martini recipe, margarita, mojito, or any other cocktail recipe, you will realize that they all have specified amounts for each ingredient. That is for a good reason as it ensures that a cocktail tastes exactly as it should.
If you add more or less of a certain ingredient, the cocktail might have an unimpressive taste. Only experienced bartenders can be able to pour exact measurements without using a jigger or any other measuring tool. Free pouring saves a lot of time, especially when cocktails are made in large volumes. It’s a skill that you can learn, but it takes time.
The Glass You Use Can Make a Lot of Difference
Are you the kind of person who can take their cocktail in anything they come across, including mugs? Well, this might be somehow acceptable since you are at home, but it’s not cool. You can’t fully enjoy your cocktail in a mug used for taking tea or coffee.
A good cocktail glass makes you feel like you are taking your drink from a fancy bar somewhere. However, you don’t have to buy all the cocktail glasses available. If you love making margaritas frequently, buy some margarita glasses. If you are a martini person, you can forgo other glasses and buy martini glasses.
Basically, you should at least have coupe, rock, and highball glasses for your home bar.
Don’t Forget the Garnishes
Some people think that Professional bartenders use garnishes to demonstrate their creative skills. Others see adding garnishes as a way of making a drink look good. While that might be true, Garnishes also have other purposes besides adding an aesthetic element to a drink and demonstrating creativity. They are used for enhancing the flavor of cocktails and also enhancing the aroma. You can add a garnish of your choice, such as citrus fruit, iced flower, a herb, or even creams.
Making cocktails is not rocket science. You only need to get a few tools and some recipes. Mastering some cocktail-making skills might take time, but even the best bartenders started somewhere and gradually improved their skills. You can also do so and enjoy the best homemade cocktails.
Preparing cocktails is fun, whether you are doing it as a job or at home. However, if you are a beginner, it’s very easy to make mistakes and keep on wondering why your cocktail does not taste like the one your bartender prepares. Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the most flavorful cocktails at home.
