The six ways to make
a cocktail are as follows ;
-
Shaking/Straining
-
Stirring
-
Muddling
-
Blending
-
Building
-
Layering
Each one has a unique
and positive effect on a cocktail. A drink shaken
and strained can taste different to the same drink
stirred. Finding the correct method for each
cocktail is important.
Shaking
When a drink contains eggs, fruit juices or cream,
it is necessary to shake the ingredients. Shaking is
the method by which you use a cocktail shaker to mix
ingredients together and chill them simultaneously.
The object is to almost freeze the drink whilst
breaking down and combining the ingredients.
Normally this is done with ice cubes three-quarters
of the way full. When you've poured in the
ingredients, hold the shaker in both hands, with one
hand on top and one supporting the base, and give a
short, sharp, snappy shake. It's important not to
rock your cocktail to sleep. When water has begun to
condense on the surface of the shaker, the cocktail
should be sufficiently chilled and ready to be
strained.
Straining
Most cocktail shakers are sold with a build-in
strainer or hawthorn strainer. When a drink calls
for straining, ensure you've used ice cubes, as
crushed ice tends to clog the strainer of a standard
shaker. If indeed a drink is required shaken with
crushed ice, it is to be served unstrained.
Muddling
To extract the most flavour from certain fresh
ingredients such as fruit or mint garnishes, you
should crush the ingredient with the muddler on the
back end of your bar spoon, or with a pestle.
Blending
An electric blender is needed for recipes containing
fruit or other ingredients which do not break down
by shaking. Blending is an appropriate way of
combining these ingredients with others, creating a
smooth ready to serve mixture. Some recipes will
call for ice to be placed in the blender, in which
case you would use a suitable amount of crushed ice.
Building
When building a cocktail, the ingredients are poured
into the glass in which the cocktail will be served.
Usually, the ingredients are floated on top of each
other, but occasionally, a swizzle stick is put in
the glass, allowing the ingredients to be mixed.
Layering
To layer or float an ingredient (ie. cream,
liqueurs) on top of another, use the rounded or back
part of a spoon and rest it against the inside of a
glass. Slowly pour down the spoon and into the
glass. The ingredient should run down the inside of
the glass and remain separated from the ingredient
below it. Learning the approximate weight of certain
liqueurs and such will allow you to complete this
technique more successfully, as lighter ingredients
can then be layered on top of heavier ones.
