What is a Cocktail?
By admin on Jul 7, 2007 in COCKTAILS
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A dictionary definition of a cocktail is:
- any of various short mixed drinks, consisting typically of gin, whiskey, rum, vodka, or brandy, with different admixtures, as vermouth, fruit juices, or flavorings, usually chilled and frequently sweetened.
By now you should already know what a cocktail consists of. The dictionary definition above is okay as a working definition - but you should know that it lacks one crucial thing - and that’s proportions. The dictionary will tell you what but not how. But then again that’s what dictionaries are for right?
Perhaps like you, whenever I’m hanging out and want a strong, mixed drink - that means always ordering (everything but the kitchen sink type drinks) a Long Island iced tea, a Zombie, or a Blue Motherfucker. Strong yes, (with the exception of the Long Island) tasteful - no.
Then perhaps you have tried to experiment on your own, but gave up because you drowned your cocktail with too much gin, whisky or rum. Perhaps you may have been confused by cocktail recipe measurements, doesn’t it always seem that no two cocktail recipe books seem to have the same measurements even though the ingredients are the same?
Well not to worry. The following are basic rules of thumb that will serve you well and will help you remember many recipes without having to worry about the measurements of each ingredient.
The cocktail base should constitute at least 65% of the mixture. Anything less than this and you might as well be drinking fruit juice. The base gives your cocktail definition, e.g. a whisky cocktail being a Manhattan etc.
The modifier, depending on what sort - can make up the rest of the volume, or anywhere from 15 - 25%.
The color or flavoring agent will make up the remaining 10% or so. Remember that items in this category are used primarily for color, or to sweeten the drink so you don’t really need that much.
If you adhere to the above rules, you will always come up with a well balanced cocktail. Remember to always serve ice cold.
kingkobi | Jul 10, 2007 | Reply
There is nothing like a cocktail like modifier or coloring that makes the drink look like an ice cold glad of bubbly sprite. I guess I could just have a sprite…but I need the liq mixed into it to fizzle in the cup and in my brain.