PC 1.4 the characteristics of popular cocktails are explained in terms of standard industry texts.

Cocktails

Cocktails are mixed drinks. Two or more ingredients are mixed by one of the
following methods:
 Shake en strain (in a cocktail shaker, with ice)
 Stir and strain (in a mixing glass, with ice)
 Blend (in an electric blender, with the quantity of ice specified in the recipe)
 Build (prepared directly in the glass).
 Layered for effect.

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Cocktails fall into three broad types:
 Pre-dinner cocktails. These are usually acidic or dry and make good apéritifs.
A dry Martini is a classic pre-dinner cocktail.
 After-dinner cocktails. These tend to be richer, often creamy and sweet. A
Brandy Alexander is an example.
 Long drink cocktails. These often contain fruit juices, soft drinks or milk in
addition to their alcoholic base. A Tom Collins is an example.

Most cocktails are served with a garnish, which may be as simple as a slice of
lemon or a cherry. The garnish should be appropriate to the contents of the
cocktail. Many classic cocktails are served with a standard garnish. For example
a Dry Martini is served with an olive or a twist of lemon, whereas a Gibson, which
otherwise has the same ingredients, is served with a pearl onion. The garnish is
as much part of the cocktail as its liquid ingredients.
Most classic cocktails have a spirit base, but this is not necessary. Some
cocktails contain no alcoholic component at all, in which case they are called
virgin cocktails or mocktails.

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COCKTAIL MAKING EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES

EQUIPMENT

1. SHAKERS: are used for mixing drinks that do not blend by stirring. Those
used professionally are normally stainless steel. To use, grasp fully around
the body ensuring the connection is sealed. Shake sharply for a few seconds
moving the wrist and forearm together.

2. THE MIXING GLASS: like a jug without a handle used for mixing clear drinks
that do not contain juices or cream.

3. THE STRAINER: the Hawthorn strainer is the most popular. It is used to hold
back the ice from stirred or shaken drinks, when they are poured into a glass.

4. BAR SPOON: this is a long handled spoon with a flat end used to crush mint
or sugar in certain drinks.

5. BLENDER: used for making drinks that require puréed fruit.

6. OTHER EQUIPMENT:

Fruit knives Ice

Ice bucket Ice tongs and scoops
Spirit measures Measuring spoons
Cloths and serviettes Coasters
Pitcher or jug Pourers
Juice extractor or hand squeezer Corkscrew

TECHNIQUES

1. CHILLING A GLASS:

Chill in refrigerator or freezer 2 hours before use or

Fill with crushed ice before use or

Fill glass with cracked ice and stir around before adding the drink.

2. FROSTING:

For frosted drinks store the glass in refrigerator before use, until it has an icy
frosted look.

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 For sugar frosted drinks moisten the rim of the glass with a wedge of lemon
and dip inverted glass into castor sugar.

If colour is desired, colour sugar beforehand with food colouring.

For Margarita, substitute coarse salt for the sugar.

3. MUDDLING:

Mash or grind herbs and sugar at the bottom of a glass without marking the
glass.

4. FLOATING LIQUEURS:

Pour each liqueur slowly over an inverted spoon (rounded side up) into a
glass. The rounded surface of the spoon will prevent the liqueur from mixing.
Always pour slowly starting with the heavier liqueurs.

5. USING EGGS:

Always use fresh eggs. The egg always goes into the shaker first and cracked
ice is used to chill and blend the egg with the other ingredients.

6. FRUIT JUICES:

Always use fresh fruit juices, freshly squeezed before use. When making
drinks containing fruit juices always pour the liquor last.

7. HANDY HINTS:

Always handle glasses by the stem or base

You will extract more juice from citrus fruit if you soak it in hot water before
squeezing.

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Ensure the sugar is dry and uncaked.

Never put an effervescent ingredient into your shaker, mixing glass or

liquidizer.

Always serve cocktails fresh, they will separate if left too long.

When using a shaker, SHAKE do not rock.

When practical, pour the cheapest ingredient into the cocktail first, a mistake
will then be less expensive.

Never fill a glass to the rim, thus avoiding spillage and a messy bar counter.

“Sell” the cocktail you know you make well.

Drinks with carbonated mixers do much of their own stirring by naturally

bubbling, two or three stirs are sufficient.

Drinks made with sugar, eggs or cream should be shaken.

Pour drinks as soon as you have made them. Left-overs will wilt quickly.

When making a batch of drinks, set up the glasses in a row – pour each glass
half full and then back track until the shaker is empty. All glasses will then be
filled to the same level.

Always add the garnish after the cocktail has been made; add it to the glass.

Always measure out ingredients; inaccurate amounts spoil the balance of the
blend and taste.

Never use the same ice twice.

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Cocktail recipes

Vodka cocktails Ingredients Methods

Black Russian 1 measure vodka Serve on the rocks.
1 measure kahlua Stir contents
Ice.
(NZ optional coke)

Bloody Mary 2 measures vodka Serve on the rocks.

Tomato juice Fill glass up with TJ
Ice. Season with
Worcestershire sauce,
tabasco sauce, pepper
and celery salt. Stir.
Screwdriver 2 measures vodka Serve on the rocks.
Orange juice. Fill glass up with OJ
Ice. Stir contents.

Rum cocktails Ingredients Methods

Piña Colada 2 measures white rum Shake well with ice in a
1 measure coconut shaker and strain into a
liqueur Collins glass and garnish.
1 measure cream Add straws.
4 measures pineapple
juice

Cuba Libre 2 measures white rum Pour ice, rum and lemon
1 measure lemon juice juice in Collins glass and
Ice and coke. top up with coke.

Strawberry Daiquiri 2 measures white rum Blend all ingredients with

1 measure strawberry ice and pour into cocktail
liqueur glass.
1 measure lemon juice
fresh strawberries

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Gin cocktails Ingredients Methods
Tom Collins 2 measures gin Shake, strain into a
2 teaspoons castor sugar Cocktail glass
1 measure lemon juice

Orange blossom 2 measures gin Shake, strain into a

1 measure orange juice Cocktail glass

Martini 2 measures gin Pour in shaker and swirl.

½ measure dry vermouth Garnish with olive.

Tequila cocktails Ingredients Methods

Tequila Sunrise 2 measures tequila Pour over ice into Collins
orange juice glass the tequila and top
2 dashes grenadine up with orange juice.
Slowly add the grenadine

Margarita 2 measure tequila Shake well and strain into

1 measure triple sec Cocktail glass
1 measure lemon juice

Brandy cocktails Ingredients Methods

Brandy Alexander 1 measure brandy Shake well and strain into
1 measure crème de Cocktail glass
cacao
1 measure cream

B&B 1 measure of brandy Serve straight up in a

1 measure of Bénédictine liqueur glass

Whisky cocktails
Rusty nail 1 measure Scotch whisky Always serve on the
1 measure Drambuie rocks with ice partially
crushed in Old fashioned
glass

Whisky sour 2 measure whisky Shake ingredients with

1 teaspoon castor sugar ice until sugar is
1 measure lemon juice dissolved. Strain into Old
fashioned glass

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Bourbon cocktail Ingredients Methods
Manhattan 2 measure bourbon Stir all ingredients with
1 sweet vermouth ice in a mixing glass
dash Angostura Serve in an Old
fashioned glass
Add a cherry

Champagne cocktail Ingredients Methods

Kir Royale 1 measure of crème de Pour crème de cassis
cassis into champagne glass
Sparkling wine and top up with sparkling
wine

Champagne cocktail Sugar cube Place sugar cube soaked

Angostura bitters in Angostura bitters in
1 measure brandy flute. Pour brandy, then
Sparkling wine top up with sparkling
wine

Fizzy Lissie 1 peach schnapps Pour peach schnapps

Sparkling wine into flute and top up with
sparkling wine

Bucks fizz 1/3 orange juice Pour orange juice first

2/3 sparkling wine into flute, then the
sparkling wine

Other cocktails Ingredients Methods

Golden dream 1 measure Galliano Shake well and strain into
1 measure Cointreau Cocktail glass
1 measure orange juice
1 measure cream

Grasshopper 1 measure crème de Shake well and strain into

menthe Cocktail glass
1 measure white crème
de cacao
1 measure cream

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Some categories of cocktails:

Pre-dinner cocktails: acidic or dry rather than creamy.

Martini
Champagne drinks
Manhattans
Sours
Bloody Mary

After dinner cocktails: these tend to be richer, often creamy and sweet.
Brandy Alexander
Grasshopper
Rusty nail
Black Russian

Party drinks:
Tequila Sunrise
Harvey Wallbanger (Screwdriver with floating Galliano)
Piña Colada
Daiquiris

Mocktails
Non alcoholic cocktails.
Presbyterian Piña Colada 1 measure coconut Blend with ice
cream Garnish with pineapple
1 measure cream slice
4 measures pineapple Sprinkle with shredded
juice coconut

Yellow dwarf 1 measure cream Shake all but the soda

1 measure orgeat* syrup water. Strain into a
1 egg yolk Cocktail glass and top up
3 measures soda water with the soda water

Cinderella 1 measure lemon juice Shake and strain into a

1 measure orange juice medium sized glass
1 measure pineapple
juice

Shirley Temple 9 measures ginger ale Build into an ice-filled

1 measure grenadine highball glass, stirring
gently. Garnish with
cherries.

*Orgeat sugar = gomme sugar boiled with amaretto (alcohol evaporates)

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Under the guidance of your tutor you are going to have a cocktail
making session. Work with a partner. Record the cocktails you made
and fill out details.

Scoring by peer: 1-poor ---------------10 excellent.

(Presentation = right glass, right/fresh garnish?)
(Appearance = consistency of the cocktail)
*Scoring by self: 1-easy ---------------10 difficult.

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

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Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

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Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __
Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

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Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

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*Making __

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*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __
Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

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 Taste __

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 Taste __

*Making __

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Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

Name of cocktail ______________ Presentation __

Ingredients Appearance __

Taste __

*Making __

I hope you enjoyed that and that you will soon

be able to show your knowledge and skill in the
workplace.
Student notes
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