Cocktails 101: 5 Classic Cocktails That Every Budding Mixologist Should Master
When it comes to bartending, what’s interesting is the sheer innovation that can be brought about when you have mastered the fundamentals of making cocktails. And every great bartender, whether a professional or a home mixologist, knows and develops the skills required to craft these well-balanced cocktails. What’s important about these drinks is their balance, their flavour combinations and their techniques which are essential to understanding mixology craft.
So, if you are an amateur mixologist keen on learning the fundamentals of bartending, familiarising yourself with certain cocktails which encompass these techniques can be a fine way to hone your skills. And basic cocktails like the Manhattan, the negroni, the old fashioned or the classic martini cocktail are such that they would enable you to master these mixing techniques.
Read on below to know more about some of the fundamental cocktails and their bartending basics that every budding mixologist should master:
Negroni 101
What’s critical to blending a negroni is that it introduces the amateur to aperitivo culture. This is a slow-sipping cocktail, meant for serving at a sundowner. Robust, bitter and aromatic, it is layered and deep.
Skill Quotient: The negroni enables an amateur to master the equal-parts cocktail technique.
Lesson Note: Made using about 10 ml each of Tanqueray No. Ten Gin or any other premium gin of choice, sweet vermouth and bitter Italian aperitif liqueur, this cocktail is all about striking a balance across bitter, sweet and botanical layers. Start building and stir as you go along for a fine integration of ingredients.
A Simple Daiquiri
This drink is a foray into tropical mixology. Made using simple ingredients, it is a test of balance and of bringing together straightforward elements in perfect harmony.
Skill Quotient: Making shaken cocktails is the skill to be mastered while learning the art of blending the daiquiri. Balance sweet and sour flavours in this drink and shake vigorously so it acquires a foamy layer.
Lesson Note: Bring together about 30 ml good quality white rum, a dash of simple syrup and a tablespoon of lime juice to prepare the cocktail. Balance lime and sugar ratios to craft a clean and straightforward blend.
Old Fashioned Classic
One of the oldest whisky-forward concoctions, the old fashioned is perhaps the best blueprint for blending spirit-forward drinks. It strikes a fine balance between tart and sour flavours, even as its focus is on revealing the flavours of a spirit in full.
Skill Quotient: Stirring technique is the main skill in this cocktail, coupled with a balance between sweetness, tartness and tang.
Lesson Note: A classic old fashioned can be prepared using 30 ml of any premium whisky of choice that is complemented by a dash of citrus bitters, a sugar cube and an orange twist garnish. Master this cocktail to learn the meticulousness essential for unmasking and highlighting a spirit’s profile.
Also Read: 4 Classic Cocktails That Every Mixologist Must Know About
The Timeless Manhattan
Elegant and sophisticated, the classic Manhattan cocktail is a lesson in balance, aromatics and the art of customisation.
Skill Quotient: The essential learning point of this cocktail is dilution. Stir only until the cocktail is chilled and transfer it into a chilled Nick & Nora glass to achieve temperature without dilution.
Lesson Note: Craft this cocktail using 20 ml premium bourbon coupled with 10 ml sweet vermouth and 2–3 drops of citrus bitters. Stir the drink long enough to chill and integrate ingredients without losing out on its overall character. Customisations are made possible by swapping the sweet vermouth for a drier version, or the bourbon with a Scotch to make the famed Rob Roy.
Martini Cocktail Basics
Precision is the key to mastering this basic cocktail. And contrary to pop culture opinions, the martini cocktail is best served stirred.
Skill Quotient: This cocktail is all about elegance and balance. So, as you work across wet, dry and dirty variations of the martini cocktail, the focus has to be on maintaining the perfect flavour balance while keeping its form delicate and sophisticated.
Lesson Note: A classic martini cocktail can be prepared using 20 ml Tanqueray No. Ten Gin or any other premium gin of choice, coupled with 10 ml dry vermouth and an optional lemon twist. Stir the drink just enough for it to reach a silky texture and cold temperature.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
