Getting Creative At The Cocktail Bar? Here’s How To Choose The Right Base Spirit
Are you a budding mixologist keen on experimenting with different cocktail recipes? One of the elements you would have to pay attention to while blending innovative mixes is the base spirit. From taste to cocktail balance, base liquors are significant in cocktail making.
Here’s a breakdown of how to choose the right base spirit for cocktails and simple flavour pairing logics like smoky with citrus or herbal with florals:
Why does the base spirit matter in cocktails?
The base spirit sets the tone and body of a cocktail. It becomes the backbone of a drink whose flavours and accompanying ingredients are shaped and built around the profile of the spirit used to concoct the blend. Mixers, syrups, bitters, garnishes either contrast with or complement the base, which means that the incorrect base can lead to a cocktail which feels flat or utterly mismatched.
What is the smoothest way to choose a base spirit for cocktails?
Think of this in terms of flavour pairings and how they would interact with each other. This can go as follows:
— smoky and robust spirits can be balanced with citrusy mixers (eg.: smoky Scotch and lemon in a Penicillin cocktail)
— sweet and tropical liquor can be accompanied by an acidic addition (eg.: rum and lime in daiquiri)
— herbal and floral liqueurs pair well with aromatic infusions (eg.: gin and elderflower in a Collins)
— earthy and vegetal flavours go with bright fruits (eg.: tequila and grapefruit in a paloma)
— clean and neutral flavours can carry robust mixers (eg.: vodka and tomato in bloody mary)
How can an amateur mixologist choose between whisky, rum, gin, tequila and vodka?
This essentially depends on what one intends to showcase with the cocktail. This means:
— Rich, smoky, malty flavours can be explored with whisky-based drinks like the whisky sour, old fashioned or hot toddy.
— Sweet, fruity, creamy tropical nuances are those which come through flavours of rum, used in cocktails such as daiquiris, mojitos and piña coladas.
— Botanical, herbal, floral elements are characteristic of gin-based cocktails like negronis, French 75 or a classic gin and tonic.
— Earthy, vegetal, peppery notes are more pronounced in tequila cocktails like margaritas and palomas.
— Neutral, clean, versatile, vodka is an excellent spirit for imbuing cocktails with different flavours as found in the vodka espresso martini cocktail, cosmopolitan or the moscow mule.
Also Read: DIY Cocktail Bar Setup: 5 Essential Tips For Celebration
When should flavours of mixers and accompaniments complement spirits, and when should they contrast them?
For drinks which necessitate a harmonious finish, complementary spirit to mixer pairings can go a long way in achieving a balanced concoction. Examples can include gin and rosemary or rum and pineapple as classic thematic pairings.
Opposite flavours come together to produce zingy concoctions: sharp citruses cut through the malty richness of the whisky in a whisky sour, or a spicy chilli lifts the sweetness in drinks prepared using vodka, simple syrup and fruit juice.
Are there any spirit and mixer pairings that are best avoided?
Absolutely. An amateur mixologist can look out for combinations like whisky and florals where the latter will become completely subdued by the former’s robust notes.
Another combination a bartender needs to be wary of is gin’s botanicals and cream or coconut. As well, tequila can seldom work well with coffee — it requires a lot of balancing of flavours. And while vodka can rarely fail as a base spirit, it definitely needs robust mixers so their flavours make the cocktail shine.
What are some essential tips for amateur bartenders while choosing base spirits?
An interesting way to build cocktails is to choose the base spirit based on the mixers at hand. If one has in store grapefruit soda, tequila is the most logical companion.
Another option is to go the seasonal route. Gin and rum are well-suited to summertime blends while whisky works well in winter concoctions like hot toddies.
Lastly, also think of garnishes ahead of choosing the base liquor. Gin works well with lots of herbs, rum is great with mint, salt rim is a wonderful companion for tequila, and whisky’s flavours come through well when accompanied by citruses.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
