Read A Bar Menu Like A Pro With These 5 Easy Hacks
Heading to a bar but finding the roster of cocktails a tad complicated to get through? Understandably so. Mixology is an intricate art and cocktails in a bartender’s roster exemplify the different categories and styles that various mixes fall under. From signature and classic drinks to house specials, cocktail categories abound in a bar menu as do the different terms such as ‘spirit-forward’ or ‘shaken’ or ‘stirred’ that determine the different ways in which these many cocktails are concocted.
Evidently, for a novice, it can seem slightly tricky to manoeuvre through the different cocktails to ultimately find one that suits their preferences. However, with some easy tips and hacks, it would be possible to go through the bar menu with a lot of ease and confidence, and decode the more essential elements involved in reading about cocktail concoctions.
Read on below to know more about how to read the bar menu like a pro, including navigating through cocktail categories, styles and key terms:
Spot The Base Spirit First
Cocktail menus generally reveal drinks through the base spirits. Most of them then first indicate which spirit the drink contains — gin, whisky, rum, vodka and more. As a cocktail curioso, if you are slightly sure of which cocktail you prefer, this can be the first step towards working through the menu. Starting with the base spirit instantly narrows down the different cocktails concocted using your preferred liquor, and it becomes easier to pick one out depending on the style of the cocktail.
Understand The Build Style
The way a cocktail is built would signify how chilled it is, how frothy it would be and how texturally silkier it becomes. For instance, negronis are drinks which are built on ice and are stirred gently. This means, these are smooth blends with very little frothy element. So, the build style can indeed reveal a lot about the cocktail. Look for:
– highballs/collins: fresh and airy
– old fashioned: spirit-forward, robust
– martini cocktail: balanced, elegant, stirred
– sour drinks: frothy, citrusy, shaken
This makes it possible to decipher whether a drink would be dense, bright or spirit-forward in the simplest manner.
Decode Flavour Clues
The next thing to do is to decipher the main flavours of the cocktail. Upon identifying the spirit base and the build style of choice, further shortlist a drink based on the adjectives the menu uses to describe them. Broadly speaking, zesty, crisp or bright would mean citrus-driven; smoky, rich, bold would mean infused with aged spirits and slightly umami ingredients; herbal, floral botanical would denote more aromatic cocktails. The language will speak volumes about the flavour map of a spirit.
Also Read: Each Menu Needs Options For Every Taste — Finding The Right Servings
Read Glassware And ABV
Glasses tend to reveal a lot about the cocktail which comes in them. And some menus do come with a last descriptive that says ‘…served in a tall glass with an orange peel garnish’ or something similar, which denotes the container used to present the drink. This step involves determining whether the drink is robust (if served in a short glass) or if it is bright and airy (when presented in a highball glass) or if it is minimal and elegant (when it comes in a martini cocktail or coupé glass). Some cocktail menus also reveal the ABV of every drink which enables the cocktail curioso to identify how robust or light it might be.
Read House Signatures And Seasonal Specials
Most bars highlight their ‘seasonal cocktails’ or their ‘house signatures’ on a totally different page of the menu. Read carefully through these to decipher the base spirits, style and flavours of the housemade cocktails. For a novice who likes to experiment with different flavour combinations, house specials can be interesting alternatives to explore the bar’s own creative genius.
Bonus Tip: Place The Order!
And now that this navigation is complete, the last step would be to ask the bartender for your cocktail of choice. Along with stating the name of the drink, this would be the moment to get more details about the blend from the mixologist themselves and request for certain garnish switches or customisations – shaken not stirred, onion not olive and many more!
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
