Hey, Everyone! This is Nick from Toronto bar D.W. Alexander in Canada. I’d like to share a great cocktail recipe with you guys that I am sure you’ll love and prepare yourself tonight. So, without further ado, let’s get rolling.
OK, it’s booze o’clock on an easy Friday or Saturday night and you feel like you could do with a drink. However, being a novice in the mixing game, you are not sure how to get started. Worry no more, because this guide will give you all the valuable tips that you need to start making your favorite cocktails at home.
Getting the balance right
Mixing cocktails is a balancing act. One needs to understand the connection between strong and weak, and that between sour and sweet. “Strong“ drinks have higher alcoholic content, and they include vodka, rum or gin; while “weak“ ones such as liqueurs and fortified wines are the opposite. “Sour“ is a term that usually refers to citrus fruits such as lemon or lime and “sweet“ points to sugars and syrups.
If you want to understand the balancing concept, start with some simple lemonade. Get some fresh lemon juice, add sugar to taste, and then add soda water or ice so as to lengthen the drink. Making lemonades will train you how to alter the base of many cocktails so as to achieve your favorite taste.
For example, if you added some 25ml Passoa (weak) and 50ml vodka (strong) to the above concoction, you would not be too far off from the amazing taste of a Passionfruit Collins. Eliminate the soda water from the equation and you’re very close to the great taste of a Pornstar Martini! Varying the ingredients opens up a whole world of possibilities.
Tools of the trade
Invest in a good shaker, juicer, jigger and strainer if you want to be regularly making cocktails at home. If you have these, you will be successful in pulling off 99% of the cocktails that you attempt. You will find yourself frequenting the bars less, and saving big bucks in the process.
Sample classic cocktail
This guide would be incomplete without a classic cocktail recipe to get you started in your new mixology pastime. You will be amazed at how easy it is to prepare this Mojito. The classic Mojito is definitely one of the world’s most popular cocktails. It originated in Cuba and quickly grew to become one of the more fashionable tropical drinks. Irresistibly refreshing and punchy, this mint and rum cocktail is a winner for a hot summer day.
How to Make the Classic Mojito
- 1 fresh lime
- 20 mint leaves freshly plucked.
- 2.5 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 65ml white rum
- Splash soda for adding taster
- Fresh mint sprig
Preparation method
- Slice the lime into quarters, and then put the smaller pieces into a tall glass together with the mint and sugar. Do some mashing using the end of a clean rolling pin, all the time squeezing the juice from the limes.
- Now fill the glass with ice and pour over the rum.
- Add soda water to taste and ensure you stir well. Garnish your drink using the mint sprig and serve.
Get more recipes for your favorite cocktails and start trying them at home. You will be hugely impressed with yourself!