MODULE 6

Cocktails

OBJECTIVES: After discussing this chapter, the students should be able to:

• Define what is Cocktail

• Discuss the development of cocktail
• Enumerate and discuss the basic ingredients in mixing cocktails
• Enumerate and discuss the different methods and techniques in mixing cocktails
• Prepare and perform original concoction of cocktails.
DEFINITION
Cocktails- are well iced mix drinks made up of base liquor, juice, coloring, flavouring and other ingredients.
Shooters- Shooters are short, potent drinks that are mixed with a combination of spirits, liqueurs and
Non-alcoholic mixers.
Shots- Only contain ingredients that are alcoholic.

HISTORY
R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 • 1803-April 28, 1803- The earliest known printed publication “ The Farmers Cabinet” was the first to
use the word cocktail
• 1806-May 13, 1806- The second earliest and officially recognized known use of the word cocktail
the edition of the Balance and Columbian Repository which provide early definition of cocktail.
“Cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters- it is
vulgarly called a bittered sling and is supposed to be on excellent electioneering potion, in as much
as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said also to be of
great use to a Democratic candidate: because a person having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to
swallow anything else.”
• 1862- Was the first publication of a bartenders guide which include cocktail recipes. How to mix
Drinks; or The Bon Vivant’s Companion, by Professor Jerry Thomas. It includes recipes of:
Punches, Sours, Slings, Cobblers, Shrubs, Toddies, Flips and 10 recipes of mixed drinks referred to
as COCKTAILS. A key ingredient which differentiated “cocktails” from other drinks in this book
was the use of bitters as an ingredient, although it is not to be seen in many modern cocktail recipes.
• 1920s- During the prohibition of liquor the art of mixing drinks became more and more important to
mask the taste of bootlegged alcohol. The bartenders at a speakeasy would mix it with other
ingredients, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
• 1930s- The cocktail became popular after the Prohibition in the United States. After the repeal of
prohibition, the skills developed in illegal bars became widespread and heralded the golden era of the
cocktail, the 1930’s, one of the oldest known cocktail, the Cognac-based Sazerac dates from 1850s
New Orleans, as many as 70 years prior to the Prohibition era.
• 1970- Until 1970s cocktails were made predominantly with gin, whiskey, or rum, and less commonly
vodka. From the 1970s on, the popularity of vodka increased dramatically.
• 1980s- By the 1980s it was the predominant base for mixed drinks. Many cocktails traditionally
made with gin, such as the gimlet, or the martini, may now be served by default with vodka.
BASIC COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS
1. Ice: uses of ice- to chill, to dilute, to fill up the glass, serves as beater.
2. Base liquors- provide the strength or kick in the drink.
• Base liquors:
a) Wine
b) Beer
c) Spirits/ distilled beverages
• Gin
• Rum/ rhum
• Vodka
• Brandy
• Tequila
• Whisky/whiskey
• Liqueurs
• Lambanog

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 3. Juices
• Uses: it provides flavour, color, smell, texture to the drink
• Types: fresh, powder, or concentrate
4. Dairy Products: Milk, cream, chocolate, egg
• Uses: Provide flavour, texture
5. Carbonated drinks and water: cola, soft drinks, tonic and soda water, flavoured sparkling water
• Uses: Provides flavour, smell, color and texture
6. Syrups: flavoured and plain, simple syrup and honey
• Uses: Provides color, flavour and aroma
7. Fruits and garnishes: to add appeal to the drink

• Almond • Lime slice, twist, or wedge

• Apple • Mint Springs or leaves
• Apricot • Nutmeg, grated
• Banana • Orange slice, twist or wedge
• Black berry • Peach
• Blue berry • Pepper
• Carrot sticks • Pineapple slice or wedge
• Celery stalk with leaves • Plums
• Cherries • Raspberries
• Cinnamon, grated • Salt( applied to the rim of glasses)
• Cocktail olives (Often stuffed with • Shrimp
pimentos)
• Cocktail onions • Star fruit
• Coconut • Strawberries
• Cucumber • Sugar, granulated or powder
• Grapes • Watermelon
• Guava • Wipped cream
• Lemon slice, twist, or wedge • Carrots

Lime Twist Lime Slice Lime Wheel Lime Wedge

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 Almond Apple Mint leaves Apricot

Grated Nutmeg Banana Peach Blackberry

Orange Twist Orange Wheel Orange Slice Orange Wedge

Blueberry Chili Pepper Pepper Corns Carrots

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 Persimmons Celery stalk Pineapple Slice Cherry

Plums Cinnamon stalk/grated Raspberries Cocktail Olives

Cocktail Onions Shrimp Cucumber Star Fruit

Grapes Strawberry Grape fruit Guava

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 Watermelon Sugar Whipped Cream Lemon

Types of Garnishing
1. Simple- Slice of fresh fruit or preserve, peel, vegetable or herb place either on the rim or in the drink.
2. Specialized/elaborate- A combination of fruit slice fresh or preserve, vegetable, herb and
decoration place either on the rim or in the drink.
3. Floated- whipped cream floated at the top of the drink.
4. Frosted/Rimmed- Salt or sugar on the rim of the glass to add appeal to the drink and provide
flavour and texture.

Simple Specialized/Elaborate Floated Rimmed/Frosted

Common Fruit garnish cuts/slices

1. Wedge
2. Wheel
3. Slice/Half moon
4. Quarter
5. Twist/Peel (Note: These terms usually means the same one way or another)

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 Lime Wedge Cutting Lemon Wheel Cutting Lemon Half-moon Cutting

Orange Quarter Cutting Orange Peel Cutting Lemon Twist Cutting

8. Decoration: Inedible part of the drink that adds appeal.

• Plastic animals and other figures ( Attached to the rim of the glass)
• Arrow
• Bead necklace ( common during mardi gras and carnivals)
• Candles
• Cocktail pick
• Cocktail sword
• Cocktail umbrellas
• Drinking straws (bending, colourful and unusually shaped)
• Flags
• Swizzle stick

Cocktail Monkey Cocktail Arrow Cocktail Beads Cocktail Candle

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 Cocktail Pick Cocktail Sword Cocktail Umbrella Cocktail Flag

Cocktail straw Cocktail straw Swizzle stick Cocktail Stirrer

9. Frosting/Rimmed- Salt or sugar on the rim of the glass to add appeal to the drink and provide flavour
and texture.

Salt Frosted/Rimmed glass Sugar Frosted/Rimmed glass

10. Other ingredients:
• Herbs and Spices- mint, cinnamon, and nutmeg, chilli peeper etc.
• Seasonings- Salt, pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire etc.

METHODS AND TECHNIQUES IN MIXING COCKTAILS

1. Shake- performed if the ingredients of the drink are cloudy or opaque.
• Fill the Cocktail/Boston shaker with ice.
• Shake the shaker briskly with forward backward motion.
• Shaking must be at least 7-10 seconds.
• After shaking strain the drink into a glass or pour together with ice depending on the standard
2. Stir- is for clear or easy to mix ingredients.
• Fill up the mixing glass with ice and add all ingredients.
• Stir using a bar spoon or a stirrer.
R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 • Strain the drink using a bar strainer or pour together with ice in a glass depending on the
standard.
3. Build- only 2 to 3 ingredients that can be easily mixed. Suggested for mixed drinks.
• Fill the glass with ice
• Add ingredients liquor always first then the juices or syrups according to standard.
• Let the ingredients mix by themselves or let the guests mix it with a stirrer or straw.
4. Blend- This method is used if the drink consists a solid ingredients such as fruit slices.
• Commercial/ hi-power blender is suggested for use, if u don’t have this type of blenders it is
more convenient to use a crushed ice to make it easier to blend. Place the liquid ingredients
into the blender first and the fruit slices and blend them together before adding the crushed
ice. Start blending in a low speed and gradually increasing the speed to medium/high. Blend
until smooth.
• To keep the texture of the drink last longer, use cubed/chip ice.
• Drink too thin- If you see a big hole in your drink when blending, it means that your drink is
too thin and you need to add a little bit of ice.
• Drink too thick- if the drink is not moving or the blender is struggling to blend all
ingredients together it means that your drink is too thick and you nid to add a little bit more
of liquid ingredients.
• Perfect blend- if your drink is moving smoothly on a blender and you see a small hole at the
middle it means that your drink is well blended and ready to serve.
5. Floating and Layering- Used in preparing rainbow or multi colored or layered drink,
cocktail/shooters.
• Floating- means adding a layer of liquor or liqueur on top of the drink.
• Layering- Means adding 2 or more liquors or liqueurs on top of the other without mixing the
color.
• Considerations: alcohol content, sugar content and the technique of pouring the ingredients
into the glass.
• To make layered drinks, you must first know which of the ingredients has the highest content
of sugar and alcohol.
• The highest sugar content must be poured first then slowly add the lighter liqueur with low
sugar content and the last will be the liquor that has a highest alcohol content among the
ingredients.
• Use the back of the bar spoon or simply tilt the glass when layering and pour the ingredients
slowly.

6. Muddling- The method of crushing to extract the flavour and aroma in fruit slices and some herbs.
• To muddle ingredients, you need a cocktail muddler (wooden, plastic, stainless rod)
• Place the ingredients into a glass and muddle them (push down and twist) to release the
juices.

7. Frosting and chilling Glasses

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 • To frost a glass, put it in the chiller for about an hour. Never put glass in a freezer.
• For alternative method fill the glass with ice cubes and water and let it stay for about 5 to 10
seconds.
• Always handle the glass by the stem or base.

8. Flaming
• To flame alcohol successfully, warm the liquor first before igniting.
• Flaming are usually done for layered drinks or shooters.
• When flaming make sure you have a standby baking soda and a wet towel in case of accident.

9. Coating/Rimming the glass

• Coating with salt: Place kosher/ Iodized salt on a plate, moist the rim of the glass with
lime/lemon wedge. Dip the outer rim of the glass into the salt and shake the glass to remove
excess salt on the rim.
• Coating with sugar: Use the same technique as with the salt but used an orange wedge to
moist the rim of the glass before dipping it in sugar. Grenadine syrup can also be used to
moist the rim.
• You may also use glass rimmer when available.
• Be careful not to put salt or sugar inside the glass, it might affect the taste of the drink itself.

Consideration in creating cocktail drinks:

1. Flavor- Flavor must be well blended/ balanced to create a unique and distinctive taste of cocktail.
2. Color- Bright colors usually makes the drink/concoction more attractive.

3. Aroma- Using good aroma juices and other ingredients such as liqueurs and flavoured syrups
creates a good and appetizing aroma of the drink.
4. Appearance- The appropriateness of glass and garnish used in a cocktail is very important. It
makes the drink more presentable.
5. After Taste- There must be a nice and long lasting after taste of the drink that makes the drinker
crave for more or well satisfied.
Tips on Mixing Drinks
1. Use Quality ingredients. Remember that the quality of a drink depends largely on the quality of its
ingredients.
2. Use plenty of ice for mixing. This should be placed in the mixing glass or shaker before adding
liquor or all other liquid ingredients. Make sure that the ice is crystal clear.
3. Always measure the ingredients so as not to spoil any drink and to insure consistency in quality
and cost. Make sure the ingredients are used in the correct proportion.

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024
 4. Some drinks are shaken with ice for better dilution or maybe dissolved with sugar and other heavy
ingredient. Others are only stirred with ice. strictly follow the standard procedure so as not to spoil
the drink.
5. Chill all glasses for chilled drinks, Heat glasses for hot drinks. Do not put glasses in freezers as
they will crack.
6. Simple syrup must be prepared in advance- Use a container and fill it with sugar, pour boiling
water until the syrup reaches the original level of sugar. Stir briskly to dissolve the granules properly.
7. To frost the rim of the glass, rub it with a slice of lime/lemon or orange and dip it in salt or sugar
as indicated in the recipe.
8. Mixers such as soda, water, tonic, ginger ale and fruit juices should be added to the liquor rather
than the other way around.
9. Always use the right glass for every week.
10. Lemon or Orange peel should be twisted over the drink only after the drink is finished. It should
not be mixed with the drink otherwise the taste of the drink will become bitter.
11. If a recipe call for an egg-either place the egg white or the egg first before the spirit so as not to
spoil the drink if the egg happens to be rotten.
12. Mixing of drinks may be done in a large glass, a jug or a cocktail shaker.
13. Clear mixtures should be stirred. Cloudy one should be shaken. Stirring means mixing a drink
with a long thin spoon by whirling it around the glass.
14. When a recipe talks of a “dash” this means just a drop or two.
15. The majority of cocktail shakers are fitted with a “strainer” If this is not the case, use a strainer
for the ice when pouring from the mixing glass.
16. Prepare fruit juices before use.
17. Add sparkling/carbonated liquids last.
18. Do not skimp on ice. Use cracked ice for shakers and lots of ice cubes for highballs.
19. Drinks that make use of clear liquor such as gin, vodka, dry vermouth, etc. should be stirred.
Drinks with other-mixed ingredients such as eggs, cream, sugar, etc. should be shaken.
20. Before mixing cocktails, fill glasses with cracked ice to cool them. Remove the ice and dry the
glasses before pouring cocktails unto them.
21. Never used stuffed olives for cocktails, green olives go well with martini, pearl onions with a
Gibson, and cherries with manhattan.
22. Prepare all necessary ingredients and bar supplies ready before OPERATION.

R. A, SIMON BAR AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT MODULE 1ST SEMESTER A.Y. 2023-2024