Mixology Skills
In this article, 10 classic and essential cocktails are profiled and are recommended to the beginning home bartender. This list reflects several criteria. First, the cocktails that have been chosen highlight the spirit and yet are open to variation. Second, drinks with a significant heritage or history have been highlighted. Finally, these drinks, as a whole, introduce you to a wide variety of skills, which, eventually, you will use to make many other fine cocktails. In each entry a brief explanation of the drink's significance is given.
Manhattan/Martini (spirit + vermouth)
These two classic and complex cocktails are listed together, as the concept behind both is relatively similar. Both drinks have a long and illustrious history, dating back at least to the mid-19th century, well before James Bond introduced "shaken, not stirred" to popular culture. Both blend a large proportion of base spirit (whiskey and gin, respectively) with vermouth. The Manhattan also requires bitters. Each can also be transformed by the specific garnished used, whether an orange twist or maraschino cherry with the Manhattan or, in the case of the Martin, a lemon twist or olive.
Within that relatively simple combination, however, an almost infinite degree of variation is possible, which makes it easy to manipulate the flavor profile. As simple as these drinks are in concept, the execution can be rather challenging, largely because of the many subtle effects possible with each ingredient.
Gin and Tonic (highball = spirit + mixer)
The Gin and Tonic may be the best known example of the highball, which is a drink with one spirit and one mixer. Despite its simplicity (gin, tonic, and a lime wedge served over ice) and ubiquity, the Gin and Tonic clearly illustrates how the combination of sweet, bitter, and spirit can produce remarkable flavor effects. Tonic, when used in the right proportions, can highlight different aspects of the gin, making visible the character of the spirit.
Recipe for Gin and Tonic
Margarita (spirit + sour mix)
Despite its recent association with smoothie machines, sweet and sour mix, and spring break parties, the margarita has the potential to be an excellent cocktail. It is an example of the "sour" family of drinks, which includes the whiskey sour and the daiquiri. It is worth noting that many sours were originally served with egg whites, which makes for a smoother texture and consistency. An egg white can be a nice addition to a whiskey sour, but I wouldn't include it in a margarita.
The quality of your ingredients is essential in any cocktail, but of particular importance when making a good margarita. Do not use pre-bottled mixes. Instead, squeeze fresh lime juice and sweeten it with triple sec. Agave nectar could be used as an additional sweetener.
Recipe for Margarita
Old Fashioned (spirit + bitters)
David Wondrich reports in Imbibe! that the name "Old Fashioned" emerged in the late nineteenth century as a reaction to the development of more complex mid-nineteenth-century cocktail culture. The Old Fashioned has undergone something of a revival in recent years, and you will find it properly made on the menu of many bars and restaurants. Many find it an easy drink to perfect at home, unlike the more challenging Manhattan and Martini.
Today, the Old Fashioned may be the simplest way to accentuate bourbon or rye whiskey. It also allows you to practice your muddling technique.
Recipe for Old Fashioned
Rum Punch (pre-dates cocktails)
Like the Gin and Tonic, the Rum Punch is an example of a long drink, namely a beverage with a somewhat large amount of mixture, in contrast to a short drink, like the Manhattan. The classic rum punch is a traditional way to highlight rum, and comes in many variations. It's an easy choice for hosting a large crowd during the summer months. Additionally, punches have a very long history, predating the cocktail by several centuries, so knowing how to craft a good punch shows your appreciation of the past.
Rum punches go by many names, often called a Planters Punch or Bajan Rum Punch. The traditional recipe has been handed down in the form of a rhyme: "One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak." Kingsley Amis, the British novelist and author of Everyday Drinking, was never a slave to fashion nor tradition. He preferred a revised, slightly bolder version: one sweet, two sour, three weak, four strong.
Recipe for Rum Punch
Champagne Cocktail (spirit + champagne)
By adding champagne or sparkling wine to a spirits, you create a drink light, welcoming, and yet sophisticated. Since they are typically served in a flute, a champagne cocktail is also visually appealing. There are many variations, some of them quite simple, and yet effective, so I encourage you to experiment with different recipes.
One of the most famous is the French 75, purportedly named after an artillery weapon used in World War I, calling for gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne. If you prefer bourbon, I highly recommend the Seelbach cocktail, named for the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.
Recipe for Champagne Cocktail
Corpse Reviver #2 (uses a "wash")
This gin-based cocktail is somewhat more obscure than the others on this list, but I include it as an excellent example of the use of a wash, in this case absinthe. A wash is the technique of using a spirit to lightly coat the glassware or, in some cases, the ice in a shaker. The result is a hint of flavor or an aromatic that infuses the other ingredients. Absinthe, with its strong anise and herbal nose, makes a particularly fine wash, and is an essential ingredient in the Sazerac (another drink I recommend that you learn how to make). With the reintroduction of quality absinthe into US markets, many of these traditional recipes have, thankfully, themselves been revived.
Recipe for Corpse Reviver No.2
Hot Toddy (traditional cold weather comforter)
While we are on the subject of reviving the human spirits, it is worth remembering that for many years alcohol was used for medicinal as well as recreational purposes. Indeed, one of the legal ways to purchase whiskey during prohibition was through a doctor's prescription. The hot toddy, typically made with honey, lemon juice, and hot water or tea, can be something of an extension of those soothing purposes, and is particularly comforting when one is suffering from a cold.
As with the champagne cocktail, there are many variations, and the drink can be made using rum, brandy, or whiskey. It is included on this list because it is an instance of a hot drink, best served during the winter months, as well as an echo of older traditions in cocktail culture. David Wondrich points out that before ice became widely available in the late 19th century, hot beverages were quite common. Thus, making the humble toddy connects you to a grand tradition of mixing drinks.
Recipe for Hot Toddy
Sidecar (spirit + triple sec, orange flavored liqueur)
The Sidecar is a simple yet compelling drink, a classic example of a prohibition-era cocktail. It provides a particularly nice contrast to the whiskey and gin drinks that tend to dominate many cocktail lists (including this one!). Finally, I include it as a chance to experiment with triple sec (of which Cointreau is the most famous brand), an important and versatile ingredient featured in many cocktails.
Recipe for Sidecar
Mint Julep (crushed ice + muddled herb)
I end with an example of a drink that has been made famous by an occasion, in this case the Kentucky Derby. The julep is worth mastering for two other important reasons. First, the drink calls for crushed ice, which illustrates an important cocktail principle: the manipulation of ice can have a significant effect on a drink. Second, the mint julep demonstrates the value of fresh herbs; the mint, in this case, gives the cocktail its signature aroma.
Although this recipe calls for simple syrup, I typically use raw sugar in my juleps, as the abrasiveness of the sugar helps bring out the oils of the mint. I would also recommend using more mint as a garnish.
Recipe for Mint Julep
