“Cocktail drinking has absolutely no purpose other than pleasure. It’s one of the last bastions of acceptable hedonism.” – Matthew Piacentini
My unofficial definition of a cocktail is an alcoholic drink that contains at least 3 different ingredients (sorry rum and cokes). Cocktails can be as simple or complex as you want them to be and making them on your own is a fun way to experiment with new ingredients and flavor combinations. Most of the information on this site comes from books, websites, and what I’ve learned through trial and error. My hope is that I can make the world of cocktails more accessible to you so that you can enjoy these concoctions at home.
As you explore the world of cocktail creation, I find it helpful to think about the the process in 3 distinct steps:
- Preparation: Making everything that will go into the drink, including syrups, juices, and garnishes
- Combination: Mixing together the ingredients, either by building, shaking, stirring, or blending
- Presentation: Pouring the drink in glassware and adding garnishes
Each step requires a unique set of tools and processes that we will dive into over the next few weeks. Click on the links above to learn more about the basic set of tools that you’ll need to get started.