Mixology - Basics

Contents

• Basics of Mixology
• Bar operations
• Positive Customer Interaction – Key staff
requirements
Mixology ….

• Cocktails Definition & Requirements

• Types of Cocktails
• Cocktail families
• Basics of mixing
• Importance of measures
• Presentation of a drink
• Creativity and it’s importance
Cocktail….

The modern definition of a cocktail

is a drink composed of atleast two
or more ingredients of which one
has to be alcohol and which can be
shaken, stirred or blended and
served either as a tall or a short
drink.
Cocktail…Key ingredients?

• Alcohol Base - Beer / Spirits / Wines

• Soft Beverages - Juices / Aerated
• Syrups / Crushes / Cordials
• Ice - Cubes / crushed / slab
• Condiments - Salt / Pepper / Tabasco / Sauces
etc
• Sugar - White / brown / powder / syrup etc
• Garnishes - Lemon and other fruits / others
• Dairy products - Cream / milk / eggs etc
Cocktails ….Glassware’s
• Shot • Liqueur
• Pony tumbler • Sherry glass
• Roly Poly • Margarita / Champagne saucer
• Old fashion / Rock’s • Cocktail / Martini
• High Ball • Brandy Snifter
• Collin • A P Wine
• Pilsner • Beer Goblet
• Beer Mug • Champagne flute / tulip
• Zombie • Hurricane
Bar Equipment…
Fixed Moveable
• Refrigerators • Blender
• Ice Machine • Shaker – Boston / Hawaiian
• Ice Crusher • Store n Pour
• Overhead Glass Rack • Pour spouts / Pourers
Hawthron Strainer
• Working Tables • Peg measures /Optic measures
• Speed Rail • Ice Scoop
• Water Sink • Bar Spoon (long handled)
• Juice Machine • Knife & Chopping Board
• Tea & Coffee machine • Muddler
• Billing Machine ( Computer / • Wine Opener /Bar Blade
Printer) • Rimmer
• Glass washing • Lime squeezer
Cocktail types…
Cocktails can be divided into different types based on
certain criteria as outlined below :

Basis of division of types of

cocktails

History and Look and Preparation

background glassware process
used
Types of Cocktails…history and background
• Classic Cocktails - a standard recipe which uses a specified base
– Recipe remains the same but the measures may vary
depending upon country or consumer preferences.

• Contemporary or innovative cocktails

– A cocktail which could be innovated from a bar, gain popularity
and end up becoming a classic cocktail. For e.g. a
Cosmopolitan
– Most of the time contemporary cocktails are only available in
particular countries or bars and remain as the bars signature
cocktails
Types of Cocktails…Look and glassware
• Tall drink – A drink usually made in a tall Collins or Zombie
glass by either shaking, pouring or blending. E.g. – Long Island
Iced Tea

• On the rocks – A drink which is made in an old fashioned glass

with lots of ice (rocks), most of the time by a simple pour. E.g. –
Black Russian, Rusty Nail.

• Straight up – A drink which is stirred or shaken and then

poured into a cocktail or martini glass by straining out the ice.
E.g. – Dry Martini, Gibson

• Short drinks – The drink is made along with ice in a short

glass. E.g. Caipiroschka

• Shots – Usually a 60 ml drink with 2 or more ingredients which

could be either shaken, stirred or built in a shot or shooter glass.
For. E.g. Kamikaze or a B-52
Types of Cocktails…Preparation Process
• Shaken – A drink where all the ingredients along with ice are poured
into a cocktail shaker and either shaken for a long or short time and
poured into an appropriate glass. E.g. – Margarita

• Stirred – A drink where all the ingredients are poured over ice in a
mixing glass and gently stirred and strained off into a cocktail or a shot
glass. E.g. – Martini or a Manhattan Straight up

• Blended – A drink where all the ingredients are poured into a blender
along with ice and blended together. E.g. – Pina Colada or frozen
daiquiris

• Built or layered - A drink where the process involves lots of ice in the
glass and pouring the ingredients in a standard format. For. E.g. –
Singapore Sling, Tom Collins. A layered drink is a drink where each
ingredient is allowed to float on one another depending upon its
density. E.g. – Pousse Café / B-52
Cocktail families…

• Collins – A drink always served in a Collins glass. Usually made in a

built up method. E.g. Tom Collins / John Collins.

• Flips – A drink which always has egg yolk as its ingredient and always
shaken (considered by some as a ladies drink, it is not very popular in
India!). E.g. Sherry Flip, Port Flip.

• Sours – A drink which has egg white, fresh lime juice and sugar syrup
as mainline ingredients with an alcoholic base. E.g. – Whisky Sour or
Amaretto Sour

• Fizzes – A drink which has egg white and always topped with aerated
water. For e.g. – Gin Fizz,
Cocktails families….cont
•Coladas – A drink which always has a coconut and pineapple base and
always blended. For e.g. – Pina Colada

•Frozen drinks – A drink which has a standard recipe and usually blended
with lots of cube and crushed ice in order to get a slushy drink. E.g. –
Frozen margarita or daiquiris

•Dessert drinks – A drink which usually has any creamy liqueur as its
base. E.g. – King Alfonso (Kahlua with cream)

•Hot toddies and Spirited Coffees – A drink which is always served hot
and could have soup or stock or hot coffees and tea as its main ingredient
with an alcoholic base. E.g. – Irish Coffees, Hot buttered rum
 Importance of measures…
“To get a drink which has a perfect base, a perfect body and a
perfect taste.”

• The reason we measure a drink is that we always get a

consistent flavour every time and also follow a standard format
for all bartenders in a particular bar – standardisation –

• Standardise a drink in a bar – e.g. some bars have 45 ml as

their standard measure of alcohol in a drink, some have 60 and
some have 90 ml. Based upon this measure, we formulate the
alcohol ingredient like a Margarita which has 60 ml of alcohol in
it could be 45 tequila and 15 Cointreau or 30 tequila and 30
Cointreau

• Standardisation also helps in controls – when we have a

standard measure for each cocktail it helps us to know the
consumption of the alcohol in any form (cocktail or straight
drink) at the end of the day. This enables us to get our beverage
cost in place.
Presentation of a drink…
• Colour of the drink – should be appealing to make the guest want to
drink it.
• Appropriate glassware – A martini to be served in a martini glass, a
margarita in a margarita glass. No replacing!
• Garnishing a drink:
– we do not use garnishes which are not edible,
– The garnish should have some relation with the ingredients in the
drink
– after this it is upto your creativity
• Name – if you are creating your own cocktail then you should make
sure that the name has some relation to either the ingredients, colour
or taste
• Creating your own drink
– need for passion and research understanding customer taste profile
– imagine and taste
– use of garnishes and seasonal ingredients
– use of innovative receptacles
Bar operations

• Knowing your bar

• Opening a bar
• Closing a bar
Bar operations… knowing your bar
• Equipment - Have enough information about:
– the make of the equipment, the correct name of the equipment,
– the cost of the equipment, its usage and its maintenance.
• Glassware, Crockery, cutlery
– Know each one by its type.e.g Hi-ball glass, its volume, shape and
what goes in it.
– The company which has manufactured them for your outlet.
• Outlet concept design and cost
– Know the outlet concept e.g. pubs, cocktail bars, lounge bars, etc.
– Name of the designer, Architect etc.
• Mural and Acoustics:
– Know about the props and artifacts in the outlet,
– the music, its make and type.
• Know the contacts for operational purposes-
– e.g. Soda gun installer, draught beer supplier for the draught beer
kegs, etc.
Bar operations…Opening the Bar

• Opening a bar – Operations flow

– Picking up of stores
– Checking and arranging for substitutes for non available bar
stock
– Mis-en-place – Setting up the bar for operations
• Garnishes
• Juices / Soft beverages
• Ingredients
• Ice
• Equipment
• Glassware
• Listing of non available items
Bar operations …Closing the Bar

• Closing a Bar - Procedural

– Sales summary report
• Sales for beverages
• Sales for revenue
– Filling up of the Bartenders inventory control sheet
– Physical inventory
– Filling up of the store requisition book
• Alcoholic
• Non alcoholic
– Breakages & spoilages report
Bar operations…Closing the Bar
(cont..)

• Closing a Bar – Physical – Daily periodicity

– Stacking of beverages (FIFO – first in first out)
– Glassware (cleaning, wiping and stacking)
– Equipments – washing, wiping and stacking
• Inventory of equipments (pourers, strainers, blenders, bar
spoons, etc.)
– Cleanliness of the work area
– Repair orders – electrical, plumbing, woodwork
New School of Mixology

• Essence of Mixology

• Substitutions

• Flavour profiling and highlighting

• Extending Contemporary Cocktails, Reviving

Classics

• Using flavour combinations from around you

New School of Mixology

• Visualising the drink

• Current International Trends and Gourmet Cocktails

• Do it Yourself – creating your own specialty products

• Creativity – conjure, name, make sense

• Specific gravity chart

Essence of mixology

• Mixology is the essence of bartending

• It is an art, a science, a skill and creative genius
• It is about technique rather than method
• It is about understanding the peculiarities and flavour profiles of
products
• Of learning from the flavours around you and incorporating them
into you bar
• Of balance, texture, subtleties, flavour, aroma, colour and effect
• Of innovation, changing tastes, current trends and new products
• Of new learning everyday and never stagnating
New School of Mixology: Substitutions

• Product knowledge, taste profiles and product

awareness help sharpen the techniques of substitution

• Substitution is different from cheating

• You substitute in the absence of the original product,

with another product of quality

• Substitutions are most effective for liqueurs (by high

quality bar syrups)

• Bar secrets
New School of Mixology: Flavour profiling

• Tasting the flavours in your mind

• Chewing each part of your recipe side by side

• If you like what you are tasting – your recipe should work
– Citrus with citrus (e.g. orange and cranberry juice – S.O.B.)
– Stone fruit with other stone fruit (e.g. hazelnut and almond –
Frangelico and Amaretto in a drink)
– Stone and citrus (e.g. peach and orange – Fuzzy Navel)
– Stone and bitters (Arrowhead – Smirnoff, Campari, Archers)
– Coffee, chocolate, nuts, cream…
New School of Mixology: Flavour highlighting

• Use less of powerful and more of soft

• Less of dark and more of light
• Deeper flavours at the bottom, lighter on top. E.g.
– Fuzzy Navel
• Using fresh fruit and herbs effectively
New School of Mixology: Extending Contemporary
Cocktails, Reviving Classics

 Crazy Caipirojkas
• Margaritas, Daiquiris, Moskowskis - in all flavours and colours
• Iced Teas - LIIT, LI Lizard, Around the World...
• Breezes – bay, sea, tropical…
• Martinis - the new revolution
– Flavoured martinis
– Fruitinis
– Infused martinis

• Spiced Mudslide
• Alexander’s Baby
• Iced Grasshopper
• Rocking Rusty Nail, Manhattan, Black Russian
New School of Mixology: Using flavour combinations
from around you

• From desserts and pastries

– E.g. Cinnamon Apple Tart
• From the huge variety of chocolates
– E.g. Bounty, Snickers
• Ice cream combinations
– Mint Chocolate ice cream
• Fresh fruits and dried fruits
– Fresh strawberries, dried apricots, dried figs, etc.
• Syrups and infusions
– Bar syrups, Thandai, Khus, Kesar
• Herbs and spice
– Coriander, Mint, Basil, Rosemary, etc.
New School of Mixology: Visualising the drink - using
glassware and colour effectively

• Work backwards from your vision of the drink

• Start with the glass for your chosen vision

• Weave in the flavours and the colours

• Finish with some pizzazz

You can actually see all of this in your mind with a little
bit of focus. Everything else then falls into place.
New School of Mixology: Current international trends
and gourmet cocktails

• It’s about style, in your face, shock value

• Be different, be bold, make a statement, be original, but don’t

be stupid

• Let what you do make sense

• Create the `wow’ effect

– surf the net

– visit sites like bartender, cocktail, tulleeho, alconomics, webtender…
– keep current with brand sites
– read books
– look up hot bars of the world
New School of Mixology: Do it Yourself – creating your
own specialty products

 Be sensible
• Be economical
• Let flavours rule
• Use your imagination
• Trust your instinct
• Know your products
New School of Mixology: Creativity – conjure, name,
make sense

 Link the name to the style

• Let it indicate product, or taste or feel

• Let it show the bartender a direction

• Let it make sense to the customer

• Vulgarity – at it’s right place

• Have a sense of humour

Speed

• Bar set up

• Working comfort

• Agility

• Bar magic
Speed: Bar set up

Is your requisition complete?

Juices / Soft beverages / Syrups
Alcohol and inventory
Soda guns, fountains, co2 cylinders, canisters
Garnishes, ice, etc.
Glassware

Stacking

Mis-en-place – Setting up the bar for operations

Checking and arranging for substitutes for non available bar stock
Speed: Working Comfort

• Counter Service
– keep it clean
– clear ashtrays
– check for tissues
– observe all customers
– keep tab of drink levels for replenishment
– remember each drink
– be alert to any movement to attract attention
Speed: Working comfort

Make the bar work for you

- keep your station self-sufficient
- know where each product can be found
- maximum usage from the front
- arrange glassware for maximum efficiency

Shake it your way!

Body language

Understand the order

Speed: Agility and Bar Magic

• Maintain eye contact

• Always listen and not hear

• Remember the guest, his order and the tab

• Have presence of mind

• Work smart not hard

• If it can be cleaned, clean it, if it can be filled, fill it

New School of Mixology
• Specific gravity charts
Grenadine 1.18
Crème de cassis 1.18
Anisette 1.175
Crème de almond 1.16
Crème de Noyeaux 1.165
Crème de banana 1.14
Crème de cacao 1.14
White crème de cacao 1.14
Parfait amour 1.13
Green crem de menthe 1.12
White crème de menthe 1.12
Blue curacao 1.11
Galliano 1.11
Amaretto 1.1
Tia maria 1.09
Triple sec 1.09
New School of Mixology: Specific gravity charts
Drambuie 1.08
Frangelico 1.08
Orange curacao 1.08
Benidictine D.O.M 1.07
Campari 1.06
Apricot brandy 1.06
Blackberry currant 1.06
Cherry brandy 1.06
Peach brandy 1.06
Yellow chartreuse 1.06
Midori 1.05
Cointreau 1.04
Kummel 1.04
Peppermint schnapps 1.04
Sloe gin 1.04
Water 1
Tuaca .98
Southern comfort .97