Cocktail glossary
Bar terms, techniques and glassware explained, with recipes to put them into practice.
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- Bar spoonA bar spoon is a spoon with a long, thin handle for stirring drinks, and its bowl holds about 5 ml.Tool
- Batch cocktailsBatching cocktails means scaling a recipe up and mixing it ahead of time, so you can pour many drinks from one container.Technique
- BoilermakerA boilermaker drink is a shot of whiskey served next to a beer, usually a 1.5 oz (44 ml) pour and a 12 oz (355 ml) beer.Style
- Boston shakerA Boston shaker is a two-part cocktail shaker: a large metal tin that seals over a smaller tin or glass, with no strainer built in.Tool
- BuckA buck cocktail is a spirit with lime and ginger beer or ginger ale, served over ice.Style
- BuildIn a built drink, you pour every ingredient straight into the serving glass, with no shaker or mixing glass.Technique
C
- Champagne fluteTall and narrow, the Champagne flute, also called a flute, keeps sparkling wine bubbles rising longer than a wide glass does.Glassware
- Channel knifeA channel knife is a small hand tool with a V-shaped notch that cuts a thin strip of citrus peel for a twist garnish.Tool
- ChaserIn the US, a chaser is a drink, usually water, soda, juice or beer, drunk right after a shot of spirit.Serving instruction
- Chill a glassChilling a glass means cooling it in the freezer or with ice and water before you pour a drink into it.Technique
- Citrus wedgeA citrus wedge is a lime or lemon cut lengthwise into pieces that you squeeze over a drink or hang on its rim.Garnish
- Citrus wheelA citrus wheel is a round slice of the whole fruit, set on the rim or in the glass and sometimes dried until crisp.Garnish
- Clarified cocktailA clarified cocktail is a drink with its haze removed, usually by milk curds that trap the cloudy solids and get strained out.Technique
- Clear iceClear ice is ice frozen in one direction, so the cloudiness collects in one part that you can cut away.Ice
- CobblerA cobbler is a wine or sherry drink shaken with sugar, poured over crushed ice and piled with fresh fruit.Style
- Cobbler shakerA cobbler shaker is a three-piece cocktail shaker with a strainer built into its top, one of the three main types.Tool
- CocktailA cocktail is a spirit mixed with sugar, water and bitters, as the first printed definition described it in 1806.Style
- Cocktail foamCocktail foam is the light, frothy layer on top of a drink, usually made with egg white, aquafaba or a bottled foamer.Technique
- Cocktail pickA cocktail pick is a thin stick, about 4.5 to 5 inches (11 to 13 cm) long, that holds a garnish in or on a drink.Tool
- Cocktail shakerA cocktail shaker is a metal container that mixes and chills a drink with ice, and the name covers several designs.Tool
- CollinsA collins is a sour lengthened with soda water and served long over ice in a tall glass.Style
- Collins glassThe Collins glass is a tall, slim tumbler that holds 12 to 14 oz (350 to 410 ml) for drinks topped with soda over ice.Glassware
- Copper mugCold to the touch and made of metal, the copper mug is the signature vessel for the Moscow Mule and other mules.Glassware
- CordialA cordial is a sweet ingredient whose meaning depends on the country: a liqueur in the US, a non-alcoholic syrup in the UK.Category
- CoupeA coupe is a stemmed glass with a wide, rounded bowl that holds 5 to 7 oz (150 to 210 ml).Glassware
- Cracked iceCracked ice is a cube split by hand into a few large chunks, which chills a stirred drink faster than whole cubes.Ice
- Crushed iceCrushed ice is cubes smashed into small, grainy bits that chill and dilute a drink fast.Ice
D
- DaisyA daisy is a sour-style drink sweetened with orange liqueur and finished with a splash of soda.Style
- DashA dash is one quick shake from a bottle of bitters, about 1/32 oz (0.9 ml) or 10 drops, a tiny measure for flavor.Measure
- DigestifA digestif is a stronger, sweeter or more bitter drink served after a meal, such as amaro or brandy.Occasion
- DirtyDirty is a drink order that adds olive brine, so the drink turns cloudy and salty.Serving instruction
- Double strainDouble straining pours a shaken drink through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer at once, catching ice chips and pulp.Technique
- DramA dram is an informal word for a pour of whisky, and it has no fixed size of its own.Measure
- DryDry is a drink order that asks for less vermouth, so the gin or vodka leads the flavor.Serving instruction
- Dry shakeA dry shake is shaking a cocktail without ice first, so egg white or aquafaba whips into a thick, silky foam.Technique
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- Fat-washA fat-wash is a spirit flavored with melted fat, such as bacon fat in bourbon, then frozen so the fat comes off in one piece.Technique
- FingerA finger is a whiskey pour judged by eye, where the spirit fills the glass to the height of one finger.Measure
- FizzA fizz is a cocktail of shaken spirit, lemon and sugar, topped with soda water and served with no ice.Style
- Flaming a drinkFlaming a drink means lighting an overproof spirit floated on top, so the flame burns briefly before you smother it.Technique
- FlipA flip is a spirit or fortified wine shaken with sugar and a whole egg, then topped with grated nutmeg.Style
- Fortified wineA fortified wine is a wine with distilled spirit added, which raises its strength to about 15 to 22% ABV.Category
- Free pourA free pour means pouring a spirit by counting, with a pour spout on the bottle instead of measuring with a jigger.Technique
- Frozen cocktailA frozen cocktail is a drink blended with ice until it is thick and slushy, usually built from a spirit, citrus and syrup.Style
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H
- Hair of the dogHair of the dog is a drink taken the morning after a night of drinking, usually at brunch.Occasion
- Hawthorne strainerA Hawthorne strainer is a metal disc with a coiled spring around its edge that fits inside the rim of a shaker tin.Tool
- HighballA highball is a spirit lengthened with a chilled carbonated mixer, served over ice in a tall glass.Style
- Highball glassA highball glass is a tall, narrow tumbler for a spirit topped with a larger amount of mixer over ice.Glassware
- Hurricane glassA hurricane glass is a tall, curved glass that holds 15 to 20 oz (440 to 590 ml) for big tropical drinks.Glassware
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- Ice sphereAn ice sphere is a large round cube of ice, often 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across, that melts more slowly than standard cubes.Ice
- InfusionAn infusion is a bottle of spirits steeped with fruit, tea or spices, so it takes on their flavor without any added sugar.Technique
- Irish coffee glassThe Irish coffee glass is a clear, footed glass with a handle, built for hot coffee drinks such as the Irish Coffee.Glassware
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- JiggerA jigger is a bar tool with two measuring cups that you use to pour set amounts of spirits and mixers.Tool
- JulepA julep is a bourbon drink built on mint, sugar and crushed ice, packed into a cup until it frosts.Style
- Julep cupMade of silver, pewter or stainless steel, the julep cup holds a Mint Julep over crushed ice.Glassware
- Julep strainerA julep strainer is a perforated strainer that sits in the mouth of a mixing glass and holds back the ice.Tool
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- LayerLayering pours a drink's ingredients one at a time so they stay in separate bands, with the heaviest at the bottom.Technique
- LiqueurA liqueur is a spirit with added sugar and flavor, usually between 15 and 30% ABV, sweeter and lower in strength than most spirits.Category
- Long drinkA long drink is a drink style with a spirit and a bigger share of mixer over ice, and a short drink is the stronger opposite.Style
- Low-ABV cocktailA low-ABV cocktail is a mixed drink built on vermouth, sherry or a bitter aperitivo, so it has less alcohol than a spirit drink.Style
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- Margarita glassThe margarita glass is a stemmed glass with a wide, stepped bowl, made for salted rims and for shaken or frozen Margaritas.Glassware
- Martini glassA martini glass is a stemmed glass with a cone-shaped bowl, for stirred or shaken drinks served up, such as the Martini.Glassware
- Milk punchMilk punch is a punch clarified with milk, so the curds strain out and leave a clear, silky drink.Style
- MixerA mixer is the non-alcoholic part of a drink, such as soda, juice, dairy or syrup, added to a spirit.Category
- Mixing glassA mixing glass is a heavy glass for stirring clear drinks with ice before you strain them into a serving glass.Tool
- MocktailA mocktail is a cocktail-style drink with no alcohol, built on a base, citrus, syrup and soda.Style
- MuddleTo muddle is to press herbs, fruit or sugar gently in a glass or shaker tin to release their oils and juice.Technique
- MuddlerA muddler is a long bar tool with a flat or toothed end that presses fruit and herbs in a glass or shaker.Tool
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- NeatNeat means a spirit poured straight from the bottle into a glass, with no ice, no mixer and no chilling.Serving instruction
- Nick and Nora glassA Nick and Nora glass is a small stemmed glass for stirred or shaken drinks served up, usually holding 4 to 6 oz (120 to 180 ml).Glassware
- NightcapA nightcap is the last drink of the night, a small pour taken just before bed, such as a Hot Toddy or a neat brandy.Occasion
- Nugget iceIn drinks, nugget ice is soft, chewable ice made of ice flakes compacted into small, even pellets.Ice
O
- Oleo saccharumOleo saccharum is a sweet syrup made from citrus peel and sugar, so it carries the flavor of the peel.Category
- On the rocksOn the rocks means a spirit or drink poured over ice cubes in a short glass, so it stays cold as you sip.Serving instruction
- OverproofOverproof means a spirit above 50% ABV (100 US proof), such as some rums that are far stronger than standard bottles.Strength
P
- PonyA pony is a bar measure of 1 oz (30 ml), smaller than the standard 1.5 oz (44 ml) US shot.Measure
- Pousse-caféA pousse-café is a drink of three or more layered liqueurs and spirits, sipped after dinner.Style
- ProofProof is a US measure of alcohol strength that equals twice the ABV, so 80 proof means 40% alcohol.Strength
- PunchA punch is a drink made from spirit, citrus, sugar, water and spice, mixed in a bowl for a group.Style
R
- RickeyA rickey is a tall drink of gin or bourbon, fresh lime juice and soda water over ice, with little or no sugar.Style
- RimA rim is a crust of salt or sugar pressed onto the outside edge of a glass, usually half of it, before the drink goes in.Technique
- RinseA rinse coats the inside of an empty glass with a small splash of strong spirit, such as absinthe, before the drink goes in.Technique
- Rocks glassThe rocks glass is a short, wide tumbler, also called an old fashioned glass, for spirits served neat or over ice.Glassware
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- ShakeA shake chills and mixes a drink by shaking it hard with ice, which blends citrus, cream and egg into one smooth drink.Technique
- ShooterA shooter is a small mixed drink of two or more spirits, liqueurs or juices, meant to be drunk in one or two gulps.Style
- ShotA shot is one measured pour of spirit, usually 1.5 oz (44 ml) in the US, though the size changes by country and bar.Measure
- Shot glassA shot glass is a small glass, usually 1 to 2 oz (30 to 60 ml), used to serve a straight spirit or a short mixed shot.Glassware
- ShrubA shrub drink is a syrup of fruit, sugar and vinegar, usually mixed with soda water over ice.Style
- SlingA sling is an old cocktail of spirit, sugar and water, usually served over ice with grated nutmeg.Style
- SmashA smash is a short drink of spirit, muddled mint or fruit, and sugar, shaken and strained over ice.Style
- Smoked cocktailSmoking a cocktail means trapping wood or herb smoke over the drink, so it picks up a smoky scent before the first sip.Technique
- SnifterA snifter is a brandy glass with a wide, bulbous bowl that narrows at the rim, so the aroma stays close to your nose.Glassware
- SourA sour is a spirit shaken with citrus and sugar, and sometimes with egg white for a foamy top.Style
- Sour mixSour mix, also called sweet and sour mix, is a mixer of citrus juice and sugar used to make sour-style drinks.Category
- SpiritA spirit is a strong alcoholic drink made by distilling a fermented base of grain, fruit, vegetables or sugar.Category
- SplashA splash is a small, unmeasured pour added to drinks, under 0.5 oz (15 ml) and often poured by eye.Measure
- SpritzA spritz is a light drink of sparkling wine, a bitter aperitivo such as Aperol, and soda water over ice.Style
- Stamped iceStamped ice is a clear cube with a logo or design pressed into its top by a brass ice stamp.Ice
- Standard drinkA standard drink is a set amount of pure alcohol, 0.6 fl oz (14 g) in the US, whatever the glass holds.Strength
- StirStirring chills and dilutes a drink by turning it with ice in a mixing glass, so a spirit-forward drink stays clear and smooth.Technique
- StrainStraining means pouring a mixed drink through a strainer so the ice and any solids stay in the tin or mixing glass.Technique
- SwizzleSwizzling mixes a drink by spinning a stick between your palms through crushed ice until the glass frosts.Technique
- Swizzle stickA swizzle stick is a long stick with a ring of prongs at one end, spun between the palms to chill and froth a drink over crushed ice.Tool
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- ThrowThrowing a cocktail means pouring it in a long arc between two tins, which chills the drink and adds fine bubbles.Technique
- Tiki drinkA tiki drink is a rum-based cocktail from 1930s California bars, built with citrus, syrup and crushed ice.Style
- Tiki mugSculpted ceramic and built for big drinks, the tiki mug holds a tropical rum cocktail over crushed ice.Glassware
- ToddyA toddy is a hot drink, usually whisky with lemon, honey and hot water, served in a heatproof glass or mug.Style
- Top shelfTop shelf is the bar's most expensive liquor, and asking for it means a pricier brand.Bar order
- TwistA twist is a thin strip of citrus peel that you squeeze over a drink and then use as a garnish.Garnish