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
- 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
- BuildIn a built drink, you pour every ingredient straight into the serving glass, with no shaker or mixing glass.Technique
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- 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
- Chill a glassChilling a glass means cooling it in the freezer or with ice and water before you pour a drink into it.Technique
- 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
- Cobbler shakerA cobbler shaker is a three-piece cocktail shaker with a strainer built into its top, one of the three main types.Tool
- 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
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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
- Flaming a drinkFlaming a drink means lighting an overproof spirit floated on top, so the flame burns briefly before you smother it.Technique
- Free pourA free pour means pouring a spirit by counting, with a pour spout on the bottle instead of measuring with a jigger.Technique
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- Mixing glassA mixing glass is a heavy glass for stirring clear drinks with ice before you strain them into a serving glass.Tool
- 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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- ShakeA shake chills and mixes a drink by shaking it hard with ice, which blends citrus, cream and egg into one smooth drink.Technique
- 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
- 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