If you ask a decorated bartender or mixologist, cocktail mixing is a fine art. Many cocktail enthusiasts will also attest to the same sentiments. A few mixology recipes are all you need to turn your home party into a lit event where everyone wants another fill in their cup. Nonetheless, you have to be keen about the supplies you get and the ingredients you use. You also need to be keen on the procedures and pay attention to the different needs of your guests. If you want to make the best cocktails every time you put your mixology skills into action, you have to know what to do and what to avoid.
In this piece, we shall cover the mistakes you need to avoid when mixing cocktails.
1. Not Having a Proven Recipe
When making cocktails, you can’t just mix anything and everything hoping to come up with a wonderful final drink. It can be an absolute turnoff to your guests or whoever you are making the cocktails for. The best cocktails are made by understanding the ingredients to use alongside the main beverage. The main beverage can be wine, fruit juice, or a spirit like a whisky, rum, or gin. As revealed by the experts at mybartender.com, it pays to explore ideas from different kinds of cocktail recipes available. Once you have a few ideas up your sleeve, all you need is to put them into practice before the actual event or party. You can get a second opinion from a close person to you on how the final blend comes out. At the end of the day, making cocktails without a proven recipe can spell disaster. This also means getting the measurements and the procedure right, which brings us to the next important point.
2. Failing to Measure
Every competent bartender will tell you how critical it is that you measure everything you intend to use in your cocktail. This is one of the reasons you’ll go to your favorite pub in town rather than just any bar. The best drink is always created by the best mixologist. Even the tiniest measurement error can cause your drink to fall short of your expectations. Most people, especially those who create drinks at home, make the mistake of not measuring. Take your time measuring each ingredient if you want to make that perfect drink you have in mind.
3. Shaking For the Sake of It
If the ingredients don’t really mix and form one drink, the cocktail isn’t complete. This implies that shaking is required to make the combination one. Shaking for the sake of shaking is a common mistake that people make. You aren’t supposed to shake every component just because you have a Boston shaker and it’s typically fun shaking the cocktail. Some ingredients require shaking, while others only require stirring. As a result, you must be diligent in determining which ingredients require what and the optimum method for doing so. Unnecessary shaking can spoil a cocktail that could have otherwise been fantastic.
4. Using Regular Ice
You may be tempted to utilize ordinary ice in your refrigerator, especially if you are new to the craft. This can completely ruin your cocktail. Instead of getting the flavor, you worked so hard to achieve, the cocktail will be watery and diluted. When preparing cocktails, you should avoid using regular ice like the plague if at all you want to make the best drinks. Large silicone ice cube pans should be purchased, and the water to be frozen should be boiled to remove any air. This will yield far better outcomes with the ice and, as a result, chill your cocktail to perfection.
5. Incorrect Muddling
This is a common blunder made by those who use fruits and herbs in their cocktails. If you’re using fruit, herbs, or both in your cocktail, you’ll want to know how much muddling pressure to use on each for the greatest results. Pressing them with a muddler and using the proper pressure will ensure that they release the flavor you desire in your drink. While you should apply more pressure to the fruits and rinds, you need to be gentle with the leaves and herbs.
6. Omitting the Garnish
It would be such a waste if you neglected or avoided garnishing your drink after all that effort to create the perfect drink. If you’re just having the drink for yourself, you can skip that part. Garnishing your cocktail while serving it to guests or others, on the other hand, not only makes it seem professional, but it also delights the palate and impresses your guests. Whatever garnish you choose, make sure it doesn’t lack in any of the cocktails you create. After all of that hard effort to create something wonderful, presentation is typically very important.
And there you have it. Great cocktails take significant effort to ensure you get everything right. Thankfully, the above few tips should help you avoid some of the mistakes most people make when mixing cocktails.