Chapter 6 - Basic Drink Preparation
Methods for Bartenders
There’s only so many ways to skin a drink, I mean, pour a cat.
The goal of FreeBartendingSchool.com
is to get you working as a bartender, fast! However, the amount of knowledge
that you must possess to be a bartender is voluminous, especially when
you take into consideration the thousands of potential drink recipes.
And furthermore, your clients will expect you to be a walking drink
encyclopedia.
Firstly, to that, we say, relax!
If there’s ever a circumstance where a client is asking for something
that you’ve never heard of or don’t know how to make, don’t
worry, just ask. Rest assured, the knowledge that this course will deliver
will be enough to get you by 95% of the time, however, there’s
always the foreign drink requested by the discriminating customer that
will leave you (and even most seasoned bartenders) baffled. Not to worry.
Simply ask your customer what’s in the drink. Not only will this
ensure that you will create the drink exactly as it is expected, but
you will give your client the feeling of being all-knowing and important.
After all, he just stumped the bartender! Be humble, accept the knowledge
and he will surely remember your appreciation for his lesson in the
tip.
Again, we will teach you the fundamentals
in bartending, but even the most seasoned bartender can’t honestly
admit to never having been stumped at work when having been requested
a drink. Thousands of drinks exist, but yet in our professional experience,
less than 100 are most commonly ordered!
Clusters Make It Easy!
Unlike many bartending schools
and courses, it is not our goal to have you memorize how to make every
drink known to man. Not only is this unpractical, but also in that only
about 100 of those 10,000 plus are most commonly ordered, it’s
just not necessary. Further, the time you’d spend trying to memorize
would get in the way of the profession that awaits you!
Rather, we’ve set up a system
that divides the most commonly ordered drinks into clusters, with the
dominant drink type or drink characteristic representing that cluster
being the one distinguishing characteristic of the cluster. This could
be the Margarita cluster and all the off-shoots of the basic Margarita,
or the more widely encompassing and most commonly ordered Highball Cluster.
Once you know these clusters, combined with some simple rules of thumb
in the way of alcohol measurements, you’ll be able to make any
drink! We call these DME Shortcuts™, but you can just refer to
them as the helpers that’ll get you making drinks… easy
(and fast)!
Apply our rule of thumb quantity
rules with the Drink Cluster rules and you’ll be able to “Cliff
Note” yourself into making delicious drinks that will segue into
the profession of bartending with ease.
DME Shortcuts™
DME Shortcuts™ - Alcohol
Quantity Rules
1 – If a drink contains only
one type of alcohol, pour 1 ½ ounces of the called for liquor
(or a 3 count speed pour).
2 – If a drink contains two
different alcohols, use 1 ounce for the first and ½ ounce for
the second.
3 – If a drink contains three
or four types of alcohol, use ½ ounce of each.
DME Shortcuts™ - Mixer Quantity
Rules
1 – If a drink only includes
one mixer (e.g. Gin & Tonic), fill the glass with the mixer up to
¼ inch below the rim, no matter the size of the glass.
2 – If a drink includes multiple
mixers, use equal parts of the mixers, and again, fill the glass to
¼ inch below the rim, no matter what size glass is used.
Wait a minute, can that be too
good to be true?
Sometimes it can. The fact of the
matter is that our DME Shortcuts™ will work with ALMOST any drink
ordered today and will produce a properly mixed, nicely tasting beverage.
This will also work for you to make your prospective boss drinks, quick,
if you are ever tested on an interview, but it is important to recognize,
that the distinguished pallet WILL taste subtle differences that go
into SOME of the drink recipes out there where our shortcuts don’t
apply. As you progress with your drink making, you’ll find the
100 or so most commonly ordered drinks will soon be old hat and you’ll
expand your repertoire even further with time. But for starters, our
DME™ shortcuts will get you behind the bar gaining on the job
experience as soon as possible!
We’re about to get into the
basic liquor clusters, but before we do, know that while these clusters
may differ, the manner in which they can be served do not.
There are only so many ways to
serve a drink. Only 7, in fact!
The 7 Serving Methods
Neat / Straight Up
A drink requested Neat or Straight
Up is simple to prepare in that there is no ice, no garnishes, nothing.
Just the alcohol and the glass.
Drinks such as shots, liqueurs
or brandy are the most common instances when you will use this serving
method.
On The Rocks
A drink requested on the rocks
is simply a drink over ice. Here, you’ll have already filled your
glass with ice and will then add liquor over the ice. If a mixer is
required, add as the recipe dictates. Note that some drink recipes require
multiple alcohols or mixers that will first need to be prepared in a
shaker, prior to being poured over the rocks.
Shaken
Shaken drinks will typically call
for ingredients that need an extra push in order for them to mix properly
and taste as your customer expects.
Simply fill your cocktail shaker
no more than half full with ice and add the required ingredients. If
using a Boston Shaker, place your mixing tin over the top of your shaker
and shake briskly 7-10 times.
With a strainer, pour the mix into
your glass!
Stirred
For stirred drinks, fill your mixing
glass 1/3rd full with ice and add all required ingredients. Use your
bar spoon to stir the concoction thoroughly in one direction and serve.
Some customers will order their
stirred drinks as “stirred straight up” or “stirred
on the rocks”. For these occasions, stir as directed above, then
pour with a strainer (with or without ice depending on what’s
requested) into a glass neat (straight up) or with a strainer over a
glass with ice.
Combined
Combined drinks are drinks or shots
that do not call for any pre-mixing, but combine different liquors in
the drink. These are typically shots, or drinks with a seltzer mixture
that help to distribute and better mix the end result.
Layered
The layered preparation method
can be used with either cocktails or shots and as the name implies,
involves the combination of several different liquors or liqueurs, layered
on top of each other to create an aesthetically pleasing drink.
The way this works is by using
the heaviest or densest liquors on the bottom and for drinks containing
more than two liquors, following that pattern and always placing the
least dense liquor on the top, allowing the alcohol to have the appearance
of floating on top of each other.
Creating the layered drink or shot
is considered an advanced bartending technique and one that you should
definitely practice prior to creating one for a customer. To create
this type of drink, you’ll need to pour the second, third, etc.
liquor over the back of the spoon which should be rested at the top
layer of the liquor below it. This process needs to be administered
slowly so as
not to pierce the layer.
Since layered drinks are considered
to be more advanced, more time consuming for the bartender to mix, and
typically consisting of premium liquors, they also tend to be more expensive.
Blended or Frozen
For drinks such as the Margarita,
you’ll need a blender to prepare. In these instances, you’ll
place the ice, alcohol and all mixers into the blender cup, blending
until the mixture becomes a slush, firm presentation. Then pour into
an already chilled glass and serve.
The 8 Mixing Methods
There are only so many ways that
these drinks can be mixed; 8, in fact! And these can and will be applied
to ALL drink mixtures.
These techniques are both universal
and easy to master, you’ll just need to associate each technique
with the specific drink type you are making. This comes by completing
this course and by practicing with the homework assignments.
Type of Drink Mixture How to Serve
In what glassware
Shot Straight up Shot or snifter
Chilled Shot Stirred Rocks
On the rocks On the rocks Rocks
With Rose’s lime On the rocks Rocks
With any carbonation (soda, tonic, etc.) On the rocks Double Rocks
With sweet & sour Mix On the rocks Double Rocks
With any juice On the rocks Double Rocks
With coffee or hot water Hot Coffee
Mixers
The following are the most commonly
used mixers and will be stocked by any bar you work in:
Soda Water - unflavored carbonated
water
Tonic Water - bitter carbonated
water as a result of lemon and quinine flavoring
Soft Drinks – all the most
common choices such as cola, diet cola, lemon-lime flavored soda and
ginger ale
Fruit Juices – Apple, cranberry,
grape, grapefruit, lime, orange, pineapple & tomato
Bar Mix (Sweet & Sour Mix)
-A mixture of lemon juice and sugar syrup.
Dairy products – Milk, half
& half & cream
Standard Pre-mixes – *Sweet
& Sour, *Collins Mix, Bloody Mary Mix, Strawberry Daiquiri / Margarita
Mix, Pina Colada Mix, *Simple Syrup
*All can be purchased or made yourself.
Depending upon your bar’s protocol, things could be done either
way.
Recipes… Made Easy
Sweet & Sour Mix
For 1 Drink – Cut & squeeze
½ lemon and mix the juice with 1 teaspoon. Shake immediately,
and shake the drink you mix it with vigorously prior to serving.
For larger quantities – Mix
12 ounces lemon juice with 18 ounces cold water and ¼ cup of
sugar. Mix, then keep cold for use as needed.
Simple Syrup - Because this drink
calls for hot water, we don’t recommend making it in single drink
quantities unless you are serving a hot drink.
Mix 1 pound of sugar with 1 quart
of boiling water, reducing the temperature as you add the sugar, and
stir until the mixture thickens (a few minutes). Refrigerate to store
and use as needed.
A+ Bartend Tip
As we’ve discussed before, a bartender, no matter how busy the
bar, should never find himself lacking tasks to complete. There’s
always something to do, which will help you get that busy shift you
want and in general, help the bar’s efficiency and impress your
boss! If you find yourself in a slow moment, make some of these commonly
used mixes yourself!
The 3 Glassware Preparation Methods
Chilling
For a chilled glass, simply fill
the glass with ice water and let it stand for no more than a minute.
Empty the glass and make the drink!
Frosting
Most commonly used with beer mugs,
the process is what you’d expect it to be. Dip the glass in water,
then freeze it for about ½ hour. The frosty appearance will keep
the drink cold and create a nice aesthetic appeal. The busy beer bar
should always have plenty of frosted mugs at the ready.
Flavoring
Moving into fancier drink clusters,
this technique flavors the rim with whatever garnish you’ll be
using for the particular drink you’re making. A lemon wedge or
peel rubbed on the rim will create a subtle aroma and flavor to the
drink. These are the differences that will make your drinks stand out!
Doesn’t that simplify things?
Honestly, you can do this! There is a very basic routine that all drinks
must follow and the above applies to almost all of them! Who needs to
memorize thousands of drink recipes?! How about 7 basic serving methods,
8 mixing methods and 3 glassware preparations all using DME alcohol
and mixer quantity rules to simplify the process
even further! Who ever said bartending was complicated?
You can do this! You already are!
Free Bartending School Test Questions
& Hands on Homework
Please find your test questions
relating to Chapter 6. As we learned, there are only so many ways to
prepare a drink. By learning and committing to memory these methodologies,
you are peeling away pieces of the onion and furthering your drink making
foundation.
We can’t suggest making the
number of drinks that would cover all the above and still permit you
to fill out your test questions with a clear head in one sitting. As
such, we implore that you take it upon yourself to, in between the conclusion
of this chapter and the beginning of the next, try making additional
cocktails that will cover some of the preparation methods not contained
in the drinks we suggest below.
We suggest:
• American Dream or Monkey
Brain Shooters (to practice layering)
• Bubble Gum or Mind Eraser (to practice the shaken techniques)
6-63 What should you do if one
of your customers orders an extremely foreign sounding drink and you
don't know how to make it?
6-64 If a cocktail contains only 1 type of alcohol, how many ounces
will you typically include?
6-65 If a cocktail contains 2 types of alcohols, how many ounces should
you include of each?
6-66 If a cocktail contains 3 or more types of alcohol, how many ounces
will you typically include?
6-67 If a cocktail includes multiple mixers, how do you typically determine
the amounts of the differing mixers?
6-68 How close to the rim do you fill up a glass with mixer?
6-69 What are the 7 serving methods in drink making?
6-70 What keeps a layered drink from collapsing on top of each other?
6-71 What are the 8 mixing methods?
6-72 What is bar mix or sour mix made of?