Chapter 9 - Make Drinks?
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It's easy…
Basic Drink Clusters – Know these and it’ll
make your job a breeze.
Continuing in our efforts to simplify the bartending
process and speed your employment as a full time bartender, we’ve
developed and grouped popular drinks into 12 Drink Clusters that share
many of the same attributes. You’ll find that if you commit
to memory how to concoct the chief drink of that cluster and then
concentrate on learning just the names of the individual drinks within
the cluster, you should be able to intuitively jog your memory of
what it takes to make the remaining drinks in the cluster when called
upon. Because many of the names of the
drinks within these 13 clusters hint at the ingredients they contain,
that, combined with your knowledge of the chief drink will make learning
how to make 76 drinks as easy as learning 13!
All thanks to FreeBartendingSchool.com!
The Highball Cluster
The Highball Cluster simply refers to drinks
over ice served in a double rocks or rocks glass and will represent
the most commonly ordered drinks by your customers. Luckily, they
are also easy to make. We’ve listed some extremely popular examples
below which you should take time to commit to memory, but obviously
many more abound. With this cluster being the most abundant, there
are not as many similarities between the drinks other than the preparation
method and glass used to serve the drink. Additionally, this is the
one cluster that has no chief drink for you to reference. Luckily,
making these drinks is relatively simple, and the names do hint at
what is contained within them.
Drink Alcohol Mix Preparation
Glass Garnish
Vodka Tonic Vodka Tonic On The Rocks Double Rocks / Rocks Lemon Wedge
Gin Rickey Gin, Lime Juice Carbonated Water On The Rocks Double Rocks
/ Rocks Lime Wedge
Seven & Seven Seven & Seven Bourbon Lime Soda On The Rocks Double
Rocks / Rocks Cherry
Presbyterian Whisky Ginger Ale, Club Soda On The Rocks Double Rocks/
Rocks Lemon Twist
Madras Vodka Cranberry Juice, Orange Juice On The Rocks Double Rocks
/ Rocks Lime Wedge
Sex on the Beach Vodka, Peach Schnapps Cranberry Juice, Orange Juice
On The Rocks Double Rocks / Rocks None
Melon Ball Vodka, Melon Liqueur Orange Juice On The Rocks Double Rocks
/ Rocks None
Bloody Mary Vodka Tomato Juice, Lemon Juice, Worchestershire® Sauce,
Tabasco® Sauce Shaken Collins Glass Celery Stick, Lime Wedge
Bourbon Sling Bourbon Sour Mix Shaken Double Rocks / Rocks Lemon Twist
Gin Fizz Gin, Bar Mix Carbonated Water Shaken Double Rocks / Rocks None
A+ Bartending Tip
In order to better service the customer and increase your sale, it’s
a good idea when taking cocktail orders to always ask the customer
what type of liquor they would like. Chances are better than not that
they will name a more expensive call brand.
The Martini Cluster
Perhaps the quintessential bar drink, the Martini
is also one of the simplest drinks to make as far as what you’ll
need to remember. There are very few derivations from the base Martini.
However, as it is simple in the way of ingredients, the Martini calls
for more attention to be paid to the combination of these ingredients.
The Martini aficionado will surely taste the most subtle difference
in taste. Note that unless otherwise requested,
a customer ordering a Martini is to be served a Gin Martini. This
is a fundamental rule of the Martini, however if your customer seems
at all unsure, better to ask first, as the tastes of a Gin Martini
as opposed to a Vodka Martini are quite distinct.
Drink Alcohol Mix Preparation Glass Garnish
Martini Gin or Vodka, 2 dashes of dry vermouth None Stirred / Shaken
Martini Glass (Chilled) Olive
Dry Martini Gin or Vodka, 1 dash of dry vermouth None Stirred / Shaken
Martini Glass (Chilled) Olive
Extra Dry Martini Gin or Vodka (no vermouth) None Stirred / Shaken
Martini Glass (Chilled) Olive
Dirty* Martini Gin or Vodka, 2 dashes Dry Vermouth Splash Olive Juice
Shaken Martini Glass (Chilled) Olive*
Misc. Notes:
a) Stirred is the commonly recognized Martini preparation method, but
it is the customer’s request. Be sure to ask how they would like
it prepared.
b) *A Dirty Martini includes a splash of the juice of the garnish and
helps to stifle the initial impact of the alcohol for your customer
and produce a smoother delivery. With all dirty martini’s, include
the chosen garnish (there is such a thing as a Broccoli Dirty Martini!)
in with your mixture and shake 3-4 times, then pour, using the garnish
in the shaker with your drink.
c) When someone orders a Gibson, they are asking for a Martini, the
only difference being that the garnish is a pearl onion as opposed to
an olive. Follow all the same rules as when making a standard Martini,
and know that alike a Martini, a Gibson can contain either vodka or
gin.
The Manhattan Cluster
Alike the Martini, the Manhattan Cluster is also
a small drink cluster and easily made.
Drink Alcohol Mix Preparation Glass Garnish
Manhattan Bourbon, 2 dashes of sweet vermouth None Stirred / Shaken
Cocktail (chilled) Cherry
Dry Manhattan Bourbon, 2 dashes of dry vermouth None Stirred / Shaken
Cocktail (chilled) Olive
Perfect Manhattan Bourbon, 1 dash sweet vermouth, 1 dash dry vermouth
None Stirred / Shaken Cocktail (chilled) Lemon twist
The Long Island Cluster
The famed Long Island is a combination of liquors,
which together, create a pleasant and potent end result. Depending
upon what region of the country or world you’ll end up working,
you’ll encounter some variations of the basic theme of the Long
Island Ice Tea, however, remember that these are all part of the same
cluster for a reason. They share the same preparation, glass and almost
the same garnish attributes, with the only substantial difference
being the Alcohol or mix.
Drink Alcohol Mix Preparation
Glass Garnish
Long Island Iced Tea Vodka, rum, gin, tequila Sweet & Sour Mix,
splash coke Rocks Highball Lemon Wedge
Florida Iced Tea Vodka, rum, gin, tequila Sweet & Sour Mix, splash
OJ Rocks Highball Lemon Wedge
California Iced Tea Vodka, rum, gin, tequila Sweet & Sour Mix, splash
grapefruit Rocks Highball Lemon Wedge
Hawaiian Iced Tea Vodka, rum, gin, tequila Sweet & Sour Mix, splash
Pineapple Juice Rocks Highball Lemon Wedge
Adios Mother Vodka, rum, gin, tequila, blue Curacao Sweet & Sour
Mix, splash lemon lime soda Rocks Highball Cherry
Tokyo Iced Tea Vodka, rum, gin, melon liqueur Sweet & Sour Mix,
splash lemon lime soda Rocks Highball Lemon Wedge
Drawn from The White Russian, this popular family
delivers a tasty, creamy, sweet tasting drink, always mixed with coffee
liqueur.
DrinkAlcohol Mix Preparation
Glass Garnish
White Russian Vodka, coffee liqueur Half & Half Rocks Double Rocks
None
Black Russian Vodka, coffee liqueur None Rocks Rocks None
Brandy Alexander Brandy, brown crème de cacao Half & Half
Rocks Double Rocks or cocktail Nutmeg
Brave Bull Tequila, coffee liqueur None Rocks Rocks None
Colorado Bulldog Vodka, coffee liqueur Half & Half, splash cola
Rocks Double Rocks None
Mind Eraser Vodka, coffee liqueur Club soda Rocks Double Rocks None
Mudslide Vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish Cream Half & Half Rocks
Double Rocks None
Smith & Kern Coffee liqueur Half & half, splash cola Rocks
Double Rocks None
Smith & Wesson Vodka, coffee liqueur Half & half, splash cola
Rocks Double Rocks None
The Kamikaze Cluster
The Kamikaze drink cluster, or simply, the Kamikaze,
is also known to be a shot, so be sure to ask your customer exactly
which they are ordering. All vodka based drinks, the distinguishing
characteristics of individual drinks can often be found in the name
as you will see.
Drink Alcohol Mix Preparation
Glass Garnish
Kamikaze Vodka, triple sec Lime Juice Shaken Martini Lime Wedge
Cosmopolitan Vodka, triple sec
Lime Juice, splash cranberry
Shaken Martini Lime Wedge
Chambord Kamikaze Vodka, splash
Chambord Lime Juice
Shaken Martini Lime Wedge
Chambord Lemon Vodka, splash Chambord Lemon Juice,
Sugar
Shaken Martini Lemon Wedge, sugar
glass rim
Lemon Drop Vodka, triple sec
Lemon Juice, Sugar Shaken Martini Lemon Wedge, sugar glass rim
Orange Kamikaze Vodka, triple sec Lime Juice,
splash Orange Juice Shaken Martini Lime
Wedge
Vodka Gimlet Vodka Lime Juice Shaken Martini
Lime Wedge
The Margarita Cluster
There are quite a bit more Margarita options
than Martinis, but they are important to know. The list may look daunting,
but keep in mind that much of the preparation remains the same. You’ll
be using the same mix, same glass and either blending or serving the
drink on the rocks. The other variations are detailed below.
Drink Alcohol Mix Preparation Glass Garnish
Margarita Tequila, triple sec Sweet & sour
& float of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita Salted
glass rim with a lime wedge
Banana Margarita Tequila, crème de banana Sweet & sour
& float of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita None
Blue Margarita Tequila, blue Curacao Sweet & sour & float
of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita None
Cadillac Margarita Cuervo 1800, Grand Marnier Sweet & sour &
float of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita Salted glass
rim with a lime wedge
Melon Margarita Tequila, melon liqueur Sweet & sour & float
of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita None
Peach Margarita Tequila, peach schnapps Sweet & sour & float
of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita None
Raspberry Margarita Tequila, raspberry liqueur Sweet & sour &
float of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita None
Strawberry Margarita Tequila, strawberry liquer Sweet & sour &
float of Rose’s Lime Rocks or blended Margarita None
Tuaca Margarita Tequila, Tuaca Sweet & sour & float of Rose’s
Lime Rocks or blended Margarita None
Free Bartending School Test Questions & Hands
on Homework
Whew! That was a lot of information we realize,
and of all the chapters in this course, we’d most strongly recommend
going over this one a few times. When you get these basic clusters
and their offshoots down, you will find it all the more easy to assimilate
additional drink mixtures into your base of knowledge. There’s
no way that you can practice each of these drink preparation methods
in one sitting, however it will be important for you to do so on your
own time. For now, we suggest preparing and enjoying one of the following:
• Long Island Iced Tea
• Margarita
• Martini
9-100 How many drink clusters are there?
9-101 How will remembering the names of the drinks in the clusters
help to remember how to make the drink?
9-102 What is the most common drink cluster?
9-103 What is the chief drink of the highball cluster?
9-104 What two alcohols are in a Sex on The Beach?
9-105 What three elements go into a Gin Fizz?
9-106 What alcohol goes into a Martini if a customer simply requests
a "Martini, Shaken with 2 Olives"?
9-107 How is a Dirty Martini different than a standard Martini?
9-108 What other type of alcohol can be included in a Martini?
9-109 What differentiates a Gibson from a standard Martini?
9-110 What is the main alcohol base in the Manhattan family?
9-111 What garnish is used to make a perfect Manhattan?
9-112 What are the four base alcohols included in almost all Long
Island Iced Teas?
9-113 What mix is used most commonly with all Long Island Iced Tea
varieties?
9-114 What glass is commonly used to make Long Island Iced Tea varieties?
9-115 What Long Island Iced Tea base alcohol is excluded and what
is it substituted with for a Tokyo Tea?
9-116 What is the most common base mixer for the Russian cluster?
9-117 What alcohol is contained in every drink in the Russian cluster?
9-118 What is the difference between a Smith & Kern and a Smith
& Wesson?
9-119 What mix is added to a Mind Eraser?
9-120 What one drink of the Russian Cluster requires a garnish and
what is it?
9-121 What type of glass should all Kamikaze's be served in?
9-122 Name all ingredients in a Lemon Drop.
9-123 Name all ingredients in a Cosmopolitan.
9-124 What tool will you use when making a Margarita Rocks With salt?
9-125 What two mixes are used with all in the Margarita Cluster?
9-126 What two drinks in the Margarita Cluster call for a garnish?
9-127 And what are those garnishes?
9-128 For a Banana, Peach, Melon or Strawberry Margarita, what type
of alcohol gives it that fruit's flavor?