TRAVEL COCKTAILS If they have upcoming travels scheduled (and who doesn’t?), bring mini versions of their favorite cocktails—a nip of something, a garnish, and some fun novelty straws—to jazz up their free airplane soda.
BOOZY CANDY If all else fails, bring some boozy gummy bears or a box of liquor-packed sweets—from the store or homemade (see item 242).
276 TACKLE THE CLEANUP
When it comes to cleanup, especially after a proper rager, you’ll be sorely tempted to leave everything for the next day. That’s what the day after the party is for, you’ll think. And you’re not wrong. But here’s a tip: While you’re still flush from your successful fete, walk around your place and collect all the stray glasses, bottles, and cans that have likely found their way into every corner. (Seriously: The bathroom always has at least one, and check behind the framed photos on your bookshelf, too.) Corral everything in the kitchen and—this is key—take out the recycling. Get the beer bottles and cans out of there, because there’s nothing like that stale beer smell the next morning to make your hangover worse than it already is. Here are a few other ways to tackle the filthier parts of entertaining.
277 GET OUT OF A STICKY SITUATION
The biggest problem with spilling booze (aside from the waste of good booze) is that any residue left behind will get sticky. You’ll need more than just a paper towel to rectify the situation, so turn to the old standbys: floor cleaners like Pine Sol or Simple Green, or simply dishwashing liquid mixed with water. You’re going to need soap of one kind or another to avoid a squeaky reminder every time you walk by.
278 SAVE THE FURNITURE
Despite your extensive coaster collection (see item 045), you’ve discovered white rings on the heirloom coffee table, or there was a colossal spill all over the bar. Coat the mark with Vaseline, let it sit overnight, then wipe it away. Hopefully that’s the worst of what you’re dealing with postparty.
279 GET SALTY
Red wine spills are bound to happen, and there’s a wealth of information online on how to save your carpet, couch, or designer suit. For how horrendous these spills appear at first glance, they can be surprisingly easy to clean up. First, let an old dishrag soak up as much as possible, then grab your salt shaker and generously coat the stain. Once it’s dry, scrape and rinse (use club soda if needed) or blot with a sponge. Some people also swear by immediately rinsing a red wine spill with white wine. But why waste more wine?
280 FINESSE YOUR FLASK
A popular gift item and a surprisingly useful tool, the flask comes in enough varieties to suit everyone. But the dread of lingering flavors can keep some from ever making use of them. Here’s how to get it properly clean (and properly rinsed) every time.
STEP ONE If this is a new flask, wash it with good ol’ soap and water—just be careful about the amount of soap you use. You don’t need much, and flasks can be notoriously tricky to rinse thoroughly. If you’ve already used too much soap, try rinsing with boiling water—and be sure to use a pot holder so you don’t burn yourself.
STEP TWO If your flask requires a scrub, you’ll be using some of the same tricks as you would on reusable water bottles. That means kosher salt, rice, Epsom salts, or baking soda, mixed with water (or white vinegar if you’ve got a particularly smelly vessel). Combine your scrubbing agent with your liquid and fill the flask about three-quarters of the way.
STEP THREE Cap it, and give it a good, lengthy shake. You want to be vigorous and not stop too soon. Pretend you’re shaking James Bond’s martini, and you better do it right. The salt or other agent will “scrub” the corners, and then you get to rinse the heck out of it.
STEP FOUR Rinse like crazy, and use boiling water if you’re still finding salt in there.
281 DEVISE A CURE
American humorist Robert Benchley wrote, “The only cure for a real hangover is death.” It might feel true, especially in the throes of your worst morning-afters, but there are a few other things you can try.
I wouldn’t consider myself a model of restraint, nor a cautionary tale of excess, but I’ve had a hangover now and then, from bad influence, a miscalculation, or simply forgetting to eat. My own timeworn remedy is to sleep in, drink water until the idea of walking in public sounds reasonable, have a greasy breakfast (possibly with a brunch cocktail), and then get a large coffee to go. Even if eating doesn’t sound appealing at the time, it will help. You will—slowly—start to feel normal, but you’re in a triage situation, so don’t get stuck in traps like juices or low-fat nonsense. This just isn’t the time.
282 GET A COLA CLEAR-OUT
USBG | BOSTON CHAPTER
FREDERIC YARM
Lead Bartender | Loyal Nine
At one of Yarm’s jobs, the hangover cure of choice was soda-gun Pepsi with 10 dashes of Angostura bitters—to help down two Advils from the first-aid kit. The Pepsi delivered sugar, water, electrolytes, and a bit of caffeine, and the Angostura was a godsend, with a bounty of botanicals to settle the stomach. Finally, the Advil and caffeine helped clear the cobwebs.
283 GO PRO
Take it from the pros—they know what they’re talking about. Alexandra F. Williams, the USBG membership coordinator, recommends Condition, a Korean herbal concoction available at some Asian markets for around five bucks a pop. “This magical mix of ancient medicine is the best thing to happen to heavy drinking since the Old Fashioned.”
Ralf Ramirez of the Los Angeles chapter mixes bitters and soda for his remedy—fill a tall glass with ice, add 4–6 dashes of your favorite bitters, and top with seltzer water. Garnish with a lime or lemon wedge and you’ll have a refreshing concoction that looks more elegant than you do.
284 BITE THE DOG BACK
“A little hair of the dog that bit ya”—this fabled hangover cure dates back to medieval times, when the (suspicious at best) cure for what ailed you was more of what ailed you. The belief was that if you were bitten by a rabid dog, you needed to burn some of the dog’s hair and place it over the bite. Shockingly, this “cure” for rabies didn’t work. But the myth—as it relates to alcohol—persists (though actress Tallulah Bankhead once said, “It’s as logical as trying to put out a fire with applications of kerosene”). Give it a whirl and enjoy a brunch cocktail, by all means. But if you’re bitten by a dog, best consult a doctor.
285 EAT AND ENERGIZE
USBG | NEW YORK CHAPTER
COREY CREASON
Bartender
This particular cure is for those days when the hangover is crushing your soul but you still have to get up and conquer the world. Drink 1 liter of coconut water and a 12-oz energy drink—Red Bull is a go-to when coffee simply won’t cut it. Then eat two egg white sandwiches with sausage, on rolls, smothered in ketchup and hot sauce (Cholula recommended).
IN CLOSING
You probably didn’t realize there was this much information worth knowing about cocktails. A lot goes into the creation of spirits and the mechanics behind what makes a good cocktail work. It’s not just about personal taste and brand preferences. A great drink is designed, built, and executed to achieve the perfect balance of texture and flavor. Of course, it needs to taste good, too.
Knowing the kind of detail you can go into by exploring every aspect of making a great cocktail, from the size and shape of the ice to the method of shaking or stirring, isn’t necessarily a must for most home bartenders. Yet even a little understanding of the science and art of cocktail making can make a huge difference.
This is what makes the USBG and its members so interesting—the constant search for self-improvement and education about every facet of the business. It makes for a team of talented bartenders who run great bars around the country.
Hopefully, with a few tips from this book and a little further understanding of the magic of the cocktail, you’ll discover a new drink, experiment with adaptations, and maybe even find that your favorite bar (and that of all your friends) is the one you have at home.
INDEX
5
0-50 Martini
A
absinthe
accessories
Adam, Ian
Adios Mother F*cker
Adkins, Erik
agave
agave tequila
aged rum
alembic
amaro. See bitter liqueurs
Amaro Nonino
amber rum
amer. See bitter liqueurs
Amer Picon
American whisky
Americano
Anaranjadito
Ancho Reyes liqueur
Angostura bitters
Antica
aperitivos
Aperol
Aperol Spritz
apple brandy
Aquavit
Ardbeg
aromatic bitters
artichoke amaro liqueur
Avera amaro
Aviation
Avuá Amburana
B
bacanora
back
backbars
bar mats
bar spoons
barbacks
Barflies and Cocktails (MacElhone)
barrels
bars
cleaning
for homes
parties and
stocking
batching
Bayside Fog
beer
Belgium cocktails
Bellini
Bellini, Giovanni
Bending Blades
Benedictine liqueur
Bermejo, Julio
bitter liqueurs
aromatic
categories of
combining
creole
types of
Bitter Truth pimento dram
Bittersweet Symphony
Black Friar Tea
Black Russian
black tea
Blades
blanc vermouth
blanco tequila
blanco vermouth
blended Japanese whisky
blended malt
blended whisky
blender jar
Blood Orange Mimosas
Bloody Mary
Blue Moon
Bolton, Kate
Bone Machine
Boothby
Boothby, William
Boston (two-part) shaker
bottle opener
bottle pour spouts
bottle stall trick
bottles
sizes of
versatility of
Boulevardier
bourbon balls
bourbon whisky
Branca, Bernardino
brandy. See also specific types of brandy
French vines of
fruit brandy
history of
making
pomace brandy
in recipes
types of
wine brandy
Brandy Lift
Brazilian cocktail
Broken Compass
Brown, Willa Beatrice
buckets, mixing cocktails in
bucks
Buffalo Trace bourbon
Burnside
C
cachaça
Caesar
Caipirinha
California brandy
call
Calvados apple brandy
Campari
Campari, Gaspare
Canadian cocktails
Canadian whisky
Canelazo
Cappelletti
cask finished whiskies
cask strength
cava
Chablis white wine
cheap red wine
cheerful red wine
Cherry Blossom
cherry liqueur
chile pepper tinctures
chocolate liqueurs
chocolate vodka
cinchona
Cipriani, Giuseppe
citrus liqueurs
citrus twists
citrus wheels
citrus-forward IPA beer
Classic Aviation
Classic Sazerac
Classic Whisky Sour
cleaning
Clear Creek cranberry liqueur
Clermont
coasters
cobbler (three-part) shake
Cocchi Americano aperitif wine
Cocchi Americano Rosa
cocktail menus
cocktail shaker
Coco Real syrup
Coco-Alexander
coconut cream
coconut milk
coconut rum
Codd, John
coffee. See also espresso
coffee liqueurs
cognac
cola reduction
Colliau, Jennifer
column still
Combier
Condition
continuous still
cordials
corkscrew
Cosmopolitan
Cowan, Matt
Cox, Ian
cracked ice
cranberries, substitutes for
cream, shaking drinks containing
Creason, Corey
cremant
crème de cacao
crème de cassis (currant liqueur)
crème de violette
creole bitters
Cross Jamaican rum
crushed ice
Cuba Libre
Cuban cocktails
cubed ice
cucumber roses
curaçao
currant liqueur (crème de cassis)
customizing drinks
Cynar
D
daiquiris
frozen
fruit-flavored
Hemingway daiquiri
dairy liqueurs
dark rum
Day, Christopher
Del Maguey VIDA
Denizen Merchant’s Reserve rum
Devil’s Backbone
Diedrich, Kevin
digestivos
dilution
direct infusion
Dirty Martini
dirty vermouth
distilling
Dolin Véritable Génépy des Alpes
Dolinky, Andrew
Don the Beachcomber
Drake, Francis
drunken guests
dry
dry vermouth
DST
E
Ecuadorian cocktails
edible gelatin
eggs, shaking drinks containing
Ehrmann, H. Joseph
El Macua
elixirs
English-style beer
Ensslin, Hugo
espresso. See also coffee
Ethiopian cocktails
F
fat infusion
Faust, Jason
Feaux-Loma
fermenting
fernet
Fernet About Dre
Fernet Branca
50-50 Martini
Final Four
fine strainers
Fish House Punch
flags
flaming drinks
flaming orange peels
flasks
flavored rums
Fleming, Ian
flower liqueurs
Fords gin
Four Orange Tincture.
Foust, Jason
French shaker
French vermouth
frozen daiquiri
fruit
fresh
juice from
preserving
fruit brandy
fruit liqueurs
fruit-flavored daiquiris
G
garnish bins
garnishes
gelatin
genever
Georgia Iced Tea
Germany, cocktails
gewurztraminer sparkling wine
Giffard Pamplemousse
gimlet
gin
&n
bsp; history of
in recipes
types of
Gin & Tonic
Gin Basil Smash
ginger ale
ginger beer
ginger brew, making own
ginger liqueur
ginger syrup
glassware
for mixing
types of
global drinks
Golden Fleece
golden rum
Goldsworthy, Kaleena
goody bags
Gran Classico
grape pisco
grapefruit juice
grapefruit liqueur
Great Britain cocktails
Great Compromise
Greek cocktail
guests
bartending for
food for
gifts for
greeting
making comfortable
making eye contact with
mocktails for
serving
gum syrup
H
Hamilton Demerara 86 rum
hand juicers
hangovers
Harry, Nat
Harry’s New York Bar
Hawaiian Iced Tea
Hawthorne strainers
Hemingway daiquiri
herbal liqueurs
Hibiki
highland style tequilas
Hobday, Norman Jay
home bars
Honey wine
Honeybee Fizz
horseradish
Hot English Rum Flip
Hot Pepper Tincture
hot sauce
hot toddy
Hummingbird
I
ice
bags for
bins for
buckets for
cracked
crushed
molds for
sculpting
spears
sphere shaped
Imbue Petal & Thorn vermouth
infusion
ingredients
measuring
muddling
types of
IPA beer
Irish Coffee
Irish whisky
Italia grape pisco
Italian (sweet) vermouth
Italy, Aperol Spritz in
J
Jamaican rum
Jamaican Scorpion Bowl
Japanese whisky
jigger
Johnsen, Paul
Johnson, Lucius W.
juice. See specific type of juice
Julep strainers
Jump, Alexandria
juniper berries
K
Kaleena’s Four Orange Tincture.
Kentucky Connection
Kentucky whisky
Kilgore, Ted
The Complete Cocktail Manual Page 17