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CoCKtAIl
tHe strAw test
Ask any bartender: the primary virtue of a
properly-made cocktail is BALANCE — sweet
and sour in delicate equilibrium, bitters in
just the right amount, etc. — and even the
best recipe can’t compensate for super-tart
lemons or other variables behind the bar.
That’s why you’ll always see the better
bartenders perform a quick “straw test”
before pouring and garnishing a cocktail.
It’s the equivalent of a chef doing a quick
taste of sauce before sending a dish to the
table. If any flavor is out of balance, the
bartender can tell from a scant taste if any
last-second changes need to be made.
It’s a simple process that involves a short
cocktail straw dipped into the shaker. Dip
the straw in to the drink, then place your
index finger over the open top end and hold
it steady. (The pressure captures a few drops
of the cocktail inside the straw.) Bring the
bottom end of the straw to your mouth, then
release your finger. You’ll get a tiny taste on
your tongue, but enough to know if you’ve
nailed the drink. Those last-second course
corrections (a little more sugar, a splash more
of soda) can make all the difference.
sIMple sYrUp
When it comes to a standard sugary
sweetener, Hannah suggests a basic simple
syrup with a 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio. Bring
one part water to a boil in a saucepan (let’s
say a cup), add an equal amount sugar, then
turn off the heat and stir until the sugar
dissolves completely. After the mixture cools,
you’ll have a neutral sweetener that’s the
backbone of any home
bar, allowing you to
add sweet notes
without the
danger of
crunchiness.
Simple syrup will
last in your fridge
for about 2 weeks.
Collins (gin), John Collins (whiskey),
Charlie Collins ( Jamaican rum) and Vodka
Collins (duh).
Other riffs: Muddle some mint into the
glass before building a Rum fizz and you’ve
got an elemental Mojito (the bane of many
busy barkeeps). The classic Pimm’s cup uses
a gin-based liqueur as its active ingredient,
with less sweetener, ginger ale or lemonade
replacing the fizzy water, and a cucumber
garnish. Tequila lovers can use tequila and
grapefruit for a refreshing Paloma.
BIttereD slInGs
Basic formula:
2 oz. spirit
1 ounce sweetener
a few dashes aromatic bitters
This family of drinks contains some of
the simpler, yet timeless, cocktails in the
American song book. They also harken
back to the very creation of the classic
cocktail (in addition to being fun to say).
Here there are three flavor components
playing in the glass — the spirit of choice,
sweet often in the form of vermouth, and
complex spiciness in the form of bitters or
amaro (a bitter aromatic spirit). Bittered
slings are simple to make, but always in
style because of the near-infinite variations
and substitutions.
In this group you’ll find many of our old-
school icons of the cocktail world: the
Manhattan (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth,
Angusturabitters),theNegroni (1 ounceeach
gin, sweet vermouth and bitter Campari),
the Boulevardier (2 ounces bourbon, 1 ounce
Campari, 1 ounce sweet vermouth) and even
the original Martini (gin, dry vermouth, a
couple dashes of orange bitters).
Pro Tips
Chris Hannah, Mixologist, Arnaud’s French 75 Bar — photo by
Denny Culbert
