Technique
Build
To assemble a drink directly in the glass it will be served in, adding each ingredient in sequence.
Also covers: Built Cocktail, Dirty Dump
Shaken
A mixing method that chills, dilutes, and aerates a drink simultaneously by sealing it in a shaker with ice and shaking vigorously.
Stirred
A mixing method that chills and dilutes a drink with minimal aeration by stirring it with ice in a mixing glass.
Dry Shake
Shaking a cocktail without ice first to build foam from egg white or aquafaba before chilling.
Also covers: Reverse Dry Shake
Double Strain
Straining a shaken cocktail through both a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove ice chips and pulp.
Also covers: Fine Strain
Float
Gently pouring a liquid over the back of a spoon so it rests on top of a drink without sinking.
Also covers: Layering
Muddle
Pressing fruit, herbs, or sugar in the bottom of a glass or shaker to extract juice, oils, and flavor before adding other ingredients.
Expressing Citrus
Squeezing or twisting citrus peel over a drink to release the essential oils from the skin onto the surface.
Also covers: Twist, Zest, Citrus Coin
Swizzle
A mixing method using a swizzle stick or bar spoon rotated rapidly between the palms to chill and integrate a drink built over crushed ice.
Roll
Pouring a drink back and forth between two vessels to mix and aerate without the agitation of shaking.
Also covers: Throwing
Batching
Pre-mixing a cocktail in large volume so it can be served quickly, typically for hosting or events.
Also covers: Welcome Drink, Signature Cocktail
Dilution
The water added to a cocktail through melting ice during mixing — a fundamental and intentional part of any well-made drink.
Garnish
The finishing element on a cocktail — a visual, aromatic, or flavor addition placed on or in the glass just before serving.
Also covers: Salt Rim / Sugar Rim, Edible Flowers, Luxardo Cherry, Citrus Garnishes, Dehydrated Citrus, Herb Garnishes, Cucumber Ribbon, Wash / Rinse, Mise en Place
Ingredients
Simple Syrup
A solution of sugar dissolved in water, used to add sweetness and body to cocktails without the graininess of undissolved sugar.
Also covers: Rich Simple Syrup, Demerara Syrup, Honey Syrup, Agave Nectar
Grenadine
A sweet, deep-red syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar, used for sweetness, color, and a tart fruit note.
Orgeat
A sweet almond syrup with orange flower water, used as a primary sweetener and flavor component in tiki cocktails.
Shrub
A drinking vinegar made by combining fruit, sugar, and vinegar — sweet, tart, and complex in a way citrus juice alone can't replicate.
Oleosaccharum
A syrup made by combining citrus peels with sugar, which draws out the essential oils over time into a rich, intensely aromatic liquid.
Aquafaba
The liquid from canned chickpeas, used as a plant-based substitute for egg white to create foam in cocktails.
Bitters
Concentrated flavor extracts made by macerating botanicals, herbs, or spices in high-proof alcohol — used by the dash to season cocktails.
Also covers: Aromatic Bitters, Orange Bitters, NA Bitters
Vermouth
A fortified, aromatized wine used as a modifier in classic cocktails — dry in Martinis, sweet in Manhattans and Negronis.
Amaro
An Italian bittersweet herbal liqueur, used as a modifier, digestif, or base in cocktails ranging from the Negroni to the Paper Plane.
Also covers: Aperitif, Digestif, Aperitivo
Ginger Beer
A carbonated, spiced soft drink made with real ginger — spicier and more complex than ginger ale, and essential to the Moscow Mule and Dark and Stormy.
Also covers: Tonic Water, Club Soda, Sparkling Water / Seltzer
Ice
Clear Ice
Ice made without the trapped air and impurities that cause standard freezer ice to appear cloudy — harder, slower-melting, and visually striking.
Also covers: Large Cube / King Cube, Sphere Ice
Crushed Ice
Finely broken ice used in swizzled drinks, Juleps, and tiki cocktails — it dilutes faster and creates a distinct frosted texture.
Also covers: Pebble Ice
Tools
Jigger
A small measuring tool used to accurately portion liquid ingredients when building a cocktail.
Cocktail Shaker
The vessel used to shake cocktails with ice — available in several styles, each with different strengths.
Also covers: Boston Shaker, Cobbler Shaker, French Shaker
Mixing Glass
A heavy glass vessel used for stirring cocktails with ice — designed for efficient chilling and smooth pouring.
Bar Spoon
A long-handled spoon used for stirring cocktails, layering drinks, and measuring small amounts — typically 30 cm with a twisted handle.
Hawthorne Strainer
A spring-coiled strainer that fits over a shaker tin to catch ice while pouring a shaken cocktail.
Also covers: Julep Strainer, Fine Mesh Strainer
Muddler
A blunt pestle used to press fruit, herbs, or sugar in the bottom of a glass or shaker to extract flavor.
Channel Knife
A small tool with a notched blade that cuts a thin, curling strip of citrus peel for use as a garnish.
Also covers: Y-Peeler
Dasher Bottle
A small bottle fitted with a controlled-flow dasher top, used to dispense bitters or other concentrated liquids precisely by the dash.
Also covers: Dropper Bottle, Atomizer
Lewis Bag
A canvas bag used to crush ice by pounding it with a mallet — the traditional method for making crushed ice.
Spirits & AF Spirits
Alcohol-Free Gin
A non-alcoholic botanical spirit designed to replicate the juniper and botanical character of gin.
Alcohol-Free Whiskey
A non-alcoholic spirit designed to replicate the oak, vanilla, and grain character of whiskey.
Also covers: Alcohol-Free Rum, Alcohol-Free Tequila
Alcohol-Free Aperitif
A non-alcoholic alternative to bitter aperitivo spirits like Campari or Aperol, used in Negronis, Spritzes, and similar formats.
Also covers: Alcohol-Free Vermouth
Flavor & Sensory
Balance
The relationship between the core taste elements in a cocktail — sweet, sour, bitter, and spirit — when they support rather than overpower each other.
Also covers: Structure, Body, Finish, Length
Mouthfeel
The physical sensation of a cocktail in the mouth — its texture, weight, and carbonation — separate from its flavor.
Also covers: Viscosity
Acidity
The bright, sharp quality in a cocktail that comes from citrus juice or other acidic ingredients — one of the four pillars of cocktail balance.
Also covers: Acid Adjustment
Bitterness
A flavor element that adds complexity and depth to cocktails — contributed by bitters, tonic water, citrus peel, amaro, and coffee.
Also covers: Tannin, Astringency
Aroma
The smell of a cocktail — the first sensory impression and a primary contributor to how we experience flavor.
Also covers: Nose, Volatile Aromatics
Cocktail Science
Infusion
The process of steeping an ingredient in a liquid to transfer its flavor — the mechanism behind flavored syrups, tea, and many craft cocktail components.
Also covers: Maceration, Extraction, Sous Vide Infusion
Fat Washing
A technique for infusing a spirit or syrup with fat-soluble flavors by combining it with a fat, then freezing and filtering out the solidified fat.
Carbonation
The presence of dissolved CO₂ in a liquid, creating bubbles — a key textural element in highballs, spritzes, and long drinks.
Milk Punch
A clarification technique where milk proteins are used to remove color, tannins, and impurities from a cocktail, producing a crystal-clear, silky liquid.
Also covers: Clarification
Cocktail Families
Sour
One of the fundamental cocktail templates: a base spirit, citrus juice, and a sweetener — the framework for Daiquiris, Margaritas, Whiskey Sours, and hundreds of variations.
Also covers: Daisy, Smash
Highball
A two-ingredient long drink of spirit and a carbonated mixer served over ice in a tall glass — one of the most refreshing and underrated cocktail formats.
Also covers: Collins, Fizz, Rickey
Old Fashioned
One of the oldest cocktail templates: spirit, sweetener, bitters, and ice — nothing more, nothing less.
Flip
A rich, creamy cocktail made with a whole egg (or egg substitute), spirit, and sweetener — the template for eggnog and port wine flips.
Julep
A spirit-forward drink built over crushed ice with muddled mint and sugar — the original Southern American cocktail and a study in cold, aroma, and simplicity.
Punch
A large-format, multi-serving drink traditionally built from five elements: spirit, citrus, sweetener, water, and spice.
Negroni
A three-ingredient stirred cocktail of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari in equal parts — one of the most influential and adaptable cocktail templates.
Glassware
Coupe
A wide, shallow stemmed glass — the classic vessel for cocktails served "up" without ice.
Also covers: Nick & Nora, Martini Glass
Rocks Glass
A short, wide tumbler used for spirit-forward cocktails served over ice — also called an Old Fashioned glass.
Also covers: Double Rocks
Highball Glass
A tall, narrow tumbler for long drinks and carbonated cocktails — the standard glass for Highballs, Collins, and Mojitos.
Also covers: Collins Glass, Copper Mug