Building A Cocktail

There are so many techniques that can be used when creating a cocktail, it can make your head spin. One technique that you definitely need to know is building. Considered to be the oldest preparation technique, it is most often used for drinks containing carbonated ingredients that would taste best if not shaken.

The basic instructions are as follows: Start by adding ice to the serving glass, then add in any seasoning. The alcohol comes next, followed up with the mixer (if any) and the garnish.

Building a drink sounds simple... it's just putting the ingredients together, right? Wrong! There are actually some things you need to learn to master this skill and become the perfect bartender.

When it comes to building a cocktail, the ingredients are added to a glass, usually the one in which it will be served. The ingredients can either be floated on each other or poured together. On occasion, depending on the recipe, a straw or swizzle stick is also added to allow the drinker to stir the drink at his or her leisure.

The way a built drink is stirred can be the key to its taste. In order to bring out its best flavor, the straw or swizzle stick should be used to stir it in a complete circle a minimum of six times.

One thing to remember when building a drink is to not add so many ingredients that they reach the rim of the glass