Making cocktails at home is cool. First of all, it can save you a truckload of money. Secondly, you can impress all your friends by flaunting your signature drinks. You can also be your own bartender and drink your favourite cocktail at any given point in time. However, there are a few common mistakes that can ruin your homemade cocktails and we are listing them down. Read on to know what not to do while bartending at home.
Using average ingredients: We understand that you are fixing a quick cocktail at home, and you might not have been fully prepared with all the ingredients. But just because it’s the amateur edition, you don’t get to use extremely cheap quality products. Left-over cocktails are cool, but if you only use what’s left in the refrigerator, you will never get the quality correct.
Measurement accuracy: People tend to eye ingredients instead of properly measuring it, that’s a no-no. If the recipe says, 5 ml lemon, you better take that effort and measure 5 ml. It will be worth it.
The recipe is crucial: Yeah, we all are rebels and we like doing things our way, but if the goddamned recipe says add ice last, there’s a reason behind it. Unless you want cocktails that taste like crap, you better follow the recipe.
Techniques matter: Every cocktail is made a particular way and every single technique counts. You should only stir cocktails like an Old Fashioned or Negroni and shake those such as a Daiquiri or Tom Collins unless you want to absolutely mess it up. Expert bartenders won’t recommend wrong mixing techniques or even skipping basic steps like training and muddling.
Wrong ice: Don’t laugh just yet. According to Cory Cuff, manager of Cielo Restaurant & Bar at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis in Missouri, if you have subpar ice there is a chance that you could over-dilute the drink. To get the best ice, you can use flexible silicon molds, boil the water before freezing it and ensure it’s frozen hard. Keep these points in mind and you are golden!
