Sweet-n-sour
mix has many names in
the mixer aisle of your local store. It can be called sour mix,
margarita mix, and whiskey sour mix and all of them are pretty
nasty because they have artificial colorings, flavorings,and words
no one can pronounce. By far, the best is to make your own so
that it's fresh. Your taste buds will not believe the difference.
The
first thing you should know is that there are basically 2 types
of sour mixes. One has a lemon base and the other
lime. Lemon based sour mixes are used for a Whiskey
Sour, Amaretto Sour, Tom Collins, Long Island Iced Tea, etc. Lime
based mixes are mostly just used for Margaritas.
Lemon-based
sour mix is fresh lemon juice and simple syrup (sugar water).
You can learn to make it here.
Lime-based is lime juice and simple syrup.
In
recipe books you may see that the recipe calls for 1 oz juice
and 1 oz simple syrup...That's sour mix made-to-order! You can
pre-make it in batches so when a recipe calls for let's say 1
oz lemon juice and 1 oz simple syrup you can just pour 2 oz of
your pre-made sour mix. If you see sour mix on this page then
that's what it means.
Sadly,
most bars use a concentrated, powered, or commercial sour mix.
But there's hope because there are bars that are making the change
because the public is demanding freshness. I will add a list of
these bars soon.
Whiskey
Sour
Glass:
Highball, Old-fashioned, or whatever your establishment requires.
1
1/2 ounces of whiskey
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
Mixing Method: Shake and strain over ice (optional)
Garnish: Flag, with the minimum garnish being a cherry.
One Spirit Sour Family
Amaretto
Sour: amaretto, lemon juice and simple syrup. Vodka Sour: vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup.
Scotch Sour: scotch, lemon juice and simple syrup.
Apricot Sour: apricot brandy, lemon juice and
simple syrup. Midori Sour: Midori, lemon juice and simple syrup.
Tom
Collins
The
Tom Collins was the very first drink I ever had
in the very first nightclub I ever walked into. I can’t
remember the name of the club, but I do remember the name of the
song playing as I entered. It was Le Freak.
Glass: Collins glass or tall thin glass.
1 1/2 ounces of gin
Fill with equal parts of sour mix and soda water.
Mixing Method: Shake the gin and sour with ice then strain over
fresh ice. Top with the soda water.
Garnish: Flag, with the minimum garnish being a cherry.
Note: Most guests prefer the taste of half soda water and
half sprite or 7up. Sadly, America has a sweet tooth.
Collins Family
Vodka
Collins: vodka, sour, soda water. John Collins: whiskey, sour, and soda water. Singapore Sling #1: gin, sour mix, soda water,
bitters and a cherry brandy floater. Singapore Sling #2: gin, Cherry Heering, Cointreau,
Benedictine, pineapple juice, limejuice, grenadine, and bitters. Sloe Gin Fizz: sloe gin, sour mix, half soda
half sprite or 7 up.
Long
Island Iced Tea
The Long Island Iced Tea is a controversial drink.
Bartenders hate to make it and guests think that they can catch
a buzz from drinking only one. It became famous in the late 1970s
disco era and is said to be invented by a man named Robert
Butt from Long Island, NY. The gimmick of the drink is that
it looks and tastes like non-alcoholic Iced Tea. It’s had
some pretty good staying power because it’s still popular
into the 21st century.
When bartenders talk amongst themselves
they often shorten the name to Long Island Tea and Long Island
and the reason that they hate making it is because you have to
pick up 5 bottles of booze, only pouring a half-ounce from each.
Some establishments only allow you to pour 2 ounces of alcohol
into a drink, so one of the clear liquors are usually eliminated.
1/2 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce gin
1/2 ounce rum
1/2 ounce triple sec
2 ounces of sour mix
1/2 to 2 ounces of cola depending
Mixing Method: Shake if using fresh squeezed ingredients before
adding the cola, otherwise roll.
Garnish: lemon wedge
Note: Some guests like more cola than sour and vice versa.
The #1 mistake bartenders make is pouring in too much sour. When
guests taste a lot of sour they think that you cheated them by
not putting in much alcohol. A lot of bartenders have learned
to pick up two bottles in each hand (four at one time) to make
this drink.
For a low carb LIIT, you can use fresh squeezed lemon juice,
Splenda or Equal, and diet cola.
LIIT Family
Texas
Tea; same as a LIIT just add Tequila.
Long Beach Tea (also called California Tea); vodka, gin,
rum, tequila, triple sec, sour, and cranberry juice. Miami Iced Tea; vodka, gin, rum, triple sec,
peach schnapps, cranberry juice and sprite or 7 up. Electric Iced Tea; vodka, gin, rum, gin, tequila,
blue Curacao, sour and sprite or 7up.
Lynchburg
Lemonade
I tried to get some information on this long cool
drink from the Jack Daniel’s company, but I got
the runaround for about a month and gave up. Then someone sent
me this information about this lawsuit
and it all made sense.
Apparently, a man named Tony Mason created
a drink and named it Lynchburg Lemonade in 1980. As a
bartender he made the drink for his Jack Daniel's rep in 1982.
Basically, the rep took the drink and the recipe and never gave
Tony Mason credit.
Glass: Tall
1 1/2 ounces of Jack Daniel’s
1/2 ounce triple sec
Fill with equal parts of sour and sprite or 7up
Mixing Method: Shake if using fresh squeezed ingredients before
adding the soda, otherwise roll.
Garnish: lemon wedge.
Daiquiri
Okay.
Here’s the deal with the Daiquiri. The name
comes from the name of a beach in Cuba. A man named Jennings
Cox was working in an iron mine as an engineer near Daiquiri
Beach. One weekend, while entertaining some Americans, he ran
out of gin and quickly mixed up some rum, fresh limejuice and
sugar (sounds like a rum sour, huh?). The drink became a hit and
was then served at the Army and Navy Club in Washington D.C. The
rest is history. It was Ernest Hemingway’s favorite
drink.
Glass:
Cocktail
1 1/2 ounces of rum
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Mixing Method: Shake and strain into a chilled glass.
Garnish: None, but some add a lime wedge.
Note: Most guests think that a Daiquiri is a term for a frozen
drink and or most often, a Strawberry Daiquiri. Honestly, I didn’t
know what it was until I worked on a cruise ship and I had to
make trash cans full of Daiquiris for 1500 passengers at the Captain's
party. Be prepared, because many guests will walk up to your bar
and ask for a Daiquiri and you will have to ask them what flavor
they want. 99% of the time, they will not want this drink.
Margarita
This
is by far the most popular drink worldwide and many
people claim to have invented it. If you’re currently working
as a bartender then you probably make around 5000 Margaritas a
year. Double it if you work in a tropical location and triple
it if you work in a Mexican restaurant. Also, know that there
are many that claim to be the inventor of the Margarita ranging
from the 1930s to the 1950s. When you think about it it’s
just a Daiquiri spin-off.
Glass: Many glasses can be used and some establishments even use
real Margarita glasses that have a unique shape.
The
Original Margarita The basics of a Margarita is simple: Tequila, orange
liqueur, and lime juice. Using only these three ingredients equals
a true Margarita. The best ratio is 3:2:1. Shake and strain that
into a glass with or without ice. The sweet orange liqueur should
be all the sweetness a true Margarita needs.
Margarita
that you'll find in bars that don't use fresh juice
1 1/2 ounces of tequila
1/2 ounce of triple sec
1/8 ounce Rose's lime juice
4 ounces commercial sour mix
Mixing Method: Margaritas can be served up, on the rocks,
or blended.
Garnish: A salted rim and a lime wedge. For presentation sake
some establishments will use lime wheels.
Margarita
Tips
A lot of bartenders are confused about flavored Margaritas.
Understand that a Margarita is tequila, orange liqueur, and lime
juice. To make flavored Margaritas you simply replace the orange
liqueur with another flavored liqueur or mixer. For example if
you use Chambord (sham-BOARD) instead of the triple sec (orange
liqueur) you’ve made a Raspberry
Margarita, if you use Midori you’ve made a Melon
Margarita and if you replace the orange liqueur with
strawberry mix then you’ve made a Strawberry
Margarita.
Bartenders
will develop their own style when making a Margarita
on the rocks. When you’re just beginning, it helps to make
the Margarita in the glass first so you get a feel for the portions
in the glass that you use at your bar. Next, you can pour it into
a shaker tin and while shaking, you can dip rim the glass with
salt with the other hand then pour in the drink. Experienced bartenders
will rim the glass first and pour the perfect amount of ice, spirit,
and mixer into a shaker tin from the beginning, shake then pour
it into the glass.
If you’re not sure if a guest wants their glass rimmed with
salt or not, then just rim half of it.
Know that Margaritas can be made straight
up, on the rocks or blended (frozen). Also know that most guests
don’t have a clue about Margaritas. They hear about it in
a song or see it in the movies and TV and then walk up to the
bar and ask, Can I have a Margarita? You then will have to ask
a series of questions. So, try to smile and without attitude say,
sure, how would you like it? When you see the deer-caught-in-the-headlight
eyes you’ll know that you are looking at an inexperienced
Margarita drinker. The choices they will have to make are up,
rocks, frozen, salt, no salt, well or top shelf.
To make unforgettable blended/frozen Margaritas, blend the non-alcoholic
portions and pour into the glass leaving room to pour the alcohol
on top. When you blend with the alcohol the melted ice waters
down the drink.
Know that Cointreau is the true upgrade of
triple sec. A lot of bartenders think Grand Marnier is the upgrade.
Grand Marnier is orange flavored, yes, but it’s a Cognac
based orange liqueur, meaning you are putting Cognac in your Margarita,
making it a cross between a Margarita and a Sidecar.
Course salt called kosher salt is used
for Margaritas, not table salt.
Margarita Family
Top
Shelf Margarita: means to use any premium tequila and
triple sec that the guests call or that your establishment says
to use. Golden Margarita: means to use gold tequila. Golden Grand Margarita: means to use gold tequila
and Grand Marnier. Blue Margarita: means to substitute the triple
sec for blue Curacao. Sidecar: brandy or Cognac, triple sec, and sour
mix. Can be served with a sugared rim.
Miss
Charming's Margarita page gets more hits than any other page.
Click
here to view it.
Lemondrop
Martini
Glass: Martini.
1 1/2 ounces citrus flavored vodka
1/2 ounce triple sec
2 ounces sour mix
Mixing Method: Shake and strain.
Garnish: sugared rim with a sugar coated lemon wedge.
Sour
Apple-tini
Glass: Martini
1 ounce citrus flavored vodka
1 ounce sour apple liqueur
2 ounces sour mix
Mixing Method: Shake and strain.
Garnish: dropped cherry, however handmade cocktail bars will actually
use a slice of green apple.
Note: There are slight variations on this recipe. Some bartenders
add triple sec, others add apple juice and others leave out the
sour mix bumping up the alcohol portions.
Sour Apple Family
Caramel
Apple-tini: vodka, sour apple liqueur, butterscotch schnapps,
and sour mix. Washington Apple-tini: Crown Royal, apple Pucker,
and cranberry juice (some bartenders use Southern Comfort instead
of Crown Royal).
The Top Sour Drinks You Must Know
Amaretto Sour
Lemondrop
Long Beach Tea
Long Island Iced Tea
Lynchburg Lemonade
Margarita
Midori Sour
Sour Apple-tini
Tom Collins
Whiskey Sour
