Stick
Drinks All Bartenders Should Know
| Stick
drinks are the drinks that
require a stick called a muddler.
Please know that your muddler should never be stained and/or
lacquered or it will put poison in the drink. It should be
unstained and oiled. Muddling releases the oils in what you
are muddling releasing its flavor. A great place to get an
awesome muddler is over at
Mr. Mojito. |
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Mojito (mo-HEE-toe) |
The
Mojito is said to come from Havana, Cuba
at the La Bodeguita del Medio restaurant that opened
in 1942. It’s amazing to see a cocktail have new life breathed
into it 60 years later thanks to James Bond ordering
it in the 2002 film, Die Another Day. Makes you wonder
what classic cocktail could become the rage again.
Glass: Highball.
1 1/2 ounces of light rum
4 lime wedges
3 packets of sugar
4 mint sprigs (one saved for a garnish)
Soda water
Shake & Strain Mixing Method #1: muddle the
limes, sugar and mint in a shaker glass then add ice and rum then
shake and strain into a highball or tall glass of crushed or cracked
ice. Top with soda water.
Build Mixing Method #2: muddle the limes, sugar
and mint in a highball or tall glass, add the rum then crushed
or cracked ice and top with soda water.
Garnish: mint sprig.
Note: Sadly, a lot of bars are trying to cash in on the Mojito
craze and you’ll find mint syrup taking the place of the
time consuming muddling method. The most important thing to know
is that a Mojito is not served in a short stubby glass.
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Mint
Julep |
The
first thing you should know is
that the Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby.
Next you should know that whole books have been written on its
origins, so to attempt to give you that information in one paragraph
is not possible. However, they were once made in silver cups so
that an icy frost formed on the outside of the cup.
Glass: Highball.
2 ounces of bourbon
3 packets of sugar
4 mint sprigs (one saved for a garnish)
Mixing Method: muddle the sugar and mint in the highball glass
then fill with crushed or cracked ice. Add the bourbon and stir
until the glass gets really really cold. Add more ice if needed.
Garnish: mint sprig.
Note: It’s said that spearmint leaves are better than peppermint
when making this drink.
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Old
Fashioned |
This
is a controversial drink,
but don’t worry about it too much because you won’t
get many orders for it. This recipe is pretty standard in most
bars. There are even bars that will tell you that they don’t
make it, but that’s mainly because they don’t know
how.
Glass: Rocks.
2 ounces of bourbon, whiskey, or rye
2 packets of sugar
orange slice and one cherry
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Mixing Method: muddle the sugar, orange, cherry in the rocks glass
then fill with ice. Add the whiskey.
Garnish: None.
Note: No matter what you’ve been told you do not put
a splash of water or soda water on top. Also, the cherry really
serves no purpose other than decorative. The original Old Fashioned
is built with a spoon of sugar, two dashes of bitters, spoonful
of water, ice, rye whiskey, and garnished with a lemon peel.
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Caipirinha
(kie-purr-REEN-ya)
|
The
Caipirinha comes from Brazil.
It’s
made from a popular Brazilian liqueur called cachaça (ka-SHA-ka).
There are about 4000 different brands of cachaça in Brazil
and probably only 5% of American bars stock it.
Glass: Rocks.
2 ounces of cachaça
4 lime wedges
3 packets of sugar
Mixing Method: muddle the limes and sugar in a shaker glass then
ice and the cachaça and shake. Pour everything into a rocks
glass.
Garnish: None.
Caipirinha
Family
Caipirissima: a Caipirinha made with rum.
Caipiroska: a Caipirinha made with vodka.
The Top Stick Drinks You Must Know
Mint Julep
Mojito
Old Fashioned
