50 Cocktails you NEED to know! (How to be a better Bartender)

The Educated Barfly27 minutes read

Bartenders must know classic cocktail recipes, with a focus on call drinks like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sazerac, Negroni, and Mint Julep. Each cocktail has specific ingredients and methods of preparation, essential for any self-respecting bartender.

Insights

  • Classic cocktail recipes are essential for bartenders, with a minimum of 50 being vital for a respectable cocktail establishment.
  • Bartenders focus on call drinks like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sazerac, Negroni, and Mint Julep, each made with specific ingredients and techniques to achieve their distinctive flavors and presentation.

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Recent questions

  • What are some classic cocktail recipes?

    Various classic cocktail recipes include the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sazerac, Negroni, and Mint Julep.

  • How is an Old Fashioned cocktail made?

    An Old Fashioned is made by muddling a sugar cube with bitters, adding rye whiskey, ice, and garnishing with orange and lemon twists and a cherry.

  • What is the recipe for a Manhattan cocktail?

    The Manhattan cocktail requires mixing bitters, sweet vermouth, and rye whiskey in a glass with ice, stirring, and garnishing with a cherry.

  • How do you make a Negroni cocktail?

    The Negroni cocktail is a simple equal parts cocktail of sweet vermouth, gin, and Campari, stirred with ice and garnished with an orange twist.

  • What is the recipe for a Mint Julep cocktail?

    The Mint Julep is made by muddling mint leaves with sugar, adding bourbon and ice, and garnishing with a mint sprig.

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Summary

00:00

Essential Classic Cocktail Recipes for Bartenders

  • To become a bartender, knowing classic cocktail recipes is crucial, with at least 50 being essential for any self-respecting cocktail bar.
  • Call drinks, which are standard at any bar, are a focus for bartenders, including the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sazerac, Negroni, and Mint Julep.
  • The Old Fashioned is made by muddling a sugar cube with bitters, adding rye whiskey, ice, and garnishing with orange and lemon twists and a cherry.
  • The Manhattan requires mixing bitters, sweet vermouth, and rye whiskey in a glass with ice, stirring, and garnishing with a cherry.
  • The Sazerac involves muddling a sugar cube with bitters, adding rye whiskey, absinthe, and ice, then straining into a glass and garnishing with a lemon twist.
  • The Negroni is a simple equal parts cocktail of sweet vermouth, gin, and Campari, stirred with ice and garnished with an orange twist.
  • The Mint Julep is made by muddling mint leaves with sugar, adding bourbon and ice, and garnishing with a mint sprig.
  • The Tom Collins is a shaken cocktail with lemon juice, simple syrup, gin, and soda water, served in a highball glass with a lemon twist and cherry.
  • The Margarita includes lime juice, agave, Cointreau, and tequila, shaken and strained into a salt-rimmed glass with a lime wheel.
  • The Daiquiri is a simple mix of lime juice, simple syrup, and rum, shaken and strained into a glass with a lime wheel garnish.

12:58

Classic and Modern Cocktail Recipes

  • The Last Word cocktail includes an ounce of Luxardo Maraschino, three-quarters of an ounce of green Chartreuse, and three-quarters of an ounce of gin, garnished with a Luxardo cherry.
  • A modern take on the Sidecar cocktail involves three-quarters of an ounce of lemon juice, one teaspoon of rich Demerara syrup, three-quarters of an ounce of orange curacao, and two ounces of cognac, garnished with an orange disc.
  • A unique Mojito recipe includes lime cut into six pieces, mint leaves muddled with a sugar cube and simple syrup, two ounces of rum, and a spritz of soda water, garnished with mint sprigs.
  • The Corpse Reviver No. 2 cocktail comprises three-quarters of an ounce of lemon juice, our Coke Americano, Cointreau, and gin, with an absinthe rinse and lemon peel garnish.
  • A modern Gimlet recipe consists of three-quarters of an ounce of lime juice, three-quarters of an ounce of simple syrup, and two ounces of gin, garnished with a lime wheel.
  • The Martinez cocktail includes two dashes of orange bitters, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Old Tom gin, garnished with a lemon twist.
  • The Singapore Sling cocktail features lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, Angostura bitters, Cointreau, cherry liqueur, Benedictine, and gin, topped with soda water and a pineapple garnish.
  • The Silver Fizz cocktail combines lemon juice, simple syrup, gin, egg white, and soda water, garnished with a lemon wheel.
  • The Daisy cocktail includes lemon juice, orange curacao, gin, soda water, and a lemon twist garnish.
  • The Jungle Bird cocktail comprises pineapple juice, simple syrup, lime juice, Campari, and dark Jamaican rum, garnished with pineapple fronds.

27:13

Classic Whiskey Sour Recipe with Egg White

  • The modern whiskey sour typically includes three-quarters of an ounce of lemon juice, three-quarters of an ounce of simple syrup, and two ounces of bourbon, along with egg white for a fantastic texture. To prepare, shake the cocktail in a tin with the egg white for about 30 seconds, then shake with a large ice cube for less dilution but superior foam. Double strain the cocktail, add a few drops of angostura bitters, and enjoy this classic cocktail.
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