COCKTAIL – AN AMERICAN INVENTION
Cocktail was invented in New Orleans and to this day Americans are the most enthusiastic cocktail fanciers.
London, Paris also harbour several famous cocktail bars, but they cannot compete with New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
The secret of cocktail mixing is ratio. Some of the greatest drinks are based on equal parts of ratios or two to one.
The Negroni is equal parts of gin, sweet vermouth and campari; the Manhattan two parts whisky and one part of sweet vermouth; the Original Martini two parts of gin and one part of dry vermouth.
Today, many bartenders use very little vermouth sometimes as requested, and sometimes out of their own belief, and a few even use a few drops of vermouth to satisfy the “requirement”.
Today, many cocktail fanatics ask for vodka martini, which deviates from the original recipe.
Home bar tending is different than in commercial operations
Bar tenders must follow recipes and measure accurately to control costs.
In homes, the host is at liberty to use as much as he/she thinks appropriate, or upon request if invitees.
There are many bar tending books with all kinds of recipes using several distillates and liqueurs, but all constituents are still based on ratios.
Some promote two to one ratios (two parts of distillate and one part sour plus one part sweet), and young people enjoy them.
Generally, young North Americans prefer sweet drinks as they grow up consuming soft drinks, and are profoundly influenced, if not brainwashed, by incessant advertising.
This is responsible for increased diabetes and rampant obesity.
As a host, you don’t want to consult books every time a guest asks for a special cocktail, committing a few ratios to memory will free you from following recipes.
Measuring each ingredient ensures consistency in taste and cost, but at home you can tend your bar confidently and fast by remembering ratios.
Most popular cocktails
Negroni, Mojito, Whisky sour, Daiquiri, Margarita, Mai Tai, Bloody Mary, Manhattan, Martini, Bloody Caesar (in Canada. It was invented in Canada)