Ryan Chetiyawardana - Good Things to Drink with Mr Lyan and Friends

But when you notice how a well-made cocktail can complement and enhance a social occasion (just as much as food!), its a huge joy. I know people are often put off making cocktails because they seem difficult or time-consuming or that theyll have to stand by the drinks cabinet laboriously mixing complex concoctions while everyone else is having fun. But in reality, making incredible drinks can easily be incorporated into our everyday lives. Good Things to Drink is all about those times when we get together with friends and family, and the cocktails that make those times even more memorable. If youve got a big group to keep entertained, there are batch cocktails that are easy to scale up into bottles, bowls and pitchers. If youre on a chilly winter ramble, opening a flask of something rich and hot will make you even more popular among your companions.

Of course, you can chop and change sometimes a tropical drink on a miserable rainy day can hit the spot so well. But the main thing is, youre having fun then youll quickly see how a great drink really cements an occasion. Ive always tried to explore the weird and wonderful through drinks, and incorporate flavours from around the world (this might come from my chef training!). Studying Biology at university led me to understand cocktails on a more scientific level (Ive been known to pull all sorts of high-spec equipment and unusual ingredients into play). But those drinks are linked to the amazing teams that bring them to life in my bars. Some involve lots of steps and painstaking preparation, and I rarely find myself going through all that in my house.

What I love at home is that crisp martini before dinner, or the refreshing G&T in the garden on a summer evening, or the warming nightcap on a cold evening. These are some of my favourite moments that are made infinitely better by the right drink and I want to share them in this book. No cocktail recipe Ive included is hard and fast. My hope is that youll enjoy experimenting with the suggestions. Treat cocktails like you would your cooking. The recipes can be followed exactly or they can simply be an inspiration: adapt them to your own tastes and ingredients.

Hopefully all this will mean the drinks you make yourself at home will become more refined. Instead of cracking a bottle of beer or pouring a wine, youll push beyond your usual calls and try something new. And, hopefully, youll enjoy your drink that bit more.

Theres plenty of beautiful (and expensive!) barware out there (check out some of the stuff from Japan and Germany), but you really only need a handful of practical pieces to make amazing drinks. Youll be surprised how inventive you can be in the pursuit of a fine cocktail!

SHAKERS
If youre going to pick up one piece of equipment, Id say go with an all-metal, two-piece tin on tin shaker for one main reason - they dont break.
	Jam jars, bottles and tubs do work, its just that getting the right amount in - and out - of them is a bit harder.

MIXING GLASS
Again, its really easy to blow a heap of money here, but all you really want is a medium-sized glass jug.

MIXING GLASS
Again, its really easy to blow a heap of money here, but all you really want is a medium-sized glass jug. Too small and it wont fit enough ice, too big and the mix churns. Thick glass (or something with a handle) is preferable so your warm mitts dont heat up the drink.
BAR SPOON		A long-handled spoon is a worthwhile purchase, although chopsticks and (clean) paintbrushes also work.
SQUEEZER		Fresh juice is paramount, so a hand squeezer is essential. I opt for the hinged Mexican elbow juice press - it gets all the citrus skin oils out too.
JIGGERS		Stamped measures are required in bars, but at home any consistent measure is fine - a shot glass is ideal. Tablespoons and teaspoons are also useful.

STRAINERS Youll need to remove the ice and bits from your shaken or stirred drinks. Although a slotted spoon or a sieve will work, a specialist strainer is very useful.
	All three will come in handy so are worth having in your kit.